Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-07-23

voune I.dy whom the fates had Sc
,ec,ed as the dominating influence
i, the subsequent life OF the chle-
actor of the drama. Interest IN the
story develops rapidly. and walker
Farr almost against his VIII. Is
drawn from the free life OF the great
out of doors to become practicaI
knight Grant for the redressing OF
human wrongs
Given a factory town. Marion. a
c;,v ~ one hundred thousand inhabi-
tants: a political party dominated py
the money Of a water corporation
which held its franchises unoer
terms which permitted no compeu-
ton; an outbreak OF typhoid FEVER
caused by impure drinking water:
child's appeal for sympathy IN cir
cumstances which made its case typi-
cal of hundreds equally helpless;
political ring so firmly entrenched
as to be apparently ippregnable;
past which he insisted should be as
a closed book to all his newly-made
friends; a compelling desire TO re-
form evils which seemed almost be-
yond reformation-and a withered
rose-and you have the tools with
which Mr.. Day has worked out the
destiny OF Walker Farr and trans
formed the wanderer into a respec-
table citizen with a local habitation
and a name.
AS the story develops. the darkest
hour comes just before the dawn of
better day. Walker Fairs plans for
providing pure drinking water for
ol,, ,, f1yr
ed by the provision Of law which linn
its a city's Indebtedness TO per
cent Of its valuation, but the turning
point is reached when Farr has an in
spiration which led to the overthrow
of the water trust through the
scheme for water district, whereby
several municipalities may combine
for some specific purpose and raise
money for that object without re-
gard 70 the amount of individual mu-
nicipai debt. The inception of the
water district idea is the beginning
Of the end, and from this point the
hero has matters under perfect con-
troll and accemplishes what had
seemed to be a hopeless task. Having
done what he set out to do. Walker
Farr tries to slip back into his old
life. but again against his will he is
held to the straight path Of duty.
his past is cleared, he takes again
the name he thought had been dis
graced. marries the little sister OF
the rose" and lives happily ever at
ter.
The story is not above criticism,
when compared with NJ. Days
earlier books. The title. for instance,
is not particularly appropriate. for
Walker Farr is a landloper rather by
force of circumstances than because
he is fitted by nature for such an ir-
responsible. happy-go-Iu lucky sort of
life. Many Of the situations. more
over. are too obviously ready made
and waiting to be utilized. while the
character OF Friend Chick. the
| Quaker. who starts out in his suit
of home made arn1or as a knight err
rant 10 redress wrongs serves no
purpose except as fell for the man
who really accomplished something
without realizing that he was the
real thing in knight errantry. While
the colors are laid on with a heavy
! hand in some. instances there is
enough evi>@.ce of good workman
ship to save the story. II is never
dull and there are no long waits be-
tween acts. The Landloper" is pub
lished by Harper Brothers. New
York. and the volume is attraccively
printed and bound.