THE PIT

A STORY OF CHICAGO

By

FRANK NORRIS

NEW YORK
1903

Dedicated to My Brother
Charles Tolman Norris

In memory of certain lamentable tales of the round (dining-room) tableheroes; of the epic of the pewter platoons, and the romance-cycle of"Gaston Le Fox," which we invented, maintained, and found marvellous ata time when we both were boys.

Principal Characters in the Novel

CURTIS JADWIN, capitalist and speculator.
SHELDON CORTHELL, an artist.
LANDRY COURT, broker's clerk.
SAMUEL GRETRY, a broker.
CHARLES CRESSLER, a dealer in grain.
MRS. CRESSLER, his wife.
LAURA DEARBORN, protege of Mrs. Cressler.
PAGE DEARBORN, her sister.
MRS. EMILY WESSELS, aunt of Laura and Page.

The Trilogy of The Epic of the Wheat includes the following novels:

THE OCTOPUS, a Story of California.
THE PIT, a Story of Chicago.
THE WOLF, a Story of Europe.

These novels, while forming a series, will be in no way connected witheach other save only in their relation to (1) the production, (2) thedistribution, (3) the consumption of American wheat. When complete,they will form the story of a crop of wheat from the time of its sowingas seed in California to the time of its consumption as bread in avillage of Western Europe.

The first novel, "The Octopus," deals with the war between the wheatgrower and the Railroad Trust; the second, "The Pit," is the fictitiousnarrative of a "deal" in the Chicago wheat pit; while the third, "TheWolf," will probably have for its pivotal episode the relieving of afamine in an Old World community.

The author's most sincere thanks for assistance rendered in thepreparation of the following novel are due to Mr. G. D. Moulson of NewYork, whose unwearied patience and untiring kindness helped him to thebetter understanding of the technical difficulties of a Verycomplicated subject. And more especially he herewith acknowledges hisunmeasured obligation and gratitude to Her Who Helped the Most of All.

F. N.
NEW YORK
June 4, 1901.

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