Fred Fearnot's Lariat: or, How He Caught His Ma

# Museum Catalog Note

This issue (No. 66, March 9, 1900) features the opening chapter of "Fred Fearnot's Lariat," by Hal Standish. The serial follows Fred Fearnot and Terry Olcott upon their return to New York from South Africa, where they have served in military positions during the Boer War, fighting alongside both Boers and Outlanders. The protagonists arrive bearing rough uncut diamonds from African mines, which they distribute as gifts—Fred presents diamonds to his mother and to Evelyn Olcott (Terry's sister), including a stone estimated at five thousand dollars. The narrative establishes romantic subplots: Terry pines for Mary Hamilton, while Fred shows particular affection toward Evelyn, with familial banter among the characters. The chapter emphasizes their recent military experiences and their transition to domestic life in New York society.