Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-10-24
FERGUSON HAS
TERSE STYLE OF
NEWSPAPER MAN

SIill never Ee aDle TO tnlnK or
Harvey Ferguson as nything but
a newspaper reporter. His Blood
of the Conquerors" Gknopf) is
written in the terse, succinct style
of the metropolitan news writer,
his way of handling the theme is
the way of the newspaper feature
writer. rather than that of the
novelist | think that's why his
opening chapters are weak; he's
trying too hard to be q novelist.
When | call his opening chapters
weak ] do not mean weak when
compared to most of his contem-
poraries, but merely weak when
| compared TO the rest Cf the book.
His descriptions are only descrip-
tive enough to arouse ones imagi-
nation. He doesn't hlurt his story,
ne gives his readers that rare privi-
Icge of thinking for themselves.
don't know Ferguson or his way of
writing, but ] believe that when he
decided to write the story of Ra-
mon Delcasar he came to Albu-
querque for his facts. gathered
them after the manner of the train
ed news gatherer. sitting them,
confirming them and arranging
them before he commenced weav-
ing them into his story.
His story mas the semi-news
value of casting a new and ro-
mantle light on the southwest. 1t
was not written to pattern as all
other stories of the southwest are;
it takes the thing it writes about as
its only pattern. And it is as re-
gional rs Jack London's Cali of
the Wild" Harvey Ferguson does
not see Albuquerque through the
rose-tinted glasses of a chamber
of commerce secretary, nor
through the smoked specs of the
deliberate raker of muck. He saw
the story as it is and had the abil
ity and the CUTS (the new meaning |
is in the newest dictionary to |
write 1t as he saw it. He does not |
magnify details for the love of |
dealing with unpleasantries, rather |
he reported the unpleasant things
as they occurred. He hewed to the
line and some of the chips fell on |
dignified toes.
Fergusson's Last of the Del
casars," the same story which APP
peared as a novelette, in Smart Set |
is obviously a boil-d n of the
novel, In the process some Of the |
best of 1t steamed away. The novel
is the finished job.
Ferguson ha1 the power of
making you feel" a picture--the
same art that distinguished the
artist from the photographer Con-
slider this picture of an Old Town
fair:
Twice a day the single narrow
street which connected the neat
brick and frame respecta bility of
New Town with the picturesque
adobe squallor of Old Town was
filled by a curiously varied crowd.
The tourist from the east, distin-
gulshed by his camera and his un-
necessary umbrella, jostled the
Pueblo squaw from Isleta, with her
latest-born slung over her shoulder
in fold of red blanket Mexican
families from the country marched
single file, the men first, then the
women enveloped in huge black
shawls. carrying babies and lead
ing older children by the hand.
Cowboys. Indians and soldiers
raced their horses through the
swarming street with reckless skill.
Automobiles honked and fretted.
The street cars, bullying humanity
at every door and window, strove
in vain to relieve the situation.
Several children and numerous
pigs and chickens were run over.
From the unpaved street to the
cloudleSs sky rose a vast cloud of
dust, such as only rainless coun-
try made of sand can produce.
Dust was in everybody's eyes and
mouth and upon every ones CLOTH
ing. 1t was the unofficial badge of
the gathering. 1t turned the green
of the cottonwood trees to grey,
and lay In wait for unsuspecting
teeth between the halves of ham,
burger sandwiches sold at corner
booths"
Here the author makes you
hear, see, feel and taste the pic7
ture he paints. 1t is real art.
And with all its other merits. it
seems to me that Just as story 1t
Is extremely interesting. 1t gives
me thrills and keeps me !. :ious to
know what will happen next.
AS for the central character,
Ramon--he is an uneXpurgated
edition of what he is. Like Dreiser's
Financier he is real. true to life;
not merely charactc.' in book.
Ramon will never be used as a
model in the public schools. | can
hear condemnation of his
moral character. But It's his char
acter. and that's very good ex-