davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-31
and
The Engineer


UNDERGROUND. BY Francis Brett
Young and e. Brett Young. e. p.
Dutton & Co.
The great difficulty about a study in
atmosphere, as Underground" is
called, is that the atmosphere Itself
may never be apparent to the reader;
in this instance it is an atmosphere
insistent enough to draw the reader to
an understanding of the whole book.
1t is the story of the building of great
water dam in South Wales; that is all
there is on the surface. The power and
beauty of the story come from some
thing less definite and tangible the
suggestion of the warning of the old
pagan forces Of these gaunt mountains
against the disturbers of their solitude,
the vague revelation of grim, imper-
sonal powers fighting against puny
man. This struggle against malevolent
shadows is common to all the men at
the works in the shadow of Pen Saw
addan, but it is in the drama of For
syth, the Scotch engineer who comes
to assume charge of the construction
work, that the conflict is made vivid
and personal.
| When Forsyth came to the works
and took up his home with Abel Nor
gan, the Welsh shepherd, his first
night was made uneasy by dream
prophetic of all that was to come.
ut seemed to him that he was
stified with the green which sur
rounded the house; that the trees of
the woods which climbed the mountain
above, and the tangled thickets that
tumbaed to the river, were robbing him
of his breath. On every side green
multitudes hemmed him in-gnarled
monsters with twisted arms for
lentless parasites, like snakes. He
could not breathe for the oppression
of this hostile vegetable life"
This dream\was the shadow of all
that was to come in the life of For
syth, Of the growth in the soul Of this
engineer Of a vague fear, fear Of the
uncanny forces that fought against the
construction Of the dam, that fought
against his own peace Of mind, fear of
the thing that had made Carlyon. his
predecessor. die mysterious death.
There is the power of simple reitera-
ton in the unfolding of the growth of
this fear; the accidents at the works,
the riots of the workmen, the typhoid
epidemic, the death of Jack Hay
ward the foreman, all these make
more powerful the sinister influence of
the place. working to overthrow man
and his works IN this mountain valley.
At the end the pagan forces triumph
over Forsyth and the dam as well.
1t is sufficient Endorsement of ''Un-
dergrowth" to say that the outcome
of the struggle between man and
mystery is convincing; there Is no
temptation to call it all an entertaining
bit of fiction. In its unreality 1t is as
vivid and convincing as Conrad's
Youth"
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-31

Ranger. 1t is soon revealed to the dis
tracted girl that her lover has sunken
to the lowest depths attainable through
assorted dissipation, coupled with abb
sence of moral backbone 1t is an i'm
possible situation. Sylvia cannot
marry such creature, Of course, nor
can she return to England after her
open break with her stepmother.
Cousin Burke nobly steps into the
breach and proposes that she marry
him as a way out Of her dilemma.
"If marry you will you treat me
just as a pal?" asks Sylvia. II will"
says Burke.
- So 1t is settled and civil ceremony
is performed and they take up house
keeping at Burke's lonely farm. At his
wife's request Burke drags Guy from
low grog shop, where he chances to
be tending bar, and brings him back to
the farm, for Sylvia has decided she
will do her utmost to rehabilitate him
morally. The beginning is an unfortu-
nate one, for Guy shoots himself with
revolver and very nearly makes
away with himself He very probably
would have died II Sylvia hadn't been
there to nurse him. In the end she
comes to realize that 1t Is really Burke
she loves, discovery which is natur-
ally pleasing to her husband. "The
Top of the World" should be excellent
Sunday afternoon reading.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-31
A Romance of
Salmon Canning
POOR MANS ROCK. BY Bertrand Sim
clair. Little. Brown & Co.

HOOH MAN = RUIN. by 'DcTtIdHu oiH-
clair. Little, Brown & Co.
1t is inevitable that when a family
feud is handed down from father to
son unhappiness should be the portion
of the heir This was foreordained to
silent John" McRae, of the Canadian
air force, when he returned from the
war to Squitty Island In the Gulf of
Georgia, British Columbia, to find his
father dying of pneumonia, as one
reads in the opening chapters of Ber-
trand w. Sinclair's 'Poor Mans
Rock" Long ago Horace Cover not
only took the elder McRae's fiancee
away from him by force but all the re-
naming years of McRae's life Cover
appeared to be his rival in business.
stripping him even of most of his
possessions on Squitty Island and,
leaving Johns father to exc out a
poor livelihood trolling for salmon off
the rock from which this tale takes
it's, name. This was Silent Johns
heritage when the armistice came,
and as salmon fishing and the salmon
canning industry were the only things
he knew he went into them as the
one means at his command to hurt
Cover. Silent John was a good hater
Yet it does complicate things to go
on hating and breaking" man who
has so adorable a daughter as was
Betty Cover, Silent John tried to do
both and succeeded only to get his
comeuppance" In the end at Betty's
hand. For when the commercially
broken Horace Cover saw Bettys
plight he compelled young McRae to
listen to his confession OF failure in
marriage, business. and even in his
attempts to convince the elder McRae
he had meant to do him no wrong.
No family feud could live under such
circumstances and that of the Nc
Raes and Covers vanished forever as
John and Betty sat on the beach I'M
der the stars Of Cradle Bay. Mr..
Sinclair has put into his narrative all
the elements of a good novel-ro-
nance. action. beauty of scene. the
background Of a great commercial
industry. Here is book of which 1t
may be said, This Is first rate story.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-31
Adventures in the
Western Desert

Something mysterious or exciting
happens on every page of "a Girl. a
Horse and a Dog" (Scribners), by
Francis Lynde. There is the mystery of
the eccentric uncle's will, there is a
chase through the mountains, wild
ride on a gasolene handcar, and a
jiu-jitsu fight. There are death dealing
arrangements Of all sorts, Winches-
ters, revolvers, dynamite bombs, gas
attacks and, of course, a pair of par
ticularly fatal blue eyes, which succeed
where the villains most deadly efforts
fail. In fact, this is a good movie
scenario, written out in the style of the
Saturday EUcninO Post There is
nothing probable about the plot, and
nothing complicated about the charac-
tiers. They are, both plot and charac-
ters, simple and primitive, drawn out
In plain coors like a poster.
The villain Is a fine. unmitigated
villain. the girl is delightful, the simple
old mining man and the sheriff are
true to type. The hero represents the
simple. optimistic idealism OF the best
sort Of light fiction. All the characters.
down 70 the piefaced dog, are good
specimens Of their kind, worth getting
acquainted with; the atmosphere of
the book is generous and kindly; the
story is well written enough to run
smoothly along and to keep a firm
grip on the readers attention. A good
book TO while away a railroad journey
or 10 drive Off duh care; It will divert
tho mind and leave no bad taste be-
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-31

Mr.. Waldo says that the victories
OF science hold all the fascination OF
romance for DR.. Grenfell and that
the discovery of the electron, in the
doctors opinion, may make it possible
to have an entire city in which every
material substance would be invisible
There is no reason why the forces
in action should make a visible city,"
DR.. Grenfell said to Mr. Waldo. 1--WE
believe to-day in the unity of matter
1t has almost been demonstrated that
we can turn soda into copper
Uranium passes into radium. Carrel
is growing living protoplasm outside
the body. Adami has shown how an
electric stimulus applied to the ovum
of frogs produces twins. The electron
Is the manifestation of force.
1T is almost certain that there is
no such thing as physical life No
matter could exist without movement
the sort of movement you behold
when the spinthariscope throws the
radiations from bromide of radium on
a fluorescent screen"
And so the doctor argues that, II
there is no physical life, there Is no
Death He points out that many things
exist that we do not see-ether and
weight, for instance. From this he
reasons that there is a physical ex-
PLANTATION of the resurrection. The
whole universe is incessant motion, he
maintains, just as sound is vibration
and nothing more.
Charges that DIR. Grenfell has en-
riched himself through trading with
the natives OF the Labrador are dis
missed as unworthy OF serious discus
sion by Mr., Waldo. In several in
stances he says that the doctor in
vested money In cooperative stores,
but in each case he withdrew it with
out asking interest as soon as the
enterprise was on it's feet.
Mr.. Waldo says that DR.. Grenfell wins
and keeps the enthusiastic loyalty
of his fellow workers on the Labrador
because he is so ready with a word OF
emphatic praise when praise is due.
Although fearless to condemn he would
rather commend. He knows that most
persons will go further and faster for
pat than a blow
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-31
1t Happened
In South Africa
THE TOP OF THE WORLD. BY Ethel
NJ. Dell. G. Z. Putnam's Sons.

THE TOP OF THE WORbD. by Ethel
NJ Dell. G.. p. Putnam's Sons.
Sylvia Ingleton, the heroine of Ethel
M. Dell's latest novel, Is a mixture of n
thoroughly good sport and ninny, but
the story OF her trials and her eventual
happiness makes interesting reading
for persons who are fond of love
stories. nevertheless.
Sylvia is engaged to young Guy
Ranger when she ls but eighteen. but
her father. the squire. objects to the
match because Guy Is only the son of
the 'squire's bailiff The young man
goes to South Africa and they corre-
spond. and goodness knows how II
would have ended II the Squire, who
was a widower, hadn't married again.
Sylvia's stepmother justifies every
thing mean which has ever been writ
ten Of stepmothers, and the girl cables
Guy in South Africa that she Is coming
to him and he cables back his Joy at
the prospect.
But when Sylvia arrives she is met
not by Guy, but by his cousin, Burke
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-31
New Fiction Based on Travel and Adventure
School Teaching in the Philippines

THE GREEN GODS PAVILION. BY
Mabel Wood Martin. Fred. A. Stokes
It is not to be imagined from the
beginnings of Mabel Wood Martins
novel of Philippine life under Ameri-
can rule that she planned to make 1t
resemble an opera libretto In its long
list of casualties and its atmosphere
of hot passion, both in character and
backgrounds. Yet that is Just what
The Green Gods Pavilion" reminds
the reviewer OF when so many of the
characters fall under the scythe of
the Reaper and when pestilence stalks
abroad In the most horrid guise in the
final episodes. Palm trees and saints"
an old Catholic priest once remarked
to an American army officers wife in
the Philippines, do not grow to-
gether." And this was probably the
subtle force that impelled Mrs. Martin
who is another army officers wife, to
make a tale, probably originally in
tended to be picture of American up
lift in our easternmost possessions
change into a series Of brilliant but
terrible pictures Of death, disease and
moral declines.
For moral decline is what overtakes
most Of the characters in this tale
sooner or later, Julie Dreschell in
cluded. Julie comes to the Philippines
as a school teacher, with an Indifferent
equipment for that role, load of debts
and very little sound character as a
counterbalance. Inspired by the spirit
of the Mayor of Manila" kind of
soldier of business fortune and a
dreamer over the idea of American
methods reforming the Orient, Julie
goes to one of the southernmost
islands of the archipelago to teach,
only to meet with more or less base
adventures with men and failure as a
teacher. Returning to Manila she
meets with more misadventures Of a
repellent sort becomes an unconscious
victim of the morphine habit, and
eventually learns that Barry is dying
of the plague. from which. we under
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-31
A Lover From the North
ALASKA MANS LUCK BY HJalmar
Rutzebeck. 5oni a Liveright

ALASKA MAN'1 LUCK. BY HJalmar
RutzebecA 5oni a Liverfght.
HjaImar Rutzebeck conresses that
he is telling his own story In his
book, Alaska Mans Luck" and that
the adventure and romance he has
woven Into the life of Svend Norman,
it's hero. is not fiction at all. The tale
is. both unusual and interesting and
is told with q simplicity that adds
greatly 70 It's strength.
It takes svend only two days to
fall IN love with Marian when he
meets her in Los Angeles. He has
already been In Alaska and is about
to start back and is greatly heartened
when he learns that she, too, feels the
spell OF the North and longs to make
her homo there. Svend beats his way
as far as Vancouver through a pru-
dent desire to save money. III luck
awaits him when he leaves the
steamer upon which he paid his pas
sage. He goes prospecting with a
highly undesirable partner and they
stake a claim and cause a rush to the
new diggings. But gold is not found
in paying quantities Svend is starv-
ing and cold when at length he drifts
back to the settlements and feeling
that necessity knows no law, he makes
the mistake of breaking into a store
to get food.
From then on things go hard with
him. He is arrested any number of
times and the story of his escapes is
a thrilling one. Once he makes his
way over a mountain range which
even the Indians consider impossible.
He is caught in a snowstorm and
nearly frozen to death but wins to
the other side through what seems
miraculous good fortune. Finally
there comes a time when he is once
more arrested and cannot escape and
he is sentenced to fifteen months in
the Federal prison.
His romance with Marian seems a
trifie down at the heel at this point.
He has written the girl constantly
and has kept a diary of his daily do
ings in which he conceals nothing
Despite his undoubted turpitude in
breaking and entering one somehow
does not blame him greatly. Marian
does not, at any rate. and she con-
tinues the correspondence during his
Imprisonment and after his release
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-31

stand, she pulls him back to life by
will power. The tale closes on this
scene, the implication being that all
will be happy ever after. But with a
character like jules, the, reader may
well tremble for Barry's future peace
of mind
The distinctive note in Mrs. Martins
novel is to be found in the brilliant
pictures of Manila social life and the
terrible realism of her scenes among
the life Of the poor. We can recall
nothing so gorgeous in their word
painting as the descriptions of the
ball in Barry's house, the interior Of
Mrs. Armisteads pavilion where the
Green God dwelt, and the procession of
prize floats. But even all this brilliance
does not atone for the morbidity of the
tale itself.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-31

EGAN. BY Holworthy Hall. Dodd,
Mead & Co.
Just what an American military
aviator should do to earh his living on
his return home was the problem that
faced Egan In Holworthy Halls novel
Of that name. When he left Plainfield,
Ohio, to go to the war his father was
a prosperous manufacturer and he
looked forward to taking UP the reins
of the company on his return. But
there was no Egan company nor "Old
Man" Egan to run 1t then owing to
commercial trickery. disaster and
death; and Bronson Egan had to put
off his uniform and go to work ION his
own" His conception of work was
organizing an aerial transport COM
pany. But, like his father, he came
into a clash with rival interests and
his plans were broken down by the
same forces that had ruined his
fathers concern, of which Martin
Henderson was the moving force. And
Egan's troubles were made more COM
pick by the fact that Henderson had a
very lovely daughter with whom Egan
fell In love. One of the great advan-
tages Of being a hero, unless he hap
pens TO be the protagonist of a study
in pessimistic realism. Is that things
always come out right for him in the
end. And SO with Bronson and
Martha Henderson. Cut to a pattern,
conventional to the last degree-ex-
cept for the Introduction of the aerial
transport company-this novel of Hol-
worthy Halls is wholesome. happy
and rich In pleasure for that enduring
type Of novel reader who like things
to come out all right in the end"
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-31
Love and the
Slave Trade

1t frequently happens in the stage
production of play that the drama
lists character designed for the star
part does not attain to that lofty niche
but a minor parsonage is exalted to It.
The same thing sometimes happens in
book, and a recent instance occurs.
many readers doubtless will think, in
L. Frank lockers 1.-THE Middle Pas
sage" Century Company. where. al
though the author has done all that
lay ir his present skill to make his
hero DdDid sympathetic to the reader.
the young Englishman Whitaker.
really a sketchy person. gayly follow
ing the nose of happy Adventure" In
the few pages where he appears, takes
the centre of the stage. 1t is Whit
talSer who ascribes to the hero the
quality of imagination. and we take
his word for II in spite of the fact
that no proof is given. 1t Is Whit
taker, too. who advises David when
he comes to make his confession to the
girl he loves not TO mention the events
of the last voyage described in the
book because II is too sordid."
with kidnapped" still vivid men,
DRY and some sea passages by Conrad
visualizing that unhappy element. as II
were by lightning flashes, one Is al
most grudging in the selection Of the
good things It is possible to say about
this recent sea story, which OCCASION
ally leads us up wave from the crest
If which we expect to see drama. We
never do; at the top & fog descends.
The simple plot Stevenson uses to ac-
count for David Bafour's kidnapping
is sufficient to account for the wicked
uncle's purpose TO take his life. but the
persecution of this later DdUid is not
conceivable.
The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-10-31

Dogs have humor, sentiment,
loyalty, affection, gratitude and fieas,"
writes Thomas l.. Mason In Dogs
From Life" Doubleday, Page. The
book has a "Forebarkv by the author.
South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-10-23

cities and towns This change has been especially
marked during the last FIVE years in which time
many persons have been attracted TO the indus
trial centers By large wages.
IL S. shown that IN 10 wears more than 2250o
farms have been abandoned IN New York state
alone Figures are not available for all sections OF
the United States but the total must be alarming.
There are number Of reasons for this. and 20 the
persons who leave the farm these reasons are most
obvious
Rural mail delivery. The telephone and improved
roads permitting the use Of larger numbers of au-
tcmobues. have contributed toward making life in
the country more desirable. but it appears that
these convenences are not enough stop the drift
from the country 70 the towns.
Statistics compiled by the department Of agricui-
ture show that the average farmer receives about
$500 a year for his work-less than $40 a week
which IS about the sum good mechanic earns n
a day A farmer with a team can earn more money
IN a city in day than he can earn on the farm in
a week. and he will get it easier.
It Will not do any good TO rail at the farmers
because they are leaving the farms for the pros
poets Of earning more money in the city. where
they share in the advaI tages that are found ia
the cty-better schools. better churches entertain
ments and other things which the farmer can ap-
preciate as much the city-bred man The situa-
ton is serious, but # will be made better by ap
reals TO duty or ranting II the nation wants fool.
IL is necessary that its production be made reason
ably profitable
South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-10-23
therEditOrS Than Ours
TREATY POSITION RESTATED.
CSOuth Bend Tribune, Dec. ?. 1897

The assembling of congress for the regular SESSION
suggests the utility Of a resatement of their att-
tude toward the treaty of peace with Germany and
the League Of Nations covenant by newspapers
which pretend affect public opinion This re-
statement seems necessary because failure of the
treaty the extraordinary session seemed 70 throw
men off their balance for the moment and caused
uncertainty 10 the status the treaty
and the position OF the various interests before the
people This confusion was the direct result of the
dramatic end OF the session
The career of the treaty has been series Of par
hamentary maneuvers, most Of them undressing
90 the public some difficult TO understand. Parti-
politics played a part in these parliamentary
chess games. Notwithstanding the protestations of
public men against making the treaty a partisan
issue To be honest. of the democratic senators
fought for the treaty because they believed in it,
while others did simply as Wilson men: and
some republican senators fought against II because
they believe 10 to be dangerous. while others op-
posed It because they were against Prest Wilson.
This is the popular and true comprehension of the
lineup in the senate.
To understand the dnaL dramatic treaty incidents
OF the special session must keep mind that
each faction desired 10 place the responsibility for
defeat on the other Neither was willing 10 shoulder
IT, And SO both played for position by which they
could make It appear that the other blame.
That is why the events baffIed many casual readers
Sen. Lodge for instance attempted TO give the i'm
preston that Prest Wilson had killed his own
treaty while the democratic leaders pointed the ac-
ous'ns finger an Lodge II was case of Who kill
The enemies OF the treaty tried at the last mo
uent 90 make reservations strong and as power
full for harm as amendments That Is why the reser-
walton program failed SO the country is given the
impression that sen. Lodge and the leading anti
treaty senators were for the treaty with reserva-
tions True, did for with the Lodge res
erva-ions, which were so strong practically
nullN The treaty and were preceded by preamble
which j The opinion ct many leading observers Of
both parties was vicious That was a peculiar way
The Tribune has been unqualiHedIy in favor Of
the section Of the peace treaty which affects Ger
South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-10-23
The Horoscope
SUNDAY AND MONDAY.
OCT gI-25


SUNDAYS chart is dominated by
an adverse position OF Saturn. warn
Ing against SORROWS and disappolnt-
ments. and urging that particular
attention be paid 70 the health,
which - subject 70 disorder from
colds and Consesions
Those whose birthday it Is should
be careful OF their health and not
become depressed by business de-
laws A child born on this day will
be quick and clever.
Mondays horoscope has the
splendid promise OF "A notable stroke
II good fortune sudden and uneX-
pected. coming possibly through the
intervention OF powerful friends.
This abrupt good luck. however.
should not sweep one OF dis feet
into rash and impetuous conduct or
quarrels and bad temper as threat
ered By the Lunar square 10 Mars
Other testimonies also warn against
foolish. eXtravagant and indiscree co
conduct ia other directions. particu-
larly rs applied 70 social or roman
tic affairs. Women especially are
warned 20 De discreet
Those whose birthday il is MAY
hope for sudden benefits but they
should control the temper and be
clrcumspeCt il a.. their affairs. par
ticularly OF romantic nature a
child born or this day viii be popu-
lar. restless and romantic.