Plane and Plank - Or the Mishaps of a Mechanic
Oliver Optic
Paperback
(Morison Press, March 25, 2015)
This book contains the second edition of The Upward and Onward Series in which the hero, Phil Farringford, appears as a mechanic. The events of the story are based on the Missouri River and in the city of St. Louis. Phil leans the trade of a carpenter, and the contrast between a young mechanic of an inquiring mind earnestly labouring to master his business is contrasted with one who feels above his calling and overvalues his skill, presented to the young reader with the hope that they shall take on board the lessons contained herein. William Taylor Adams (1822 - 1897) was an esteemed academic, author, and a member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives . Often writing under the pseudonym Oliver Optic, Adams wrote over 100 books, the most popular of which were part of his "Blue & Gray" series.