The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-24
THE MAIN CHANCE" AssAILED.
Omaha Papers Attitude Toward Mich
oIson,s Book-The Authors Reply.

Az ma40 Ox1ANO1 GoS<A4AE0s
Omaha Papers Attitude Toward Mich
oIson's Book-The Authors Reply.
The scene of Mr. Meredith Nicholsons
| novel, 1.-THE Main Chance" is laid at
"Ciarkson." a transmissouri town. which
is generally assumed by readers of the book
to be another name for Omaha. owing 10
certain bits OF geograp hical description.
One of the characteristics of the story
| which commends itself TO Indianapolis
readers is that while dealing with life in a
Western town 1t is refreshingly free from
the cowboy element typical of most West
ern fiction. and from the "wooliness" with
| which a majority of novel writer's see Mt
to invest people and places beyond the
Mississippi Omaha itself, however chooses
| to take different view of the matter, and
to be injured in its feelings The World
| Herald of that city finds cause for offense.
assumes that 1.-THE Main Chance" was
meant as roast of the town. is quite
ferocious in it's attack on the book, and
jumps to the defense of Omaha and its
people.
A Journal reporter called Mr.. Nicholson's
attention to this criticism of his produc-
1
World-Herald had any basis for its asser-
ton that injustice had been done to the
place. The author expressed surprise at
the Omaha papers attitude.
''It is curious" he said, that 1t should
take this view, for a number of Eastern
newspapers, in reviewing my story, have
expressed pleasure that at last a novel of
Western life has been written in which all
- ,I,o
who. as the Boston Herald says. no longer
eat sugar and vinegar on their lettuce. /
had an inquiry from a gentleman the other
day as to where my town of Clarkson is,
as he thought it sounded like an ideal place.
and he wanted to move there. / fear the
World-Herald man was looking for trouble.
The loyalty of the Clarkson people toward
their own city is one thing that hoped 20
get into the story, and nobody but this one
editor seems to have missed it. My story
is dated back to the early nineties, and
Omaha has changed much in the past
decade. / don't care to have my book ad-
vertised iii this yellow way, at the expense
of Omaha, which I meant only to praise"
"But there are certain incidents that
seem to have given especial offense, a
ball. for instance. What about that?"
Il
Of the Knights Of Midas Ball does seem to
have wounded the Omaha editor" he re-
piled, ''but here again he has quoted from
the Joking references to 1t of one of my
characters. and not my own comments
He calls my description of the Garrison
Club sarcastic but there isn't word of
sarcasm in the whole book. There may be
a little gentle irony here and there, but not
Ii or 10Th 10
feelings. The World Herald seems to have
} forced me into the position of defending
Omaha, which is not wise thing for a
newspaper of good intentions to do
do you admit the charge that you drew
your characters from life?"
| 1T makes me tired this effort to find
the originals OF my characters in certain
Missouri valley Cities" said Mr.. Nichol-
SON with much earnestness. ST have had
letters from Kansas City, st. Joseph and
Omaha asking to the identity of GER
tain characters" he went on. '"There are no
originals of any Of my people They are
pencil sketches and not kodak pictures
William Porter is a composite of two or
three men that have known in Western
cities Evelyn Porter is. think. a type
.. of the present-day college-bred girl, who
isn't all chocolate creams and matinee
tickets. Mabel Margrave is her antithesis.
have known about seven Mabels in diff
ferent parts of the world, and it has seemed
, to me that they added a good deal to the
gayety of nations
To the question if he would approve under
any circumstances OF a novel dealing with
.. life in satirical way, Mr.. Nicholson
answered:
"My personal preferences In fiction lie
! in the direction of an honest reflection of
the gentleness. the humor and the decency
of American life. What is fantastic or ug-
} ly or sordid doesn't interest me, and
, don't believe it interests any great number
of people anywhere. We have never had
any Indiana writer's thus far that have
stood for such things. Eggleston. Riley
; Tarkington-they have written of the home
sod and linked it to what is clean, whole
some and essentially domestic. General
Wallace in the same spirit has written the
greatest novel of our time through his
| understanding of similar qualities in what
, Wordsworth calls the general heart of
man."
) Asked further If he had any direct reply
10 make to the Omaha paper the author
> said:
: II have no intention OF quarrelng with
the literary critics. but the World Herald
man is not of that class. He went through
The Main Chance merely to find some
, thing that would make sensational arti-
J cle He has digged his own pit. for ]
.. never told anybody that Garrison was Oma-
ha. He doesn't owe me any apology, but as
, an admirer Of the snap and vigor and
: charm Of Omaha think he owes an apol-
| ogy to his fellow-citizens."
A British Milling Trust.
| London Mail.