The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-01-18
THE LITERARY OUTLOOK
New Books Being Talked AboutAuthors as EdtorsNeWs
of English Writers--Arhur StanWood
Piers THE Triumph
BY HERBERT BREWSTER.

| Without doubt the most talked OF
book of the present week is 1.-THE Pit
the second novel of the Wheat Trilogy
by the late Frank Norris. The book is
not yet off the press with the first
edition, but there is little doubt of its
popularity since the advance orders
are over $4,000. Frank Norris died a
very young man. yet he lived to en-
| 10y a large share of the reading pub
lies appreciation, and in the few weeks
since his death there has been a sur
prising number of eulogies for him
from the best critics in France and
England as well as in this country.
1.-THE Pit" relates the story of "a
shrewd Westerner who passes from
farming into stock manipulation. He
is the unknown holder Of a great
wheat corner in the Chicago market, in
the swinging of which operation he
loses everything he has. The story
ends with the man and his wife leav-
ing Chicago for the West where he
plans to begin life all over again.
In gathering the material for his
wheat trilogy, Mr.. Norris Travelled a
great deal in the West, spent several
months on some of the big wheat
ranches and drew freely from the ex-
periences of many well known charac-
tiers. The late c. p. Huntington was
undoubtedly the man whom Norris
pictured in 1.-THE Octopus" For his
information about the. methods OF
stock markets. Mr.. Norris went to Ed
win LeFevre, the author of wall
Street Stories" LeFevre told him
many stories of ideals" and manipu-
lations. At one of these Norris is said
to have exclaimed:
That's the real thing. No novelist
could invent anything like that" AS
a matter. of fact, explained Mr.. LIE
Fevre, the main point of the story was
not fact at all. Mr.. LeFevre in tell
ing the story, saw the dramatic posi-
billties in adding a little fiction to 1t
and it was just this that excited. Mr..
Norris's admiration.
j. Pierpont Morgan is well known as
one Of the most enthusiastic collec-
tors in the world, and rare and val
liable books form no little part of
his hobby. He recently was attracted
by the work of the Booklovers Guild
of Germantown, Pa, and purchased
from them some of the best examples
of their work. He paid large sum OF
money for special editions of Lin
coins Gettysburg Address" 'The One
Hundred and Nineteenth Psalm"
''Franklin's Essays" "Shakespeare's
Love Sonnets," 1.-The Deserted Village"
and THE Eve of Saint Agnes" Some
of these productions were printed on
fiparchment and illustrated by original
pen and ink drawings. 1t is said to
be the purpose of this guild of artists
to publish in old English type and
in choice bindings various classics Of
literature. OF course, the editions in
most cases will be limited to few
hundred. Three of the books pur-
chased by Mr.. Morgan were limited to
one copy each in the edition.
The passing of Mr.. Finley p. Dunno
into the editors chair in Golfers
Weekly office calls attention to the
number of well known authors who
are occupying responsible positions as
editors at the nresent time. The au-
thor of 1.-The Letters of a Self-Ma
Merchant" Mr.. George H. Lorimer, is
editor of the Saturday Evening Post;
Lynn Roby Meekins, author OF adam
Rush." was for some time the assist
ant editor OF the same publication.
Samuel Churchill Williams occupies a
responsible editorial position on one of
the Philadelphia papers; Ripley y.
Saunders is one of the editors OF a
Washington paper; George AIDE and
John T. McCutcheon both occupy reg
ular positions on a Chicago paper. John