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The Turmoil
by Booth Tarkington
To Laurel。
There is a midland city in the heart of fair； open country； a dirty and
wonderful city nesting dingily in the fog of its own smoke。 The stranger
must feel the dirt before he feels the wonder； for the dirt will be upon him
instantly。 It will be upon him and within him； since he must breathe it； and
he may care for no further proof that wealth is here better loved than
cleanliness； but whether he cares or not； the negligently tended streets
incessantly press home the point； and so do the flecked and grimy citizens。 At
a breeze he must smother in the whirlpools of dust； and if he should decline
at any time to inhale the smoke he has the meager alternative of suicide。
The smoke is like the bad breath of a giant panting for more and more riches。
He gets them and pants the fiercer； smelling and swelling prodigiously。 He
has a voice； a hoarse voice； hot and rapacious trained to one tune： 〃Wealth！
I will get Wealth I will make Wealth！ I will sell Wealth for more Wealth！ My
house shall be dirty； my garment shall be dirty； and I will foul my neighbor
so that he cannot be cleanbut I will get Wealth！ There shall be no clean
thing about me： my wife shall be dirty and my child shall be dirty； but I
will get Wealth！〃 And yet it is not wealth that he is so greedy for： what the
giant really wants is hasty riches。 To get these he squanders wealth upon the
four winds； for wealth is in the smoke。
Not so long ago as a generation； there was no panting giant here； no heaving；
grimy city； there was but a pleasant big town of neighborly people who had
understanding of one another； being； on the whole； much of the same type。 It
was a leisurely and kindly place〃homelike；〃 it was calledand when the
visitor had been taken through the State Asylum for the Insane and made to
appreciate the view of the cemetery from a little hill； his host's duty as
Baedeker was done。 The good burghers were given to jogging comfortably about
in phaetons or in surreys for a family drive on Sunday。 No one was very rich；
few were very poor； the air was clean； and there was time to live。
But there was a spirit abroad in the land； and it was strong here as
elsewherea spirit that had moved in the depths of the American soil and
labored there； sweating； till it stirred the surface； rove the mountains； and
emerged； tangible and monstrous； the god of all good American hearts
Bigness。 And that god wrought the panting giant。
In the souls of the burghers there had always been the profound longing for
size。 Year by year the longing increased until it became an accumulated
force： We must Grow！ We must be Big！ We must be Bigger！ Bigness means
Money！ And the thing began to happen； their longing became a mighty Will。 We
must be Bigger！ Bigger！ Bigger！ Get people here！ Coax them here！ Bribe
them！ Swindle them into coming； if you must； but get them！ Shout them into
coming！ Deafen them into coming！ Any kind of people； all kinds of people！
We must be Bigger！ Blow！ Boost！ Brag！ Kill the fault…finder！ Scream and
bellow to the Most High： Bigness is patriotism and honor！ Bigness is love and
life and happiness！ Bigness is Money！ We want Bigness！
They got it。 From all the states the people came； thinly at first； and
slowly； but faster and faster in thicker and thicker swarms as the quick years
went by。 White people came； and black people and brown people and yellow
people； the negroes came from the South by the thousands and thousands；
multiplying by other thousands and thousands faster than they could die。 From
the four quarters of the earth the people came； the broken and the unbroken；
the tame and the wildGermans； Irish； Italians； Hungarians； Scotch； Welsh；
English； French； Swiss； Swedes； Norwegians； Greeks； Poles； Russian Jews；
Dalmatians； Armenians； Rumanians； Servians； Persians； Syrians； Japanese；
Chinese； Turks； and every hybrid that these could propagate。 And if there
were no Eskimos nor Patagonians； what other human strain that earth might
furnish failed to swim and bubble in this crucible？
With Bigness came the new machinery and the rush； the streets began to roar
and rattle； the houses to tremble； the pavements were worn under the tread of
hurrying multitudes。 The old； leisurely； quizzical look of the faces was lost
in something harder and warier； and a cockney type began to emerge
discerniblya cynical young mongrel； barbaric of feature； muscular and
cunning； dressed in good fabrics fashioned apparently in imitation of the
sketches drawn by newspaper comedians。 The female of his kind came with him
a pale girl； shoddy and a little rouged； and they communicated in a nasal
argot； mainly insolences and elisions。 Nay； the common speech of the people
showed change： in place of the old midland vernacular； irregular but clean；
and not unwholesomely drawling； a jerky dialect of coined metaphors began to
be heard； held together by GUNNAS and GOTTAS and much fostered by the public
journals。
The city piled itself high in the center； tower on tower for a nucleus； and
spread itself out over the plain； mile after mile； and in its vitals； like
benevolent bacilli contending with malevolent in the body of a man； missions
and refuges offered what resistance they might to the saloons and all the
hells that cities house and shelter。 Temptation and ruin were ready
commodities on the market for purchase by the venturesome； highwaymen walked
the streets at night and sometimes killed； snatching thieves were busy
everywhere in the dusk； while house…breakers were a common apprehension and
frequent reality。 Life itself was somewhat safer from intentional destruction
than it was in medieval Rome during a faction warthough the Roman murderer
was more like to pay for his deedbut death or mutilation beneath the wheels
lay in ambush at every crossing。
The politicians let the people make all the laws they liked； it did not matter
much； and the taxes went up； which is good for politicians。 Law…making was a
pastime of the people； nothing pleased them more。 Singular fermentation of
their humor； they even had laws forbidding dangerous speed。 More marvelous
still； they had a law forbidding smoke！ They forbade chimneys to smoke and
they forbade cigarettes to smoke。 They made laws for all things and forgot
them immediately； though sometimes they would remember after a while； and
hurry to make new laws that the old laws should be enforcedand then forget
both new and old。 Wherever enforcement threatened Money or Votes or
wherever it was too much to botherit became a joke。 Influence was the law。
So the place grew。 And it grew strong。 Straightway when he came； each man
fell to the same worship：
Give me of thyself； O Bigness：
Power to get more power！
Riches to get more riches！
Give me of thy sweat that I may sweat more！
Give me Bigness to get more Bigness to myself；
O Bigness； for Thine is the Power and the Glory！
And there is no end but Bigness； ever and for ever！
The Sheridan Building was the biggest skyscraper； the Sheridan Trust Company
was the biggest of its kind； and Sheridan himself had been the biggest builder
and breaker and truster and buster under the smoke。 He had come from a
country cross…roads； at the beginning of the growth； and he had gone up and
down in the booms and relapses of that period； but each time he went down he
rebounded a little higher； until finally； after a year of overwork and
anxietythe latter not decreased by a chance； remote but possible； of
recuperation from the former in the penitentiaryhe found himself on top；
with solid substance under his feet； and thereafter 〃played it safe。〃 But his
hunger to get was unabated； for it was in the very bones of him and grew
fiercer。
He was the city incarnate。 He loved it； calling it God's country； as he
called the smoke Prosperity； breathing the dingy cloud with relish。 And when
soot fell upon his cuff he chuckled； he could have kissed it。 〃It's good！ It's
good！〃 he said； and smacked his lips in gusto。 〃Good； clean soot； it's our
life…blood； God bless it！〃 The smoke was one of his great enthusiasms； he
laughed at a committee of plaintive housewives who called to beg his aid
against it。 〃Smoke's what brings your husbands' money home on Saturday night；
〃he told them； jovially。 〃Smoke may hurt your little shrubberies in the front
yard some； but it's the catarrhal climate and the adenoids that starts your
chuldern coughing。 Smoke makes the climate better。 Smoke means good health：
it makes the people wash more。 They have to wash so much they wash off the
microbes。 You go home and ask your husbands what smoke puts in their pockets
out o' the pay…rolland you'll come around next time to get me to turn out
more smoke instead o' chokin' it off！〃
It was Narcissism in hi