The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-09-27

novel that this department has seen in
a mighty long time. 1t is story of
business life in Chicago and the firm
of Canton & Co." is evidently laid
around the real firm of Armour &
Co." when old Phil Armour was the
head.
The descriptions of the stock yards
in Chicago are splendid. The workings
of the board of trade in Chicago, where
fortunes are made and more often
lost in few hours time, were evident
ly written about by one thoroughly ia
miliar with the subject. The treatment
of the love and social sides of the
story ere really very strong. In fact
Canton & Co." is one of the best
novels of its kind that have been writ
ten in some time.
Old John Canton" was of course
great packer of Chicago. He had two
sons, one John Junior who loved books
and was mollycoddle in his fathers
eyes. but really granny chap; and
will Canton" who was like his father
in appearance and some attributes, but
without any of old Johns bulldog men
tai strength. AS John, Jr., liked books,
old John shipped that son to Liverpool
to take mental position in one of the
company's foreign offices. VIII Gan
ton was placed at the stock yards to
father. The only mistake in reading
mems character made by old John was
in regard to his two sons, which is Oft
en- thescase in real life, with strong
or even weak men, OF course VIII
Canton followed society and had CON
tinual rows with his father. When
VIII insisted upon marrying May
Heating" the daughter of old "Jem
Keating," whom John Canton, Sr., dis
pissed, there was trouble sure enough.
Old John cut Will off without any sup
port when the engagement was an
nounced. In the mean time old John
was suffering from cancer and didn't
know 1t for he hated doctors and would
have none around him. Cancer after
ward, and not in a long time either,
kills old John, when young John, who
had made good" abroad came back
to take his fathers place in the bust
ness as the father had recognized his
mistake and left all of his business to
John, Jr In that way was John, Jr., in
| q position to assist Will, his brother,
to marry his sweetheart, who was real
ly good girl, but creature of her
environment.
The publishers say that the story is
taken from real life in Chicago, but
applicable, parts of 1t, to any large CITY,
This reviewer is not sufficiently ia
miliar with Chicago and its "sassiety"
or business to pick out the people de-
scribed, as he Is able to do in Mr.. Sim
clair's "The Money Changers" The de-
scriptions of the club life, at the Park
club in Chicago. in town, the dinners
and parties seem very true to life and
taken all in all Canton & Co." is one
of the best novels of it's kind written
in a very long time. Try it and see.
"An Incarnation of the Snow" Trans
lated from the original manuscript by
F. w. Balm. &c. P. Putnam's Sons.)
Taking as his theme
And the moon flowers hear, on the far
blue mere
Where only the wild swans go,
What the great God whispers into the ear
OF the Daughter of the Snow"
Mr.. Balm has written, he says. from the
original manuscript one of the most beau
tiful love stories that one can find in
many year. 1t is the story of the love
and marriage Of the Great God" and