Frank Reade, Jr's, Magnetic Gun Carriage

"Jump for your lives!" Frank screamed. Pomp shut off power and rushed out. He sprrang off, followed by Barney and Jim. Frank saw the train leaving him behind. He gave a leap and his fingers cloed on a iz of the rear railing. 

AUTHOR:

Luis Philips Senarens published under the pseudonym “Noname” among other pseudonyms include: Kit Clyde, W. J. Earle, Police Captain Howard, Don Jenardo, andNed Sparling. Although in his obituary he claimed to have used 27 pseudonyms. He was said to have published his first book at 14 in the Boys of New York and was the editor in chief for Tousey’s publications from 1985 to 1923. He began writing the Frank Reade series after Harry Enton ceased writing. “Noname” created the young inventor Frank Reade Jr. and his adventures. Other stories he wrote were for the Boys of New York, Happy Days and Jack Wright for the series Boys of New York, Boys Star Library & Golden Weekly. He contributed his work to Old King Brady with Secret Service and Young Wild West Weekly.  He was later published in the Pictorial Printing Co.’s Nickel Library and Border Boys Library. (Cox 237)

CHARACTERS:

Frank Reade, Jr. - the son of Frank Reade, the famous inventor of the Steam Man and the Steam Horse and hero of the story
Barney - Frank Reade Jr.’s Irish servant 
Pomp - Frank Reade Jr.’s African American servant
Jim Fay – Detective from Washington
Dick Ross – Train Robber and main villain

PLOT SUMMARY:

Frank Reade, Jr’s, Magnetic Gun Carriage; or, working for the U.S. Mail. was written by Luis P. Senarens under the pseudo name “unknown”. Published in December 31, 1892 in New York by Frank Tousey as part of The Frank Reade Library. In the story, Frank Reade Jr. is recruited by Jim Fay to go and capture the train robber Dick Ross and his gang on his new magnetic gun carriage The gang had stolen $50,000 on train from San Francisco to Chicago along with other unlaw things. Many things happen along their adventure in search for the Dick Ross including being buried alive, saving a runaway train by blowing it up, and being captured by the gang. The story ends with Dick Ross being captured by Frank, the magnetic gun carriage crashing into a river from a broken bridge, and all the stolen money being returned.

THEME:

The main theme in the story is that if you do something wrong, you will get caught for it. With the whole story being revolved with the search of Dick Ross and his capture for all the wrongdoing he has done creates the theme. Another theme is in regard to race and class genre is the white man as the head of race using racial stereotypes. Barney talks like an Irish man and constantly sounding like he is drunk or angry. Pomp as the African American servant is always saying, “yes sir” and talking with a stereotypical southern slave accent. . But Frank Reade Jr. always has the solution to any problem and is compassionate and always right.

Work Cited

Cox, J. Randolph. The Dime Novel Companion: A Source Book. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2000. Questia. Web. 26 Feb. 2013.

Senarens, Luis. Frank Reade, Jr.'s Magnetic Gun-Carriage, Or, Working for the U.s. Mail. New York: Frank Tousey, 1903. Print.