The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-10-08

columns appeared a review of Abb
ner Daniel" Georgia novel "racy of
the soil'' written by Will n. Harden,
of Georgia 1t breathed from first
page to last perfect knowledge of
the keen-witted, fearless and sem
Slble countrymen who compose the
\ bulk of the South. The wool hat"
man who i'll peace and war has done
SO much to shape the political and
industrial life of the South-nOt the
slave-owner and owner of plantations
but the man who worked on his own
farm and had sterling character, real
independence, the right sort of pride,
keen humcr and more common sense
and goodness of heart than you Will
find In any other class of men the
world over. 1t is of such men that
Will n. Harden has set himself 70
tell the story. The Thomas Nelson
Pages write stories of the South that
are beautiful and sweet, but the pic
ture they draw of Southern lite is of
the ancient family where slaves were
numerous, all the sons and daughters
given a college education, and album
dance of this worlds goods gave leis-
ure for reading and social amenities
OH the order of old England. There
were many rich homes in the South,
of course, but few in comparison with
the thousands of Southern farm homes
WnSrS lOIl anu THE
fruits of toll did not permit the send
ing of sons and daughters to college.
Most of them received their education
in short terms schools and in the
school of experience. Naturally they
did not always speak classic English.
but they had fund of common sense
and knowledge that made them as
we'll posted upon politics and mat
tiers that affected their lives as the best
educated men in the South and from
their ranks came many of the South's
first leaders and thinkers. Mr.. Har-
ben paints the Southern character
the predominating rural forces
faithfully, warts and all, and that is
what makes his books popular in
structors You will not learn the
Southerner'S life as it is if you think
the owner of Red Rock typical. Har-
bins characters much more nearly
illustrate the virile strain that shows
what the South is and what it stands
for today.
pole Baker was a Union charac-
ter i'm "Abner Daniel and all who
read about him in that story will be
glad to learn more of that original
and sensible chap.
This story is the strong tale of
brave young Southerner of the more
aristocratic class, hot-blooded and
thoughtless in youth. being led from
a permanent evil course, by. '.Pole
Baker," the diamond-in-the. rough
hero, a mountaineer, an ex-moon-
sinner and a man himself constantly
struggling against the temptation to
drink, for the sake of, his wife and
children whom he loves. This has
caused d leading critic to assert that
perhaps no better temperance story
has ever been written than this which,
shows Poles slow conquering. of his
L., t1,e
of forces arrayed against him. 1t is
a book to have in the home for grow
ing sons and daughters TO read and to
he influenced by.
From the very first "Pole Baker"
wins the heart of the reader. Books
have been written which offended
Southerners from their. false repre-.
have been written which defended
the South i'm such a crude and rough
way that even ardent SOutherners
have repudiated them as exercising
d bad influence both in the North and
South; but the subtle manner in
which Mr.. Harben'S characters faith
fully represent and defend their Sec
ton by simply living out the prob
lens they have to face can only meet
with the highest approval every
where.
An illustration of this subtitle man
ner OF OF MI. harbens Is given i'll the
nrst chapter which Is said 10 be toun-
ued oil rear happening at Dalton, Ga,
Mr.. Harben'S birthplace and hoHIt.
Turing the war with Spain, negro
regiment III command of d Northern
white officer, was delayed all day at
dalton. and having nothing TO 40, the
negro soldiers, all armed with pistols
began drinking, and nnalIy hearing
tnat no negro mad ever been allowed
To sleep or eat at the historic old no
tel in the town, they all marched
into the capaciouS office, approached
the desk OF the clerk and demanded
that they be shown into the dining
room. Ihe CLERK seeing that the SIT
uation was most grave calmly refus-
ed, giving his reasons. 1nereupon
the negroes became very bolSterouS
and began to make threats. The
clerk appealed to the white officer,
but he only Sneered and asked why
ms men were refused. Whife this was
i'll progress the news OF Tie situation
spread like Wild-fire down tAe main
street which ran by the door, anu
Iierks ana merchants. lawyers, doctors
and citizens of all classes thrust re-
Voivers into their pockets and crowd
ed into the office of the hotel, every
one grimly waiting move on the
part of the negroes towards the din
ii
laced u graver crisis than that, for
the negroes were just enough under
the lnnuence OIL whlskey 10 1ofce
their way, and the whites were ready
to sacrifice their lives to prevent What
they would have looked upon as a
disgrace to their town. 1t meant
nothing short of the bloodiest riot
ever fought in the confines of four
walls. Just at this crisis the hum
BILE mounta;neer upon whose real life
the author has founded the novel of
pole Baker," rushed into the office,
hatless a pair of old overalls on Che
had been embarrassing somebody
fence) his hands and face despatched
with lime and water. He had no
weapon. and with tears in his eyes
whImpering in despair he pleadingiy
begged for a revolver from some one,
but each man had d use for his own
and refused. Then, barehanded, the
shrewd, fearless mountaineer did
what no one else had thought or.
He walked across the ROOM roughly
elbowing armed negroes out of his
way and faced the white officer with
his big sledge-hammer fist on level
with the mans eyes Look here he
he said i'm loud voice. order them
niggers out of here this minute or