The Spoilers (Beach novel)
 First edition cover | |
| Author | Rex Beach |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Published | 1906 |
| Pages | 313 pp |
The Spoilers (1906) is a novel by
The book was quickly adapted into a play, and was later adapted to film five times, in
Plot
Young fearless prospector Roy Glenister and his older partner, Dextry are headed back to Nome on the first ship of the season, eager to return to protect their gold claim called the "Midas", which promises to yield them great wealth. On the trip, they defend a young woman who boards the ship from her pursuers—and who is also intent on reaching Nome as soon as possible. Glenister immediately begins to fall for the young beauty, who turns out to be Helen Chester, niece of Judge Arthur Chester, recently appointed as the first federal judge for the Alaska Territory—the "law" is coming to the wild northern frontier. Except it turns out the law is crooked. The Judge and the federal marshall are really under the thumb of strongman politician Alexander McNamara. After reaching Nome, McNamara succeeds in being appointed receiver of all the most lucrative mining claims in the region, based on fraudulent disputes over the validity of the miners' claims. Glenister, Dextry, and a number of naive Swedes are dispossessed of their lands. The miners hire lawyers to fight on the legal side, and also form a vigilante group to fight the "law". McNamara rules ruthlessly, running the mines himself. Glenister sinks into despair, believing that Helen is in on the conspiracy against the miners, and almost loses his stake in the Midas in a night of reckless gambling. He is only saved from that fate by Cherry Malotte, whose unrequited love for Glenister has brought her to Nome. Helen slowly learns about the scheme being perpetrated by McNamara, her uncle, and others, while her affections are torn between Glenister and McNamara.
Historical basis
The novel is loosely based on actual events that occurred during the
After the death of Beach's acquaintance Frank M. Canton, obituary writers suggested Canton was a model for the novel's characters. Later historians determined that there was no direct evidence of that claim.[10]
References
- ^ Korda, Michael. Making the List: A Cultural History of the American Bestseller, 1900-1999, p. 11 (2001) (listing The Spoilers at number eight for the year)
- The Bookman (New York)listed The Spoilers four times in its lists for 1906)
- ^ (July 7, 1906). The Six Most Popular Novels In May, Publishers Weekly, p. 18 (listing The Spoilers as number 3 for May 1906)
- ^ (December 24, 1955). 4-Time Loser; 'The Spoilers' Returns to Films Once More, The New York Times
- ^ (April 14, 1906). The Gold Fever: Rex E. Beach's Thrilling Story of Life in the Far North, "The Spoilers", The New York Times
- ^ Mininswindles.com,The spoilers, Retrieved May 10, 2010
- The Chicago Tribune
- ^ Recent Fiction and Its Critics, Current Literature, Vol. XLI, No. 2, p. 226 (August 1906)
- LCCN 79-71140.
- ^ http://npshistory.com/newsletters/the-american-west/v1n3.pdf
External links
- The Spoilers full text at Project Gutenberg