The Boss, by J. W. McConaughy, Author of Madame X; & Edward Sheldon, Author of The Nigger. New York: The H. K. Fly Company, Publishers, [1911.] 316p.

Michael "Shindy Mike" Regan, son of a tavern keeper from Clancy's Alley in Chicago's fourth precinct, fights his way up from poverty to political and financial boss of his ward, with considerable influence over the rest of the city as well. At this point, Regan woos and wins, by default, the hand of Emily Griswald, daughter of the city's leading wheat dealer. Regan learns quickly that love, particularly when it is one-sided, cannot overcome the stigma of having been born on the wrong side of town. A strike, a financial crisis, and mob action at length climax the novel. Taking a slightly different point of view--that of the shipper rather than the speculator in wheat--The Boss offers a perspective on the grain market that is overlooked by most novelists who deal with the topic.

Jane Cable, by George Barr McCutcheon. Author of "Beverly of Graustark," "Nedra," etc. Illustrations in Color by Harrison Fisher. New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1906. 336p.

A foundling from an orphan asylum is instrumental in saving the crumbling marriage of an obscure railroad man and his wife. The same foundling, twenty years later, is the source of tragedy for her adoptive parents, her fiance, and herself. A romance of 1890s Chicago, Jane Cable has a contrived plot and stereotyped characters, but the plot moves and the characters play their roles in a manner reminiscent of Jane Austin or Charlotte Bronte creations.

Book Review Digest, 1906, p. 220.

The Sherrods, by George Barr McCutcheon. Author of "Graustark," "Castle Craneycrow," Etc. With Illustrations by C. D. Williams. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1903. 343p.

In the small Indiana village where they were born and reared, Jud and Justine Sherrod seem an ideal couple. But when Jud decides to seek his fortune in Chicago, while Justine stays on the farm, trouble begins to brew. Jud fails to tell his newly found Chicago friends of his wife back home; Justine accepts kindness from Gene Crawley, Jud's archenemy; thus, each deceives the other until tragedy occurs. The Sherrods is a sentimental rendition of a story that has appeared again and again in fiction, yet McCutcheon has the ability to inject new life into an old story and make it seem fresh and appealing. McCutcheon's style is definitely patterned after the British romanticists of the nineteenth century. Even his rural Indiana and urban Chicago settings seem alien to the Midwest and much more in keeping with the English countryside and metropolitan areas described by his British counterparts.

Dial, 10/1/1903, p. 157. Independent, 10/22/1903, p. 2523-4. Literary World, 10/1903, p. 261. N. Y. Times Book Review, 9/12/1903, p. 623.

Dawson 'll; Fortune Hunter by John T. McCutcheon. Pictured by the Author. New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1912. 159p.

Charley Dawson, a farm boy come to Chicago by way of the college classroom, approaches the future with all the optimism of youth and the illusions of the college graduate. But Chicago quickly brings him face-to-face with reality, as he searches vainly for a job, encounters unconcerned landlords, and sees his small hoard of ready cash dwindle away. Told basically through the medium of the letter to homefolks, Dawson 'll reflects the additional problem of projecting an all's-well image in spite of adversity. Cartoon illustrations drawn by the author add immeasurably to the novel, and tell the story almost as well as McCutcheon's writing.

Book Review Digest, 1913, p. 337.

Hennessey, of Lake County, by Preserved Wheeler [pseud.] Author of "From Side Streets and Boulevards." Antioch, Illinois: Burke & Storms, Publishers, 1894. 50p.

Seven loosely connected vignettes, each focusing on Pat Hennessey, Chicago Irishman, late of Antioch, Lake County Illinois, state the Hennessey opinion of the Pullman Strike; hunting clubs; the play, "Charlie's Aunt;" and numerous other topics of interest to an 1890s audience.

One Schoolma'am Less, by Preserved Wheeler [pseud.] Chicago: R. R. Donnelley & Sons Co., Printers, 1895. 217p.

A fictional indictment of employment practices of the Chicago Board of Education during the 1890s, One Schoolma'am Less is the story of the Mortons, a family of limited means, who struggle to get their younger daughter Minnie licensed and placed as a teacher in the Chicago City Schools. All their efforts are for naught, for changing certification requirements impede, bureaucratic red-tape discourages, and personal prejudices thwart completely her ambitions to become a teacher. The novel is biased, sentimental, and obviously written in protest, although the facts are basically accurate and the situation feasible.

Daniel Trentworthy; A Tale of the Great Fire of Chicago, by John McGovern. Author of "Burritt Durand," "Geoffrey Van Lieb," Etc. Chicago: Rand, McNally & Company, Publishers; 148, 150, 152 and 154 Monroe Street; and 323 Broadway, New York, 1889. 281p.

The author's attempts at combining history and romance into one grand literary effort culminating with the great Chicago fire of 1871 fall short of reader expectations. Daniel Trentworthy, son of a wealthy speculator recently bankrupt, decides to try his luck in booming, prosperous Chicago. Working at different times as a fireman, building inspector, proofreader for a local printer, and finally business manager for his wealthy brother-in-law, Daniel learns of love, hate, Chicago politics, murder, greed, and ambition. These combine nicely into an entertaining, if somewhat overstuffed, adventure-romance. Into this context the author introduces a very detailed, journalistic account of the Chicago fire which devastates the city in October, 1871. Both the story and the history have merit. However, the preponderance of detail will discourage the average fiction reader, while the fictionalization of the events will render the work of little value to the serious researcher.

Picayune, 7/5/1891, p. 12.

David Lockwin; The People's Idol, by John McGovern. Author of "Daniel Trentworthy," "Burritt Durand," "Geoffrey," "Jason Hortner," "King Darwin," etc. Chicago: Donohue, Henneberry & Co., [1889.] 297p.

David Lockwin marries wealth, becomes the pawn of the Chicago political machine, and buys his way into Congress, but personal tragedy and fate cause him to alter his ambitions. He connives to rid himself of his responsibilities, then works diligently, albeit deviously, to regain his position with family and community. David Lockwin is never a hero, but his campaign workers and his wife create that image for him in this poor novel of dirty politics, double-dealing, and improvised intrigue.

Peewee, by William MacHarg. Co-Author of "The Indian Drum," "Blind Men's Eyes," etc. Chicago: The Reilly & Lee Co., 1922. 276p.

A street urchin approximately eight years old, Peewee occupies his time by selling newspapers on the streets of Chicago, dodging juvenile authorities who wish to place him in an institution, and longing for parents and a home of his own such as other children have; until, predictably, he is reconciled with his mother, after six years of separation, to bask in love and luxury to the end of his days. Peewee is improbable in plot and melodramatic in execution, but it treats a genuine nineteenth and early twentieth century social problem in a popular manner and in a well-developed Chicago setting.

Book Review Digest, 1922, p. 342.

The Surakarta, by William MacHarg and Edwin Balmer. Authors of "The Achievements of Luther Grant." Illustrated by Lester Ralph. Boston: Small, Maynard & Company, Publishers, [1913.] 369p.

Monkey business is the only possible explanation for the disappearance of the Surakarta, the world's largest emerald, from a Chicago hotel suite.

Book Review Digest, 1913, p. 339.

Suppressed Sensations; or, Leaves from the Note Book of a Chicago Reporter. Illustrated. Chicago: Rand, McNally & Co., 1879. 254p.

Thirteen actual police cases, mostly concerning murder, are retold in a slightly fictionalized style which closely resembles the blue journalism of the nineteenth century dime novel. The tales are straightforward reporting of the facts, with little literary embellishment except dialogue. Set in and around Chicago, they represent the serious problems of police control and criminal detection in the boomtown atmosphere prevalent in Chicago and most other frontier towns of the nineteenth century.

CONTENTS: A Mysterious Murder.--The Romance of a Tramp.--The Carnival's Victim.--The Story of a Waif.--The Tell-Tale Skull.--Janet and Jamie.--The Witness from the Dead.--Fanny Mordaunt's Love.--The Man with the Comical Hat.--True Love and False Friendship.--"Pizun Jack" of Texas.--Gloria.--A Tale of Four Cities.--Lord Ullin's Daughter.

Danny's Own Story, by Don Marquis. Illustrated by E. W. Kemble. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1912. 333p.

Danny is the proverbial basket-on-the-doorstep baby, found by Hank and Elmira Walters, a childless couple who welcome him into their home because they need a new topic over which to bicker. Bicker they do, and fight just as often, from the day they attempt to settle on a name, to the day eighteen years later, when Danny and Hank come to blows and Danny leaves home in company with Dr. Kirby, bottler and supplier of the miracle elixir, Siwash Indian Sagraw. For years Danny wanders aimlessly--from Illinois to Indiana to Ohio, back to Illinois, then into Tennessee and points south--sometimes in company with Dr. Kirby, sometimes alone; sometimes working as a circus roustabout, wild man from Borneo, or Patagonian cannibal; sometimes only bumming around, but always feeling inextricably bound to Dr. Kirby, as though by fate. At last, as in most comedies, all problems are resolved when Danny finds contentment with his true parents, and Dr. Kirby is helped to find the lost love after which he has quested for the greater portion of his life.

Book Review Digest, 1912, p. 308.

The Revolt of the Oyster, by Don Marquis. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1922. 229p.

Twelve short stories--humorous, entertaining, and readable, but not among Marquis' best--make up this collection. Eight of the twelve have small-town Illinois settings: "How Hank Signed the Pledge," "Rooney's Touchdown," "The Saddest Man," "Dogs and Boys," "The Kidnapping of Bill Patterson," "Blood Will Tell," "Being a Public Character," and "Written in Blood."

CONTENTS: The Revolt of the Oyster.--"If We Could Only See".--How Hank Signed the Pledge.--Accursed Hat!--Rooney's Touchdown.--Too American.--The Saddest Man.--Dogs and Boys.--The Kidnapping of Bill Patterson.--Blood Will Tell.--Being a Public Character.--Written in Blood.

Book Review Digest, 1922, p. 354.

Sons of the Puritans, [by] Don Marquis. With a Preface by Christopher Morley. New York: Doubleday, Doran &Co., Inc.,1939. 313p.

Because of its autobiographical qualities, this novel should be of special interest to Don Marquis fans. Never completed, it covers the author's life up to his young adulthood in Hazelton (Walnut), Illinois, just before the turn of the century. Colorful characterizations abound: the young hero's maiden aunt who is determined to see that all the citizens of Hazelton adhere to her strict moral code; the town drunkard who repeatedly forswears the bottle and is saved, only to succumb again a short time later; the civic leader and staunch supporter of the church who can't stay away from women; and the carnival queen turned evangelist, temporarily. From it all, a picture emerges of a young man struggling against rampant hypocrisy and self-righteousness in a community which pretends to accept religion.

Book Review Digest, 1939, p. 648.

Ordeal by Glory, by James Marshall. New York: Robert M. McBride & Company, MCMXXVII. 288p.

A thinly disguised account of the life of Illinois' twenty-third governor, Ordeal by Glory follows the basic chronology of John Peter Altgeld's life and career in public office. The novel traces John Hoyer from his Ohio home to Missouri, then to southern Illinois and Chicago. A major portion of the novel is devoted to his youth--the struggles of the adolescent in a poverty-stricken, staunchly Lutheran home; service in the Union Army during the Civil War; the seemingly endless days of labor with a railroad construction gang; the love which drives him to wander; and the love which quiets his spirit and settles his destiny. His rise to power is not overlooked, for Hoyer is seen as a country school teacher, a county prosecutor, chief justice of the Supreme Court, and finally Governor of Illinois. He is seen in his moral struggles to justify the pardons of the Haymarket rioters and in his confrontation with President Cleveland over military intervention during a railroad strike. Ordeal by Glory is a reasonably good characterization of Altgeld, and a relatively accurate fictional rendering of his life. It could have been improved by calling the hero by his real name and avoiding the charade in which the author indulges.

Book Review Digest, 1927, p. 482.

The Politician, by Edith Huntington Mason. Author of "The Real Agatha." Illustrated in Full Color by The Kinneys. Second Edition. Chicago: A. C. McClurg & Co., 1910. 409p.

James Vernor Ellis, a young New York politician, is in Chicago for the Republican National Convention of 1904 when he meets Harriet Rand, a Chicago debutante with like political interests and leanings. Miss Rand possesses all of the qualities that a good wife should--wealth, social position, beauty, charm--and Ellis realizes that he could use them all to his advantage in forwarding his political ambitions. When she indicates her willingness, Ellis begins a whirlwind romance which could lead them to the altar. But Ellis is an ethical man who realizes that his career will demand more of his time than a married man should give, so he sacrifices marriage and its benefits for ethics and a career. Set amid the bustle and flurry of national politics, the novel is a vivid and realistic account of the convention in Chicago and the campaign in New York which led to Theodore Roosevelt's election to the presidency.

Book Review Digest, 1910, p. 265.

Kit O'Brien, by Edgar Lee Masters. [New York:] Boni & Liveright, 1927. 288p.

Petersburg has changed little since the days when Mitch Miller and Skeeters Kirby romped through the streets and about the countryside, but Mitch is dead and Skeeters is never mentioned in this novel which rounds out what might be loosely termed a trilogy. At fifteen, Kit O'Brien becomes a fugitive from the law over the theft of a pie. Unable to remain in Petersburg without being caught and prosecuted for the theft, he strikes out down river toward St. Louis. As he nears the city, Kit encounters a couple on a houseboat; learns that the lady is a former Petersburg resident who is in trouble and wants to go home; and decides to retrace his steps, risking arrest to see her safely through the journey. Told in the vernacular of uneducated youth, Kit O'Brien can be enjoyed as a simple novel of boyhood in the Huckleberry Finn tradition, or it can be read as a social commentary on life in a prairie village, with interesting sidelights on early reformatories and the laws which kept them operative.

Book Review Digest, 1927, p. 489.

Mitch Miller, by Edgar Lee Masters, Author of Starved Rock, Spoon River Anthology, Etc., Etc. With Illustrations by John Sloan. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1920. 262p.

Told in the first person by Arthur (but everybody calls him Skeeters) Kirby, Mitch Miller relates the adventures of two lovable, mischievous boys growing up near Old Salem, Illinois, before the turn of the century. Whether digging for buried treasure, helping to catch a murderer, staging a circus or running away from home to visit Tom Sawyer in Missouri, Mitch and Skeet emulate the actions of their arch-heroes Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. Told in much the same style as Mark Twain's novels this book offers a delightful account of growing up in a small Illinois town in an era when life was far less complex than it is today.

Book Review Digest, 1920. p. 369-70.

The Nuptial Flight, [by] Edgar Lee Masters. New York: Boni and Liveright, Publishers, [1923.] 376p.

See No. 179.

Skeeters Kirby, A Novel by Edgar Lee Masters. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1923. 394p.

Skeeters Kirby, whom the reader first encounters in Masters' earlier novel Mitch Miller, grows to maturity. It isn't an easy process, nor is it pleasant. Inclined toward a study of literature and letters, Skeet bows to his father's wishes and becomes a lawyer. Through the law he achieves a modicum of professional and economic success which he eventually tosses over for the privilege of living as a semi-recluse while writing poetry for a Chicago newspaper. Unfortunate personal affairs also plague Skeet, who approaches life and love with the same lack of decision and commitment that he applies to business. Autobiographical in nature, Skeeters Kirby gives valuable insight into the personality of the author, as well as an authentic picture of his times. However, when the book is completed, the reader is left with the disquieting feeling that nothing has been resolved, and the entire endeavor has been for naught.

Book Review Digest, 1923, p. 345-6.

The Tide of Time, by Edgar Lee Masters. New York [and] Toronto: Farrar & Rinehart, Incorporated, [1937.] 682p.

See No. 180.

Raconter; Four Romantic Stories Relating to Pioneer Life, Scenes in Foreign Countries, Religious Fanaticism, Love, Murder, &c; All of Which Are Founded on Facts. With Full Page Illustrations. By N. Matson. Author of Beyond the Atlantic, Reminiscences of Bureau County, French and Indians of Illinois River, Memories of Shaubena. Pioneers of Illinois, &c. Chicago: Geo[rge] K. Hazlitt & Co., Printers, 172 and 174 Clark St[reet,] 1882. 219p.

See No. 181.

Time Will Darken It, by William Maxwell. New York: Published by Harper & Brothers, 1948. 302p.

The marriage of Austin and Martha King is less than perfect, but in Draperville, Illinois, in 1912, neither ever considers an alternative. Then a crisis is precipitated when the Potters, with their daughter Nora, arrive for an extended visit. As personalities react to the situation, Martha's temperament, sharpened by pregnancy; Austin's desire to do what is right; and Nora's pressing search for identity work adversely on the individuals and bring personal tragedy to all concerned. A commonplace situation is presented with precision and style before a backdrop that is perfection in every detail.

Book Review Digest,1948, p. 566-7.

Prairie Avenue, by Arthur Meeker. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1949. 325p.

In its heyday, Prairie Avenue is an area resplendent with the accouterments for living that newly acquired wealth demands, for Prairie Avenue in 1885 is the home of Chicago's new rich. Ned Ramsey, nephew of the Prairie Avenue Stacks, writes in detail of the street--its grotesque architecture, tasteless splendor, unrefined inhabitants, absurd entertainments--as he recalls it from a prolonged visit at the age of twelve. Most vivid in Ned's memory are his beautiful Aunt Lydia, whose social activities and gentlemen callers are a constant source of puzzlement; the petulant Celia Kennerley, with whom Ned is unspeakably infatuated; and his Uncle Hiram, the lumber baron, who is driven to suicide by his wife's infidelity. A second visit to Prairie Avenue in 1895, just ten years later, reveals subtle changes in the street--the children have grown up and are married; the houses have taken on a weathered, permanent look; the first of the old established families has moved away to make room for a broker; and members of the Bohemian subculture are gradually infiltrating the neighborhood. In conclusion, Ned tells of his final visit with Aunt Lydia, a ruined old woman, living in decaying splendor in a rapidly deteriorating neighborhood. Prairie Avenue is a cultural study of Chicago's first generation wealthy during their productive period and decline. It is bland as they are bland; it is crude as they are crude; it is enchanting despite the subject's shortcomings.

Book Review Digest, 1949, p. 626.

Going Out West; or, The Fortunes of a Bright Boy, by Ja[me]s C. Merritt. New York: Frank Tousey, Publisher; 24 Union Square, May 17th, 1911. 30p. (Pluck and Luck Stories of Adventure, No. 676)

On the night that Jim Berry decides to shake the dust of Dillsbury forever from his feet and venture west to seek his fortune, a train wreck occurs in his hometown and Jim is accused of causing it. He escapes from the authorities and travels to Chicago where he is duped out of his small bankroll by a confidence man, befriended by a thief, and escapes arrest only by a hairbreadth. Fortunately, a wealthy Chicago judge and his daughter recognize Jim's potential and send him to Idaho to learn the mining business. Evil follows Jim west and he encounters many difficulties with bandits before settling down to the purpose for which he is there. But honesty, bravery, and perseverance prove good antidotes for evil, and Jim with considerable help from fate and friends, overcomes all hardships and achieves the success that he so richly deserves.

The Citadel, A Romance of Unrest, by Samuel Merwin. Author of "His Little World," "The Road Builders," etc. Joint Author of "Calumet K," "The Short Line War," etc. New York: The Century Co., 1912. 409p.

In an impassioned speech before the House, John Garwood, Representative from Illinois, departs from his prepared text and thoroughly denounces the United States Constitution as a stumbling block which must be removed or drastically altered before efficient government and effective legislation can be achieved. These words sound the death knell for Garwood's early political career, for supporters at home and peers in Congress quickly abandon him for safe, neutral positions on the issue. Then Margaret Lansing appears to encourage him in his views. With her aid he returns to Illinois, wins his bid for a third term in the House, and emerges from the political and personal turmoil as leader of a new progressive movement. In The Citadel, Merwin raises several issues pertinent to the presidential election of 1912, which critics of the day discussed pro and con: hence mixed reviews. Now, after the passion of the contest is spent, the quality of the work can be accurately judged, and the truth of some arguments and the fallacies of others can be readily ascertained.

Book Review Digest,1912, p. 318-9.

Henry Is Twenty; A Further Episodic History of Henry Calverly 3rd, by Samuel Merwin. Author of The Honey Bee, Temperamental Henry, etc. Illustrated by Stockton Mulford. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Company Publishers, [1918.] 385p.

To all casual observers Henry Calverly, III, has changed drastically from the addlepated, irresponsible youth of eighteen that Merwin painted so lovingly in his earlier novel Temperamental Henry. For two years Henry has held a steady job on his hometown newspaper; he has maintained his financial independence in spite of a small inheritance; and he has remained true to one girl except for occasional lapses of self-discipline which cause him extreme pangs of guilt. But Henry still has temperament, and it is that temperament which leads him to report in absentia on a concert for which the performer does not appear; it is his temperament which inspires him to write his first book; it is his temperament which attaches him immovably to the most beautiful girl in town; and it is his temperaunent which sends him to prison for her death. At twenty, Henry's peculiarities are more glaring that they were at eighteen, yet despite his back-sliding, his carelessness, his inconsistency, and his moods there remain in his character innumerable remnants of the wholesome adolescent that all mothers love and all sweet-hearts dream of reforming.

Book Review Digest, 1918, p. 307.

Temperamental Henry; An Episodic History of the Early Life and the Young Loves of Henry Calverly, 3rd, by Samuel Merwin. Author of Anthony the Absolute, The Honey Bee, The Trufflers, etc. Illustrated by Stockton Mulford. Indianapolis: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Publishers, [1917.] 382p.

Governments change, man evolves, centuries come and go, but adolescence remains ever the same, and Samuel Merwin has captured forever the essence of the age in the character of Henry Calverly, 3rd. Henry is talented; Henry is charming; Henry is handsome; Henry is eighteen and capable of accomplishing any feat provided the spirit moves him. But the spirit is elusive. At times, it lies deep within the soul of Clemency Snow, but just as often it may be found lurking near Ernestine Lambert, hiding inside Janet Bulger or waiting sympathetically with Martha Caldwell. Whether directing the community production of Iolanthe, dashing madly to New York to bid farewell to a former lady love, or seeking nine-to-six daily employment, the spirit, always in female form, is essential. Whatever the interest of the moment, Henry, temperament intact, remains lovable, impressionable, idealistic--the true personification of untainted adolescence. The scene is the Chicago suburb of Sunbury during the early 1890s.

Book Review Digest, 1917, p. 383.

The Whip Hand; A Tale of the Pine Country, by Samuel Merwin. Author of "The Road to Frontenac." Joint author of "Calumet K." New York: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1903. 299p.

Jack Halloran, head of an independent lumber firm based in Wisconsin, defies all efforts of a larger concern to absorb his company. Although a major portion of the novel is set in Wisconsin, Halloran loves and pays court to Margaret Davies, a settlement worker in the slums of Chicago, devoting considerable time and attention to her and her interests.

Nation, 12/24/1903, p. 508. N. Y. Times Book Review, 11/21/1903, p. 845.

Calumet "K", by Merwin-Webster. Authors of "The Short Line War," Etc. With many illustrations by Harry C. Edwards. New York: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., 1901. 345p.

A contract to build a two million bushel grain elevator at Calumet, Illinois, goes to McBride and Company of Minneapolis who entrust the work to one of their promising young employees. But the project is fraught with troubles from its inception, and when it falls behind schedule Charlie Bannon, one of McBride's seasoned construction supervisors, is sent to take over and complete the job on time. Working against impossible odds, Bannon tackles the problems of poor supervision, slow lumber suppliers, union organizers, and uncooperative railroads, eventually discovering a plot by competitive wheat buyers to halt construction on Calumet K in order that they may themselves corner the wheat market. But competence and confidence enable Bannon to overcome obstacles and complete the job by the deadline. The authors of Calumet "K" waste few words on developing character, love interest, theme, philosophy, or setting. Their goal is to write a novel concerning the construction of a grain elevator, and they employ the most direct methods in achieving that goal.

Dial, 11/16/1901, p. 369. Times Literary Supplement, 2/7/1902, p. 28.

The Short Line War, by Merwin-Webster. New York: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., 1899. 334p.

The M. & T. railroad, a feeder line for the larger C. & S. C., is hovering precariously near bankruptcy when Jim Weeks assumes command. As Weeks gradually pulls the smaller road out of its financial dilemma, directors of the C. & S. C. recognize its value and begin considering ways to take it over. The plan--to buy the votes of the major stockholders prior to the annual election of directors--is discovered by Weeks, and a fight ensues. From directors meeting to the law court, the dispute degenerates to physical violence, destruction, and fighting among the employees before the governor of Illinois issues a restraining order for all concerned. The Short Line War has a perfect combination of action and romance making the novel appealing to a wide audience, and an authentic historical background giving an interesting view of the type of transactions which keep America's railroads ever in the minds of the American populous.

Independent, 8/10/1899, p. 2163. Literary World, 6/10/1899, p. 183. Outlook, 5/20/1899, p. 171.

Deaconess Stories, by Lucy Rider Meyer, Deaconess by the Grace and the Call of God. With an Introduction by Dwight L. Moody. Chicago: Hope Publishing Co.; 84 Wabash Avenue, 1900. 253p.

Dozens of sentimental vignettes illustrating poverty in the slum areas of Chicago constitute this fictionalized rendering of the city's social ills around the turn of the century. Two angels of mercy who work untiringly to relieve some of the pain of the situation offer some unity to an otherwise disjointed and tedious tome.

The Sands; The Story of Chicago's Front Yard, by Francesca Falk Miller. Chicago: Valentine-Newman, Publishers, 1948. 215p.

See No. 186.

Engines and Brass Bands, by Olive Beaupre Miller. Waubonsie Tales. Chicago: Published by The Book House for Children; New York: Doubleday, Doran and Company, 1933. 376p.

Engines and Brass Bands is considerably more than an account of the summertime adventures of an eleven-year-old in the thriving community of Waubonsie, on the Fox River in 1892. The plot revolves around David Hawley, spirited and good-hearted lad who attempts to restore a stolen doll to its owner, his neighbor pretty Eleanor Adams. Henry Slosson, the neighborhood bully who steals the doll, manages to foil David's heroic efforts again and again, thereby prolonging the story to allow numerous digressions into the lore of America's past. Thus, the author includes, for example, an ice cream sociable, a Fourth of July celebration, a circus, and encounters with a dancing bear, a horse-drawn fire engine, a tinware peddler, a band of gypsies, and a group of real Indians. Further the author employs adult characters to tell tales that re-create such events as the Chicago fire and an Indian raid on a frontier home. The slim plot is heavily weighted with these bits of history and picturesque Americana and is considerably slowed by extensive use of dialect. Nevertheless, the tale is told by a master storyteller who knows her subject well. Of special interest are the many enchanting pen and ink drawings by an unnamed artist.

Book Review Digest, 1933, p. 648-9.

The Fire Bugs of Chicago, by Ja[me]s D. Montague. Author of "The Spy of the Northwest," "The Boy Mechanic," "The Boy Pedestrians," etc., etc. New York: Frank Tousey, Publisher; 29 West 26th St[reet,] September 10, 1897. 13p. (The Five Cent Wide Awake Library, No. 1336)

Jack Jessup, an orphan at sixteen, is left to his own devices when his mother dies in Smithtown, Illinois, in the winter of 1880. Unwanted by kith and kin, he is enticed to Chicago by a seemingly generous and kindly man who cheats him of a $5,000 legacy and involves him in a plan to rob a wealthy grain merchant and burn his storage elevators. Fortunately, Jack's integrity remains intact, and his goodness is rewarded by the discovery of wealthy relatives, happiness, and a long, prosperous, and worthwhile life.

Mrs. Mahoney of the Tenement, by Louise Montgomery. Illustrated by Florence Scovel Shinn. Boston, New York [and] Chicago: The Pilgrim Press, [1912.] 168p.

Mrs. Mahoney, a middle-aged widow and long-time resident of Chicago's Irish settlement, is the connecting link in these eight stories which illustrate the neighborliness of the city in its early days.

CONTENTS: The Stranger.--The Green Carpet.--The Universal Need.--A Bit of Life.--The Way Station.--Why We Marry.--The Glory of the Man.--Case Number 1199.

Book Review Digest, 1912, p. 324.

That Boy Bob; or, The Diamond That Came by Express, by Richard R. Montgomery. New York: Frank Tousey, Publisher; 24 Union Square, September 22, 1909. 26p. (Pluck and Luck Stories of Adventure, No. 590)

Bob Wright, a young man down on his luck, seeks and obtains a job with the Welling Drug Company of Chicago. Animosity develops early between Bob and D. Webster Diggs, managing clerk of the firm, but it doesn't come to light until several thousand dollars worth of drugs disappear, and Diggs accuses Bob of the theft. Bob only narrowly escapes imprisonment, but acquits himself soon after by exposing the real culprit whose greed becomes his undoing when a very large diamond is purchased by the owner of the firm. That Boy Bob is a run-of-the-mill inspirational tale of the Horatio Alger genre.

Once Again in Chicago, by Minnie Hite Moody. New York: Alfred H. King, [1933.] 268p.

In 1893 Mattie Lester finds adventure and romance at the World's Columbian Exposition. In 1933, Mattie Lester Thornton returns to Chicago for the Century of Progress, in search of her lost love and youth. She finds Henry, with whom she had shared the earlier fair, and together they share the new extravaganza. The Sky Ride reminds them of Mattie's sudden illness on the Ferris Wheel; a lake cruise is reminiscent of a previous excursion on the Christopher Columbus; the new exhibits call to mind the Krupp Exhibit, the Tower of Lights, and the Women's Building. They talk of children, friends, a former husband, a deceased wife, a home in Prairieville, a farm in Wisconsin, and marriage. But time runs out, reality dispels dreams, and the story ends, leaving impressions of improbability and tediousness. Comparisons of the two fairs, occurring exactly forty years apart, generate some interest in an otherwise undistinguished story. Yet, Mrs. Moody's approaches to the two fairs differ markedly; for the 1933 Century of Progress is treated in vague, casual terms, while the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition is described in details resembling what might be found in a souvenir guide book.

Book Review Digest, 1933, p. 659-60.

Blank Harley's First Case; or, Piping the "Levee" Gang, by Anthony P. Morris. New York: Munro's Publishing House; 24 & 26 Vandewater Street, April 29, 1893. 30p. (Old Cap. Collier Library, No. 487)

To prove himself worthy of a detective's badge on the Chicago Police Force, Blank Harley accepts the assignment of gathering enough evidence to convict the beautiful Acey Bolton of murder. Even in the crowds swarming into Chicago for the preliminary activities of the 1893 World's Fair Harley has no trouble in locating Acey; but from that point on, the case takes on increased complexity. Acey's parentage becomes of major importance in the case, as does her relationship to the murderous Dave Bolton, leader of the Levee Gang. Her love for, and marriage to Blank Harley complicate the case still further. Only last minute luck and a skilled detective save her from a horrible fate. But justice prevails, as it always does in the five and ten cent novels. The villain is captured, the girl gets her man, and the man gets his job--all on the final page.

El Diablo, The Terror; or, "Piping" the River Pirates, by Anthony P. Morris. New York: Munro's Publishing House; 24 & 26 Vandewater Street, July 2, 1892. 44p. (Old Cap. Collier Library, No. 443)

El Diablo, the Terror, New York's most notorious criminal, is attracted to Chicago by a fortune in diamonds. Joining forces with a gang of river pirates over whom he soon gains command, he experiences free reign within Chicago's underworld until Police Detective Beardsley appears on the scene, masquerading as El Diablo, to thwart the real villain's evil designs. Matters are further complicated by a vengeful woman in search of her husband's murderer and her daughter's abductor. The novel is typical of the sensationalism perpetrated by publishers of serialized fiction in the late nineteenth century, offering little of Chicago history, but pointing up the existence of a strong criminal element which plagued Chicago law enforcement officers through the nineteenth and part of the twentieth centuries. Two short stories are appended.

CONTENTS: El Diablo, The Terror.--The Black Moss Mystery.--The Woman in Black.

The Fire-Fiends; or, Hercules The Hunchback, by A. P. Morris. New York: Frank Starr & Co., Publishers; Platt and William St[reet]s, [July 10,] 1877. 32p. (Frank Starr's New York Library, No. 5)

Set at the time of the great Chicago Fire, The Fire-Fiends offers nothing in the way of factual information that cannot be found far more easily in other sources. Instead of concentrating on the holocaust, the author treats it as a minor influencing factor on a plot to murder old Mortimer Gascon and disinherit his nephew Evard Greville. The novel is cluttered with subplots, counterplots, mistaken identities, secret doors, withheld information, and all the other tricks that second-rate authors use to create suspense. In this instance it only creates confusion. Pages 22-32 contain a continuation of the novel, The Dead-Shot, by Capt. Mayne Reid.

Slocum the Ferret and His California Pard; or, The Trail of a Ruby Necklace, by Anthony P. Morris. New York: Munro's Publishing House; 24 & 26 Vandewater Street, July 27, 1895. 29p. (Old Cap. Collier Library, No. 607)

After the Chicago jewelry firm of Daniels and Dukes is robbed in broad daylight, Sim Slocum is asked to investigate. Slocum locates the jewels very quickly and returns them to the jeweler, save for one necklace for which the ownership is questionable. With the help of his friend Sam Drew, Slocum then probes into the mystery of the necklace and discovers a vile plot of passion, deception, and murder for his efforts. Although lively and mildly entertaining, the plot is contrived standard fare for the 1890s mystery fan.

Dick Dashaway; or, A Dakota Boy in Chicago, by Charles Morris. Author of "Bob Rockett, the Bank Runner," "Bob Rockett, the Boy Dodger," "Will Wildfire," "Dark Paul," Etc., Etc. New York: Published Weekly by Beadle and Adams; No. 98 William Street, May 23, 1882. 15p. (Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 252)

Richard Gordon, a wealthy Chicago merchant, and Tim Sparks, captain of the lake freighter Rover, are taken aback when young Dick Dashaway appears in Gordon's office demanding work. But Gordon grudgingly obliges, then issues orders that the young man be killed. Only after several close escapes and the death of the villains in the tale does Dick discover the reason for his peril. Throw in a case of unknown parentage, an unexpected fortune, and a beautiful, newly discovered sister, and the story becomes a standard formula mystery similar to hundreds of others set in the 1880s and 1890s.

Joe, the Chicago Arab; or, A Boy of the Times, by Charles Morris. Author of "Billy Baggage," "Jolly Jim," "Will Wildfire," Etc., Etc. New York: Published Weekly by Beadle and Adams; No. 98 William St[reet,] August 27, 1890. 31p. (Beadle's Pocket Library, No. 346)

Joe Jorum, an urchin from the streets of Chicago, is befriended by Maud Weatherly, niece of a wealthy Chicago merchant. Despite her uncle's objections, Maud insists on helping Joe, who repays her kindness by exposing her uncle's business partner as a crook and saving the family business from ruin. The story is naive and sentimental, following with little variation, the pattern set by earlier authors of pulp reading materials.

The Secret Service Boy Detective; or, Tony Blink's First Scoop, by Charles Morris. Author of "Will Somers," "Detective Dick," "Will Wildfire," "Bob Rockett," "Detective Dodge," "The Boy Fireman," Etc., Etc. New York: Published Weekly by Beadle and Adams; No. 98 William Street, May 29, 1888. 14p. (Beadle's Half Dime Library No. 566)

During his wanderings about the streets of Chicago, young Tony Blink overhears a barroom conversation expounding the philosophy of taking from the rich to give to the poor. Ragged, haggard, and weak from hunger, Tony puts the philosophy into immediate practice by snatching the speaker's plate of food and running away. Thus begins a daring adventure that sets Tony against a ring of desperate burglars, and wins for him a place on the Chicago Police Force as a secret service detective. Although patterned and predictable, The Secret Service Boy Detective has an element of bravado which makes it entertaining in spite of its obvious shortcomings.

Waiting for the Signal, A Novel by Henry O. Morris. Chicago: The Schulte Publishing Co., [l897.] 407p.

John Stearns, the captain of a Great Lakes steamer, becomes involved in the activities of the Seaman's Union and is killed while trying to disburse a crowd of strikers in Cleveland. When Stearns' son Wesley grows to maturity, the memory of his father's untimely death motivates him to become a journalist for the Chicago Biograph, where he exercises his editorial prerogative concerning such topics as social welfare, economics, manufacturing, work ethics, unionism, strikes, and revolution. Following the election of William McKinley to the presidency in 1897, Wesley Stearns redoubles his journalistic efforts and proves instrumental in bringing about a revolution of the laboring classes and the Universal Brotherhood of Man. Waiting for the Signal enjoyed great popularity during the labor movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, for it stated an ideal which many blue-collar workers chose to believe. However, excessive editorializing on outmoded topics will discourage all but the most avid modern reader soon after opening this book.

LiteraryWorld, 11/12/1898, p. 370.

The Chicago Story, A Novel by Ira Morris. Garden City, New York: Doubleday & Company. Inc., 1952. 347p.

The Chicago Story is the story of the Union Stockyards and one of the men who helped build them, as told by the grandson of one of the original Chicago meat moguls. In 1905, Adolph Konrad is in his prime. He has established himself in the meat-packing industry, amassed a sizable fortune, built an ostentatious mansion, and sired five unappreciative children. He is ready to begin enjoying his success. But it is at this point that his troubles begin--strikes and union organizers become a constant irritant; his sons view the business with disdain and drift away to begin their own lives; and without his knowledge the plant manager begins proceedings to form a corporation of the family-owned and controlled business. These troubles haunt him until he dies forty-five years later a disappointed, broken, bullish old man. The Chicago Story is harsh, brutal, bold, and offensive, as are the stockyards and Adolph Konrad himself. Unpleasant though the topic may be, the novel portrays adequately the rise of the stockyards, the accumulation of vast fortunes through industrialization and the strained position of the nouveau riche in Chicago society.

Book Review Digest, 1952, p. 643-4.

Nick Carter's Name at Stake; or, After the Sunset City Sharpers. By the Author of "Nick Carter." New York: Street & Smith, Publishers; 29 Rose St[reet,] June 22, 1895. 14p. (Nick Carter Library, No. 203)

Having tracked Doc Williams, the diamond napper to Chicago, Nick Carter is on the verge of making an arrest when he is sidetracked by what appears to be a far bigger counterfeiting case. Forgetting the diamond thief temporarily, Nick concentrates on the new case, and through his speedy work and sharp detection manages to catch the counterfeiting ring and stymie their plans before all but one of the bogus bills get into circulation. Nick Carter's Name at Stake is a lively, readable story filled with references to Chicago sites and landmarks, despite its naiveté, daring-do, and excessive reliance on circumstance to satisfactorily complete the plot.

The Pit, A Story of Chicago, by Frank Norris. New York: Doubleday, Page & Co.. 1903. 421p. (The Epic of the Wheat)

In The Pit, speculation in the wheat market on the Chicago Board of Trade is likened to compulsive gambling in its most addictive form, and its consequences are graphically represented. Curtis Jadwin, a wealthy Chicago businessman who made his millions dealing in real estate during the Chicago building boom, begins speculating in wheat on a small scale simply as a supplementary business venture. In the pit, the selling floor of the Chicago Board of Trade, he sees fortunes made and lost in a single day; brilliant businessmen break under the stress; families broken; and friend turn against associate in the grim battle to make or salvage a fortune. Still, he begins willingly, becomes gradually more involved, then seeing an opportunity to corner the wheat market, moves quickly and deftly into center stage. Jadwin's strategy works, gaining him absolute control of every grain of spring wheat in the country. But when success appears imminent, compulsion drives him to extend his luck and continue the deal through summer, bringing financial ruin to himself and his associates, causing the suicide of his dearest friend, endangering his own health, and nearly wrecking his marriage. The Pit is a masterful story of the Great Bull who controlled the market basket of the world during the 1880s; it is a compelling rendition of the greatest fight in the history of the Chicago Board of Trade; it is a gripping story of star-crossed lovers whose love is salvaged only after the collapse of their world.

Athenaeum, 2/14/1903, p. 204-5. Bookman (NY), 2/1903, p. 565-7. Chautauquan, 4/1903, p. 100. Independent, 11/19/1903, p. 2741. Literary World, 3/1903, p. 54. Nation, 4/2/1903, p. 276. N. Y. Times Book Review, 1/31/1903, p. 66. Times Literary Supplement, 2/20/1903, p. 56.

New Men for Old, by Howard Vincent O'Brien. New York: Mitchell Kennerley, 1914. 320p.

Workers' benefits triumph over company profits in this novel of the business world and the benevolent employer. The young hero, rising to prominence in a large Chicago firm, eventually wins the boss over to his way of thinking and succeeds in inheriting the business and marrying the boss' daughter at the same time. Descriptions of Chicago architecture and social patterns of the early 1900s add some historical interest to this quiet novel of social conscience.

Book Review Digest, 1914, p. 403.

The Terms of Conquest, by Howard Vincent O'Brien. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1923. 357p.

Discontented with being a printer's devil in a small-town newspaper office, Homer Gaunt quits his job in Cold Harbor, Michigan, and goes to Chicago where opportunities seem endless. Arriving in Chicago during the depression following the World's Columbian Exposition, he spends many months unsuccessfully seeking employment, living on charity, and sleeping with bums in the basement of the Chicago Police Station. A job on a railroad offers hope, but ends with the railroad strike in the summer of 1894. Then a former acquaintance helps him get a job with a printing firm. With E. Miner and Company, Gaunt gradually progresses from the press room to the board of directors, but not without disappointments along the way. His wife's illness and discontent with Chicago, the failure of a merger for which he has worked tirelessly, and the unwillingness of his children to live up to expectations all cast shadows on his success. Gaunt understands the terms of conquest and works within their limitations to achieve success. Failures that come his way are the result of complacency or lack of understanding from others. The plot is conventional, but the novel reflects much of the social and economic thought of the early twentieth century in an authentic historical setting.

Book Review Digest, 1923, p. 384.

Old Rafferty's Luck; or, "Piping" the Anson Case. A Murder Mystery of New York and Chicago, by the Author of "Old Rafferty." New York: Munro's Publishing House; 24 & 26 Vandewater Street, November 29, 1886. 40p. (Old Cap. Collier Library, No. 224)

The death of Julian Anson in New York is judged suicide by the New York police department and promptly dismissed by the authorities, but the simultaneous death in Chicago of his only relative, a brother, Peter Anson, arouses enough speculation to interest New York's greatest detective Dan Rafferty in the case. Encountering what seems to be too many leads, Rafferty is faced with the problem of sorting out extraneous information and misleading clues, while coping with the problem of distance between New York and Chicago. Fortunately, his reputation as a detective puts the murderers on the defensive, and they soon expose themselves. Old Rafferty's Luck is a very unsophisticated effort at mystery writing when judged by today's standards. Still, it is credible, entertaining, and a cut above similar material from the same period.

A Prairie Winter, by an Illinois Girl. New York: The Outlook Company, 1903. 164p.

The diary of a winter, kept by a Mokena, Illinois, farm wife around 1900, generates a mood to make all urban wives envious. The simple acts of gathering and sorting flower seeds in anticipation of the coming spring; creating a pumpkin pie for a famished fourteen-year-old; or gathering pecans by lantern light to keep the cows from eating them take on special meaning when described in loving detail by one as contented as the author of A Prairie Winter seems to be. There is little plot to carry the novel forward, but plot seems unnecessary in the presence of a passion for life such as Belle Owen possesses.