Bluffton; A Story of To-Day, by M. J. Savage. Boston: Lee and Shepard, Publishers; New York: Charles T. Dillingham, 1878. 248p.

When Mark Forrest comes to Bluffton, Illinois, to be pastor of one of the town's churches, the first parishioner he meets is Judge Hartley a former acquaintance who has an intense dislike for heresies and an uncanny ability for detecting them. Settling into a routine, the new pastor begins building up the church until a seed of discontent, so quietly planted, begins to sprout and grow among the congregation. The Reverend Forrest is censured and leaves Bluffton, abandoning church, friends and the one he loves. But Forrest is exonerated in a different setting and wins the hand of the beautiful Madge Hartley in the bargain. Set partially in a small river town in Illinois, Bluffton accurately depicts the provincialism which lives and breeds in small towns throughout the country.

Literary World, 6/1/1878, p. 13. Nation, 8/22/1878, p. 117.

Spoon-River Dan, [by] Laura Everingham Scammon. Kansas City: Hudson-Kimberly Publishing Co., 1894. 52p.

Spoon-River Dan is a remarkable man who has the uncanny power of healing by the laying on of hands. However, in his right hand, a mutilated stub possessing only thumb and forefinger, he has a unique ability for producing pain. When Dan's neighbors in the area of the Spoon River begin reporting encounters with a ghostly apparition resembling a gigantic white dog with red eyes, Dan is skeptical, preferring to offer a logical explanation for a phenomenon which most people would as soon leave unexplained. When public sentiment is at its highest, with some folks convinced of the ethereal quality of the apparition while others continue to scoff, Dan himself encounters the ghost, and neither is ever seen again. In the spring, two skeletons are discovered in a large elm tree near the banks of Spoon River. An arm of one, held out by a branch, bears the bones of a mutilated hand, with the thumb and forefinger held tightly together as though pinching some invisible object in the air.

A Subtle Adversary; A Tale of Callitso County, by Charles J. Scofield, One of the Circuit Judges of Illinois... First Thousand. [Cincinnati:] Published by the Author, 1891. 640p.

When William Manning, an avid prohibitionist, decides to seek the nomination for States Attorney in Callitso County, Illinois, he meets violent opposition by a vociferous group of drinkers and saloon keepers who are willing to employ any means to see him defeated. As the primaries draw near, competition becomes very keen, and Manning's opposition resorts to vote buying, deception, unethical legal manipulations, and finally murder to rid themselves of their adversary. But the wrong man is killed, and what at one time seemed the perfect plot, becomes the murderers' downfall as they attempt to shift the blame for the murder onto Manning, only to find it neatly returned to them through surprise tactics and subtle courtroom maneuvers. A love story intertwined throughout the plot adds another dimension. Written by a judge of the Circuit Court of Illinois, A Subtle Adversary presents a good look at the criminal code and court system of Illinois around 1875. However, the judge seems to know less about love than he does about law, for the jealousies, flirtations, and misunderstandings that arise between Manning and the beautiful Katie Anderson become quite tedious--almost as tedious as the temperance lectures which also help to swell the novel to over 600 pages.

Chautauquan, 10/1892, p. 127.

And from Such Men; A Historical Novel of the Years 1830 to 1880, by Virginia G. Scott. Philadelphia Dorrance & Company, [1973.] 192p.

See No. 215.

A Son of the City; A Story of Boy Life, by Herman Gastrell Seely. Illustrations by Fred J. Arting. Chicago: A. C. McClurg & Co., 1917. 341p.

A fourth grader's first romance is all the more appealing when the script is pleasant to read and the setting involves that dreamy era around the turn of the century when life was simpler and fourth graders were considerably more innocent than today. Young John Fletcher is a fortunate lad: he has wise and understanding parents, loyal friends, and even a rival; he has plenty of time for fishing excursions, snowball fights, marbles, football, and baseball. He has associations with adults who are crabby enough or naive enough to invite well-deserved mischief; and for love interest, there is a pretty and daintily dressed new girl in his class who receives a disproportionate share of his attention. His community is close enough to the lake for a clandestine before-school fishing trip, close enough to the lagoon for ice-skating in winter, close enough to a vacant lot to inspire clubmanship and plenty of baseball spirit, and close enough to a wild cucumber patch to have a ready supply of ammunition for great cucumber battles. Leisurely paced as the life it reflects, this light-hearted story shows a boy's-eye-view of a Chicago residential area which has long since disappeared.

Book Review Digest, 1917, p. 504.

The Red Flag; or, The Anarchists of Chicago, by H. K. Shackleford. Author of "Barnum's Detective; or, Working with the Great Show," etc., etc. New York: Frank Tousey, Publisher; 34 & 36 North Moore Street, Aug[ust] 7, 1886. 28p. (The New York Detective Library, No. 192)

Johan Muller, a poor though renowned Chicago artist, becomes infuriated when he is refused the hand of Celia Longpurse in marriage, and in his anger utters statements against Chicago's wealthy which are misconstrued as political insurrection rather than personal vindictiveness. When his statements are overheard by anarchists shortly before the Haymarket Riots, he is enticed into the movement, and only narrowly escapes becoming embroiled in the fateful conflict. Nothing more than a political tract, the novel contains liberal servings of anarchist ideology with rebuttals, but only an occasional scrap of history.

In His Steps; "What Would Jesus Do?" by Charles M. Sheldon. Author of "The Crucifixion of Philip Strong," "Robert Hardy's Seven Days," Etc. Chicago: Advance Publishing Co.; 215 Madison Street, 1898. 282p.

A sermon story that the author wrote and read to his evening congregation at the Central Congregational Church of Topeka, Kansas, In His Steps was first published in The Advance, then finally released in book form in 1898. It is the story of a Christian movement which begins with the Reverend Henry Maxwell of the First Church of Raymond (presumably Illinois), who challenges his parishioners to guide their daily lives by the question, "What would Jesus do?" At the Reverend Maxwell's suggestion, a majority of the Raymond congregation pledge their lives to Christ, then set about either living up to or breaking the pledge. The movement, started in Raymond, eventually spreads to Chicago where it meets with considerably more opposition but withstands the pressures of sin, politics, corruption, misguided social leaders, and heretics; and the story ends with a statement of optimism that the movement will grow from its small beginnings into a worldwide evangelical force.

Independent, 7/8/1897, p. 883.

"Jesus Is Here!", Continuing the Narrative of In His Steps (What Would Jesus Do?), by Charles M. Sheldon. Author of "In His Steps," "A Builder of Ships," "The High Calling," Etc. New York: Hodder & Stoughton; George H. Doran Company, [l9l4.] 296p.

A sequel to Sheldon's earlier novel, In His Steps, Jesus Is Here! takes place seventeen years later and is narrated through the same Reverend Henry Maxwell and his friends in Raymond, who have grown somewhat older. A strange light in the sky, visible to Reverend Maxwell and selected other believers, heralds the coming of Jesus to Raymond. His first appearance at a church service confounds the members, who sense his supremacy but can't understand it. Still, many become devoted to him and pledge to help further his work. From Raymond, Jesus travels to the east coast, where he teaches in the cities, confers with government officials, meets sinners on their own plane, and works to convert them, while planning a Religious Conference of Christians. The location of the city of Raymond is ambiguous in Jesus Is Here! just as it is in In His Steps. Still it is near Chicago and presumed to be in Illinois. The time is about 1914.

Book Review Digest, 1914, p. 484.

The Reformer, by Charles M. Sheldon. Author of In His Steps, His Brothers Keeper, John King's Question Class, Edward Blake, Born to Serve, Etc. Chicago, U. S. A.: Advance Publishing Co.; London, England: Ward, Lock & Co., Ltd., 1902. 299p.

After an extended tour of Europe, John Gordon returns home to inform his father that he has no intention of going into the family business as the older man had hoped, but plans instead to devote his time to the improvement of living conditions for the poor of the city. Over his father's objections, young Gordon moves into Hope House, a settlement project deep in the tenement district, and begins to work at getting improved housing through enforcement of housing codes and stricter housing legislation. However, his efforts meet constant opposition until a terrible fire, with the accompanying loss of many lives, draws public opinion to his support. The name of the city where this novel takes place is never revealed in the text. However, references in the preface to Hull House and Chicago Commons, as well as a publication entitled Tenement Conditions in Chicago hint at that city as the setting, and similarities of Sheldon's Hope House to Chicago's famous Hull House reinforce that belief.

Chautauquan, 11/1903, p. 312. N. Y. Times Book Review, 1/17/1903, p. 36. Outlook, 1/24/1903, p. 224.

Shifting for Himself; or, The Wonderful Luck of a Street Arab, by "One of the Boys." New York, N[ew] Y[ork:] The Winner Library Co.; 165 West Fifteenth St[reet, ] March 17, 1906. 28p. (Might and Main Library; Stories of Boys Who Succeed, No. 4)

Limpy Jim, Tatters, and all the other Chicago news-boys and girls consider Teddy Taylor lucky, although Ted suspects that he is just a bit more ambitous than the rest. When a stroke of good fortune comes his way and he elects to share it with his friend, Limpy Jim, neither of them realize that it will lead to an adventure involving a diamond robbery, more good fortune for Ted, and a comfortable death for his crippled friend. A story in the best tradition of Horatio Alger, Shifting for Himself is didactic, sentimental, and exaggerated, but above average in comparison with other serialized literature of the turn of the century.

The Shoe with Three Pegs; or, Convicted by an Imprint, by a U. S. Detective. Author of "The Molly Maguire Detective," "The Idaho Detective; or, The Wolves of the West," etc., etc., etc. New York: Frank Tousey, Publisher; 34 and 36 North Moore Street, Oct[ober] 16, 1886. 31p. (The New York Detective Library, No. 202)

Bayne Donaldson, a well-known detective, and Oscar Warwick, his best friend, are enjoying an evening in Chicago when a murder is committed and Oscar's father is implicated. Of course, Donaldson feels obliged to prove his friend's father innocent if possible, and spends many hours searching out clues and following up leads. The imprint of a strange shoe outside the window of the room where the murder was committed eventually leads Donaldson to the murderer, although the outcome of the mystery overworks the reader's will to believe.

Chicago Charlie's Diamond Dash; or, Trapping the Tunnel Thieves. A Story of the White City, by Lieut. A. K. Sims. Author of "Chicago Charlie," "The Columbian Detective," "The Wizard King Detective," "Singer Sam," "The Pilgrim Detective," Etc., Etc. New York: Beadle and Adams Publishers; 98 William Street, November 15, 1893. 31p. (Beadle's Dime New York Library, No. 786)

The death of Sidney Mayfield has all the appearances of a suicide, and is judged so by the Chicago police in spite of the theft of $100,000 worth of diamonds which Sidney has been commissioned to guard while they are on exhibition at the World's Fair of 1893. But Chicago Charlie, famed fair detective is not convinced, and with the help of Mayfield's sister, their backwoods uncle, and sundry other willing assistants, sets out on the trail of the murderer. Although it follows the standard detective story formula, Chicago Charlie's Diamond Dash has quality and credibility found in few others of its kind. Set in and around the White City, the story gives glimpses of both public and service areas of the fairground that are seldom mentioned in standard fair literature.

The Years of Growth: 1861-1893, [by] Harold Sinclair. New York: Doubleday Doran and Company, Inc. 1940. 415p.

History and fiction are smoothly interwoven in this quiet but impressive account of the Bloomington-Normal community, called Everton and North Everton by the author. The bulk of the novel consists of anecdotal material which often reveals real names as well as real incidents, but there is also a continuing story of one prominent fictitious family, the Ransoms, which encompasses their part in the Civil War and their lives in the growing community after the war. The second volume of a trilogy, Years of Growth is a sequel to American Years, and is, in turn followed by Years of Illusion.

Book Review Digest, 1940, p. 844.

Years of Illusion, [by] Harold Sinclair. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Doran and Company, Inc., 1941. 369p.

A sequel to The American Years and Years of Growth, this novel, covering the period 1900-1914, continues the story of the fictional Ransom family and introduces Parnell McGuire, an awkward young newspaperman from the other side of the tracks. The author develops a more substantial plot than in the previous novels, looking thoughtfully into the lives of two very different men of Everton and presenting a well-written and quite believable account of their triumphs and tragedies. Unlike The American Years and Years of Growth, this novel includes no references to real persons in local history, though events of national and international importance figure prominently.

Book Review Digest, 1941, p. 824-5.

Gathered Thistles; or, A Story of Two Households, by S. Elizabeth Sisson. Fremont, Neb[raska:] Hammond Brothers, 1897. 275p.

See No. 220.

Dynasty; A Novel of Chicago's Industrial Evolution, by Max Sklovsky. [Chicago: Americana House, Publishers, 1958.] 202p.

Although published in 1958, this novel of Chicago at the turn of the century is written in the stilted style often used by authors in the era described. The slight plot concerns three people: the head of a financial dynasty, a lovely social worker, and an immigrant union organizer, involved in an idealistic approach to labor-management problems.

Rose and the Ogre, by Fredrika Shumway Smith. Boston, U. S. A.: The Christopher Publishing House, [1948.] 184p.

Growing up in Chicago during the 1890s is the major theme of this novel featuring sixteen-year-old Rose Whitney. The excitement of her first Christmas party, the awakening of love, and the drama of volunteer work in a settlement house are acted out before a backdrop of World's Fair activity, the Pullman Strike, and the prohibition movement. The ogre of the title is Rose's step-grandfather, a cranky old man who bullies and complains his way through life. In death, he surprises all by leaving the bulk of his estate to Rose. Sweet, naive, level-headed Rose offers a surprise of her own, for never once does she indicate a change of heart toward the old man, nor feel a twinge of regret for disliking and avoiding him. Instead, she plans how best to utilize the money. Rose and the Ogre offers a good view of Chicago during 1892 and 1893, although the story sometimes drags and the characters appear unreal.

Jerome Leaster of Roderick, Leaster & Co., by Lillian Sommers (Litere). Author of "For Her Daily Bread," "The Unpopular Public," Etc. With Illustrations by Jules Guerin. Chicago: Charles H. Sergel & Co., 1890. 376p.

An impassioned anti-Catholic diatribe, this novel focuses on Jerome Leaster whose ill-fated marriage to a novitiate from a convent brings the wrath of church and family down on the hapless couple. After a few short months of extreme happiness, Loreau, Leaster's wife, begins to feel pangs of guilt and remorse for having left the church and her anguish eventually drives her mad. Although an agnostic, Leaster's philosophy of life, based on kindness and love toward his fellowman, sets a fine example for the couple's daughter Pauline, who grows into a beautiful and sensitive young woman. After Loreau's recovery, religion again becomes an issue among the family members, until Loreau, encouraged by a meddlesome priest, eventually drives Pauline to her death. Jerome Leaster is morbid, sentimental, unrealistic, and biased. Not even good plot, strong characterization, or vivid background can be claimed as redeeming features. Only the author's hatred for the Catholic Church is memorable.

Atlantic, 5/1891, p. 710-1. Independent, 3/26/1891, p. 457.

The Close of the Day, by Frank H. Spearman. Author of Doctor Bryson, The Daughter of a Magnate. New York: D. Appleton and Company, MCMIV. 224p.

Katharine Sims, at age twenty, is left to her own devices when her father dies suddenly without having planned for the eventuality. George Durault, at age forty, is a millionaire bachelor, having made his fortune through coffee importing and speculation. The Close of the Day is the story of Katharine's rise to stardom on the operatic stage through determination and hard work; Durant's decline to poverty brought on by illness and mismanagement; and their love, which remains unspoken until death removes both opportunity and necessity. Although dealing with a topic that easily lends itself to sentimentality, Spearman has avoided indulging, choosing instead to tell his tale in a controlled and straightforward manner. Set in Chicago during the 1890s, the novel reflects the business activities as well as the society of the time, striving for a perfect balance between the two, and making for light but meaningful reading.

Independent, 5/12/1904, p. 1087-8. Literary World, 3/1904, p. 79. N. Y. Times Book Review, 2/13/1904, p. 107. Outlook, 2/13/1904, p. 429.

Doctor Bryson, A Novel by Frank H. Spearman. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1902. 308p.

Focusing on the life of Henry Elwood Bryson, a Chicago eye specialist. this novel gives detailed accounts of many standard medical practices of the 1890s. True to his profession, Dr. Bryson lives for his work and his patients, and the book amply reflects his devotion, for even the love affair which develops between the doctor and a lady who lives in the same boardinghouse is brought about through her daughter's need for medical attention to save her eyesight. Doctor Bryson is a faithful reflection of the early medical profession; and the author's descriptions of everyday life in a Chicago boardinghouse offer additional impact to an already forceful and realistic novel.

Dial, 11/16/1902, p. 330. Independent, 2/12/1903, p. 391-2. Literary World, 1/1/1903, p. 12. Nation, 12/4/1902, p. 448.

Fred Fearnot and the White Masks; or, Chasing the Chicago Stranglers, by Hal Standish. New York: Frank Tousey, Publisher; 24 Union Square, March 16, 1906. 28p. (Work and Win, No. 380)

Fred Fearnot and his friend, Terry Olcott, having broken a daring case for the United States Treasury Department in New York, soon become bored with their idleness and decide to travel to their ranch in Texas for a few months. During the preparations for their western trek, they hear of the strange disappearance of a New York broker who has traveled to Chicago to purchase $100,000 worth of gold-bearing bonds. Casually agreeing to look into the situation during the course of their western journey, they make their way leisurely to Chicago, where they are brought face-to-face with a band of thugs who are willing to resort to desperate means to accomplish their goals; and they nearly succeed in destroying the holiday atmosphere of the boys' trip. Fred Fearnot and the White Masks is light, casual reading which can't be taken seriously, even though it is liberally laced with moralizing.

Fred Fearnot in Chicago; or, The Abduction of Evelyn, by Author of "Fred Fearnot." New York: Frank Tousey; 24 Union Square, April 28, 1899. 32p. (Work and Win, No. 21)

On a business trip to Chicago, Fred Fearnot and his friend Terry Olcott are joined by Terry's father and sister Evelyn, who wish to see the city. When their excursion is rudely interrupted by Evelyn's abduction, Fred and Terry turn sleuths in an effort to find her and determine a reason for the kidnapping.

Rescued from Fiery Death; A Powerful Narrative of the Iroquois Theater Disaster, by Wesley A. Stanger. Chicago: Laird & Lee, [1904.] 317p.

Romance and tragedy vie for center stage in this novel based on the Iroquois Theater fire in Chicago's Loop area on December 30, 1903, in which 571 persons died. Neal Bennington and Alice Fanning love each other, but she is being forced into a marriage for wealth by her social-climbing mother. Separately, and quite by accident, Neal and Alice attend the Iroquois Theater presentation of "Bluebeard" on the afternoon of December 30, and are witness to the disaster in which Alice's parents die. Neal rescues Alice, endangering his own life in the process. Following the tragedy she volunteers to help nurse him back to health, and in so doing establishes a love relationship which eventually leads to marriage. The Iroquois Theater is described in minute detail, and the fire and its aftermath fill many chapters. Much of the description is taken almost verbatim from newspaper accounts, linked together by the love theme which runs throughout.

The Landlooker, [by] William F. Steuber, Jr. Indianapolis [and] New York: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, Inc., [1957.] 367p.

Rohland and Sons of Chicago make the finest harness in America, so become a major supplier for the Union Army during the Civil War. After the war, Pa Rohland repurchases 2000 sets of unused Rohland harness from the government then sends his two youngest sons. Emil and Rudolph, into the Wisconsin wilderness to sell them to the farmers, lumbermen, and millworkers who can't get into Chicago to purchase what they need. The Landlooker is Emil's account of the adventures of the two brothers as they discover themselves and take their places among the proud, hard-working men bearing the Rohland name. The year is 1871, a year of disaster for Chicago and northeast Wisconsin, for major fires destroy large portions of both. The Landlooker includes an especially vivid account of the Peshtigo forest fire which destroyed thousands of acres of virgin forest in the Green Bay area of Wisconsin.

Book Review Digest, 1957, p. 879.

The Adventures of Uncle Jeremiah and Family at the Great Fair; Their Observations and Triumphs, by "Quondam," [pseud.] With Sixty Illustrations. Chicago: Laird & Lee, Publishers, 1893. 237p.

Sarah and Jeremiah Jones, with their orphaned grandchildren Fanny and Johnny, travel from their home in Effingham County, Illinois, to Chicago, in 1893, for the purpose of visiting the World's Colombian Exposition. During the course of the summer, they visit the major exhibits, including the agricultural, art, mining, and mechanical buildings; see many of the special features, including the electrical show and LaRabida where relics of Columbus are housed; and witness such unexpected occurrences as the destruction by fire of one of the exposition buildings which results in the deaths of eleven firemen. Throughout the adventure, Uncle Jeremiah's down-home attitude, Fanny's narrow escapes from the clutches of an evil confidence man, and Johnny's twelve-year old tomfoolery keep the reader amused and give this novel a dimension beyond that of the completely descriptive fair guide. The discovery of a long lost parent is a fitting climax to a perfect summer. Picayune, 7/9/1893, p. 24.

Wicked City, by Grant Eugene Stevens. Author of "Blinding Blasts," "Answer to Don Carlos," etc. Chicago: [G. E. Stevens & Co.,] 1906. 340p.

Editorially, this is a unique publication, for it consists of two totally different literary efforts--one fiction one non-fiction--related by subject matter and bound together in an effort to achieve maximum impact. The first, a novel entitled Wicked City, is the story of half-brothers one legitimate and heir to the family fortune, the other illegitimate and believed to be totally disinherited. In the course of the novel Robert Long, the illegitimate brother, indulges in a carnival of crime including murder, theft, embezzlement, and jail break, while partaking fully in every sin and debauchery available in the city of Chicago. The non-fiction section entitled Wicked City Redeemed is a collection of statements of celebrities, civic leaders, and city officials offering various opinions on the state of vice in Chicago. These vary in quality from simple words of encouragement to statements concerning welfare movements and police action to lists of merchants burglarized during Chicago's Carnival of Crime and guests attending the mayor's dinner given by the Chicago Commercial Association. Robert Long, focal point of Wicked City, is purported to be the "long man" or ring leader in the Carnival of Crime. Although based on truth, the novel seems at times to pass beyond the realm of probability, but in its course exposes many of the activities of Chicago's underworld during the 1890s.

Buck; Being Some Account of His Rise in the Great City of Chicago, by Charles D. Stewart. With Illustrations by R. M. Brinkerhoff. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin Company; The Riverside Press, Cambridge, 1919. 298p.

A fatherly harangue on that favorite of parental topics "When I was your age ..." causes James Buckingham Summers to leave the university during his junior year and strike out in search of financial independence. Casting about for a means of support while seeking his fortune, Buck lands a job as a drayman; soon trades it for a less strenuous and more fashionable position driving a funeral car for a local undertaker; goes totally afield and joins a circus; and takes time out to help stage a monumental musical production before settling down and inventing a cookie cutter that develops into the basis of his fortune. This, coupled with his marriage to an heiress, brings him the security he seeks. Buck combines a romantic look at Chicago's business and theatrical worlds with humorous characterization, unlikely incidents, and barbed wit, in a novel of truth and whimsy that few will be able to resist.

Book Review Digest, 1919, p. 480.

Adversary in the House, [by] Irving Stone.Garden City, N[ew] Y[ork:] Doubleday & Co., Inc., 1947. 432p.

The life of Eugene V. Debs is the basis for this biographical novel of the labor organizer, socialist leader, and Indiana legislator who was instrumental in organizing both the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and the American Railway Union, and served a prison term for his part in bringing about the strike against the Pullman Palace Car Company in 1894. Debs' major adversary is his wife, the former Kate Metzel, who early recognizes her husband's leadership potential, but refuses to the end to acknowledge that his cause is just. Little is known about the life of Kate Metzel Debs, and Irving Stone has been criticized for his unflattering portrait of her in light of the lack of evidence. Whether his depiction of the lady is accurate remains speculation, but his interpretation of Debs and Debs' career adheres so closely to fact that the reader may wonder where truth ends and fiction begins.

Book Review Digest, 1947, p. 866.

Chicago in Tears and Smiles; by Wilhelm vom Strande. Translated from the German by Robert Edward Gutermann. Cleveland, Ohio: Press of Lauer & Mattill, 1893. 214p.

Three related tales of evangelism through good works appear in this volume concerning Brother William, a religious teacher who arrives at his Chicago charge to find that gambling, drinking, and sins of the flesh are ordinary practices among parishioners and pastor. Intent on doing what he can to remedy the situation, he ministers to the wives and families of the erring, and to the miscreants whenever possible, eventually seeing the situation improved before moving on to missionary work in the suburbs, and finally into his own church. Some historic background concerning the years prior to and immediately following the Chicago fire might be gleaned from this volume, but hardly enough to warrant the hours necessary to plod through this dreary tome.

Waldo, the Wizard Detective; or, A Strange Murder on the Lakes, by Ed Strayer. New York: Munro's Publishing House; 24 & 26 Vandewater Street, October 23, 1897. 32p. (Old Cap. Collier Library, No. 724)

The murder of John Framley on his Lake Michigan yacht is blamed on his niece Laura Framley, who has recently quarreled with her uncle over her inheritance, and Robert Barrington, Laura's lover, whom her uncle dislikes. After a cursory examination, Chicago police detective Broxmake recommends that Robert and Laura be held for the murder; and the case might have been considered closed but for Waldo Quick, the Wizard detective, who ferrets deeper into the circumstances and discovers John Framley's connection with a smuggling ring. Waldo, the Wizard Detective is standard serial fare, lacking any distinguishing features save the gruesome details of murder, over which the author dwells too long.

Tides, by Ada and Julian Street. Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1926. 412p.

See No. 228.

Manacle and Bracelet; or, The Dead Man's Secret, A Thrilling Detective Story, by Edmund C. Strong. Chicago. Ill[inoi]s: George W. Ogilvie, Publisher; 216 Lake Street, Copyright, 1886. 105p.

When the household of General Clifton, a wealthy Chicago resident, is terrorized by a band of murderers and confidence men; and Vincent Morton, fiance of the General's niece, is accused of the General's murder, only Detective Langdon of the Chicago Police Department believes in Morton's innocence and is willing to work to clear his name. Typical of early detective stories, Manacle and Bracelet is rambling and contrived, with little to make it attractive to the modern reader.

The Confessions of a Club Woman, by Agnes Surbridge. Illustrated by A. J. Keller. New York: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1904. 241p.

A fictionalized treatise on the dangers of participating too enthusiastically in women's clubs, this novel is directed toward the average club women of the early 1900s, and is written in a style typical of that era. Johnaphene Henning tells in a confessional tone how she succumbs to the desire for social prominence, becomes an active clubwoman, rises quickly to the presidency of the largest women's club in the state, and by so doing, neglects her home and children and almost loses her husband. With little else to recommend it, this Chicago novel is interesting as an early expression of opposition to the feminist movement.

N. Y. Times Book Review, 7/23/1904, p. 497.

The Good Red Bricks, by Mary Synon. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1929. 288p.

In this novel of Chicago during the 1890s, Sally Burt and Joe Gates are in love, but the author seems more concerned with her own love for Chicago than with Sally and Joe's love for each other. The loving couple has aspirations: Sally for the theater, Joe for medicine--but both are thwarted by circumstances which might have been avoided in a smaller town. Joe's incredible rise to fame in the boxing ring (an alternative to medicine) is overshadowed by the accompanying world of gambling and vice; while Sally's career as a singer runs amuck through political misdealings. Even their love suffers from exposure. But of far greater interest than any of this is the urban world which the author recreates in minute detail to surround and overwhelm her fumbling characters.

Book Review Digest, 1929, p. 933.