Infanta Eulalia's Jewels; or Old Cap. Collier Among the Crooks at the World's Fair. By the Author of "Old Cap. Collier Homeward Bound," Etc., Etc. New York: Munro's Publishing House; 24 & 26 Vandewater Street, July 8, 1893. 32p. (Old Cap. Collier Library, No. 498)

The World's Columbian Exposition of 1893 attracts millions of people, both famous and infamous, to Chicago. Among the former are Princess Eulalia and Prince Antonio of Spain. When Eulalia's jewels disappear from her hotel suite shortly after her arrival in Chicago, Old Cap. Collier, famous veteran detective who is also visiting the fair, is asked to investigate. Using the utmost discretion, he determines the identities of the thieves, recovers the jewels, and sets the villians to flight since the princess wishes not to press charges. Infanta Eulalia's Jewels offers nothing out of the ordinary either in plot or style, when considered with other serialized novels of the late nineteenth century.

The Actor Detective in Chicago; or Dick Doom's Flush Hand, by Col[onel] Prentiss Ingraham. Author of the "Dick Doom" novels. etc. New York: Published Weekly by Beadle and Adams; No. 98 William Street, September 12, 1893. 16p. (Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 842)

On his arrival in Chicago, Justin Keener discovers that his trunk contains a dead body in place of his personal belongings. Distraught at the loss of several valuable papers as well as the discovery of the body, Keener enlists the aid of Dick Doom the detective, who, with the able assistance of Nick Norcross and the Boy Ferrets, quickly captures the murderer and produces a bit of good fortune in so doing. The plot is contrived and too neatly interwoven to be accepted by modern readers as anything more than an example of the early detective story.

Dick Doom in Chicago; or, The Ferret of the Golden Fetters. A Romance of a Mysterious Man-Hunt, by Col[onel] Prentiss Ingraham. Author of "The Buccaneer Midshipman," "Dashing Charlie" Novels, "Dick Doom" Novels, Etc. Etc. New York: Published Weekly by Beadle and Adams; No. 98 Willian Street, October 4, 1892. 16p. (Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 793)

While on a summer cruise with her father, Clarice Carroll becomes infatuated with a convicted murderer who is being transported to New Orleans for hanging. The villain's spectacular escape leads to Clarice's eventual undoing, and provides Dick Doom with another fast-paced and intricate mystery to solve. The setting is New Orleans and Chicago.

Dick Doom's Big Haul; or, The Rogue Round-Up in Chicago. A Romance of the World's Fair City, by Col[onel] Prentiss Ingraham. Author of "The Dick Doom Novels," Etc. New York: Published Weekly by Beadle and Adams; No. 98 William Street, July 25, 1893. 15p. (Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 835)

Incarcerated in the Chicago City Prison awaiting his trial for the murder of Estelle Enders, Morton Sanford craftily plots his escape, while Dick Doom and the Boy Ferrets diligently plan their strategy for gathering the evidence necessary to hang him. Sanford's prison break peps up the otherwise slow starting tale, which relies heavily on such gimmicks as intricate disguises and haunted houses to sustain suspense. This Dick Doom novel gives considerable information concerning the background of the Boy Ferrets who play roles of varying importance in all of Dick Doom's Chicago episodes.

Dick Doom's Ten Strike; or, The Top Floor Club's Exposé, by Col[onel] Prentiss Ingraham. Author of "Dick Doom" Novels, Etc. New York: Published Weekly by Beadle and Adams; No. 98 Willian Street, October 17, 1893. 16p. (Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 847)

When three members of the Granger family die in the same mysterious manner, and two previously unknown heirs appear to claim the estate, Dick Doom decides to investigate. Disguising himself as a woman enables him to conduct his investigation without suspicion as he snoops into the Grangers' affairs, exposes the villain, and routs a band of cutthroats and thieves operating under the guise of a young men's missionary society.

The Gentleman Crook in Chicago; or, Nick Norcross, the River Rat, Dick Doom's Shadow Hunt, by Col[onel] Prentiss Ingraham. New York: Published Weekly by Beadle and Adams; No. 98 William Street, June 23, 1893. 16p. (Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 829)

The death of Estelle Enders is judged suicide by Chicago law authorities, but Nick Norcross, leader of a gang called the River Rats, has reason to believe otherwise. Determined to find the perpetrator of the crime, Nick enlists the assistance of the River Rats and his friend, Dick Doom the detective, in the search. In some instances, progress is impeded by the police, who consider the River Rats a gang of ruffians, but Nick and his friends circumvent the law when necessary and succeed in solving the case to their own satisfaction, in spite of opposition from the authorities.

The Midlanders, by Charles Tenney Jackson. Author of The Day of Souls, My Brother's Keeper, Etc., Etc. Illustrated by Arthur William Brown. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Publishers. [1912.] 386p.

A chronicle of the prairie states, The Midlanders is the story of little Aurelie who starts out with her Uncle Michigan to discover the midwest, and ends up on the Chicago stage. Much of the action takes place in Rome, Iowa, a town which Jackson describes vividly, along with his sensitive portrayal of Aurelie.

Book Review Digest, 1912, p. 237-8.

My Brother's Keeper, by Charles Tenney Jackson. Author of The Day of Souls. With Illustrations by Arthur William Brown. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Publishers, [1910.] 324p.

Old Judge Rand and Demetra Ennisley are bound by blood and personal indebtedness to Stephen Rand, but one has disowned, the other forgotten him. When Stephen, a one time clergyman, reenters their lives, a hunted man after participating in a prison break and killing a guard, he is at first reviled, but eventually shows them the way to love and brotherhood. My Brother's Keeper is a strange human drama played out in a limited Chicago setting. Yet, the author has developed the setting and the era to perfection, although concentrating on the personalities of the people involved.

Book Review Digest, 1910, p. 206.

Sarah Thornton, by Margaret Weymouth Jackson. Author of Jenny Fowler. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Publishers. [1933.] 310p.

For twenty years Sarah Thornton and Kurt Mueller share an unfulfilled love. At seventeen their youth is a detriment to marriage; at twenty-one Kurt's over-possessive mother prevents a happy union; and at thirty World War I separates the two for several years. Only after the war is over and Sarah has long since resigned herself to her unmarried state, do the two lovers sever family ties and begin life together. Mrs. Jackson's novel smacks of sentimentality, but her character development, particularly that of Sarah and her father, is good, and her interpretation of relationships in the early twentieth century is convincing. The setting is Chicago.

Book Review Digest, 1933, p. 473.

Lawyer Manton of Chicago; A Detective Story of Thrilling Interest by Le Jemlys. [pseud.] Author of "Shadowed to Europe," Etc. Chicago: The Eagle Publishing Co., 1891. 201p. (Glove Detective Series, No. 10)

The unexpected disappearance of Robert Manton, one of Chicago's most successful lawyers, distresses his sister Ora to the point that she engages detective Fenton Chase to find him. Working meticulously with existing evidence, Chase formulates a theory that Manton has been murdered with drugs. A body, identified as Manton corroborates the theory. But Chase persists in the case and his discoveries of a lovers' plot, a vengeful twin brother, and a jealous lover eventually lead him to the culprit and reveal Manton's true fate. Lawyer Manton of Chicago ranks high among early mystery novels in style and credibility, although still lacking the sophistication of present day mysteries. Unfortunately. it was published in paperback format, and the condition of the few existing copies is such that popular reading is impossible.

Shadowed to Europe; A Chicago Detective on Two Continents, by "Le Jemlys," [pseud.] Illustrated by True Williams. Chicago, New York [and] San Francisco: Belford, Clarke & Co., 1885. 357p. (Mooney & Boland Detective Series)

Youth, beauty, and wealth prove troublesome to Pauline Barr, an Evanston widow who is robbed of her fortune by a scoundrel who takes full advantage of her gullibility both prior to and following the robbery. The author of this early mystery novel analyzes each clue and each action carefully as he presents it, throwing in a love theme, some surprises, and a chase to Europe for additional reader interest.

The Lost Violin; They Came from Bohemia, by Clara Ingram Judson. Illustrated by Margaret Bradfield. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, The Riverside Press Cambridge, 1947. 204p.

One of the few prized possessions that the Kovec family bring with them when they migrate from Czechoslovakia is Anna's violin. The disappearance of the instrument on the day they arrive in Chicago adds distress to the anxiety the group experiences as they find themselves alone in an alien city. Determination to retrieve the violin leads to adventures which introduce them quickly to their new environment and help them acclimate to new customs, language, and surroundings. The mystery of the missing violin is only mildly interesting. However, Mrs. Judson's impressions of Bohemian family life, the World's Columbian Exposition, and Chicago in 1893 are vivid and lively, giving the novel merit beyond that of a mere mystery story.

Book Review Digest, 1947, p. 477.

Obituaries. Fiction by Bernard Kaplan. New York: Grossman Publishers; A Division of The Viking Press, 1976. 168p.

Six haunting exercises in surrealism make up this collection of short stories concerning people reacting unconventionally to the pressures of life. "Sperm in the Sea" and "The Highlight of My Life" concern Illinois, although the stories are not set entirely within the state.

CONTENTS: Cynara Remembers.--Obituaries.--Sperm in the Sea.--One Small Death in Saratoga.--The Highlight of My Life.--Lingering in Egypt.

Booklist, 2/15/1976, p. 837. Choice, 5/1976, p. 367. Kirkus, 11/15/1975, p. 1301. Library Journal, 11/15/1975, p. 2173. Newsweek, 1/26/1976, p. 72. N. Y. Times Book Review, 2/22/1976, p. 37. Saturday Review, 1/24/1976, p 37. Sewanee Review, 11/1977, p. 104.

The Money-Makers, A Social Parable. New York: D. Appleton and Company; 1, 3, and 5 Bond Street, 1885. 337p.

Rewards for bravery give Archibald Hilliard and Fred Carew, two struggling young journalists, their starts in life. But the two take very different roads to success. Archibald, anxious for a chance to get into the best social circles, uses his reward money to act on advance information he receives as a journalist and makes a fortune through stock manipulation; while Fred gives his reward to his needy family and maintains his integrity as a newspaperman. Becoming interested in labor disputes, Fred reports a miners' strike truthfully, pointing out the injustices and misrepresentations of both union and management. Later, he becomes involved in a railroad strike and editorializes for and against both factions, reporting the facts as they exist. When his own employees strike, he sets type himself and hires scab labor to continue publication of his paper until the strike is settled. The novel is set in a city called Valedo, which is Chicago only slightly disguised, and the railroad strike which occupies a large portion of the book is the Pullman strike of 1884.

Catholic World, 4/1885, p. 142. Dial, 4/1885, p. 330. Harper's, 5/1885, p. 976-7. Independent, 4/9/1885, p. 459. Literary World, 2/21/1885, p. 55.Saturday Review, 4/11/1885, p. 479-80.

Tracked to Chicago; or, Thad Burr's Great Trunk Mystery, by Harold Payne, [pseud.] Author of the "Thad Burr" Novels, Etc., Etc., Etc. New York: Beadle & Adams Publishers; 98 William Street, December 26, 1894. 31p. (Beadle's Dime New York Library, No. 844)

A trunk delivered by express to Chicago's United States Hotel is opened after remaining unclaimed for several days. The hotel proprietors discover within the trunk, the partially decomposed body of a man. Chicago police detectives are confounded by the case, for they can find no trace of ownership for the trunk, no apparent cause of death, and no identity for the man. At that point Thad Burr, New York's greatest detective, wanders into town on vacation and is pressed into service by floundering Chicago police. The novel loses credibility as Thad Burr enters the case and begins to discover obvious clues which the Chicago detectives have overlooked; still, a unique murder weapon, a strange motive, and a logical unraveling of the complicated plot make this an intriguing tale.

Foes in Ambush, by Capt[ain] Charles King, U. S. A. Author of "The Colonel's Daughter," "Marion's Faith," "Kitty's Conquest," "A Soldier's Secret," Etc. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1893. 263p.

When riots break out during a railroad strike in Chicago, Lieutenant Drummond and his troop of army recruits are transferred from Arizona to help quell the disturbance. Drummond and his men use western army tactics on the rioters fighting with rifles and in hand-to-hand combat until the strike leader is killed and the strikers go grudgingly back to their jobs. Charles King, who is best known for his novels of army life and Indian fighting, might best have maintained his cavalry west of the Mississippi, for his familiarity with frontier army life far exceeds his knowledge of labor relations or Chicago social conditions as displayed in Foes in Ambush.

Critic, 7/21/1894, p. 38. Literary World, 7/29/1893, p. 239. Saturday Review, 2/3/1894, p. 127-8.

A Tame Surrender; A Story of the Chicago Strike, by Captain Charles King, U. S. A. Author of "The Colonel's Daughter," "Marion's Faith," "Captain Blake," "A Soldier's Secret," "Sergeant Croesus," "Captain Close," Etc. Illustrated. Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company, 1896. 277p.

Captain Floyd Forrest, a resolute member of the United States armed forces, is assigned to duty in Chicago during the Pullman Strike of 1894. Urged on by his zealousness for law and order and his unwavering regard for the army--qualities which all of King's heroes seem to possess--Forrest stands his ground against socialist incendiaries, anarchists, and violent mobs to win a promotion and a lady's hand. The novelist is definitely pro-capitalist--an unpopular position in 1896--and his novel glorifies that position. King seems much more knowledgeable concerning labor and strike sentiment in A Tame Surrender than in his earlier Foes in Ambush.

Critic, 6/19/1897, p. 426. Dial, 1/1/1897, p. 23.

The Revolt of the Brutes; A Fantasy of the Chicago Fair, by Hyland C. Kirk. Author of "When Age Grows Young," "The Possibility of Not Dying," "Vladimir, the Mystic," "Heavy Guns and Light," etc., etc., etc. New York: C. T. Dillingham & Co., Publishers; 766 Broadway, [1893.] 123p.

An allegory protesting man's use and misuse of animals The Revolt of the Brutes is set in Chicago during the World's Columbian Exposition and is descriptive of the natural history exhibits at the fair.

Pendy, by Ann Kurtz. Charlotte, N[orth] C[arolina:] Heritage House, [1960.] 274p.

When Nicholas Verinoff, a disinherited Russian nobleman, immigrates to America in an attempt to rebuild his lost fortune, the responsibilities of caring for the family abandoned in Russia fall to his eldest daughter, seven-year-old Pendina. Three years later the reunion of the family temporarily lifts the burden from Pendy's young shoulders, but it falls to her again as bankruptcy, unemployment, illness, and death plague the group. Struggling to earn a living for the family, care for her younger brothers and sisters, support an ailing father living in California, and pamper a temperamental mother at home, Pendy succumbs to the advances of a wealthy industrialist and marries a solution to her problems, in spite of her love for someone else. Set in Russia, Minneapolis, and Chicago during the 1890s, Pendy is the story of adjustment to a new life in a strange land. Russian customs and tradition pervade the story and exert a mighty influence on the characters and the plot, even though great strides are made by some of the family toward Americanization. The Chicago background and descriptions of work in Chicago's large department stores seem authentic. However, the novel is marred by the exaggerated characterization of Pendy, who, as a child is imbued with understanding, a sense of responsibility, and reasoning powers far in advance of her tender years; then, as an adult, is martyred for the sake of her unwise and lethargic family.

Beef Iron and Wine, by Jack Lait. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1916. 316p.

The title, taken from the label of a popular tonic sold without prescription over the patent medicine counters of most drug stores, suggests the make-up of this collection of stories. Employing a style which is very like that of O. Henry, Lait relies on cub reporters, taxi drivers, chorus girls, ex-convicts, and detectives for his stories; and he treats each character with the tenderness, humor, pathos, or tragedy that the individual's story demands. Set in Chicago during the second decade of the twentieth century, the collection reflects Chicago's rich heritage of unwritten tales and the author's vast potential for finding something to write about among the seemingly ordinary and commonplace people of the city.

CONTENTS: The Septagon.--"Charlie the Wolf".--Felice o' the Follies.--Lars, the Useless, Was a Nuisance, so He Got a Public Office and Threw His Love to the Birds.--If a Party Meet a Party.--Omaha Slim.--Jennie, The Imp of the Night, Begs Bread No More--But Mike Will Soon Be Big Enough.--Taxi, Mister!--The Canada Kid.--Second from the End.--Heritage of the Suffering Brother. The Blushing Yokel Who Always Got the Bitter Leavings.--One Touch of Art.--It Wasn't Honest but It Was Sweet to Save the Dimes; The Secret of the Little Tin Bank.--Ten Dollars' Worth.--The Gangster's Elegy.--Pics.--Annye's Ma.

Book Review Digest, 1916, p. 325.

Gus the Bus and Evelyn, The Exquisite Checker, by Jack Lait. Author of "Beef, Iron, and Wine." Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1917. 342p.

Schleswig-Holstein is noted for its output of butter, uhlans, and busboys. Gus Schimmelhaus falls into the final category, although no one is certain why, except that tradition demands it. With his fate thus settled, Gus begins work in a Chicago cafe complete with French headwaiter and the most beautiful checker Gus has ever seen. How Gus first attempts to impress her with a Charlie Chaplinesque routine, then carries through to win her true esteem, is a delightful tale that cannot fail to pique the imagination. But Gus is troubled by other problems as great as the winning of Evelyn--chief among them war. When World War I begins, news of his homeland, encouragement from his mother, and a feeling of nationalism lure Gus toward home to fight for God and the Kaiser. Then America joins the war, and Gus is forced to decide between his fatherland and his chosen country. This volume is made up of fifty-eight sketches which first appeared in the Chicago Herald. Individually they are entertaining but unnoteworthy episodes from the daily life of a German immigrant living in Chicago during the World War I era. Collectively, they represent the process of Americanization and the struggle to determine loyalties when faced with war and opposing ideologies.

N.Y.Times Book Review, 11/11/1917, p. 469.

Spicy A Novel by Mrs. Martha J. Lamb. With Illustrations. New York: D. Appleton and Company; 549 & 551 Broadway, 1873. 178p.

A novel which appears at its beginning to be nothing more than a Gothic romance with a Chicago setting takes on historical and social significance as the story progresses. Medley Belmore and her infant son Bright, her sister Spicy Merriman, and the family servants move into an old Chicago mansion during the Civil War. Some hidden letters, an unexplained apparition, the theft of Medley's jewels, and the sudden disappearance of Bright's nurse arouse and maintain reader interest through the novel, which contains excellent descriptions of such events as the Great Sanitary Fair carried out by women of Chicago, to raise money for veteran relief, the death of President Lincoln and the funeral procession through Chicago, and the fire which devastates the city in 1871. Fictional details are contrived and often difficult to accept by the discriminating reader, but the novel excels in historical description and detail.

Godey's, 3/1873, p. 282. Literary World, 1/1/1873, p. 121.

The Penny Philanthropist; A Story That Could Be True, by Clara E. Laughlin. Author of "The Gleaners," "Everybody's Lonesome," "Evolution of a Girl's Ideal," "The Lady in Gray," "Divided," etc. New York, Chicago, Toronto, London and Edinburgh: Fleming H. Revell Company, [1912.] 217p.

Peggy, pert Irish proprietor of a news emporium on Halstead Street in Chicago's Whitechapel district, is the philanthropist about whom the author writes so lovingly. Watching after the district's homeless children, needy aged, troubled and care-worn, Peggy is in a prime position to see Tom Oliphant heading for trouble. With the aid of Burns, the great detective, she helps the young man prove his innocence when accused of involvement in a plot against millionaire Andrew Kimbalton, and the beginning of a new romance is her reward for her efforts. This turn-of-the-century love story is a little too sweet and a little too perfect to be totally believable, but Peggy is such a delight, and the Chicago setting is so well defined and perfectly reconstructed that one might read the novel for those attributes alone.

Book Review Digest, 1912, p. 270.

The Great Wheel, Written and illustrated by Robert Lawson. New York: The Viking Press, [1957.] 188p.

Old Aunt Honora's prophesy that one day he will "... ride the greatest wheel in all the world," puzzles twelve-year-old Conn Kilroy. But the prophesy is fulfilled six years later when Conn, at age eighteen, leaves his home in Ireland and ventures to America to work on the construction of the first Ferris Wheel built during the preparations for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. This, Robert Lawson's last novel, successfully combines adventure with a small segment of American history to achieve a satisfying story, faithful to the times represented.

Book Review Digest, 1957, p. 534.

Jesse James in Chicago, by W. B. Lawson. New York: Street & Smith, Publishers; 81 Fulton Street, Sept[ember] 2, [18]98. 118p. (Log Cabin Library, No. 41)

William Lawson, Chicago detective, is engaged by Alexander Blackmore for two purposes: to break up a love affair between Blackmore's son Robert and a young woman believed to be his half sister, and to discover the identity of the thief who took $2,300 from Blackmore's safe. The first task is accomplished easily by explaining to Robert the circumstances surrounding his parents' past, although a later discovery influences Robert's ultimate decision to marry. The second, more complicated task, requires some sleuthing which reveals considerable deception, a bit of bigamy, and some questionable actions on the part of Blackmore's second wife. Jesse James is indeed involved in the rather contrived plot presented here, but the famed Missouri bandit is portrayed as a Robin Hood type rather than the villain that most believe him to be. Jesse James in Chicago was first published in this pocket edition, then reprinted in 1901 as number thirteen of the Jesse James Stories, published in magazine form under the title, "Jesse James in Chicago; or, The Bandit King's Bold Play."

Mr. Achilles, by Jennette Lee. Author of "Uncle William," "Happy Island," etc. With Illustrations. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1912. 261p.

The friendship of Achilles Alexandrakis, a Greek immigrant, and Betty Harris, daughter of a Chicago millionaire, begins by chance when one day Betty attempts to find her way home alone from her music lesson, and wanders into Alexandrakis' fruit stand on Clark Street. An inquisitive child who is intrigued by what she has learned of Greek history and culture, Betty questions Alexandrakis about Greece and proves to be a delighted audience of one for Mr. Achilles' stories of his homeland. When, some time later, Betty is kidnapped, it is Alexandrakis who is instrumental in seeing her safely returned to her home and parents. Mr. Achilles is a pleasant little story descriptive of both Chicago's socially prominent and poor immigrant classes although the most impressive portion of the novel is Alexandrakis' expressions of enthusiasm, tenderness, and beauty when spinning tales of his beloved Greece.

Book Review Digest, 1912, p. 276.

Candles in the Wind, A Novel [by] William C. Lengel. Author of "Forever and Ever." New York: Ives Washburn-Publisher, [1937.] 296p.

Jane Owain, a Welsh immigrant girl with a scarlet past, comes to Chicago to serve as house maid to a wealthy millinery manufacturer at a time when women are beginning to invade the previously all-male world of business. Proving inept at domestic duties, Jane is encouraged to try work in a business office where she quickly learns that her beauty and charm can be used to advantage. Candles in the Wind pursues an interesting topic within a well-developed historical setting. However despite the significance of topic and background the story never rises above light romance.

Book Review Digest, 1937, p. 593.

Star of Empire A Novel [by] Grant Lewi. New York:The Vanguard Press, [1935.] 310p.

During the land boom following the Civil War, Jonathan Stark begins building an empire which stretches from Illinois to Dakota and includes thousands of acres of choice farm land in the plains and midwest. Buying at bargain prices and selling at a premium. Stark amasses a fortune which enables him and his family to live in luxury and wield a mighty influence over all who surround them. But wealth and power are fleeting, and Stark loses all. But he rallies to make a new start in California at an age when most men are enjoying the fruits of their labors. Most of the novel is set in central Illinois with interludes in Missouri, Dakota, and points west.

Book Review Digest, 1935, p. 596.

Those About Trench by Edwin Herbert Lewis. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1916. 326p.

Dr. Trench is a highly esteemed pediatrician and an unassuming humanitarian who is determined to view the world through the impersonal eyes of a non-believer. He lives in a modest house on Halstead Street in Chicago where he provides rooms--sometimes rent-free--to foreign medical students who have difficulty finding housing. One student goes abroad to try to prevent the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, and another travels to many exotic places searching for the first. The plot moves swiftly with the help of incredible coincidences and improbable romances. By wrapping the plot in the chronology of the years 1911 to 1914 the author brings a sense of adventure to this basically religious story of uncommonly virtuous people.

Book Review Digest, 1916, p. 337.

The Second Generation, by James Weber Linn. New York: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., 1902. 305p.

Jerome Kent, a young reporter for the Chicago Eagle, discovers the double-dealings of millionaire Christopher Wheeler and threatens to expose them, but love and Wheeler's daughter complicate matters. The Second Generation resembles several other novels with journalism backgrounds, but Linn demonstrates a thorough knowledge of his subject and employs an impeccable writing style which together raise the book above the ordinary.

Athenaeum, 7/12/1902, p. 57. Atlantic, 5/1902, p. 707. Bookman (NY), 4/1902, p. 198-9. Dial, 6/1/1902, p. 388. Independent, 5/15/1902, p. 1192. Nation, 3/13/1902, p 213-4. N. Y. Times Book Review, 3/8/1902, p. 150.

A Paper City, by D. R. Locke (Petroleum V. Nasby). Author of "Swinging Round the Cirkle," "Ekkoes from Kentucky," "Morals of Abou Ben Adhem," Etc. Boston: Lee and Shepard, Publishers; New York: Charles T. Dillingham, 1879. 431p.

"New Canton was originally the meanest little town in the state of Illinois..." and might have maintained that distinction forever had it not been for Charles Burt and the New Canton Land Company. Burt's dreams of making New Canton the manufacturing, shipping, and cultural capital of the new west appeal mightily to the unpresuming inhabitants of the tiny village, particularly when they are shown maps indicating that New Canton is the natural geographical crossroads for diverse water and rail shipping routes. Burt's dreams of making a fortune appeal mightily to the ambitious Burt. Inspired by his optimism, and fooled by his schemes, New Canton's citizenry give him full support in establishing first a land company then a bank. Only after Burt has absconded with the assets of both business ventures do the majority of investors realize that New Canton is only a paper city, with no railroads, land company, bank, or industry existing in fact. Several love stories have been written into the novel but reader interest seldom shifts completely from the village to individuals, for New Canton is the real focal point of the tale.

Library Table, 1/18/1879, p. 27. Nation, 2/6/1879, p. 106.

The Iron Heel, by Jack London. Author of "The Call of the Wild," "White Fang," Etc. New York: The Macmillan Company, London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., 1907. 354p.

A prophecy in retrospect The Iron Heel concerns the era from 1912 to 1932, as viewed from seven hundred years in the future. A journal kept by Avis Everhard during that period, but not published until 419 B. O. M. (Brotherhood of Man), tells of her husband's part in organizing and carrying out the plans for the First and Second Revolts which eventually lead to worldwide socialism. The novel, which might better be described as a socialist tract rather than a work of fiction, progresses from the philosophical to the physical as the action moves from drawing room encounters between intellectuals to street clashes between militia and laborers. Because of its history of Labor strife, Chicago is the site chosen for the revolts, although most of the planning takes place in California.

Book Review Digest, 1908, p. 224.

Letters from a Self-Made Merchant to His Son; Being the Letters written by John Graham, Head of the House of Graham & Company, Pork-Packers in Chicago, familiarly known on 'Change as "Old Gorgon Graham," to his Son, Pierrepont, facetiously known to his intimates as "Piggy." Boston: Small, Maynard & Company, 1902. 312p.

Twenty letters from John Graham to his somewhat frolicsome son offer considerable good (if often unappreciated) advice on decorum, the value of a college education, the best use of a dollar, and many other topics of a genuinely parent-like nature. The letters are exaggerated, exasperating, terribly revealing, practical, and quite amusing to anyone not in the throes of youthful exuberance. In Letters from a Self-Made Merchant to His Son, Lorimer gives a classic view of the turn-of-the-century middle-class values, somewhat in the Horatio Alger tradition, that enabled hundreds of working-class men to make their fortunes and rise above their stations economically, while remaining static culturally.

Chautauquan, 9/1903, p. 93. Literary World, 12/1/1902, p. 195-6. N. Y. Times Book Review, 10/11/1902, p. 697. N. Y. Times Book Review, 12/6/1970, p. 78.

Old Gorgon Graham; More Letters from a Self-Made Merchant to His Son, by George Horace Lorimer. With Pictures by F. R. Gruger and Martin Justice. New York: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1904. 308p.

Sixteen more letters from John Graham, Chicago pork-packer, to his son Pierrepont offer advice on business, love, and marriage, and indicate Pierrepont's growing interest in each. Starting at the bottom in the family business, Pierrepont offers to relieve his ailing father of some burdens of management, is promoted to head of the lard department, takes time out for marriage and a honeymoon then, at the suggestion of his father, returns to Chicago to continue his advancement in the packing firm. Old Graham's letters are caustic, unpolished, single-minded, and to the point. Although a sequel to Lorimer's earlier Letters from a Self-Made Merchant to His Son, Old Gorgon Graham loses none of its appeal by being second; if anything, it is better than its predecessor.

Atlantic, 5/1905, p. 694. Bookman (NY), 10/1904, p. 157-9. Critic, 11/1904, p. 476. Literary World, 10/1904, p. 284. N Y. Times Book Review, 10/1/1904, p. 664.

A Winged Victory, by R. M. Lovett. New York: Duffield & Company, 1907, 431p.

Abandoned on the family estate near Chicago by a ne'er-do-well father, young Dora Glenn cares for herself and her retarded brother Peter, until an untimely accident removes the dependent child forever from her charge. Years later, Dora assumes another similar responsibility--out of pity, guilt, a wish for martyrdom, or perhaps a combination--when she marries a sniveling unbalanced writer whom she meets at the university. Only after his suicide does Dora mature enough to recognize and appreciate the merits of her faithful, long-time friend Leverett Raymond, whom she at last consents to marry. Three stages of Dora's life dictate the three sections into which this novel is logically divided. The first is a study of childhood and mental retardation, which is beautiful and markedly perceptive. Unfortunately the two sections which follow--studies of misdirected duty and discontent--fall far short of the quality with which the first section is embued.

Book Review Digest, 1907, p. 268.