Work and Win No. 891: Fred Fearnot in Russia

Fearnot in Russia; or, Banished by the Czar This issue of *Work and Win* (No. 891, December 31, 1915) features the serial "Fearnot in Russia; or, Banished by the Czar" by Hal Standish. The excerpt begins with protagonist Fred Fearnot in his office at New Era discussing his Wild West Show's unexpected financial success with a skeptical friend. Fearnot defends his profit estimates and expounds on human nature, arguing that morbid curiosity drives repeated attendance at thrilling spectacles. He discusses how the show's realistic depictions of hangings, gunfights, scalping scenes, and bear hunts appeal to base desires that most people deceive themselves about. Supporting characters include Tom Hogan, an industrious young employee, and Fannie Gardner, a cheerful woman whom Hogan has fallen in love with. The included illustration depicts an officer reading a Czar's decree banishing Americans from Russia to Siberia.