The San Francisco call., 1908-10-04
''The Big Fellow

bond - etc Published by Monat. Yard
Co.. New York. Price si.5e.
y HIS new novel by Frederick
Palmer is distinct improve
ment over 'The Yagabond. %
which won many new admirers
=. for the brilliant and famous war cor
respondent now turned novelist. 1t is
r. tale Of a hne big fellow-big men,
tar y big morally and big physically
"a real bl0oded American. who. for
:tpnstely. is not an exception bu. 2
-tsre.
=: Big Fellows" real name is James
- 1Ar rden one meets him first as he is
leaving college He draws a hard hand
Fl the beginning OF the greater game.
for 'le nnds as he faces the world Of
rea altles that his mother and aunt are
, practically penniless. having mortga ged
tAelr home for more than it's value to
EIRe MIN his education He makes
tefnls which seem impossible OF &C.
ol2plisament with the country lawyer
wEo holds the mortgage and then rolls
up tile sleeves on his muscular arms
ANA sets OUT to make good"
One would expect such a hustler as
big Fellow TO pick out the hardest
field Of endeavor. il is in a big city
that he finds a job for his powerful
hands and no job for his college trained
/. tntelI tgence. BY day he swings a pick
NitQ street railway gang and by
night he waits in a busting newspaper
Office for a chance ssignment-'like
an elephant waiting for a peanut
as one Of the newspaper hustlers
puts it,
This part Of the story may be taken
as the prologue. The real tale begins
when the president president whose
him governor Of Bar, an island which
the author describes as "one OF the
archipelago 10 the east of Borneo and
the south Of China" This part Of the
story has real Philippines flavor, but
the author ia his preface declines to
commit himself more definitely 10 To-
cation than in the sentence quoted
The governor Of Bar, the big fellow
is aVowedly a composite. Again from
the authors note TO the reader: You
are quite astray If you associate this
type, expressive Of his country's char
ecteristics in a new field. with any in
eiVidual IT was out Of the native
miRd that j christened him. Small of
stature themselves and quickly i'm
pressed by externals. our brown cousins
saw in US a race of giants"
OF the islands overseas. as of the city
newspaper Office. Of the tangled web
.of American business and American
municipal politics and Of the higher
national politics, whereby the fates of
dependent millions are determined. Mr..
Palmer writes as one who knows. He
IS real correspondent Of the firing
line type, no rocking chair, hotel porch
observer Perhaps il is because ne is
accustomed 10 being around when
. things happen that he gives the read
ers Of his novel so much-almost too
much-incident. And perhaps It is be-
cause the business Of the conscientious
correspondent is chiefly 10 report what
he sees and hears, taking care not 10
put himself between the audience and
the stage, that one feels a sense Of de-
tschment and aloofness in reading his
narration. even that which might other
wise be exciting.
Mr.. Palmer's character drawing is
excellent. He seems to have given
especially pains 10 Willie Sweetser. an
erfatic curious. gOssiping chap. at col
lege sent by his father 10 study medi-
cine. But Willie makes no success of
anything until he goes TO New York
cn q visit Big Fellow is trying to
work on newspaper and Willie drops
in on him al a critical moment. Big
F@llow' has won prize for a law
ESSAY and the details Of the matter
appeal to Willies love Of the pictur-
esque. He begs 10 be allowed 10 write
the story. The editor cOnsents-for
this is hction-and as Willie tosses off
the sheets of has story" the editor
can only say. II said they were born
s''f said they were born" That incident
assures Wlliies career. Soon he owns
a-newspaper himself He runs it 10 suit
-his own restless spirit and the dissat-
isfied spirit Of the time and place.
p The love theme is supplied by Ellen
Moore, A waif adopted and brought
up by Big Fellows aunt. She is usu-
siiy called Miss Two Braids and she
and Big Fellow are the most natural
: -.atpanions in the world. While she is
2 child they are. for all the world. like
.brother and sister, but suddenly both
realize that they are in love and there
fore play At cross purposes up to the
last chapter.