Kate Mulhall, A Romance of the Oregon Trail - by Ezra Meeker, Author of: Ox-Team Days, Pioneer Reminiscences, The Busy Life of 85 Years, Pioneer Stories for Children, Story of the Lost Trail to Oregon. Drawings by Margaret Landers Sanford, Rudolf A. Kausch and Oscar W. Lyons. Map of the Oregon Trail, and photographs.
Old Slip, NYC: Published by Ezra Meeker, 1926. Hardcover. 287p., a variety of illustrations, all present as called for (listed, about twenty) and in good shape, including the two frontis portraits, in one of which he is shown with President Calvin Coolidge. Presswork was done on lightly-toned acidic stock. Hardbound in 7.5x5 inch red cloth boards overprinted in white and green, and enclosed in a partial dust jacket. The book itself is sunned across the spine panel where the dj wasn't, has a small puncture to spine, is slightly edgeworn; book is otherwise quite good: hinges sound, both endsheets unmarred by anything besides the author's autograph, textblock bears a very faint crimp to corner-tips of about thirty-five leaves, cover and spine graphics are undamaged and vivid. The dust jacket is missing an enormous chunk (lower third) and has extensive tape-strengthening; too bad, because the dj verso bore a clear map of "the Trail", much clearer than the map bound in and printed on semi-acidic stock. Dj also bears much text that is useful and that remains readable.
Robert Bruce in the brief introduction opines that Meeker is the sole human being to have ever "undertaken an important work of fiction in his 95th year". It reads well. Meeker himself contributes prefatory remarks, saying everything happened as described, that he had simply changed or added names.
Cat.No: 290713
Price: $22.00