The Washington herald., 1912-07-21
nv A. ID. JAcoBsoN.
THE MAN IN THE OPEN: By Roger Poe
BobbsLNerrill Company. Indianapolis

i. r 4 -
by A. ID. JACOBSON.
THE MAN IN THE OPEN: By Roger PoeocE.
BobbsMerill Company Indianapolis.
This novel will attract attention OWNS
TO its oddity. The author has tapped the
fountain of humor that does not run dry
His knowledge of human nature appar-
emily Is IimitiessYs There is plenty Of
wholesome adventure, and his philosophy
Is original He is shrewd narrator. His
tales are pointed. And as to the uneven
ness of his structural method. II empha-
sizes the sturdy makeup Of his hero,
Jesse Smith.
The story begins with a tale related by
an ignorant man in the FIRST person. from
his early recoliections. Later, his wife.
a cultured woman. takes up the story,
carrying II on during few chapters.
when 1t Is once more resumed by the
husband. Then there Is trouble between
the pair, and the husband tells this in
the form OF letters to his dead mother.
This unusual style has one advantage. 1t
reveals, by rehearsfng their experiences.
the characteristics Of the various figures
in the story. and Of injecting into the
narrative a charm OF variety, which IN
creases 'the interest.
Another quite unusual thing Is the set
ting. II begins far up In icy Labrador,
where the hero Is introduced as a boy
raised among the fisher-fo'k. The scene
then shifts to the Texas cattle country;
but the principal action occurs In British
Columbia, where Jesse Smith resides, and
where his romance begins. The author
certainly knows his country thoroughly.
and the giimpses Of IL which he gives
are as real as photographs
Most remarkable OF all is the character
of the hero. The man Is a novelty.
new thing In fiction. The experiences are
fresh, and though he encounters many
hard experiences he retains much OF the
freshness that is inherent In him. the
primal passions of men are all familiar
to him, but he does not comprehend the
meanness or littIeness Of human nature.
He is neither stupid or willfully blind.
nor exactly sentimental. The training
he has had as a child and his later HE
at sea and on the plains have made him
oblivious of smaller things. imbuing him
with the vastness OF nature. Hence.
through all he remains simple. free from
conventional views and methods
Jesse Smith is full of humor Of that
gentle, that insinuating kind which
makes the reader occasionally laugh out
aloud. Along with the humor is wis
dom, and when to these is added tender
ness toward animals and all helpless
things a combination is found that can
not but win the heart Of the reader.
Jesse had his past. but he also has his
future, and into this future steps Kate.
Married to a irunkard, she. too. Is learn
ing life. The two. Jesse and Kate. are
drawn toward each other. and the hus-
bands violent death (of courseD makes
marriage possible for them.
II externaIs only are considered. IL is
a strange union; but II is inevitable II
there is anything in the overworked ''af-
finity'' theory. There may be clouds.
but when they disappear Jesse's happi-
ness is all the more complete. OF course.
the author writes of and looks upon
love from his own angle, and hence
Jesse's affection takes an entirely diff
ferent turn from that OF conventional
man.
The elements OF the plot are not COM
plicated, but they are interesting, and
while Jesse is the principal figure. he
has been surrounded by a company.
whose acquaintance is well worth max
ing. As novelty in fiction plot. the
book is all that could be expected.
THE SENATE FROM lG TO I9c: By Lynn
Haines, Bethesda, Nd Published by the author
very timely book OF great interest
to statesmen and politicians, and OF help
to the students OF states economical
problems. like the tariff and the finan-
cial reforms needed.
This volume records fully the influences
and methods that have prevailed during
this most important period OF the Sem
ate. and gives. in detail. the records Of
outgoing Senators.
The legislative history, with explana-
tions and vital roll calls. is given on all
such issues as the Aldrich currency
scheme. the Payne-Aldrich tarlff. the
Taft railroad bill. Canadian reciprocity.
~. al y,,-g,. har ,hofI
Stephenson. Lorimer, &C.
The following chapter headlines indi-
cate the scope of the contents: One.
Thirty Senator'S: two. The Oligarchy in
All its Glory; three, The Aldrich Cur
rency Scheme: four. The Payne-Aldrich
Tariff: five, The Senate and the Trans
portation Trust six, Reciprocity with
Canada; Lorimer and Other Tests
The booklet is full of interest for the
reference seeker The author sells it at
) cents a copy, direct to the reader.
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF SALESMANSHIP: BY
William Walker Atkinson. Published by the
Elizabeth Towne Company. Holyoke. Mass
The book treats of every phaze of sales
manship. He tells how to approach the
customer. how to open the talk: how to
make the words tell. and how to close
a sale. The author claims that there
iWo important every edlc.
1t matters not whether goods are sold
over the counter or on paper. II may
be even that one man is selling his serv-
ices to another.
The following two factors, according
to the author. are present IN the minds
of the seller and the buyer. The sue
cessful salesman must know how to use
his own mind. He must know how to
present his facts with force and con-
viction. But he must also know the
mind of his customer. He must know OF
the best way in which to approach him
and tell his story. A salesman may have
the best goods in the world and yet kill
his chances of making a sale by the way
he approaches his customer.
Any one who has goods to sell. or who
Is interested in advertising, Will md the
book a stimulus to more effective ways
of working 1t is filled from cover to
cover with practical suggestions and IL
LITERARY N0TES