Calumet K

by Samuel Merwin

In order to defeat a Chicago combine who want to corner the wheat market, a group of grain dealers must construct a million-bushel grain elevator with river access by the end of the year. But with only two months to go, only the foundation has been laid. Enter troubleshooter and super-engineer Charlie Bannon. With the assistance of a tough foreman, a carpenter, and a pretty lady bookkeeper, Bannon begins to do battle against the foes of progress : a railway that doesn't want construction materials carried across its tracks, a union representative intent on starting a strike, and the human emotions of the workers themselves. Will the team be able to raise the building and get the steam-powered loaders running in time?

Genres: Fiction, Literature, 20th Century, American, Classic Literature, Audiobook, Economics

364 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1901

About the author

Associate editor of Orison Swett Marden's Success Magazine 1905-09 and editor 1909-11.

Librarian note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Leonard Gaya · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have to suppose that Ayn Rand (the author of the much-acclaimed Atlas Shrugged doorstop) wrote these lines in a jest: “the very best I’ve ever read, my favourite thing in all world literature (and that includes all the heavy classics) is a novelette called Calumet “K” by Merwin-Webster.” She probably plundered Henry Kitchell Webster when writing her own heavy classic.

Either way, this marvellous light-weight novelette, about the construction of a grain elevator in some dump of the Mid-West, did indeed immerse me in utter boredom. If you are having trouble getting to sleep, this book can indeed become your favourite thing.

[Catalina · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a little bit rough to get into this story. First because of the language, a little bit difficult the unpolished american English of the beginning of the 20th century for a nonnative and second cause of the subject: a dry technical story about the construction of a silo. But after a while I was sucked in it, I become quite curious how Bannon will overcome all the difficulties put in his way by competitors, weather, his laborers, love. I understand and agree why Ayn Rand loved this story, Bannon is the perfect image of a leader, the most efficient man I've encounter in literature. He knows how to guide the people, how to motivate them and made them efficient; how to find solutions to apparently impossible problems, he sees creative solutions where no one else can and he can do the work of a titan in order to finish in time his projects. But he is quite emotional in front of love, which shows he is actually a human being and not just a highly efficient working machine.

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

It has been three decades or so since I read this book, so I've taken a star off for the distance of this review in my memory.

As a young man, I found this book to be riveting and direct. It reminded me of Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead", but without the polemic.

The protagonist is a doer, who comes to work to move the project forward against seemingly insurmountable odds. A great entrepreneur always has to overcome substantial odds, and this fellow is not the owner, but the project manager, if I remember correctly.

It is a quick read, so the author is not verbose, but Merwin still manages to communicate clear imagery and moral dilemmas.

I was so inspired after reading this book, that I went out and purchased a series of books by Frank Spearman about railroad life - also great, but not as memorable as Calumet "K".

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you told me that a story about construction delays on a grain elevator would be this exciting, I would have laughed in your face. But it really is a gripping read, as Charlie Bannon faces one problem after another as the boss of the ambitious construction project, from a material shortage to a blackmailing union representative, to try and get everything finished by the end of the year.

Really, it's an inspiring story of what a skilled leader can do when he uses his ingenuity.

[serprex · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good. Forgot the title of this until tonight. Doesn't drag on. Don't really get what drives the protagonist on. I always inwardly chuckle when I remember this piece, how the protagonist loses his cap. Whoops spoiler

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

worth the read for me simply to compare the characters bannon & Peterson to some of shute's protagonists - a few keywords to gnaw on that separate the worlds of these hardworking, problem solving men: The revolver, vacation, & Christmas (yes, this is a Christmas book in the same sorta way Citizen Kane has a one word reveal).

[Chi Laskowsavich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, short book. A bit of lingo I wasn't familiar with. The main character forms the archetype for Ayn Rand's "Get shit done" characters. The difference is that in Calumet K, the character is romanticized, but possible.

[Shelley · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had a similar reading experience when I tried to read a book called Penelope. The difference is I stopped that book after 20 pages bc I knew it wouldn't get better, this should've suffered that same fate

[Marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is where Ayn Rand got her inspiration. Or the story she ripped off - you decide.

[Marc A · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read Calumet K because Ayn Rand said it was her favorite novel. I shouldn't have bothered. I didn't care for Atlas Shrugged, so I shouldn't have expected much from Calumet K.

It's a short novel about Charlie Bannon, who is sent to Chicago to complete a grain elevator. If you don't know anything about grain elevators, you won't understand the many pages describing its construction. Against all the odds, Bannon completes it by the deadline. Along the way, he encounters shipping delays, a crooked union official, bad weather and an inefficient employee or two. How he deals with each difficulty does not make for exciting reading. The only people who might get anything out of Calumet K are Ayn Rand admirers and grain elevator aficionados. The rest of you may safely skip it.

[Kathie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this audiobook from Libravox.org. It took me a little while to get interested in the story as it had to do with an experienced builder to build a storage elevator be a January 1 deadline. The project had encountered, and will continue to encounter, many roadblocks and setbacks including the inability to get the supplies they needed delivered on time. It seems that businessmen are fighting over control of the wheat market. This storage unit is being built to store a tremendous amount of wheat.

It was interesting to read about the strong character Bannon and his long time friend Peterson who was in control of the project until Bannon is brought in to take control. Included is a little bit of a love story too.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick, fun story about a project manager assigned to get a failing construction job back on track, with some good examples of creativity, perseverance, and getting rid of overenthusiastic union stewards. One warning: Some of the language would definitely be considered offensive nowadays, but one can old one's nose and remember that it was originally published in 1901. This one's certainly worth spending an afternoon on, and there are plenty of places to get electronic editions for free since it's in the public domain.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

So, this is OLD school. Literally. 1907. Moves along, quick read, but the drama is not compelling. Pretty libertarian, in a way. Certainly pro business. Fun to see how people talked back then, and a glimpse of how they lived. Hard primitive lives. With a relationship that moved to marriage with even a kiss. Strange. Glad I read it, but I don't need any more of these oldies.

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The problems encountered by the driven head of the construction of a grain elevator in Chicago, was much more interesting than I anticipated. The problems, solutions, and sabotage of the project, were all explained in a way that kept my attentions, as the story moved from one obstacle to another. Be aware of some racist language.

[Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Atlas Shrugged meets Trading Places.
I can understand why Rand loved this book. The book was filled with urgency met head on by the protagonist with competence, courage, conscientiousness, and creativity. Every page was exciting. A fast and uplifting read.

[Dave Klier · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome

Simply incredible writing and storytelling. I’m sorry it took Ayn Rand to tell be about these writers. I see where she gets her inspiration.

[Jack Gardner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Construction Beyond Blueprints
The story of a construction project beyond the blueprints, with some early 1900s history. A structural engineer and trouble shooter must complete the construction of a grain elevator in Calumet county on time, in spite of supply chain delays, labor issues, bad weather, and powerful interests wishing to delay completion. The theme suggested by a number of characters is that good luck and bad luck are common to all endeavors and people generally achieve successes according to the breadth of their knowledge, ingenuity, flexibility, and willingness to work. We also get a picture of commodity markets at work, from farm production to transportation to Wall Street trading pits.

[R. Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best edition of "Calumet" to buy for sheer readability. It corrects errors in the 1901 edition and provides a helpful glossary at the back.

The story, as others have pointed out, is essentially a metaphor for business. A construction manager, Charlie Bannon, has taken on a potentially lucrative building project ("Calumet K"). But he faces a dilemma: he knows what is necessary to succeed, but it may involve sacrificing his ethics. What to do?

"Calumet K" would be excellent "Intro to Business" text. It shows that ethics are always a part of business. Some might argue that business and ethics are incompatible. I disagree. In any activity involving people, there is a right way and a wrong way to conduct yourself. The right way, as Bannon learns, is to build relationships that are, as much as possible, mutually beneficial and leave a positive feeling that will last long after the transaction has been completed.

Highly recommended.

[Peter · Rating 3 out of 5]

5/10

"It's the small fry that make the trouble. Guess that's true 'most everywhere."

In Calumet K, the foreman Charlie Bannon steers a Great Project to its completion, cleverly overcoming obstacles in his path like accidents, weather, industrial competition, and crafty union reps. In this industrial-capitalistic adventure, achievement is the goal.

Webster describes the project, a massive grain elevator, as a marvel of engineering, and the reader sees through Bannon's eyes, admiring the monument for its aesthetic beauty as well. As a manager, Bannon tolerates no nonsense, but he is consistently reasonable, driven, and very smart. I enjoyed seeing how he could maneuver his way out of scrape after scrape.

Any gripes?
This novel's (limited) fame nowadays comes from its status as Ayn Rand's favorite book, and as the quote above illustrates, the story has an obvious slant. The story takes careful steps to differentiate Bannon from cruel or greedy industrialists, and the reader naturally roots for him as he remains firm but virtuous. The labor union representative consistently blackmails, schemes, and makes unreasonable demands, seeking power rather than a better life for the workers. The laborers themselves are not evil; they're just sheep. This dismissive perception of the common laborer is not only implicit in the fact that all are willing to follow the corrupt union rep, it is reiterated explicitly in several passages. I won't get into historical accuracy on one side or the other, but basically, Calumet K oversimplifies the labor issue in service of the story.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected more from this book. I started to read it because I had learned Ayn Rand liked it, but I didn't notice that "benevolent universe" Ayn supposedly saw there. (I expected it to be not about struggle with trade unions and tycoons, but against forced of Nature - only this struggle I thought to be possible in the universe with all the philosophical problems solved.)
The plot itself, though having some interesting moments, lacks drama sense. And the love line (that, I need to say, I didn't expect at all of such a male novel) was culminated rather awkwardly and not clear enough IMHO. But we should remember that this book was written more than a century ago, and that time literature standards differed from our a lot.
Fortunately, later there were a lot of interesting books written. I wonder whether Ayn Rand might have liked books of Arthur Hailey or Michael Crichton? To me they remind her much talked-about benevolent universe much more, than Calumet K.

[Grant · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had never heard of this book when I grabbed it blindly off the library shelf, but I agree with the reviewers who compare it to Ayn Rand. It has the same sort of indefatigable protagonist who never seems to make a mistake. Without the preachy philosophy of Rand, the plot moves quickly, and you almost feel as if you have to rush through reading the book to help the characters meet their deadline.

[Raghavi Vijayaraghavan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guess I don't exaggerate if I say that this book is indeed a fictional case study on Time and Resource management for the present day white collar people. The fire of a momentum that drives the protagonist along would catch on any one that set their eyes on the pages of this book. Charlie Bannon's knack of extracting work and carving a way out anywhere he steps on, makes him an endearing protagonist. Witholding a star for the smudge of a needless romance smeared across, uncalled for.

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

QUICK AND ENTERTAINING.

An interesting look at the attitudes of business/labor at the end of the 19th century.


Recommendation: Good for a casual browse; especially since it's a 'free-to-the-reader' Google digital book.


[Nook eBook #12:] (232 pages, Google digital edition from Barnes & Noble)

[Sylvia Sarno · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really a thriller. And it's about the building of a grain elevator! Fast paced and benevolent, I didn't want it to end.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Inspiring story that celebrates hard work, respect, and strong character in the face of nature and crooks.

[Yoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Other than the nice plot, this book is a cool window to the turn of the 19th century in the United States.

[Susan Molloy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was so bad, it was good. I worked my way to the end, just to see how it turned out.