Novel 078: Merwin & Webster, Calumet "K" (1901)
A man oversees the construction of a grain elevator.
Samuel Merwin (1874-1936) and Henry Kitchell Webster (1875-1932), both from Evanston, Illinois, collaborated on a number of novels. This one makes the building of a grain elevator outside Chicago the occasion of a gripping tale of entrepreneurial good and evil.
“Not even Kipling could put more life into the story or give one a better idea of the obstacles which the man met and conquered.” San Francisco Chronicle, November 30, 1901
“As good a story of the romance of modern enterprise as can be found. . . . The way in which the young constructor triumphs over all odds forms the substance of as thrilling a story as any tale of war or adventure.” Advance, December 5, 1901
“A brisk and characteristic example of the American novel,—the romance of Labour. . . . The material of the book is absolutely prosaic . . . but the story will delight readers who combine mechanical tastes with the spirit of practical enterprise. . . . The joint authors have the faculty of clear and brief description, which makes it easy to follow the intricacies of a ‘business’ plot.” Spectator, December 14, 1901
Download this week’s novel: