The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-03-26

McTEAGrE. Ey Frank Norris. Pub
iishea By the Doubleday 4 Mcclure
Company. New York.
Does the American novel rea5~r demand
. prophet % the vulgar. or a s.ssgfapfssr
OF the baeiiIi inhab:ting the sewersg
Ts the American navel reader Derssalng
for yellow Asser- literature which viii
osft-Zola Zoia and throw sSra nssns TO-
usanceg az 'safadause Eosary" or la
Terres' IN the sa4aer
III liz the popular demand that has tn
ssigated Ar Norris. after writing sach -
wholesome SEA story as Moran OF the
Lady Lefty 70 20 a2sH into the slurns
OF San Francisco for material Tor his
''McTeaxsie.'s then the voice OF The people
ASKS for very Disgusting truths.
Mr.. Norris ~ remarkably clear sighted:
his descriptions OF those !Il-smelIing men.
those erosIe women, seem to be photo
graphic in tHear elearness a outline. Mo
league always acts as tbs clustering,
huiking bag brute that Mr.. Norris first
introduces to his readers, and Marcus
Echouiar liz never anything but wretchef
apology for man The characters In
"AcT.Souet. ere we'll drawn and. indeed,
the fatal tragedy underlying The progres-
sion OF ssse story shows Mr.. Norris 10 be
no msau student Of the dramatic. no weak
penman. bur a man Who does his etching
and precision. But why, except that fiita
In romanees seems to render them SAL
able. should Mr.. Norris write Nc
Teague" when he can write Moran
Does IL pay better to be the apostle of the
impure than the planter o. the llya
Mr.. Norris has evidently studies. closely
and thoroughly all Of the modern French
writer's, wllo. under the pretense Of tell
Ing the truth, present many aa'ontinable
ideas ana offer many poisonous and ofien-
siye suggestions lola - a man many OF
whose books should be hidden from many
men and most women; also FlauheTt. also
BourEet. and most other French no<ei
writer's. These men have All Impressed
their style upon Mr.. Norris receptive
mind We all know that from dust We
came and unto dust we mast return. but
". do not long for the dried mud CT the
highway impregnatcd with the refuse OF
the street 10 cast Its suiyersxea stesien
upon cur newly washed faces.
We all know that physicians often pre-
scribe an emetlc--hut is the day coming
when the middle of the street VIII be INC
Doctors consulting room anu the pubic
walk the basin over which the .aiisnt y
many emotions can be made visible 10 a
wondering community?
Forbid liz. all eensors Of public morality.
Mr. Norris has evidently studtcd his low
li!e in San Francisco 10 Thoroughly That
his photographs are speakinx pictures.
1ut do Wa want to learn the language "
these speaking pietureag
There are enough yeilow~backec novels
In the book stores already. then Why
should we breed a race OF Norrises and
begin an era OF literary eunnchs TO match
those tri.Iinx and Abominable female
American novsiists. who. neither women
nor men. present the vices of both and
the virtues u neither In their written
crcedss
Mr. Norris liz too clever = man to be
ure. To keep him where his talent and
dramatic ability belong were better than
"a praise him for this descent into the
sewers of San Francisco, whence he has
mistakenly wandered looking for Trina
When a man can pain; 30 touching kas-
lei rs The aiss-!ashioned and saintiy-toned
psefure OF old Grannis and Miss BAKER.
Wv ss,o,,la he aip has pen into acid TO eteh
III. revolving photographs OF an almost
barharou. type,
rne last chapter of ''AscTeague" shows
Mr. Norris 70 be a genius In culmtnAuse
tragedy. | close "McTeagaet amased Al
It's power But I muat mako my protest
mos, ents,ha tleaiiy against Nr. Norris
,oluing hands with the apostles Of the
s,ne tnuarc,,.ss OF nature, when reflected
in the inverted mirror OF city sewer.
rather than In the pure waters OF tia
stream OF cod~sivcn currents.
tn The readers OF McClure's Magazine
the hook tu@E issued by the botbieaay ~
Mcclure Company New fots, the f9sht
far Santiago viii prove 10 he familiar
sr,..us under a nea cover. Those who
hav,, not read Mr. stephen Bonsais his-
,arx at ,~I~he E4ght for Santiago a. L Az
reared il, the magazine. VIII ho tsisnsvd 70
r,rc,xv their impressions M his very "x-
e.itsnt photographic work ia the heaa
lust issued II ~. a. Mr., innsh says
:ha story of the seitier In The Cuisan cam
a,alrn from Tampa 10 the surrender. IN
- ,,s,,.sur.tsf, sfr Ronsal tells his resss.
.,.. ain the war for gAe freedom al Cana
s.t.,,, he Seauish yoke cur soldiers AMI
a,r uas.oes fought nes only under the
stars and Stripes. huI i'm Tire name Of n"~
,nanstv and civilization, and l, VIA the
r,se.asi..stion az the sgHsrihks ~nsa the
army ns Santiago was ensos"d 80 sf'Sate
ana IN. yselSsstutes over which X tsa-
,n,s,hea ana the almost miraculous WAY IN
which sae tve. and The army a sssala
u.gra a.ttveresi ints cur hands can Only
,,el,..ye aud eonfess tilAtt ta"rn was
..,w.r on ear side more poNsrtN' taan
raunen or the serrsed ranks et men ana
th.s IA His cause aui VITA is4m we can
ranssnsf. but without Him We cannot even
hope ~ e3ssiYe
Nj. lsots3as t.ts Nss-. 1895
On ytv. "A true narrative of things he saw
!, a. the personal touch which makes
Stsrhea. Rosasals book ~ humanity tnser-
.s,tex His anecdotes are well ia}d~saks'
,hts for eminplss w ben We were IN
Tau,pm hogan another equally depressed
stistt ia the open air sick ward nearest
nav tree. when MI those estssen rsy-ptints
we're flying around Jack fsarke and me
lack vas uay aunksehe was ktiiesl a,
caney-@reat clever thing Of asia To do
think. gSssfns sui II sil This. Wet, 1asS
and me Mas ia Il regular EaSnic about
the fevsr. and Mas shsw1n' rags asssnt Il
rs We walked tsowa tsp main street. when
suaisuiv we 50 ssgors ua gr@at gzstlsiI
s.ontn ssss1s with four ar ave headlights
blazing away In front. 80 attract parties
10 aay goods. Jack ard sae agreed 81
ask the undertaken. ene who ought