Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1903-01-01
TWO PROMISING LIVES ENDED.
George Douglas Brown and Frank
Norris Called.

England and our country have with
| in lne past few weeks been called to
mourn the loss of two gifted writer's
| whose sun had not yet reached its
noon: George Douglas Brown, the
author of The House of the Green
Shutters, and Frank Norris. the author
of The Octopus. Brown who wrote
under the name of Douglas, was a
journalist and reader for publishers.
He cared but little for the new books,
and among the old authors, had an ex-
haustive knowledge of none but
Shakespeare. He would break his
habitual silence to talk for hours on
this favorite theme. One of his i'm
provisations on Hamlet, given without
a written note, with few friends as
listeners, was pronounced by them
most profound and original exposition
OF Shakespeare's masterpiece. 1t was
afterward written out, and it is hoped
VIII soon appear in book form
i Though not a conceited man. Brown
mad such answering faith in his mover
that he would accept no criticisms
nom the friends to whom he read the
Ms 1t was published in America.
ana was slow in gaining home recog-
milton. Tue first Scotch criticisms
pronounced the book "disagreeably
powerful and true to the verge of
being meritless." Mr. Brown sought
In this boo. to present the reverse side
OF the Drumtochty shield,-to offer an
antidote to the sentimental railyard
literature of Barrie and Maclaren. He
lined to show up the grim, malignant
Scotchman in his native ugliness, and
all who have read the House of the
Green Shutters, can attest how well
he succeeded, This most tragic
OF tragedies combines an appalling re-
alism with a Titanic strength. Ere
long the great London periodicals be.
gan to praise the book, and 1t soon be-
came the craze of literary circles. In
the midst of these laudations and be-
fore 1t had brought him any pecuniary
reward, sudden death overlook its
author.
Frank Norris was born in Chicago.
He lived there until the age of fifteen
when he went to California where his
remaining seventeen years were
passed. He was in creed
realist, though the bent of
his genius was for romanticism.
A thesis he had written as post grad.
uate exercise at Harvard, was four
years later developed into a novel call
ed McTeague, his first notable work.
This Mr.. Howell's styles personal
epic"
| Norris took lola for his master. and
with Zola's famous trilogy in mind. he
planned trilogy of his own whose
| reading motive and symbol should be
wheat, the great agricultural produce
of his adopted state. His dealings
with gold, that other California prod
uct, were also "reminiscences of Zola's
L'argent. And yet Norris was a strik-
ingly original writer, to whom the crit
les say Zola's influence did more harm
than good.
The Octopus, the first part of tne
Norris trilogy, describes the grip OF
the railroads on the California faI mers.
Mr.. Howells says It shows a Homeric
largeness In the play of it's moving
passions. 1t Is a remarkable novel of
the intense realistic school, but those
who have read the MS. OF The Pit, the
second part of the trilogy which trans
ports the wheat to Chicago, pronounce
1t more artistic work. One of this
authors most powerful descriptions is
devoted to a gigantic attempt to cor.
ner the wheat markets of the world.
The third part of the trilogy which
would have carried the wheat to Eu-
rope for distribution, was never writ
ten.
Mr.. Norris returned to California
from New York where he had been
to revise the proof sheets of The Pit,
intending to embark with his wife on
sailing vessel for voyage around the
world. The state of her health pre-
vented, and they settled down on
ranch for the winter. In the midst OF
robust health, high hope and promise,
Frank SORTS was cut down by mex
orable death He was a strong, orig
inal essayist as well as novelist, and
his untimely departure is serious
loss to American literature.
The Tramp's Triumph.