The San Francisco call., 1909-07-04
"The Making of Bobby Burnt

By George Randolph Chester Published By
the Bobbs-Merrfli company, indianapolis.
Price $1.50.
Everybody read George Horace Lori
mer's Letters From Selfmade Mer-
chant to His Son." and no better book
OF good advice has been published.
This new story by George Randolph
Chester. The Making of Bobby Bur
nit" is decidedly reminiscent OF the
Lorimer book, but IL has one big i'm
provement: 1t has romance, and good
romance. too. all through
The story in bare outline is this:
Bobby's father dies and leaves a curl
Gus will. He says: II am profoundly
convinced that my son is a fool but.
Ike most loving fathers. determines
10 give him a chance The father Is
possessed of a large dry goods busi-
ness and Bobby decides 70. carry II on.
He is in love with Agnes Eniston and
every little while he asks her TO marry
hlm- They are always good friends.
and he turns to her now for advice.
She gives 1t to him. but can not save
MIN. A business rival. Silas Trimmer
wishes 10 unite the two business
houses, and Bobby agrees. In no time
trimmer has become president OF the
concern and Bobby is out and injured.
An ola clerk Of HIS father brings him
- -0N5 Say cuNctOpc. II proves 70 De
letter from his father, addressed:
TO My Son Upon the Occasion OF Tfis
completing a Consolidation With Silas
trimmer, and when he complains to
the old clerk that he should have been
warned the old man passes him an
other letter: ITO My Son Upon His
Complaining That Johnson Gave Him
NO Warning Concerning silas Trim
No better bits OF advice. crisp. terse.
cynical perhaps. but straight from the
shoulder, have ever been written. ana
the very wise parent seemed to have
looked ahead and covered every possible
contingency. After this first great
blow Bobby learns that Agnes EIHston
Is MS truStee. She is intrusted with
S250,0O0 to start him in business again
He takes up a proposition 10 drain
an impossible swamp and sells it In sub
DIVISIONS. When he has again proved
himsslf dupe he finds that SiIas Trim
mer is responsible for the deal ana has
most of his money.
The next scheme to arrest his at
tentlon Is an electric light plant, but
politics enter so largely in the manax-
ing of that that It doesn't last
long Then follows an attempt to
manage an Italian opera company.
which supplies much amusement to the
reaaer but causes a quarrel between
Bobby and Agnes
His last venture is a newspaper ana
from the detailed explanation given bv
tne author one knows he has had some
newspaper experience. Here Bobby
comes out on top. He lights the cor
ruption which has ruined his electric
light business and finally succeeds IN
showing up the crookedness Of siTas
Trimmer and wins back his fathers Old
business. ~
The letters from the dead father
provided for every possible emergencv
are most interesting and the great fes-
ture OF the book. The Character
sketches are all good. especially Biz
Bates, a prize fighter, who is an an
around square friend and mighty use
lul 20 Bobby on occasions.
The first part OF the book causes a
feeling OF irritation toward Bobby for
oeins such an ass about business mat
ters. 1t scarcely seems possible tha+
any one who developed so much
strength afterward could be such a
weakling- That Is 'novelist's license {"
however. upon which the author wisely
did not draw too much. A readah1a
story; one to take away on a sum
mer trip.