Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-11-01

peflence IN South AFRICA was probably
broadening one. for, among other
things. he received large impressions
of Cecil Rhodes that were lasting in
| their influence.
| While still with the Wave he went
tdown to the Big Dipper mine and fin
/ ished "McTeague" in the midst of the
scenes of McTeagues first refuge. He
| had in the meantime written a series
of weekly short stories that had at
tracted considerable attention. Not
long afterward Mr.. S. S. Mcclure hap
pened to read Moran of the Lady
Lefty" which Norris had written for
the Wave. and feeling the power of a
man who could write a chapter like
that in which the weird horror Of the
ship suddenly raised high in the midst
| of calm sea, or the description of
the fight Of Moran and her followers
with the beach cOmbers, asked Norris
to come to New York. For McClure's
| Magazine he went, as war cOrrespon-
dent, to Cuba, and had a second at
tack of fever while writing of the cam
paign. Then the novels began to APP
pear: Moran of the Lady Lefty in
book form. fantastic tale of the sea,
but real in it's very fantasy, virile,
with the tang of the salt sea in every
page, the work Of a born story-teller;
"McTeague," grim with inevitable
| tragedy, horrible in the completeness
of it's detail. full of the mannerisms of
immaturity. but mastery in construc-
| ton and in it's accurate portrayal of
| the life he knew so well. "McTeague"
| compelled admiration against its read
ers will. and it showed NOrris's real
power, his large constructive ability
and his touch with living men and
women.
About this time he was made read
| er for the Doubleday & Mcclure
| Company and thereafter gave good
| share of his time to the writing of
| books. Two novels followed: Blk
charming story of anther side of San
| Francisco life, with a great deal of
Frank Norris himself in the character
of it's hero. written in tender, almost
boyish mood. as distinctly opposite to
| "McTeague" as were the people of the
two books; and "A Mans Woman" as
| grewsome in it's detail as "McTeague'
1 and lacking the large canvass of the
| earlier book, but instinct with the
| same almost brutal force and even
more closely accurate in the finality of
! its descriptions.
| One day after he became reader for.
the new Doubleday, Page & Co., Norris
came to a member of the firm, almost
trembling with enthusiasm.
1--WE got a great idea," he said, and
he told his plan of the Epic of the
Wheat" perhaps the largest construc-
| tive task any American novelist has
ever given himself. AS a result, 1.-THE
| Octopus" the story of the wheat grow
ers' struggle with the railroads was
| published year ago. 1t gripped the
people instantly with vivid realism, it's
grasp of tremendous problems, it's
broad epic sweep, and the blood and
| iron of it's men. The book is instinct
| with the terrible earnestness of the
| man graphing Titan-like with the
| great elementary forces. And it pre-
| pared the way for THE Pit" which is
now appearing serially in the Saturday
| Evening Post, and which will be pub
| iished in book form early in the year.
Two years ago Norris was married at
| old St. Georges Church, New York, to
Miss jeanette Black of San Francisco
With their little girl they started West.
planning to take trip around the
world, during which he was to gather
| material for ''The Wolf" the last of
| the wheat trilogy. A few weeks ago he
! bought a ranch in California. where he
planned to do the large work before
him in the next few years.
If you have read any of Frank Nor
ris's little essays on contemporary
writing you will remember his con-
tinued reiteratiOn of sincerity, sin
CERTIFY" There is one paragraph that
he wrote year ago that carried his |
whole artistic creed. 1t concludes:
"To make money is not the province |
of novelist. If he be the right sort |
he has other responsibilities. heavy
ones. He, of all men. cannot think only |
of himself and for himself. And when |
the last page is written and the ink
crusts on the pen point and the hungry |
presses go clashing after another writ |
or. the new man and the new fashions |
of the hour. he will think of the grim /!
long grind of the years Of his life that |
he has put behind MIN and of his work
that he has built up, volume by volume,
sincere work, telling the truth as he
saw it. independent of fashion and the
gallery gods, holding to these with
gripped hands and shut teeth-he will
think of all this then. and he will be
able to say, Il never truckled. l never
took off the hat to Fashion and held it
ont for pennies. BY God. told them
the truth. They liked it or they didn't
like it. What had that to do with me?
told them the truth; knew it for the
truth then, and know It for the truth
now And that is his reward-the best
that a man may know; the only one
really worth the striving for.
1t is because he could say that and
mean it, because much as he desired
the power and usefulness popular sue
cess would bring him, yes, and the