davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The San Francisco call., 1897-05-30
HE TYPICAL AMERICAN NOVEL.

We are not looking for an American novel
as distinct from an English q French or q
Scandinavian or an Italian or a Gr@co-Roman
novel. We think that the resources of fiction
writing are just as thoroughly well known as
they ever will be; that all the appliances of
the art have been discovered and tested long
ago; that no amount of taking thought will
add single item to the technical equipment
which is at the service OF every novelist to-
day; aud that whenever really great novel
is produced, 1T is great because of the man be-
theory which the book itself exemplifes.
Nevertheless, from another point of view, one
may truly speak of the American novel as a
thing apart, because OF the great difficulty in
the conditions that attend its successful COM
position. The American novel, as we under
stand it, is not to be novel constructed on
hitherto unheard-of lines or by some new
formula thoughtfully evolved by American
writer's; but a novel that shall give an ade-
quate and accurate delineation OF the life that
is lived only in this huge, loose-hung, colossus
OF country-a kind of life to which the his
tory of the world affords no parallel whatever.
When the Englishman or when the French
man sits down to write a novel his back
ground is, in a way, already filled in, and it is
only figu ure- painting that he has to do.
But how strangely different is the case wi tn
one who seeks to fix upon his canvas a true
impression of American life. A vast kaleido-
scopic mass of color lies before him, shifting
and changing with every touch, society in a
The San Francisco call., 1897-05-30

fluid state, heterogeneous, anomalous. bizarre
and shot all through with a million piquant
incongruities. The boundless wealth and the
squalid poverty, the spiendor and the crudity,
the magnifcence an6 the cheapness, the reck-
lessness and conservatism, the cyntcism and
the faith, the intellectual keenness and the
unpseakable faulty, the strong common-sense
and the foolish gulllbility. the defiant arro-
gance and the patient meekness, the CONNER.
cial acuteness and the political stupidity-can
any one bring out all these wonderful con trasts
in the National character and yet preserve the
slightest trace of verisimilitude and probabil-
ity? And the strange medley of humanity
the washerwoman of the diggings blossom
ing out into the grand dame who entertains
kings and gives her daughters in marriage to
princes, the young girl with her "chaste de-
pravity," the emancipated woman, the canal.
boy lighting his way 10 the headship OF the
nation, the keen-eyed business man who is to-
day cornering the market and tomorrow
haranguing the Senate and the day after
bringing out an edition of o classic the curl
Gus bits of foreign life and custom EN- bedded
in the midst of an Anglo-Saxon people, and
underneath It all q great compact mass of
strong and simple and conservative men and
women. bearing up the rest and giving cohe-
sion and stability to the whole structure.
Any one can tell OF all these things; any one can
sketch them separately and in detail; but who
Is able ana who will ever be able to give one
luminous picture of them as single entity,
each in its true relation to the rest, with
sense Of proportion and RELATIVELY, and IN such
The San Francisco call., 1897-05-30

mosphere in great shape, going out in one
two-three order.
Up to this time 1t was what Hazel Kirke
would call pretty work.
Then came the crisis.
1t was none of your of-hand, specials ale
day cri:is. Nor did it partske OF the stereo-
typed, the villain-approaches stage effect. 1t
was one of those deliberate, we'll written and
carefully revised affairs, and it marked the
turn in the battle with a ghastly, blue-pencil
appearance.
When victory had secured q little airship
exhibition, and was about to utilize the
Grecian banners for perching purposes, the
startling announcement was made that, owing
to the breaking down of the press, Sylvester
Scovel would be unable to make the expected
attack on the Turkish left flank.
1t was crisis that tried the space-work
souls of the entire command.
Retreat without an effort meant dishonor,
while an advance under the circums tances
might mean annihilation. After q short con-
ferep ce it was decided thers would be no back
pedaling. and the order to advance was tele-
phoned up and down the line.
Butcher Scovel could have saved the day.
but his messenger-boy ishness prevented.
With q mighty roar the contendipg.forces
clashed, and the sight that followed would
have caused . circulation war to go off in some
quiet nook and weep highly salted tears over
its own insignifcance.
Above the terrible din of battle could be
heard the inspiring black-face, double plea
shrieks OF the valorous leaders as they urged
The San Francisco call., 1897-05-30
HOW EPIRUS WAS LOST.

Later reports indicate that the Greek COL
people ho paid to see some real generalship
and some clever infghting are entitled to
have their money refunded at the box-office
says the Washington Post.
The first day the Greeks had much the best
of the argument. Steve Crane led the profess
sion with a beautiful two-column, double
loaded two-step and caught the Turks nap
ping.
While Cranes forces engaged the enemy in
front Rudyard Kipling and his command at
tackled the Turkish rear, and by a syndicate
prearrangement these two valorous leaders
worked the deadly parallel column on the de-
moralized foe.
There was a bright Greciau streak in the
atmosphere, and the bookmakers were giving
remarkable odds on the fight
When the second days fighting opened
everybody said 1t was a Grecian cinch in a
walk, and Grecian money went begging.
When the firing opened between tn. out
posts at Pentepighadia the welcome word W as
carried to the managing editors of the battle
that Rich ard Harding Davis, fully provisioned
and highly pajamaed, was bearing down on
the enemy on the right at the head OF a band
of Evzones, who were armed with the Reming.
ton strip.
At this juncture of the struggle the Turks
began to feel like 80 cents and other small
change.
The strategic triangle was playing to beat
the band, and the Turks were tanning the at
The San Francisco call., 1897-05-30

their men to fight. ITO describe this scene
properly would DE gross plagiarism on John
L. Sulliyan's story of Mrs. Fitzsim mons heroic
work at Carson City.)
The roar of the Mergenthalers was terrific
as they poured the hot lead into the matrices
and made history at the usual space rates
There was an occasional pause, when the
sharp clicking of the typewriters showed they
were getting in their work the Turks in
much the same manner they did up thai Chi
cago banker.
In the last half of the ninth inning, with
two men out, two strikes on Edhem Pasha, not
Turk on the bases and the crowd leaving the
grand stand came the blow that killed father
Edhem was desperate and, making q vicious
sw ipe at a photographic inshoot, he caught it
for three bases.
A sickly yellow kiddish expression took pos
session of the face of the Greek pitcher. It
was plain to be seen that he had contracted a
! com mpllcation of the glass arm, charleyhorse
and punctured nerve.
A passed ball, base on balls, another hit
wide throw by the shortstop, and the Greek
generalization was complete. The Turks
trotted around the bases like intoxicated
sailors on a merry-go round.
The score and the plot thickened like news
paper Office paste in warm weather. The
groanso of the dead ana wounded were remark
able, particularly those of the dead. (Ar-
rangements are in progress to have these new
things In groans produced on the phono-
| graph.)
| But why prolong the awful recital? There
| was nothing for the Greeks to do but fall back
The San Francisco call., 1897-05-30

to Arta. Thus was the horrible retreat inau-
gurated.
The quarters of these gallant commanders
looked as il they had been visited by one of
those individuals who occasionally drop in to
whip the editor. ALI was confusion and next
morningish.
As the demoralized column approached the
su purbs of Arta and managed to fight through
the lines of the takers engaged in selling war
relics, there burst upon them a specter of the
Illuminated supplement- variety. For few
moments they were dazed.
AS it approached it grew nearer, and sud-
denly they recognized General Miles. He was
accompanied by his full uniform and staff of
stenographers, topographers and photogra-
pliers.
Reluctantly they told General Miles of their
defeat. He wanted them to turn and m AXE
final rally against the Turks, but they respect-
fully and firmly declined to respond TO the
encore
This is the true story of the rout at Epirus
Historians and General Miles official re-
port may be able to make q better
showing for the Greeks, and some peo-
pie who are continually poking about
in war records may try to square Sylvester
Blucher Scovel, but these are the stubborn
ana tantalizing facts.
The next day the Grecian sugar market
slumped eight points, ana there were heavy
declines all along the line
The price Of the Overland Monthly has been
fixed at 10 cents.
The San Francisco call., 1897-05-30
a way as to make one see and feel the truth OF

way as to make one see and feel the truth OF
it all?
No such problem ever before confronted the
novelist: yet 1t is not until this problem has
been solved that the American novel in its
largest sense will have an actual existence.
To begin with, there is not even such thing
as an American type. There is New England
type, and there is q Southern type, and there
Is Far Western type, but even these are not
perfectly defined but shade off into each
other, while between them lie all sorts of 1ndi-
vidual and quite distinctive groups which an
American easily recognizes, even though he
cannot 30 easily des cribe them. These people
do not even speak an alb bsolutely iden teal lam
guage, but display such dialectic variations
as make the difference OF habitat Immediately
perceptible TO the ear of a native. Our writer's
understand the complicated difficulties that
beset the one who tries to linn in large
way the life and attributes of the Ameri-
can people; and hence it is that
they have given US, in the main. not
the Am erican novel, but novels written in
America, which is q very different thing. 1t
is not likely that any better work Will be done
than much of that which already reveals
some Oh the strange hooks and corners of
American life. No one, for example. could
show a subtler knowledge of New England
than Miss wilkins brings to her intensely
vital delinea tions; no one will ever make us
feel more intensely the spirit OF the Northwest
than Hamlin Garland does; no one will better
draw the dull, raw life of the little towns OF
Central and Western New York than Harold
Frederic; no one will have fuller under
standing of certain phases OF existence in the
American metropolis than has Br lnder Mat
thews. But who is to come forth equipped
with the knowledge and the insight and the
vivid power necessary to draw the picture as
whole and with a masters touch to fling
before us the great National cosmos in its
entirety vital, convincing, real? - Harry
Thurston Peck in the Bookman.
The San Francisco call., 1897-05-30
HERE AND THERE.

"Wolfville," by Dan Quin "a. II. Lewisl, will
be published in June with numerous illustra-
tions by Frederic Remington. Mr.. Lewis re-
cenIly wrote TO his publishers that he wanted
them to have unusual care taken in reading
the proofs, rs he desired the spelling to be
consistently bad throughou the book.
Slowly, 30 the geologists tell us, were built
up the earth's strata, and now the Oxford Die
tionary has finished with the five first letters
The words given are s9,591 An analysis of
these words shows that At 7S6 are in cure MT
use, 1882 obsolete and 2517 foreign. No
wonder that dictionary making is slow work.
The detective story, the slum story, the
treasure troye story, the great city in the
interior of Africa story have all had their run,
and publishers are inclined 70 think they have
been run into the ground and in England at
least the gentlemen who buy manuscript seem
inclined to want something new. But what is
there new? There is the "Kail Yard story"
with its Gaelic trimmings, and that too so the
publishers hint, is getting out of vogue
That must have been en uncommonly
nice dinner Goncourt tells about which was
one OF a series at which he was present, the
other dinner eaters being Flaubert Tourgue-
neH, Zola and Daudet. The Cafe Richie was at
first the place of reunion. After while q res
taurant in the Place Fayart was where the
table was set. The first TO drop out was Fau-
bert, whose death took place in 1850 and
Tourguenef passed away three years later.
Dwell, II you can, on the mum Der of pounds
OF coal Miss Braddon has burned or caused to
be burned in the production of her novels.
How endlessly has the piston rushed to and
fro, the fly wheel turned, and the presses
clsnged all in Miss Braddon's behalf. What a
pyramid OF paper has been used. what q Dead
Sea of ink has been exhausted to the last yiscid
drop for the lady's requirements. Miss Brad
don's ffty-eighth romance, "Under Loves
Rule" is the last one, but let us hope it is not
to be the very last.
Zols, long ago in the Figaro, acknowledged
how much he was indebted to Tourguenef. 1t
was at the beginning OF Zola's Literary career.
He had written something about politics in
LIE Corsair, and the Due de Broglie had exer-
cised the censorship, and the article was sup
pressed. 'Not newspaper would print
line of mine. 1 was perishing with hunger,
and they were all throwing mud at me. II
was then that Tourgueneff took me in hand
and introduced me to Russia" Those who
have followed NJ. Zola may remember that
s'La Faute de TAbbe Mouret" was published in
Russian before it appeared in French.
The San Francisco call., 1897-05-30
NEW PUBLICATIONS BY DOxEY.

Doxey's new "Guide to San Francisco and
the Health and Pleasure Resorts of California"
will be out by June /. 1t is concise, complete,
pleasantly descriptive and amply illus trated.
1t will meet the needs of hhe Christian En-
deavorers ana other tourists. and be a stand.
ard for all who seeS inform nation and direc-
ton. 1t is Mr.. Doxey's intention to revise and
reissue this Guide yearly. if necessary. to keep
1t up to date.
Mr.. Doxey has In press "Idle Hours In a
Library" by Professor Hudson English litera-
ture, stanford), consisting of three essays:
samuel Pepys and His Diary" "London in
Shakospeare's Time" and ''The Novelists OF
the Restoration" Professor Hudson's literary
xaining makes him master of his work, and
his felicity of expression is gift perfected by
culture.
'.The Missions OF California" by Laura Bride
Powers, will follow Immediately. The story is
we'll told and amply illustrated. This will be
q book for the tourist-coIlector to place with
his treasures.
Life has taken up the question OF What are
the ten best short poems in tho English Ian
guage? and offers handsome prize for the
one whose list comes the nearest to the CONF
bined popular judgment. The result of this
contest will be interesting, as showing what IL
the popular taste among the discrim min ating
readers OF Lille.
The San Francisco call., 1897-05-30
LITERARY NOTES.

The Fourth Napoleon, which was announced
by Herbert S. Stone q Co., for spring issue, has
now been put off until the autumn.
In McClure's for Septe N Der Anthony Hopes
"The Constable of Zenda" will appear, and C.
is 10 a La he nj ct for
The San Francisco call., 1897-05-30

The success of Mrs. Sarah K. Bottoms "Poor
Boys Who Became Famous" and "Giris Who
Became Famous" has been unprece dented.
The publishers, T. Y. Crowell & Co., announce
the twenty third edition of the first book and
the TWEEN ty-second of the other one.
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-10-28
FRIENDS OF SILVER SHOULD
UNITE.

In Colorado there is very interest
ing campaign or and in that campaign
the silver question looms Up as the
main issue. Governor Adams has writ
ten a letter TO the Democratic chairman
in reply to a letter from him. in which
he SAYS:
am in receipt of your letter of the
18th instant. You have struck the key
note Of this campaign-With the Dem
ocratic marty it is a contest of Drin-
chile and not q scramble FOR Office.
We endorse the sentiment expressed
by Senator Teller in recent speeches.
when he said. The only hope for the
rehabilitation Of silver lies in the Dem
ocraue party" This IS true in the na-
ton and true in the state. There is no
refuge for the silver cause except under
the Democratic banner, and there is 10
way in which a vote can be registered
ia behalf Of bimetallism except under
the Democratic emblem.
By our vote at the coming election
Uill Colorado he measured. IF we wish
To convey to the nation The impression
that we are true 10 the faith ne en-
dorsed with such an unanimity j year
ago NC must vote the Democratic
ticket
There should be a union Of the sill
Yer forces. and the action of the Dem
ocratic committee has made clear the
road ia such 4 union Is you write. Il
victory under such auspices would not
be party victory. bur the triumph Of
the silver cause.
The campaign in Colorado is wider
than a municipal election. but it is not
national, nor IS any United States SEN
ator to he elected, but The silver ques-
ton is no more in issue there than in
Utah. Governor Adams says that by
our vote at the coming election will
Colorado he measured. If we wish to
convey to the nation the impression
that We are trne to the faith we IN
dorsed with sach an unaninity Il year
ago ue must vote the Democratic
ticket"
Those words are as applicable "a
Cgah and SAT- Lake City as 10 COLO
rado and Denver. II the people ri Salt
Lake City wish to convey 10 tie nation
the impression thaI t}iay ale ,r..e L.. h,.
faith they Endorsed with such an unan-
unity 4 year aeo, they ,npst Tote M,
Democratic ticket. the only silver ticket
il the field,
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-10-28
TRADE WITH ENGLAND.

Claude Nleel1er. ex-consul to Bradford.
has recently written 2 paper on our
export trade TO Great Britain. 1t is
interesting and well worthy of study
by those directly interested in the mat
ter. He says the idea. that there is any
prejudice against American goods is
entirely without foundation This
Of itself is encouraging. 9Ir.
Meeker calls attention to the matter
of advertising and makes some very
sensible remarks in this respect. He
says;
Great harm is often done BY the
rather t1amboyant language Of our ad-
rertising literature. we are prone to
be TOO cock sure and to claim too much
Thus in q most excellent. welI-meaning
trade publication in New York, de-
voted TO our foreign commerce,
counted the phrase the largest in the
world $50 times, concerning 100 differ
cnt American enterprises seeking for
eign support. Now the foreigner. he he
an Englishman. a German. Frenchnan
or even Spaniard. is willing to admit
that we are a great country, but he
would prefer that We be rather tender
with his oWn feelings and not arrogate
30 ourselves everything. 1 once refer
red a high-sounding appeal for trade
TO an English merchant. and he replied
he really needed something of that kind
but the extreme modesty Of the claim
ant rather frightened him. No matter
what we do at home, our literature in
tended to attract foreign trade should
be courteous, dignihed, conservative in
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-10-28


! F----.-10F city officers takes place. 1t
has been an interesting campaign, more
so than usual The people are witness
ing q BOLD and unscrupuIous attempt
on the part OF 4 few citizens, who
rarely or never take any part III politi-
cal matters. 80 take into their own
hands tho absolute control of municipal
matters One Of the strongest pleas
2ut forth IN support Of their pretenstons
IS that they are men who own mil
lions OF property" IS though poIitieai
lirhts werc measured in dollars and
cents.
The committee that has the anN-pop-
llar government scheme in hand has
never once condescended to consult the
people as 90 whom they would like to
have as public officers. When it made
up its ticket it sat behind closed doors
and kept al It's proceedings secret. For
| its general ticket it collected sons, neph-
e1.s AID brothers-in-law of the NOM
hers comaosi2g it. There never was
such display Of nepoNsm as was made
/ ny this same canting, self praising
committee. Professipa|to have nothing
! but The weIfaro of the people at heart,
it has freated them with nothins but
mistrust, and yet it has the cheek and
/ imDuGe-ce to ask the people to i'm
plicitly trust it
The chairman Of this committees
canraign committee has the brutal
! franlness ia say that contentious were
rot called because they were afraid the
! people Che calls them politicians, Of
fceholders and ward heelers'0 would
come = AID take possession OF the
meeting, ard either vote down the
movement or put their own men UP
for the Offices. For the people TO put
/ up their own candidates for ofticc would
have very materially interfere7 NTH
the plans Of these men who own
milho-s o. pronerty."
The maYora!ty candidate of these
men, on the other hand. says the time
/ allowed no other method than the one
( adopted That is very strange state
lneat 20 make when il is remembered
/ that this great reform movement was
started away last summer. II Mi Clark
had said there vas no inclination or de-
sire Tor any other method than the
one employed. he would have stated the
case exactly as it is
Why vast there time in which to
adopt any other method?
The people of this city may be sure
Of one thing. which is, that if The non
! Partisan ticket shah he elected. that
/ the candidates who we're put up by
these men VINO own millions Of prop
erty' viii take good care to look out
for TIE interests of these men who
] own millions Of property" and il they
should chance to conflict with those Of
the people. why, 50 much worse for the
/ people. Don't let the people think they
are going TO serve them. for it was
written of old time and is true today,
that NO man can serve two masters. "
The non partisan candidates. if elected.
viii serve those who nominated them,
and those who nominated them were
not the people, but men who own mil
lions Of property
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-10-28
The Tall Man In the Birth.

Plttsburg Dispatch: There was ont
sorry of his career that Mr. Pullman told
with manifest delight which is thus re-
lated by an Intimate frisnd:
One nighlt. going out of Chicago, a long
lean ugly man. with war; Gun his cheek
came into the depot. He paid George NJ
Pullman 50 cents. and halt a berth was
assigned him Them he took off his c1ar
s,al vest and hnnE them ~. and Ef1ey
fttad .ahe peg about as wen as they fitted
aim. IIlen he kicked OFF his boots. which
were of surprising Length, turned into tilt
berth. and havHg am easy conscience
was sleeping like q elealthy baby Before
tine car left the dtspah. Alcng came am
cther passenger and pl,d his 80 cents. Ir
two minutes me was hack at George Pull
man.
'"Tllero'5 a man in that berth of mine,
said BE. hotiy. and he's about tan fee
hsh. How am | gong TO sleep teIere IL
IKE 10 know? Go ard look ait him.
u wel& Pullman-ra3. roo. The tall
laMk mans kclses were under his chin. ili,
arms gera stretched across the bed ant
his feec we're stored comforsaJoIy-fo MIN
TlI,iman shook him uat:l llA awioke, ans
then told him If ha wanted the whoIt
BERTH me- would nave to pay 81
My dear sir. said the tan man, ''s
contract is a contract, have paid yol
50 cents for half tais berth. and, as you