July 14, 2025 and one hundred and twelve years ago on this day in 1913, Edgar Rice Burroughs began writing “The Girl From Farris’s,” one of three tales that he would write that explored or exposed the corruption and crime that was rampant in the Chicago of Burroughs’ youth. The other two were “The Efficiency Expert,” and “The Mucker.”
The story wasn’t anything like ERB’s typical tale and it had an interesting publishing history. All-Story Weekly serialized the tale of “Maggie, a woman accused of prostitution.” In September and October of 1916. The Tacoma Tribune serialized in 1920. After that the story was out of print until the Wilma Company published an edition limited to 250 copies for fans in 1959. The Burroughs Bibliophiles published it under its “House of Greystoke” imprint in 1965 and 1976. ERBville Press, aka Jerry Schneider, published an on-demand version in 2002. The only book version published and conventionally released was a Charter paperback in 1979.
Details, illustrations, and the Ebook: www.erbzine.com/mag7/0761.html
The 100-word drabble for today, “I See Nothing,” has been edited to fit the 100-word format’ It was written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It’s a comment on the difficulty of getting the government to take action. The Reverend Pursen makes the observation in “The Girl From Farris’s.” Considering that ERB wrote it in 1913 and looking at the world today, it seems that things haven’t changed all that much.
‘If the public doesn’t know the terrible conditions which prevail, how can we expect it to rouse itself and take action?
"No great reform is accomplished except upon the demand of the people. The police -- in fact all city officials -- know of these conditions; but will do nothing until are forced. Only the people who elect them and whose money pays them can force them. We must keep the horrors of the underworld constantly before the voters and tax-payers until they rise and demand the festering sore in the very heart of their magnificent city be cured forever.”
No comments:
Post a Comment