The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-23
RECENT PUBLICATIONS.
The Gentleman from Indiana, - Novel
by a Local Writer.

Mr.. Booth Tarkington's novel as 1t APP
pears in book form differs considerably from
the version which has been running as a
serial in McClure's Magazine. Serial pub
LEGATION called for a condensation that lett
visible gaps in the tale. but the volume just
received from the McClure-Doubleday press
contains the chapters as originally written
and 1t is a more rounded and artistic work.
The fitness OF the title, The Gentleman
from Indiana is not apparent until the
closing chapter, for the hero, John Hark-
less. is not. strictly speaking. an Indiana
product. He was born in the State, Ii is
true, but his home had been in the East,
and he came back by nance and as a stran-
ger. While on a visit to Chicago he had
bought the Carlow County Herald of an
agent. paying all his money for IL, only to
find ON his arrival at the town of publica-
ton. Plattville, that he had been badly
swindled. However, he made the best of
matters, took hold of the paper with energy,
and within five years had made IL a political
power and himself the most popular map in
town. 1t is his experience and adventures
in running the paper that make the theme
of the story. One cause of his popularity
is his successful crusade against a gang of
so-called white Caps" who lived In a set
Element by themselves some miles from
Plattville and had terrorized the entire COM
nunity. 1t is not a fortunate choice or
names for this gang, for, as he describes
them, they are of the type of the murder
Gus organization that hourished
TO some extent in the southwest during and
after the civil war. White caps of that de-
scription have not been known in Indiana,
and this 0ira,t ncfonpn rnxtnh rnUan prfff-
cism upon the author from the State press
while the serial was in progress. The mat
ter is set right, however. by this explana-
ton in the original version:
They are just a lot of rowdies," ex-
planned a citizen of Plattville to an inquir-
ing visitor. You have your rough corners
In big cities. and / expect there are mighty
few parts of any country that don't have
their tough neighborhoods, only Six-Cross-
Roads happens to be worse. than most. They
choose to call themselves White Caps but
1 guess it's a name they like to give them
selves. Usually, white caps are a vigilance
committee going after rascalities the law
lows are not that kind. They got together
10 wipe out their grudges. and sometimes
they didn't need any grudge and let loose
their deviltries just for pure orneriness."
However. it may be remarked in this con-
nection that whether the portrayal of such
a lawless settlement is accurate or not. it is
~ - VAiS III ohy l1AoA 0oaCA vi
the story TO grow indignant over it as a
Misrepresentation of social conditions i'm his
State while the lynching OF five men by
best citizens of Ripley county remains
unpublished.
Harkless is the means of sending several
of these White Caps to the penitentiary, but
the others seek revenge and in time secure
it by attacking him in the night and leav-
ing him for dead. He lies for months in q
hospital, and in the meantime, unknown to
him, a clever young woman, daughter Of a
man whom he has befriended. takes charge
of his paper and carries on its affairs with
great success. Just what this success
meant to him and to her must be left for
the reader to discover, since II is no proper
office of a reviewer to destroy interest in a
novel by setting forth its plot and denoue-
ment. 1t is enough to say that, as a whole.
The Gentleman from Indiana is a clever
and entertaining story. Its distinguishing
feature may be said to be the atmosphere
Of Observation-Disclosures which pervades it.
More than once the hero comes to grief, 1t
is true, but there is 10 depressing gloom
therefor, and the reader has an abiding
e ealih M sha' T Fan Tnli on m Sas handle nim his n m nne
terial with skill, the incidents are well
grouped and the characters well drawn: the
mind the frequent decentralization of novels
is apt to find himself picturing the person
ages of this tale walking across the stage.
and even wit. Miss Tibbs is the poetess OF
Plattville. Her verses beginning. % my
native city, bride of HibbaId's winding
Plattville except in time of drought-'when
thy myriad lights are shining and tiny
faces. like a dream. go fitting down thy
were pronounced at the time of their pub
LEGATION the best poem that had ever ap-
peared in the Herald"
A lecture was an event to which every
body in Plattville turned out. even the boys.
On the occasion of the Hon. Hedge Hollo-
ways address some Of these boys, In order
sufering) Of having their ears washed
future he cried, leaning forward with an
expression of solemn warning, the future
is in our own hands. ladies and gentle,
find 1t so. Turn 1t over in your minds He
leaned backward and folded his hands be-
nevolently on his stomach. and said In a
for them to ponder it, and little Mr.. Swan
ter, the druggist and bookseller, who prided
himself on his politeness and who was seat,
knit his brOws to show that he was ponder
ing it. The stiffness was intense; the fans
ceased to beat; Mr.. Snoddy could be heard
considering the advisability of drawing a
pencil from his pocket and figuring on 1t
upon his cuff. when suddenly, with the en-
ergy of a w%hirlwind, the lecturer threw
out his arms to their fullest extent and
reared: 1t is a fact! 1t isscarven on stone
in the gloomy caverns of Time! 1t is writ
in Fire on the imperishable walls of Fatel' 20
There is some good description. as. for
instance. that of the crowd on circus day.
The story is not without faults, and it
would not be the part of an honest reviewer
to pass them by. The Indiana town he un-
dertakes to portray is represented as hav-
ing five or six thousand inhabitants. but
what he really describes is a village of a
few hundred people. In no other would the
advent of an unassuming stranger be dis
cussed over every table in town" a few
hours after his arrival. and in no other
could certain other events have occurred.
Also, many of the conditions set forth were
those of twenty-five years ago, whereas he
makes them of to-day. And there are i'm
probabilities verging on absurdity-the edi-
torial and political achievements of III.
Frisbie." for instance. But these are mere
errors Of judgment. growing. perhaps. out OF
Lack Of intimate acquaintance with village
life. What Mr.. Harrington has done is to
produce a book which has a happy admix-
ture of adventure. of sentiment. and of hu.
NOR. and which Is animate with a spirit
of youthfulness that will give IL an espe-
cial charm to many readers. As a first
book 1T Is not only a promise. but an
achievement.
Tho nIouu- vx-cp<s. n---