Atlanta Georgian and news. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1912, April 27, 1907, Image 12
THE ATLANTA GEORGIAN ANT NEWS.
SATURDAY, APRIL 27. 1»7.
KEEP YOUR
ROCHELLE, GA.
"THE TURN OF THE BALANCE.'
By Hon. Brand Whitlock. Mayor of
Toledo, Ohio. (Bobbt-Merrlll Com.
pony.)
It l» not very often that a book <■
published three days which not only
holds the Interest In the reading, but
days and weeks after a perusal of the
book the mind of the reader Is still lm>
pressed with and recurs to the Inci
dents, situations and characters por
trayed. “The Turn of the Balance" Is
such a book, and while, as one reviewer
wrote, It “Is full of sorrows and
wrongs,” It Is well to remember that
matt treat boojts of this and of other
days have their basts on lust such
corner-stones, “The Turn of the Bat-
once” is a story, Strong, impressive and
thoutht-compelllnt, based upon crimi
nal life. In and out of prison. Whether
the author has been unlust In selecting
, the “exception and not the rule,” In
describing the characters In the differ
ent phases of life, as Judge Andrew J.
Cobb, of the supreme court of Georgia
puts It, Is a question that will have to
be left to the reader to determine by
this reviewer at least. Judge Cobb also
snys that the book "presents a vivid
picture of the worse side of life, social,
business, professional and official. That
there are such characters In the differ
ent phases of life therein described can
not admit of question, but they are
the exception and not the rule. Tho
vice of the book consists In the fact
that the author deals with the excep
tional in such a way as to create the
impression that the general rule has
been followed. There Is s character
drawn from nearly every relation of life
—private and public—and they are so
dealt with In the plot of the story as to
create the Impression that any person,
no matter where he may be found. Is
animated by no other motive than ono
■which Is unworthy."
Judge William T. Newman, of the
United States court, Atlanta, Is not
quite so harsh In his criticism of the
book nor of the author’s motives, for he
says The Turn of the Balance' Is an
unusually strong book and well writ'
ten. While Mr. Whitlock's Instances
of Judicial administration are not such
as I have otwerved, perhaps they, os
well as the Instances of prison admin
istration, aid him to point the moral of
the book, which evidently Is, that there
should be more of the Golden Buie In
the administration of the criminal law."
Georgians all over the state, and espe
cially Atlantans, would expect Jus(
such an admlrablo criticism and appli
cation of the truth as he sees It, from
Judge Newman.
Warden William H. Moyer, of the
United States prison, Atlanta, takes a
decided fling at Mr, Whitlock In his
letter of criticism. He says: "Perhaps
the feature of the novel which mode the
greatest Impression upon me was the
spirit of condemnation shown by tho
writer-for every Judicial and peace of
fleer. • • • The spirit evidenced by
the writer, together with his knowledge
of the habits and methods of crooks
and criminals, can not help but Impress
the j*eader with the feeling that he Is
possessed of mors than general Infor
mation. The reader wonders where he
obtained his Information and expo
rlence.”
There la no doubt that In writing of
prison life Mr. Whitlock, as It appears
to the uninitiated, seems to speak with
authority, but It doesn't appear exactly
fair to Imply as Mr. Moyer may, that
the author might have been In prison
himself.
Captain J. M. Nye, superintendent of
the bureau of Identification at the Fed
eral prison, Atlanta, In speaking of the
book to the writer of this review, ridi
cule that part of Mr. Whitlock's book
which dealt with the Bertlllon system
WE LEAD
Others follow. That others imitate our habits shows
that our policy Is sound.
“Asconite”
Stands for quality and quality saves money. Use AS
CONITE QUARTZ or GRAVEL ROOFING and your In
vestment la secure. “You can put It on.'
ATLANTA SUPPLY CO.,
MANUFACTURERS,
29-SI South Forsyth Street, Atlanta, Ga.
J. C. Greenfield, Pres. C. A. Peek, 8ec.
of measurements. Captain Nye said
that the author's statement that It was
necessary to re-measure a criminal
within a year's time, on account of the
criminal having become thin, “wns all dy? This Is a question which seems
bosh,” and, to use his own words os
recalled, "that he would be willing to
post 1500 that he could make Mr. Whit
lock and his arguments loAk like 30
cents, wlth-a-hole-ln-lt, In Just ten
minutes.!’
The above opinions should be of In
terest to readers of this review, be
cause of the high positions, personal
and official held by those quoted. It Is
no ddubt true, as Judgo Cobb sold, that
Mr. Whitlock selected the exception
and not the rule In delineating the
characters, but It Is well to remember
that all great stories are based gener
ally on the exception. The great Bead
novels, “Hard Cash" and “Never Too
Late to Mend,” which revolutionised
respectively the Inhuman practices of
Insane asylums and the prisons of Eng
land. about 1151, were no doubt based
on spedal pleading, but In those esses
Mr. Charles Head, when called upon,
did show by actual exhibits living per
sons who had been the mfu-tyrs of the
vaeti swslams nnvfpnvoil Pnailhlv I#
reader think and wonder can such
things be, and from the opinions given
by the learned gentlemen mentioned
In the beginning of this review, such
things do happen. What Is tho reme-
very systems portrayed. 1 Possibly If
called upon, Mr. Whitlock could pro
duce his human exhibits.
The plot of “The Turn of the Bab
ance" concerns two families and their
friends; one In the highest social life of
Toledo, the other of the poorer, strug
gling masses. The book practically
opens at the time of an accident to the
father of one of the principal charac
ters, who loses his leg In crossing the
tracks of the railroad by which he Is
employed. The young son of the old
German railway employee has returned
from the Philippine Islands, having fin
ished his enlistment In the army. Tho
young lawyer who takes up the suit for
damages Is the unavowed lover of the
daughter et the high society family. In
which Is employed as a maid a daugh
ter of the old crippled German. The
son of the old German drifts Into bad
company and from one crime or sus
picion of crime to another. The young
lawyer Is always hls only help In tlmo
of trouble. Gordon Marriott, the young
lawyer, does not Impress the reader as
being an attorney to whom he should or
would apply In time of need, for the
book la full of the failures of poor Gor
don, but he evidently does hls best
with very little hope of reward beyond
the commendation of Elisabeth Ward,
the rich man's daughter. Elisabeth has
a brother, who ought to have been
taken out In a quiet, lonely spot and
knocked In the head with an ax. In the
hands of a strong manipulator.
Very often, too, the reader thinks the
aforesaid ax might have been used on
Marriott at least to trim him up a
bit. Arthur Koemer, the son of the
old German. Is sent for one year to the
state prison, for theft of n revolver.
Mr. Whitlock exposes, or at least he
states plainly the alleged cruelty to
states plainly the alleged cruelty to
convicts, practiced In prison. The "wa
ter cure," the thumb screws and pad-
beyond the publicists and legal lights
of today, If even only Just such cases
os Mr. Whitlock undoubtedly knows
have happened aro true. A criminal
sent to prison Is surely not entitled to
an electric bell, with Incidental bell
boy and Ice water, still one must ad
mit that a criminal Is a human being
and entitled to humans treatment. It
Mr. Whitlock has made only one point
Impressive In hls strong book, namely,
that the struggles for work and help
by a convict released from prison (the
fact of hls once having been In prison
being the bane of hls free life), the
book Is worthy of perusal. It Is afflrmod
that a released convict has a fair
chance. If he wishes one. But does he!
Is thero any employer of labor, say, of
bookkeepers and accountants, In Atlan
ta who would retain In hls employ a
man of whom he had Just learned that
he had been In the state prison? How
many of your business friends would
give a helping hand, that Is to say,
employment—not alms—to a released
convict here In Atlanta? Can you not
count such men on one finger?
This reviewer has not had for many
a day a book sent to this department
whfrh has caused more thought, painful
as It Is at times, than “The Turn of the
Balance.'' .
“CAN 8UCH THINGS BE?" by Am
brose Bierce. (Neale Publishing Com
pany.) One of the most thoroughly
entertaining and thought-compelling
collection of short stories Is that vol
ume Issued by the Neale Publishing
Company, Washington, D. C, and de>
llghtfully written by Mr. Ambrose
Bierce. It may be rather a strong thing
to say. and worse to put It In print,
but this reviewer believes that Mr.
Bierce Is one of the best. If not the
very best, short story writers using the
English language today. It Is to be
hoped that the statement that Mr.
Bierce's stories remind one strongly of
that master spirit, author of “The
House of Usher," In hls weird delinea
tions, will not be Considered a literary
heresy. There Is really nothing like
Mr. Bierce's handling of words, phrases
and thoughts, published today.
Mr. Bierce tells a clean-cut, direct,
strongly balanced story, pointedly log
ical and more than candid, and the
beauty of hls work Is,,when Mr. Bierce
Is done, he quits. The terminal facili
ties of the average and above-the-aver-
age short and long story writer Is un
deniably poor. Many books of this
day should be cut off right In the mid
dle of the volume, and the only excuse
the reader sees for a continuance of Its
pages Is a possible desire to work In a
certain number of thousand words.
Some of the stories In Mr. Bierce’s
collection "Can Such ThlngB Be?” are
delightful—all aro good. Mr. Bierce
has a series devoted to "Mysterious
Disappearances”—wonderful possibili
ties there!—and the author handles the
latter with the pen of a genius. In one
of the stories of mysterious disappear
ances Mr. Bierce tells of an old farm
er, happy In hls home and work, who
walks across a field in front of hls
house one bright day, and In sight of
hls family he disappears forever. Just
such a basis for a story to a casual
reader of this review no doubt seems
slight plot for a short story, but one
must see how Mr. Bierce handles a
scheme such as suggested to appre
ciate hls rare literary qualities. Most
people are Interested In tho newspaper
accounts of mysterious disappearances,
and It Is the opinion of this reviewer
that the present sale of a certain pop-
very catchy name of
Missing Men,” whereas “missing men'
has nothing whatever to do with the
plot of the novel in question. It tho
novel was not Interesting In other
ways, the reader might have $ust cause
against the author for obtaining the
price of the book under false pro
tenses.
Mr. Bierce has been a soldier—a real
soldier—and many of the stories In
"Can Such Things Be7" are laid around
those thrilling times of the Civil war.
All together, the book Is a gem, and
a better collection of entertaining sto
ries has not been written in many
years.
POSITIONS
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or Money Back
Contract given, backed by $300,000.00 capital and 18 years' success
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eouia<
die, make the reader’s blood boll many
times. After a year In prison Arthur
Is released, comes back to Toledo, Is
locked up by
tho detectives on suspi
cion the very day ho arrives, simply,
as tho author states, for being on the
streets. The Judge discharges Arthur,
but gives him a few hours In which to
leave town. Meeting one of hie old
friends, Arthur doesn't leave town for
few ’ days, during which period
horrible murder la committed on
on tho
outskirts of Toledo. The eagle-eyed
detectives put the crime on Arthur at
once, when he ta entirely Innocent, as
shown by Mr. Whitlock. Ha la puraued.
gets partly away. Is surrounded and
kills a detective before being disarmed.
He la tried and convicted, of course,
and while tried for the murder of the
detective, the district attorney. In de
vious wraye, continually brings In tho
murder on the outskirts of fhe city,
thereby prejudicing the Jury—result a
first degree murder verdict The latter
part of the book Is taken up In Gor
don Marriott's unsuccessful attempts
through tho supremo court and appeal
to the governor to aava Arthur’s life;
the appeal of the railroads of the old
German’s suit, which the latter won In
a lower court and lost In tho supreme
court: of the young daughter of the
old German, whose life had been ruined
5 r the degenerate Dick Ward; Oordon
arriott's long delayed avowal of love
for Elisabeth; the electrocution of Ar
thur Koemer and old Koemer'e slaugh
ter of hls remaining family and suicide
of himself.
Of course; the story la sad—no great
work of this character could be other
wise. The book certainly make* the
One hundred end ninety Vehicle*. son
neting of Burgles, Surreys end Runabouts.
Can farnlth any of tho sbors In steel ot
rabbet tires. Also n Urge line of Deliv
ery end Term Wagons and Harness.
Special prices far the next ten days oily.
Remember, our motto Is quick isles sm)
smell profits.
We can bits yon meney on Vehicles.
Farmers’ Supply Co.,
40-42 W. Alabama St.
Atlantay Ga.
"HOW DOTH THE 8IMPLE
8PELLING BEE.” By Owen WUter.
(Macmillan A Co.).
Mr. Owen Wleter has written a little
skit, making hilarious fun of tho pro
posed reformed spelling of President
Roosevelt's three-hundred-wordF, and
evidently of the Laird of Bklbo. This
little skit was originally published In
the Saturday Evening Post, but Is now
Issued In an attractive book form by
Macmillan & Co.
Mr, Wleter evidently bellevea that
the cardinal virtue (?), most sought
after by preSent-doy philanthropists, Is
publicity.
Masticator B. Fellows, head of a big
trust, baa established an unlveralty at
‘‘Arkansopolts,'’ with capacity for two
million students. Students are not com
ing In as they should to the university,
neither Is the product of Fellows' trust
selling as it le desired. So Fellows
decides to hold a convention at hla ex
pence, to reform the English language
by college professors.
The little tale le laid around the
gathering of these learned men of many
mlnda and opinions as to the desired
result. "
Mr. Wleter evidently has made
composite picture of the benefactor of
the University ot Chicago, and the
Laird of Sklbo. The llluetratlona ot
the book lean strongly to the former
person, with the bald head, akull cap
and sanctimonious meanner of speech.
The book le light reading; good for
a short pleasant half-hour, but the
reader will sincerely regret that the
author of that delightful novel “Lady
Baltimore,” and even "The Virginian.”
let himself down, or shall It be said
raised himself not one bit, by sending
forth "How Doth the 8troplo Spelling
Bee.” When an author can write a
gem like “Lady Baltimore,” hls read
ing public necessarily holds him up
to a very high standard, and It Is not
pleasing to find him leaving hla pedes
tal at sny time.
years ago knew Charlie and, while hls
stories are not quoted In this little
book, a good many of them certainly
have Charlie's hall mark on them.
Charlie Abbott Is the son of Colonel
B. F. Abbott, of Atlanta, and hls old
friends here remember with moro than
pleasure many times when Charlie
would "get wound-up" and keep a
crowd In continual laughter, from sup
per time until Clarence, the door
keeper at the club, served notice that
the club was about to be closed.
The stories aro very funny and told
for Just what they are—the dlavy of
a drummer. There are many, many old
friends of Charlie Abbott here In At
lanta who will want this book to learn
of hls present success In Boston, and
that Charlie Is thought to be In that
city as he undoubtedly was here—"the
original human ace."
CINOERS, The Diary of s Drummer,
By Wright Bsucr. (Q. W. Dillingham
& Co.)
The author of "Cinders," the Diary
of a Drummer, itatee that he made a
wager with Charlie Abbott (good old
Charlie, who used to lire In Atlahta)
that he could and would remember all
the Jokee, “gaga" and stories thrown
at him. on hls next trip out on the
road. To win this bet, end as an evi
dence of good faith, we have "Cinders."
The book, with all together too few
pages. Is filled with clean Jokes and
stories, which Mr. Bauer says were
worked off on him on a trip between
Boston. Baltimore, Chicago and Buf
falo. The fact that a few of the stories
have appeared In different exchangee
does not detract from the retelling, for
most of them are new.
The chief Interest tor Atlantans
of the little volume will naturally be
the appearance therein of Charlie Ab -
bolt. Everybody In Atlanta of a few
A Decided Novelty.
A Pleasing and Acceptable
Present, Highly Appreciated
by the Little Maidens.
The Exercise Deemed by
Eminent Medical Author
ity as Beneficial.
thbQUEENWIRE
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Each Bope placed tn pasteboard
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A Beautiful Toy which nils the mind of a child with supreme delight, and
the possession of which atones for the discovery that
dolls are stuffed with saw dust
Every little girl can be the proud possessor of one of
these Jumping Hopes by saving 12 coupons, of differ
ent numbers, and bringing them to The Atlanta Geor
gian office.
Queen Wir6 Jumping Rope Coupon.
COUPON NUMBER 3
Twelve coupons of different numbers will entitle the
holder of same to one Queen Wife Jumping Rope.
Name
Address
The Jumping Rope will be presented FREE to any
one paying a month’s subscription to The Atlanta
Georgian in advance. ,
Sent by mail to any address for 12 coupons of dif
ferent numbers and 5c in stamps to pay postage.
I