Project Gutenberg 2004-03-01 Public domain in the USA. 191 Lynde, Francis 1856 1930 The Grafters Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Andrea Ball and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. "The Grafters" by Francis Lynde is a novel likely written during the late 19th century, exploring themes of ambition, economic hardship, and the complexities of human nature in a growing Western city. The story begins in Gaston, a once-promising town that experienced a boom thanks to its railroads but soon faces an economic collapse. Central to the narrative is David Kent, an attorney who embarks on a turbulent journey as he navigates financial ruin, social upheaval, and the intricacies of political power during this tumultuous period. At the start of the novel, we are introduced to the historical backdrop of Gaston, illustrating its rapid rise and subsequent fall. The opening section lays out the origins of the town, the influential figures that shaped its destiny, and the coming financial crash that serves as a catalyst for the unfolding story. David Kent, arriving from New Hampshire to seek fortune, finds himself caught up in the ensuing chaos. Through Kent's perspective, we witness the panic that ensues as the town's residents confront their new reality, as well as his own strategic maneuvers to retain his professional and personal integrity amid the encroaching desperation. This opening not only sets the stage for the interwoven lives of its characters but also hints at deeper explorations of ethics and governance in the West. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 80.2 (6th grade). Easy to read. en Railroads -- Fiction Love stories Political corruption -- West (U.S.) -- Fiction PS Text Category: Novels Category: American Literature 551150 2025-07-05T07:33:56.877626 text/html 548934 2020-12-25T20:44:56 text/html 329459 2025-07-05T07:34:04.790585 application/epub+zip 340332 2025-07-05T07:33:58.674643 application/epub+zip 287098 2025-07-05T07:33:57.552628 application/epub+zip 533245 2025-07-05T07:34:09.541563 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 492585 2025-07-05T07:34:04.082633 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 410963 2022-09-05T13:10:35.726034 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 522807 2025-07-05T07:33:55.243661 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 503010 2024-10-28T18:41:13 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 524178 2020-12-25T20:44:56 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 524170 2020-12-25T20:44:56 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 21036 2025-07-05T07:34:09.666561 application/rdf+xml 9566 2025-07-05T07:33:58.057644 image/jpeg 2688 2025-07-05T07:33:57.802653 image/jpeg 204147 2020-12-25T20:44:56 application/octet-stream application/zip 283378 2020-12-25T20:44:56 application/octet-stream application/zip 204097 2020-12-25T20:44:57 application/octet-stream application/zip 317608 2025-07-05T07:33:56.926647 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia