The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-06-09
The Early y y
y y Indian Wars.

The border Indian warfare Of the days
when this nation was hut In It's swad.
ding clothes aud Kentucky formed the
farthest outpost Of the chain of States,
furnishes the background for Joseph a.
Altsheler's latest semi-historich romance,
The Wilderness Road" II. Appleton \
CO. The tale Is of the type IN which
this writer has several times previously
proved his mettie. and the military saver
Of bis early book Is again made very
prominent characteristic. The story does
not seem 10 be as well written as his 'lu
Clrcilng Camps for example, but Il is
highly interesting and the central theme |
Is cleverly conceived and well executed, |
the final climax being az once unexpected |
aud calculated With line eye to melo
dramatic effect Where the book seems |
to fall short OF some Of this authors ear
lier work is In its description Of the battle
scenes. This difficult subject was particu-
lary well handled In In Circlng Camps,
the romance Of the civil war. and were Il
not for this comparison perhaps one would
feel a greater admiration for the present
effort. But there Is this point TO be noted:
That the earlier battles are told Of much
more brilliantly than the later and more
important ones. there being sort Of de
secending scale OF brillance, which would
make II appear MS II lie had exhausted him
self at the outstart and had been unable
to maintain the pace hut II this is true
Of this aspect Of the work. It Is equally
2 true that the love story. which. after all,
0 makes by far the most interesting part Of
d the novel is developed from mere nothing
4 ness at the outset TO q very strong con-
IL clusion Hence the book should be taken
i out Of the historical" class and placed In
n It's true place as love-romance. in which
Z. 1t Is worthy Of high consideration.
II ~
/. The subtitle Of the story s "a Romance
,r Of st. Glars Defeat aud Wnyne's Victory.
A, The two campaigns fought against the In
IT dams In the great Northwestern contedera-
w ton the most disastrous one led by ST
~ CLAIR. "the.g general honcver-walks' las
N the Indians called that equity and tcsty but
nevertheless brave and high minded com
:, manderl, and the later triumphant one LED
-. by Mad Anthony Wayne, are the two
- main historical incidents ot the book. JOIN
Lee Of Philadelphia, a disgraced lieuten
ant drummed out OF the Continental arm!
- few years before on q false charge o
treason and turned frontiersman and Ken
~ lucky scout, is the chief hgure In tn
tale He Is Young, headstrong and hope
'is less hy the disgrace which has been e
' unjustly brought to him.
VI At the opening Of the story Kentucky
les lust on the threshold Of Statedom. Is ray
aged by the hostile red men uuul even III
trouble beset central government Is move
ed 10 send TO the aid of the settlers A
ity army led By Gencrae - Ciair' is dn
Inc patched, and srtiy through incfnc'en
op prepara-t but more because Of the hmI
rat deri. Of the commander, Is almost AZ
are p,ilated by the crafty Indian WARRIOR
lie. Then the Kentucky hoi.heads denounc
t. the government, aud even SO SO far ms
q begin plotting for separation from tn
Gu Union But while this IS progressing IL
sit emholdencd Indian warriors again scours
en- tho defenseess horderland and the miltl
3 n scorning fronticrsmen rush "a the rescu
ers But their zeal is greater than their d
the erection. and they fail almost as !
ANONYMOUSLY ms did st. Clair This secol
ork disaster had as its Immediate results al
in has the snlutary effect Of checking all d
red LOYALTY. and when Mad Anthony Way
is later comes with another army from I
ate East al Kentucky is ready with aid I'll
ira. compfign, fought With bravery snd wi
the skin, Is So triumphant that the Indt
Ser power Is broken completely II is n
,ors easy to write Understandings and vivid
10 az Matte scenes such as those, and
~ work of the author in the cartier iostan'
no is notably me and not TO be dcrded
the iuter ores.
tho Cotncidcn, with this tale Of warfare
r.. told tho story Of tho romance Of John
nv and Rose Carew. This has it's incept
no In the little frontier town of Danvi
5ts XIV. whittier Rose and her father
~ mildly unpleasant schemer, have col
49, :, Rose is captured by the Indians. and
~, picst vaiiantiy rescued by Lee. rhe LAT
60 falls IN love with this fair heroine.
Is deferred from seeking her hand by
old disgrace, a Disgrace which his
famous and influential cousin win not
die for selfish reasons Lee's stubh
pride Is such that he will not even d
'ne his Guilt. and the girl. herself convin
W. Of his innocence. and despnring Of ar
nv ing him to an effort to rchabilitate
ioI self, sets yalantly TO work 10 accomp
~ that end herself How she progresses
i'eN' this. what adventures both hero aud b
inc meet aud how the matter ends
% best be learned from the book Itself
There are number Of piquant g
ese"' acters in the hook, beside these two 9
personaCes, perhaps none helng more
suion teresting than Lees steadfast and
ana indian friend and companion, ossco
GOV the virtues of tho red man-0nd the au
eyes nnds many such-as well as great Il
S tne are exempllhed IN This character and
rang picturesque way in which he is descl
> Iu' must be very considerable Mad AMI
WAYNE is also brought forward promli
IL in the tale, while at the very enc
. vtfu nj
the 80 and NJ the city Of Philadelphia
Public - aas stfrl the capltaI of the nation
IS the -.,bar his book Is very well worth
reading.
: and About Hall Game.
smith Hail Game Is appreciated as write
sss,cb the Italians among whom ne has
peol salvatore CortesL in writing from RoI