- Optimistic in the face of failure, Daniel Webster Opp finally attains success as a traveling salesman for a shoe firm, but just when his prospects are best, he receives word that his stepfather is dead. He leaves at once to meet his brother Ben at Cove Junction, where they settle the estate according to Ben's demands. Ben takes the money, while Mr. Opp is given the homestead and custody of their feeble-minded half-sister Kippy. Sacrificing all to remain with his sister, Mr. Opp founds a newspaper, "The Opp Eagle," and starts to promote the town. His optimistic editorials are read by John Mathews, a wealthy promoter who comes to investigate the possibility of coal in the area. After convincing the townspeople to invest their money, Mathews discovers the mine to be worthless and decides to sell out to the competition, against Mr. Opp's wishes. Next, Mr. Opp loses his sweetheart Guinevere Gusty to Mathew's secretary, Willard Hinton. Throughout, Mr. Opp remains cheerful and is rewarded for his optimism when the townspeople nominate him to be mayor of Cove Junction.
- Daniel Webster Opp, egotistical, vain and with only a smattering of education, is the epitome of cheerfulness and optimism. He has ventured into many careers and has made a failure of all of them, until he becomes a traveling salesman for a St. Louis show firm. Just when promises are golden, Opp receives word that his stepfather has died and he must go at once to his old home to settle the estate. He is met at the hotel in Cove Junction by his brother, Ben, who demands that a settlement be made on the basis of D. Webster taking the homestead while Ben shall have the few dollars in cash that complete the estate. In this arrangement Ben plans to send Kippy Opp to an institution for the feeble minded. As a result of the ravages of fever Kippy at the age of twenty-four has only the mind of a child. D. Webster Opp decides to sacrifice himself to the care of his sister. He gives Ben the money and settles down in the old homestead to start life anew. As Cove Junction boasts no newspaper, Mr. Opp establishes The Opp Eagle. His optimistic editorials are read by a wealthy promoter who goes to Cove Junction to investigate the possibilities of getting coal from the ground in that vicinity. Mr. Opp's plan for a "Greater Cove Junction" enthuses the populace, and he is chosen as the community head in forwarding schemes to make the town famous and prosperous. John Mathews, the promoter, addresses an assembly of the townsfolk, promising to co-operate with them in developing the coal lands if the citizens will invest with him in the Turtle Creek Development Co., which he undertakes to form. Mr. Opp's enthusiasm leads the citizens to invest, and Cove Junction begins to boom. With Guinevere Gusty, the village belle, Mr. Opp has fallen in love, proposes marriage and is accepted. This happens before Willard Hinton, because of threatened blindness, is compelled to abandon his position as private secretary to John Mathews. Hinton decides to remain in Cove Junction and goes to board at the home of the Widow Gusty. This move ends Mr. Opp's matrimonial aspirations, for Guinevere falls in love with Hinton and Mr. Opp releases the girl from her engagement. John Mathews returns to Cove Junction and at a meeting of the stockholders declares that the coal lands have been found to be unproductive of profit, but offers a plan to sell out to a rival corporation. All the stockholders, except Mr. Opp, agree to sell. Mr. Opp declares the whole transaction to be dishonorable, preconceived by Mathews to trick the rival company into buying a worthless proposition. He, however, is voted down and the sale is consummated. Then and there Cove Junction's boom begins to wane. Hinton, having married Guinevere, makes a proposal to buy the Opp Eagle and retain Mr. Opp as an employee. Seeing his last hopes vanishing, Mr. Opp sells out on the day the townsfolk have set for a banquet to do honor to the man who has done so much to advance the prosperity of Cove Junction. Mr. Opp finds himself the hero of an occasion that brings to his heart the manna of adulation and praise for which he is so hungry. He is then and there nominated for the office of Mayor and the story ends with Mr. Opp happy in the homage of his follow citizens with a life of devotion to the brain-sick Kippy.
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