Evening star., 1933-12-20
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
MnrOnrof CorrnnJ
A PORTRAIT OF OLD GEORGE
TOWN. By Grace Dunlop Ecker.
Richmond: Garrett & Massie, Inc.

Just across Rock Creek, to the west Of
the main section Of the Nations Capital,
Is situated one Of the most famous
communities In American history. Yet
| George Town, rich IN memories of an
| illustrious past is suffering today from
the same shameful tragedy which the
hand Of So-called modern progress has
inflicted upon Williamsburg, Alexandria,
| YORKTOWN and number Of other towns
and cities which figured so prominently
in the days Of the early settlements and
in the formation of the great Republic
Of the New World.
In view of the present tendency
toward restoration and preservation of
| the comparatively few survivals of the
Colonial period, 1t seems extraordinary
that Tor so long span of years spirit
OF indifference and neglect prevailed in
these old and honored communities, re-
Sulting In decay and frequently In the
total destruction of public buildings and
private homes which should have be-
come shrines to the memory of noble
deeds and esteemed lives But streets
once lined with stately mansions have
become market places, and structures
IN which history was made have all too
| frequently become business establish
ments, a gas stations and tea rooms.
George Town has been the victim, in
one respect, of a condition peculiar to
its close relationship to the Nations
Capital. The smaller community
necessarily became overshadowed by the
greater city, and the rapid growth of
| the latter naturally influenced the trend
OF development in the adjoining COM
| munity. But there Is something tragic
in the destruction of landmarks and
beautiful homes, in abandoning the old
street names, and In changing the char
acter and appearance Of town which in
the height Of its glory was regarded
as substantial and attractive and which
today would be classed as picturesque"
| or quaint
The past few years have witnessed
what might be called back to Colonial
houses" movement, the logical out
growth of the craze for antiques which
swept the country when l. became gen.
orally known that persons of professional
prominence or wealth had been buying
such relics. George Town has benefited
considerably from this movement, as
have other Colonial towns. In num-
Der of places an attempt Is being made
to restore as museums and show places
| the old buildings in which history was
made and the private homes Of those
who participated in its making. What
time and neglect have destroyed, how
ever, the sentimentaliSt and the philan-
thropist can never fully recover The
| glamour and the romance of days long
gone by can survive only through the
preservation Of treasures. However per-
fectly they may be restored, some meas
ure OF the meaning Of their glorious
past is lost.
Mrs. Ecker has not attempted to re-
store the town which has been the home
~E Grr~ L. -
| In which she was born and reared. Nor
does she claim to have written his
tory of this old city, which was the scene
of many national and international ac-
tivities. 1t has been her ambition to
present a true portrait of the Old
George Town, with its handsome homes,
its beautiful gardens, its people and its
character. from the time of its settle
ment, in the early 1700s, to the beginning
! of 1900. Nearly two hundred years Of
history, tradition and romance have
been covered in a small book which is
both beautiful and valuable.
The volume Is profusely illustrated
with portraits Of the men and women
whose names are indelibly written in
the history and development Of George
Town and with many photographs of
the famous buildings, homes and gar
dens which once were the pride of the
community, and some of which have
survived. There is also an attractive
map giving both the old names of the
streets and those which are now con-
tinuations of the thoroughfares of
| Washington.
DARK MOON OF MARCH. BY Emmett
Gowen. indianapolis: The Bobbs-
Merrill Co.
There is not much excuse for a novel
like this one, because it is really neither
a story nor an essay. 1t is a somewhat
unpalatable recording of the meander-
ingS of Andrew Neil, an itinerant farm
hand, through the mountainous regions
of the South. seeking adventure and a
living. OF course, he falls in love and
marries, and the burden of the theme
Is the struggle Of these two with a con-
stantly increasing family to keep body
and soul together, and eventually to
earn the right to little painted house
of their own.
Ignorance is the backbone of the story.
and the squalor and futility which ac-
company poverty is set forth in all of
its unadorned ugliness. 1t was perhaps
the purpose of the author to present
his characters just as it is well known
that these unfortunate men and women
nve, and to present them in their own
Language. He does this very we'll, for
his style Is consistent and his dialect
Is correct. But unless there is some
substantial motive, this type, of story
cannot be said to be particularly worthy.
Many novels have been written on this
subject, most Of them Offering some
thing to think about or to hope for.
Had Mr.. Gowen followed q different
course and included some redeeming
feature other than the absorbing devo-
ton OF Ersie to her erratic though low
ing husband, his book would have been
a better contribution to the list of
popular fiction.
THE RED DEMON. BY A. j. Wright
New York: G. P. Putnams Sons.
Mr.. Albert Jay Wright, the author
| OF this novel, is a well-known figure
IN the business and financial world. He
is member of the leading exchanges in
this country and is recognized as an au-
tnorlty on commodities and gold and
silver monies. For thirty-five years he
mas been totally blind as the result of
an accident while engaged in college
athletics, but despite this handicap he
mas successfully managed one of the
leading business houses of the country
and is still its senior partner
With this background it is not singu-
lar that he should draw from this store
OF knowledge and experience the topic
OF novel. 1.-THE Red Demon" Is a
| story of the Cotton Exchange, making
of that life-giving product of the South
the basis of dramatic effort on the
part of huge financial interests to save
the country from the depths of eco
| nomic depression into which it was
plunged several years ago.
John Holden and his partners are
heavy investors in cotton. When the
financial world is bordering on collapse
they do their share toward boosting the
market and stabilizing public confidence.
But they are playing losing game,
and they know it. Then Holden is in
vited to the house of q friend with