Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-12-03
TT
LITERATURE AND LIFE
! A. j. N. Z


With the passing year. death has
made the usual record in depicting the
ranks of literature. The authors to en-
ter the mysterious beyond have been
mostly those whose powers have reach
ed maturity and won for them the gold
en- mead of distinction and fame. But
recently two younger men have been
called to lay down their work uncom-
pleted, along with life rich with
promise and prophecy; Frank Norris
on this side, George Douglas Brown or
the other side of the water. The latter,
an Englishman, sprung into prominence
with his first and only book, 1.-THE
House With the Green Shutters
Both men belonged to the modern
school of realism, and both showed
pronounced tendency to emphasize
life's shadows, fault which years with
experience would probably have cor
rected. Philosophical by temperament,
earnest and sincere, and deeply inter-
ested in social problems, they were not
content to tell merely a story, but in
the telling of it, struck forceful, vigor-
Gus blows at the social and industrial
ills that perplex the age.
Both men were young, just entering
their 30s. With vigorous and powerful
intellect, brilliant and sympathetic i'm
agination, their work was prophetic of
still greater achievement, of which the
present was the pledge of future fulfill
nlent.
Frank Norris was a western man,
both by birth and training, and his
sympathies and inspiration sprang
from the west, and chiefly from that
section which formed the scene of his
early struggles-the Pacific coast.
Born in Chicago in 1870, he early re-
moved with his parents to San Francis
CO. he received his education in the
San Francisco high school, the JTniyer
slty of California, and Harvard Urniyer
slty, from Which he was graduated in
1873. He passed two years in Paris
studying art; was war CORRESPONDENT
TOR the San Francisco Chronicle in
South Africa from 1866: was editor
OF the Wave from 1862, war GORE.
spondent of McClure's Magazine in
Cuba for 1898
his hrst and last literary work was
done on the Argonaut. his best short
stories being first published in that pa
per But his literary apprenticeship
was served chiefly on the San Francis
co weekly Wave, of which he was for a
time editor and general all-round writ
er. His first long story. Moran of the
Lady Lefty, a charming story of the
sea, was first run as a serial in the
Wave, and later in the New York Sun.
Then came "McTeague," an unpleasant
and gruesome story, which few could
like. notwithstanding the high praise
given 1t by w. d. Howells This was
followed by two more-"A Mans Wom
an" and Blk" But his greatest sue
cess. and that which established his
reputation as leading author on the
Pacific coast, was "The Octopus" the
first volume of his projected great "Tri-
logy of the Epic of the Wheat" The
second volume, "The Pit, story of Chi
cago," is now running as a serial in the
Philadelphia Saturday Post The third
volume, "The Wolf, story of Europe"
was outlined. but no work, it is said.
done on it, the author having intended
to first make a trip round the world to
collect material for 1t, on the famine in
India.
Mr.. Norris was for time MSS read
err in the employ of his publishers,
Doubleday, Page & Co., but latterly he
was working Independently as author
and contributor to the leading maya
zines of the day. For some time past,
he has conducted department of lit
erary comment in the Critic, called
salt and Sincerity and for while
conducted similar department in The
Worlds Work.
One may say of him, what can be said
of but few of our present day novelists,
that he was ever true to his literary
ideals-never willing to compromise his
art for the sake of popularity or gain.
A few months before his death he
went to California, where he bought
small ranch next to that of Mrs. Robert
Louis Stevenson, and wrote to his pub