Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-02-24

OF DO0CDlacKS VINO became rallr
parts in life even as the prof.
books more than half a GEN.
tury ago.
The skillful novelist, how
ever. can dramatize the sub
ject in a way most biographies
fail to do. But here is a tat
ters-to-triumph epic in re-
verse:
THE PROMOTERS. by Ste
phen Longstreet (Simon and
Schuster; $3.50.
In this novel we see a spec
tacularly risen soft-drink ty-
coon and his gifted young pro-
moter at the peak of their
power and starting down.
ward. Through a combina-
ton of circumstances they are
slipping. skidding toward fail
ure even at the start of the
story. though they are not yet
fully aware Of the troubles be-
setting them.
Backward glances sketch in
the astonishing climb of these
two from poverty and obscur-
ity.
There is Alex Catlin. called
Judge. though he was never
one. He is a Texan Of Indian
Mexican descent on his moth
er's side. his father Irish. He
was brought up in shack. He
managed to get through a
small college and is q lawyer.
He Is married to a Cajun and
has an untamed daughter
named Celeste.
His Personal Demon
The promoter is Joel Tropp,
who was born in a shanty on
the edge Of the Everglades in
Florida. his widowed mother
lucky when she could get to-
gether a complete meal. Joel
has been through the war. is
tough and immensely resource
full. But unfortunately he
also is an alcoholic. He can't
touch the stuff without wind
ing up in a hospital, and, along
with battling the problems of
the high pressure world in
which he moves. he is con-
stantly fighting off his per-
sonal demon and not always
winning.
Judge" Catlin is. unlike his
advertising and publicity man.
a gifted drinker who can down
bourbon all day without show
ing it or suffering any i'll
effects. He is one of those
characters we call colorful. He
can lapse into a thick Texan
accent which amounts to a
dialect or he can talk straight
English. as the occasion lie
nands. He has invented a
soft drink called Alexander
the Great. the Virile Vitamin
Cola, and it is, as the boys
say. sweeping the country. 1t
is loaded with vitamins. ac-
tually. and can do no harm
and is likely to do good.
His Undoing
But the judge is hungry for
more power. He also is an
honest man and he actually
wants to help people if he can.
There is a vast. rundown, mis-
managed railroad and Alex
plots to get control of it, plan
ming to modernize it and lift
its dividends. He lines up a
lot Of stock proxies, but he is
bucking other wealthy men
who lack his scruples. his in
tegrity. The railroad is his
undoing.
Joel the promoter tells the
story. 1t is a dramatic story,
despite its length. We veer
between accounts Of the in
trigues and double-crossings
in the railroad fight. in Texas
and Washington. and fright
ening episodes in Joei's per-
sonal war against taking that
first fatal drink. He is in
love with the breezy girl who is
Alexis confidential secretary
and diplomatic envoy. But
who. Joel asks himself, would
want a guy like him? Well.
you never can tell, even when
you've suddenly lost a fabu-
lous salary and bigger pros
poets.
Flair for Odd Characters
There are. Of course, many
more characters. all deity
sketched. There is less en-
phasis on sex than in most
modern novels, and vulgarity
Is incidental and not lugged
in TO shock anyone. You may
get little tired Of the judges
thick Texan patois--even Joel.
the narrator, admits he can't
reproduce it too accurately
for dialect is a dangerous thing
to write, easily overdone.
But / think you'll enjoy this
novel. Mr.. Longstreet is an
extremely skillful writer with
an unfailing, sense Of the ri
diculous and a fair for coll
lecting odd characters and
touching them with reality.
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