Arizona republican., 1909-07-26
WHITES NEW STORY
 "A CERTAIN RICH MAN"
It Has the Heart Interest of a Good Novel and Throws Sidelight on That Much Discussed Subject, Or ganized Wealth.

When the Macmillan company of New York gave to the world only few days ago. the latest story by Will liam Allen White, A Certain Rich Man" it launched what should become at least a good seller. whether 1t reaches the exalted pinnacle of best seller" or not. The book retails for S1 50 and is worth it to anybody who has money to buy books and time to read them. To a very considerable part of the reading public it is worth much more than that
 It is strictly a Kansas story, though not essentially so. Anything turned out by Mir. White is necessarily some thing of a problem play, or problem story. He is too much a part of the present day and generation to be writ ing things merely to entertain the emotions; his output always has bearing on things as they are or as they ought to be. or as he thinks they ought to be. In cidents paralleling those that occur red in the career of A Certain Rich Man." and the other characters in the story. so far as their relation to eco homie conditions is concerned. might have happened in any other state than Kansas. As for the reformatory influ- ence of the story, it should appeal to every American with equal force wherever he may live and it may 0e assumed that this influence is the i'm polling motive of the author.
 "A Certain Rich Man." tells the en- tire life story from the cradle to the grave, of one who found himself at tender age in bleeding Kansas, just be fore the civil war. protected only by his mother. who was made a widow by a murder chargeable to border trou- bles. From the direst poverty the boy climbed the industrial ladder to the topmost rung. when the prosperity of a multiplicity of corporations ranging from the town bank to stupendous railroad systems, hinged on his daily mental attitude. and the making of added millions depended only on his will to do so.
 But though a patriotic youth and blameless in character as a man. when measured by the conventions. and even philanthrOpic in his impulses, his sue cess cost directly and indirectly. the lives of two of his best friends. father and son, the life happiness of his childish sweetheart's sister. the life of his own wife, years of suffering for his mother. innumerable wrongs against neighbors and tOwnsmen. and injustice and fraud on the public of his day of activity. In the very zenith of his success he was so borne upon by re tributive vengeance and mother love. that he saw the evil of his way. made every restitution that could be made in later life. even to the restoration of his wealth as far as possible to those from whom he had stolen it. and died the hero of a tragedy. forgiven and beloved by those he had wronged.
 Stories are never true. hence the au- thor may be held bIameless. if there never was such rich man as Barclay in his maturity. though there is an aw- fUl fear that the sins of John Barclay in the days of his money getting have not been greatly overdrawn. But John Barclays of lesser achievement have become entirely too common in the land of the free and the home of the brave. It is to be presumed the au- thor knows that the John Barclays never end their careers as did his ere ation, and only hopes that some day they may begin doing SO
 So much for the problem of the story. Its perusal is intensely inter esting even from the sordid viewpoint. showing how easy it is to make money if one has modicum of brains. after he has acquired a little start in life. providing he avails himself of all legal opportunities. stultifying his morals and satisfying his conscience with the thought that the sacrificing of individ- uals is justified. if thereby is acquired the means of accomplishing Greater Good for his own interests or those he hopes to help bY his beneficence later on. Happily the book teaches the fallacy of such theory.