The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-10-13
WITH HOOPS OF STEEL. :"
A Novel by a Former KansaT-
Florence Finch Kelly.
A Bright and Entertaining Story Of
Southern New Mexico and Its
Picturesque Life.


ture in days when novelists sack the
corners of our solar system for heroes
and adventures, and seize upon every
event from the celebration of Christmas
100000 3. G. to the building of the tower
Of Babel, and the screwing together Of
Broadway skyscrap per. But in this last
story the scene is not laid far away IN
time and place. 1t is not in times We
call prehistoric; nor in the hour or
Philip the Crafty of Spain, or of polite
Henry Of Navarro, or of bluff Harry
VIII. of England. Nor is it in some
imaginary kingdom IN the center Of
Europe. nor in inner Africa, nor upon
the rectangular bitches of the red pan
ct Mars. It's encourage is not IN ancient
feudaIisrn, or ancestral glory, or the
Vaccinations OF imaginary folks whose
heads do grow beneath their shoulders.
1t Is far from all this. The author has
chosen simply, and in our own land.
Here we have a town in southern New
Mexico for the scene, and for the char
acters the devil-naa y-care, poWder-bufn-
ing, hot-headed Spanish and American
children of nature found in that home
of the mesquite.
You will see at once that there are
none of the jousts or tournaments, none
OF the wars Of extension and revenge
and destruction, the detailing of which
forms a great part of many of our late
novels. IF there are jousts they are
those of the cowboys over some sweet
water spring. If there are wars of ex
tension they are those for the gobbling
up of lands by cattle company and II
of revenge,-well, we all sympathize
with the border rioting the small breed
ers have Waged against the great cattle
breeding corporations or trusts.
This book has the same values in ad-
venture that one finds in medieval
story. Precisely the same. But in
stead of earlS and counts we have
judges and colonies; instead of the viii
famous Italian or Turk, we have the
stealthy Mexican. and instead of faith
full henchmen who fight for the lord
advantage to their own death, we have
the picturesque yaqueros.
In choosing such a subject for her new
novel Mrs. Kelly has taken one almost
untouched, and one moreover in which
at present she will have xesv competi-
tors. Few who have a pen facile like the
pen that wrote this book, have knowl
edge of this land of the tomorrow and
experience with its people. The authors
of books treating that locality and peo-
pie have commonly gained their plenary
Inspiration from a distorted fancy
But with Mrs. Kelly it is different She
has lived in the region and studied her
neighbors. and. in addition to this, she
has all the time had in mind a different
point of view, a different criticism of
life from that of her neighbors differ
ent standard by which she measured
events and peoples.
The hero of this story with Hoops of
SteeF' is not one man, should say, but
three,-and three which must have liv-
ing originals. Down there in New Mex
leo we should doubtless find them.
These mems strange mixture of blood
will not seem unnatural, or forced, to
those who know the southwest and the
infltration of races constantly going on
in these regions. The authors descrip-
ton of this triple bodied hero is much
better quoted than described. Here it
is:
age, they were all Texan born and bred.
and for many years had been the closest
Of friends. Each one stood six feet and
great stature, broad should r.. deep cf es
and sinewy figures marked them for mo-
tiee, even in the southwest, the land of
tall. we'll muscled men.
Thomson futile was the tallest and by
far the heaviest of the three-a great
blonde giant. with the round. frank. sim
cere face of an overgrown school boy,
glowing with the red tan which fair skins
take on in the hot, dry air of the south
west. From this red expanse a pair of
serious blue eyes looked out, while short
tawny mustache covered his lip, and
auburn hair curled in close rings over his
head. 1t was never necessary for Thorn
son futile to do any swearing, for the
constant profanity There was a strain
Of German blood in him-his mother had
come from Germany in her childhood
which showed in his impressive counten-
ance and in the open serious directness
of his mental habit.
Ellborn was the handsome one of
the three friends He was straight, slen-
der, long of limb, clean of muscle, and
remarkably quick and graceful in his
ciear-cut, and his dancing eyes were
bright and black and keen. His sweep
ing black mustache curled up at the ends
in a wide curve that shaded a dimple in
each cheek. He was as proud of the
parents had been born in ireland as he
that he himself was native of
Texas. The vigorous Celtic strain, that
in the clash of nationalities can always
hold its own against any blood with
which It mingles, had lowered him Well
with Celtic cter1stIcs a trace OF
the brogue still fingered in his speech
along with the sIurred RS and the soft
drawl of his southern tongue, while MS
spontaneous rebellion under restraint and
his brilliant disregard Of his behavior
sweet persuasiveness with which he could
convince his friends that whatever he had
done had been exactly right and the only
thing possible. He was all irish that
wasn't Texan. and all Texan that wasn't
loved or hated, and was ready according
to his feelings either to do nything for
or to do up a moments notice.
Emerson Mead's stronger and more
sober intelligence harked back to New
England, whence his mother had come in
tan characteristics showed less plainly in
his nature than she wished. having been
much warmed ard nellowed by their
transportation to southern soil, no Pnri-
tan of them all could have outGone III
he believed to be his rights. His mother
had kept faith with the land of her ma
tivity. and as part Of her worship from
affair at the shrine OF its great sage had
given his name to her only son. BY vir-
tue of his stronger character and better
poised intel igence, Emerson Mead lad al
ways been the leader of the three
friends"
1t would be impossible to tell here of
the difficulties and hair breadth escapes:
these three fine fellows live together
with entire honor, fealty and affection
Some of their adventures are full of risk.
and others again full Of hunor. I think
that among the humorous parts the cut
ting off of the queue of a Chinaman is
the funniest or rather not the act it
SELF but some of the results of that eff
frontery and daring A bit Of the fun
DANA ges.
"Enhorn returned to Las PIumas for
his own trial, the result of which was
that he was fond guilty Of assault and