The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-07-31
The Coming BiIIionaire.

The fancy of the concentration Of unl:m-
tied wealth in one individual is made the
basis OF work of fiction. which has JUST
been published by G. p Putnams' Sons.
The fancy is that OF Louis Tracey, the
author or An American Emperor" for
that is the title of the work. The hero of
the story is an American, and while no
cate is given the story, his habits of life,
the customs of the people who surround
nm, as well as the names OF familiar places
On his stage of action indicate that he IS
product Of a date not much in advance
of the present,
He Is immensely rich, OF course. CIR
cumstances of the greatest possible for
tuity and favor have conspired to make
him So and at twenty-six years Of age, he
finds himself the richest man in the world.
The newspapers and sensation-mongers
generally do not stop to compute his wealth
n dollars and cents. but grotesQuely reduce
his possessions to gold and then ap
ply cubic measurement. In building up
this character. the author points out, with
out recurring to the common belief that
riches beget riches, that everything this
young man touched, became. with the aid
of his previous resources, stupendously re-
munerative. He once walked into an hotel.
Sence. The modern Croesus arose from
the table. walked 10 the Office, passed
word with the proprietor. stepped back to
the table and said 10 the waiter that ne
had purchased the hotel and hereafter all
guests must be given the closest attention.
OF course this story was no!sed about and
in the belief that the service at this hotel
was Incompatible. the rich f1ocked to this
hotel and it became highly resourceful
part of his stupendous income. He bought
out railroads on similar slight pretexts,
and uniting them with his other great sys-
TENS, easily placed them on paying basis.
If monopoly is justifiab,e. as many at this
day maintain, Mr. Tracys character is no:
inconsistent, although from perfectly prac
tically viewpoint, he is overdrawn.
To follow the story, it is refreshing 10
find that this horoscope does not cast love
differently. 1t comes into the narrative in
all its ancient tosgery; the first electric
glance; the absurd irrita ton of the lover
who can not confess TO himself that ne is
in love; the formal meeting and the tit-tat
of playful affection. While monopoly has
grown great. ana monopoly indeed. love is
as freshly commun,stic as ever.
The hero of the story meets the woman
who has attracted him. He learns that she
Is a claimant to the throne OF France
very young and very beautiful of course,
and above all faithful TO her royal rights.
She loves him. He loves her. The bar
rier in true loves course is her asserted
determination that according 10 Nhe Sale
law she must marry no one but the En-
peror of the French. 1t needs no great
power of divination to foresee at once that
a man worth perhaps billion, would stand
no affront Of prevention and the hero at
once strikes upon a plan. He decides to
make himself Emperor Of the French. His
effort in this behalf and the processes of
his giant resources. gives the body TO the
story.
II is an interesting sketch, and is valu-
able In that it essays to reach some of the
possibilities of unlimited wealth. If il has
a moral the moral is that excessive accumu
lation will ultimately depart from business
channels and engage in peddling out Its
millions to romantic endeavors. And should
that he the outcome We may all rest as
sured that the Millionaire of the future will
be succeeded by sons who will go broke
before they reach their majorities.
While the Illustrations are not the best,
the typographical work and binding is par
excellent. The work can be secured of the
Goldsmith Book and Stationary Company,
Wichita.