The morning journal-courier., 1908-04-18

 KING SPRUCE. By Holman Day. Pub
 lisned by Harper X Bros, New York.
 $l50. at Judds,
 IA powerful story. At first one ie led to think that it is to be a plea for sci entlac forestry, but this idea soon pass es although the story, like any story uf life in our forestry regions, reveals the imperative need of conserving our forest resources. It deals with life and love in the Maine woods and from the start the reader Is charmed and ab- sorbed with the rapid succession of thrilling, exciting scenes which are brought out in vivid realistic fashion. Life in the Maine woods Is here de- pctcd in masterly style. The author thoroughly knows the scenes he por- trays and there is no other writer with Mir. Days knowledge of the inner life of these wild picturesque regions. His pictures of the woods In winter by day and night, and the scenes which he sketches, like the great forest fire the | vengeance of the insane warden. q woods fight man to man, tho blowing ' mp of dam, and the wild race with ! the logs, arc full of pusing vitality and tense interest.
 The hero fights King Spruce the brute force of the timber barons which controls the waterways and ravaRes the forests and is all-powerful with the legislature. The fact that the woods and water are subject to tyranny will be new to most readers, but Mir. Nay has given it very live embodiment Dwight Vale, college man and cx-foot- ball player. and all-round athlete in love with the daughter of the chief of tho barons. is made to feel their heavy hand and, entering the woods, pits his pluck and lo'e aaglnst the power of the timber kings. Throughout the romance appear quaint characters of the woods-thc old fire warden, Proph- ct Eli: the squatters of Misery Gore Tommy Eye the inebrate ogdriver; and the tyrant of the camps, Pulaski D. Britt. The dry, delightful humol for which MT. Days tales and, poems arc famous havors the story through. out The ove-story of Dwight Wade and Elva Barrett is the romance o1 the strong man who loves greatly an6 dares everything and win. The au. thor is very successful in his charac. ter drawing, as well as his pictures ot scenic beauty and improssveness anf few characters in recent Action stand out with tho vividness that pertains tt pulaki D. Britt the hustling talkative greedy, gritty, neartless, henchmar and tool of King Spruce. And there i; Tommy Eye who, in spite of his spree is invaluable as a woodsman and wh' proves himself a trump and hero 1T the end There is picturesque, il legitimate cast off daughter of Klnf Spruce who is discovered by Wade. il a lonely forest camp where she hal been left to grow up wild, as an un known. ilIterdte waif and who find friends sympathy and a rude home il the wilderness She fercey loves on
 of the brawny masters of the logging crew and in a moment of jealousy a discovering her lovers inconsistency fire forest which flames away at tre . mendous rate threatening the ruin q the lumber trust, The strong scenes 0 the book arc numerous
 Holman Day is q native of Vassal
 horo, Maine, and Is one of the feN
 writers who have lived next the soil
 from the beginning. Mir. Day Is we
 known as journalist, notably in hi connection with the Lewiston Journa
 as a writer of short stories, and ha
 already published several novels, in cluding Squire Phin. Squire Bill, one of his short stories, was recent
 converted into a one-act sketch for tn
 stage. Mir Day is also renowned
 his section for knaek of writin swinging ballads and songs such 2
 woodsmen sing, several of which ar
 pear in the narrative of King Spruce THE WEIGHT OF THE NAME. E Paul Bourget. Translated from th French by George Burnham I've Published by Little, Brown X Co Boston, $l50,
 one of the finest works of fiction tn season has brought forth is "Tn