A Captain of Industry: Being the Story of a Civilized Man

Born into New York’s most privileged circles, the story follows a young man whose life begins under the glitter of Fifth Avenue mansions, lavish wardrobes, and a steady stream of newspaper attention. Raised by a father determined to mold him into a proper gentleman, he is tutored by governesses, taught the subtleties of high society, and schooled among the elite, acquiring the trappings of wealth while learning the games of poker and the allure of the racetrack.

Yet beneath the polished exterior lies a restless spirit. As he reaches adulthood, a passionate romance with a country girl blossoms, propelling him into a brief, idyllic interlude away from the city’s demands. When the relationship threatens to become a marriage, his father’s growing financial anxieties begin to surface, hinting at the conflicts that will test the young man’s ideals and the very notion of what it means to be “civilized.