The San Francisco call., 1910-02-13

on life and people color everything he
writes, and the fact was never more
apparent than In Lady Mechanic" his
latest work. This book relates cpl
sodes in the life of what he calls
naughty nonpareille." and is, accord
ing to this author. farce in hligree-
RouIhae Bra champion, the walking
peanut" the hero-or rather one OF the
leading men, in this farce, is none
other than Burgess. He may not have
had all the experiences of Roulhac,
but not only would he have had the
capacity for them. but the desire as
well, had opportunity offered. Bur
CESS is nothing if he is not unusual.
both in and out of his books. He is
even faithful enough to give Roulhac
his San Francisco setting in the old
house on Russian hill Burgess occu-
pied when he was in San Francisco.
But this is all anticipating Lady
Mechanic who, the author claims, was
a most "prodigious comet" ~as he let
her into this "impertinent tale" he
presents-to the public. She insisted on
her own adjectives, he says, and turned
his sentences upside down. But Bur
CESS intimates that despite it's eccen-
tricities Lady Mechanic" may point
sermon for some bigger fool" than
himself.
This curious greeting and explanation
come to the reader in an advertise
ment" that follows long rambling let
ter of dedication to Porter Garnet. who
seems to have had some part in the eX
perienees that have gone to make up
this quite remarkable book. This dedi-
cation is a sort of do you remember
when / tied a tin can on old Jones
dogs tai1?" The taste of it is ques-
tionable. but as the volume is not built
on conventional lines anything is ad-
missible This fantastic dedication,
however comes near being real for
eigner. 1t serves. however, TO give
rare picture Of the kind of man is
Burgess, the man who wrote Are You
a BromideY
Lady Mechanic makes her appearance
to the reader as the widow of a burglar.
one Leopold Gaillarde. and although
she earned her title Lady Mechanic"
oy former marriage she tires of the
sort OF society she can move in and
promptly starts out on a career OF
'burgling." not so much intent upon
what she can steal as to find really
interesting man. Her escapades are
spectacular.
She is a sort of female English Joa-
quin Muriata- He rode in and out Of
California towns when there was re-
ward upon his head, but no one would
molest him. Lady Mechanic" dashed
about London in a green brougham and
went and came all hours of the night in
and out of mems houses, and yet there
was no one to cry police" She was
fashion. Men rather waited, wondering
who would be visited next by the beau
tiful burglar. But there came day of
reckoning and it brought her to San
Francisco. where. with Roulhac Brag-
hampton. she cut up hypnotic pranks.
She had 10 fee after she had wiIled
1000 men in night shirts out for pa
rade. This she did because night shirts
were so much "funnier" than pajamas.
Boston furnishes the next setting for
Lady Mechanic" and the last is in
New York.
The striking individuality of each
city gives brilliant color for Burgess to
handle. He puts it on in it's purity; he
uses no medium" There seems TO be
really no satire for San Francisco. but
Boston. with its fads and progressive
monuments. is grist for Burgess mill.
The endless possibilities in New York.
the city in which one can really be lost,
serves well for final setting.
Almost every page will bring the
reader to a halt. either to take angry
issue with the author or to bring in the
latest dictionary to act as umpire in
the game of words Burgess is always
playing. Some words that challenge
will be found. but most often they are
marked rare or obsolete Others will
soon be discovered to be from Burgess
mint. He has been so successful in his
verbal coinage that he is working the
plant overtime. Then, too, he calls in
Twins "highbrow''- being given prom
inence. Burgess knows the value Of
iteration and reiteration. Even his old
purple COW" takes a leap through one
of the pages.
Californians will be grateful to him
for the following tribute:
1T was May in California; The rains
were over and the sodden hills, chang
ing from brown to vivid green. bloomed
with wild flowers. The spring came
galloping in from the south in tri-
umph, scattering violets and poppies.
trillium and buttercups widecast. and
the skies, leaden before. were frescoed
in living blue. The meadow lark was
heard in the open and the odor of early
roses came up on the breeze. 1t was
May in California;
There are many charmingly written
bits, many excellent characterizations
In this new book, which is one OF Bur-
CESS longest. In truth. he might have
cut some of the satiricaI philosophy
here and there. and helped his book.