Beadle's Dime Library No. 686

# Museum Catalog Note

Billy Blair's Grand Exposition: A Romance of Chicago and the Depworth Millions by Leon Lewis appears in this December 1891 issue of Beadle and Adams's dime novel series. The narrative interweaves two plots: the arrival of a mysterious, battered stranger at Black Jack Yattaw's bumboat on Lake Michigan—a man who claims shipwreck but arouses suspicion—and the concurrent arrival in Chicago of Sir Charles Depworth, a wealthy English baronet heading an investment syndicate. English detective Gordon Swopp has traveled four thousand miles to safeguard Depworth from criminal schemes, including threats from crooked secretary Fred Bullinger and notorious criminals Hi Jenkins, Bart Wyser, and Dan the Swatter. A secondary mystery involves the Depworths' long-missing daughter, stolen sixteen years prior, whom they hope to locate during this Chicago visit. The narrative balances maritime adventure with detective work and criminal intrigue.