Frank Norris Remembered

5. M. C. Sloss

5 / M. C. Sloss Like Peixotto and Neustadter, Marcus Cauffman Sloss (1869–1958) was a mem­ ber of one of San Francisco’s prominent Jewish families. First acquainted with Norris at Belmont School for Boys, where he was in its first graduating class, Sloss later consorted with Norris at gatherings of both the group of bons vivants known as Les Jeunes and the Bohemian Club, which Sloss joined in 1893, a few years before Norris. Sloss’s wife, Harriet “Hattie” Lina Hecht Sloss (1874– 1962), a cousin of her husband’s Belmont classmate Summit Hecht, and a fellow member of the Browning Society with Norris’s mother, dedicated Certain Poets of Importance: Victorian Verse Chosen for Comparison (1929) to Gertrude. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1893, Sloss returned to San Francisco, where he enjoyed a distinguished career as a jurist and philanthropist. Source: M. C. Sloss to James D. Hart, letter, De­ cem­ ber 3, 1952, James D. Hart Papers, BANC MSS 81/107c, The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berke­ley. Dear Jimmy: Mrs. Sloss tells me that you are gathering material for a book about Frank Norris, and that you had heard that I had been a schoolmate of his and might recall some incidents that could be useful to you. I am glad to give you the following scattered recollections although I do not believe that you will find they have any special value for your purpose. In 1885 William T. Reid who had been principal of the Boys’ High School in San Francisco, and subsequently President of the University of California, decided to start a boarding school for boys at Belmont, California . He acquired an estate which had, I believe, belonged to William Ralston, the banker, and established his school, opening in the fall of 1885. Together with three of my classmates at Boys’ High School, who intended to go to Harvard, I entered Reid’s school. At that time the Boys’ High School did not, on graduation, quite meet the entrance requirements of 34 / Frank Norris Remembered Harvard College. It was in order to make up this gap that we went to Belmont School to take one year in place of the last year at the high school. The school opened with some 25 or 30 boys. In addition to those who, like myself, were in the senior class, preparing for college, there was a num­ ber of younger boys. One of these was Frank Norris who, as I recall, was about twelve years old.135 He was a quiet, unaggressive boy who, at that time gave no indication of the great talent which he displayed later. I recall one incident of no great significance. The boys in the school were playing football one afternoon. Frank Norris was running with the ball and was tackled and thrown. When he arose his left arm was broken above the wrist in both bones. He left the school for the necessary treatment and I think did not return during the school year. Whether he came back in the following year I do not know as I was no longer there. I have, however, other recollections of him at a somewhat later period. When I returned after going through Harvard and Harvard Law School, I began practice in the law office of Chickering, Thomas & Gregory.136 This was in the fall of 1893. Soon after my return my associate Gregory, who was a few years older than I, and I were asked to join a group of young men who were interested in literature and the arts and who used to meet at dinner [. . .] from time to time. I do not know how Gregory and I got into this company as neither of us had any claim to literary or artistic ability. The young men who met at that time included several who afterwards attained considerable note. One was Bruce Porter whose varied accomplishments are no doubt known to you. Another was Frank Gelett Burgess who passed away not very long ago. Among the number, also, was Ernest ­Peixotto who gained international fame as a painter, illustrator and writer. His brother, Sydney,137 was also one of those who used to meet on those occasions. Finally the company included Frank Norris. He was then in his early twenties , but had already begun to attract attention by his short stories which appeared in local magazines. I think he had not then published any of his long novels which...