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The Characters of the American West Return with Old West Books Western Americana from Old West Books By Michael Stillman Old West Books has released its Catalog 21 of Rare, Out of Print Books on the American West. You will find all of your favorite western characters in these works. Included are the legendary and obscure, a great many notorious, a few heroic, all interesting. Not to be namedroppers, but lurking in the pages of these books you will find Wyatt Earp, Jesse and Frank James, Wild Bill Hickok, Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, John Wesley Hardin, Butch Cassidy, Black Jack Ketchum, Bat Masterson, Doc Holliday, Sam Bass, Hanging Judge Isaac Parker, Calamity Jane, Belle Starr, Cattle Kate, George Armstrong Custer, Sitting Bull, Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley, and so many more. Everything about the Old West is here, from the fanciful to the factual. The land still captures our imagination today. Now, here are a few of the titles offered. Item 242 is an autobiography from one of the worst of the outlaws, The Life of John Wesley Hardin, From the Original Manuscript, as Written by Himself. Hardin was a violent-tempered man, apparently willing to kill for just about any excuse if he was in the wrong mood. In one instance, he is reported to have killed a man in an adjoining hotel room for snoring too loud. He is said to have killed 20 or 30, possibly more, although one fellow gunslinger he diplomatically avoided was Wild Bill Hickok, at the time a marshal in Abilene, Kansas, the last stop of Texas cattle drives. Hardin had shot someone while working on the drive. Eventually, Hardin was captured in Alabama, and returned to prison in Texas, which he called home for 17 years. He was finally released in 1894, and took up residence in El Paso, only to be shot dead the following year after a quarrel with a local sheriff. However, during that last year, Hardin wrote the manuscript story of his life published in this book. $375. Speaking of El Paso, item 269 recounts that town's Wild West days in Forty Years at El Paso 1858-1898. Recollections of War, Politics, Adventure, Events, Narratives, Sketches, Etc. Published in 1901, the book tells of the "bloody reign" of the city marshals, and includes an account of Hardin's death. $550. For old times in Southern California, there's Reminiscences of a Ranger; or Early Times in Southern California, By Major Horace Bell. Bell was familiar with the rougher side of California life for many years. Among his adventures was his participation in William Walker's filibustering raids. Walker managed to briefly seize control of Baja California from Mexico in 1853 before being forced to retreat, and later of Nicaragua in 1856, only to be executed in 1860 during his final raid in Honduras. Item 210. $575. Like his grandfather, Joseph W. Revere got on his horse and rode. However, he didn't stop at the suburbs of Boston like Paul. He made it all the way to California, with stops along the way for distractions such as the Civil War. His career is recounted in his book Keel and Saddle. A Retrospective of Forty Years of Military and Naval Service, published in 1872. Item 98. $325.
The Characters of the American West Return with Old West Books A senescent Bryant Brooks. Item 136 is the Memoirs of Bryant B. Brooks. Cowboy, Trapper, Lumberman, Stockman, Oilman, Banker, and Governor of Wyoming. Obviously, Brooks did many things in his life, including his service as Wyoming Governor from 1905-1911. However, Brooks did not get around to publishing his memoirs until 1939. Reportedly, 250 copies were printed by Arthur H. Clark, but only 88 were sold, the rest being given to Brooks to do with as he pleased. According to noted western writer and historian J. Frank Dobie, obviously not a big Brooks fan, "It was merely printed to satisfy the senescent vanity of a property-worshiping, cliche-parroting reactionary who made money ranching before he became governor of Wyoming." On the bright side, this will always be a scarce book. And, for those of you who, like me, are not as literate as Dobie, "senescent" means "approaching advanced age." Actually, by 1938, he was more than approaching senescence as Brooks was age 78. $300. Item 199 is the story of a forgotten "cattle king," who ought to be remembered at least for his name: Fountain Goodlet Oxsheer. Oxsheer built up some of the largest herds, and largest ranches ever seen in Texas and Mexico in the years after the turn of the century. Oxsheer managed to sell his lands in Mexico just in time to get out before the revolution, but two other times he was not so lucky. He was forced to sell off thousands of head of cattle for a fraction of what he paid, along with most of his land when beef prices collapsed after the First World War. After rebuilding his fortune in the 1920s, he would be crushed once again when cattle prices crumbled after the stock market crash of 1929. He died two years later at age 82, not enough time to rebuild his empire. The book, published in 1986, is The Forgotten Cattle King. $35. Old West Books is found online at www.oldwestbooks.com, telephone 817-557-4830, email oldwestbooks@earthlink.net.

The Characters of the American West Return with Old West Books

Western Americana from Old West Books

By Michael Stillman

Old West Books has released its Catalog 21 of Rare, Out of Print Books on the American West. You will find all of your favorite western characters in these works. Included are the legendary and obscure, a great many notorious, a few heroic, all interesting. Not to be namedroppers, but lurking in the pages of these books you will find Wyatt Earp, Jesse and Frank James, Wild Bill Hickok, Billy the Kid, Pat Garrett, John Wesley Hardin, Butch Cassidy, Black Jack Ketchum, Bat Masterson, Doc Holliday, Sam Bass, Hanging Judge Isaac Parker, Calamity Jane, Belle Starr, Cattle Kate, George Armstrong Custer, Sitting Bull, Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley, and so many more. Everything about the Old West is here, from the fanciful to the factual. The land still captures our imagination today. Now, here are a few of the titles offered.

Item 242 is an autobiography from one of the worst of the outlaws, The Life of John Wesley Hardin, From the Original Manuscript, as Written by Himself. Hardin was a violent-tempered man, apparently willing to kill for just about any excuse if he was in the wrong mood. In one instance, he is reported to have killed a man in an adjoining hotel room for snoring too loud. He is said to have killed 20 or 30, possibly more, although one fellow gunslinger he diplomatically avoided was Wild Bill Hickok, at the time a marshal in Abilene, Kansas, the last stop of Texas cattle drives. Hardin had shot someone while working on the drive. Eventually, Hardin was captured in Alabama, and returned to prison in Texas, which he called home for 17 years. He was finally released in 1894, and took up residence in El Paso, only to be shot dead the following year after a quarrel with a local sheriff. However, during that last year, Hardin wrote the manuscript story of his life published in this book. $375.

Speaking of El Paso, item 269 recounts that town's Wild West days in Forty Years at El Paso 1858-1898. Recollections of War, Politics, Adventure, Events, Narratives, Sketches, Etc. Published in 1901, the book tells of the "bloody reign" of the city marshals, and includes an account of Hardin's death. $550.

For old times in Southern California, there's Reminiscences of a Ranger; or Early Times in Southern California, By Major Horace Bell. Bell was familiar with the rougher side of California life for many years. Among his adventures was his participation in William Walker's filibustering raids. Walker managed to briefly seize control of Baja California from Mexico in 1853 before being forced to retreat, and later of Nicaragua in 1856, only to be executed in 1860 during his final raid in Honduras. Item 210. $575.

Like his grandfather, Joseph W. Revere got on his horse and rode. However, he didn't stop at the suburbs of Boston like Paul. He made it all the way to California, with stops along the way for distractions such as the Civil War. His career is recounted in his book Keel and Saddle. A Retrospective of Forty Years of Military and Naval Service, published in 1872. Item 98. $325.

The Characters of the American West Return with Old West Books

A senescent Bryant Brooks.

Item 136 is the Memoirs of Bryant B. Brooks. Cowboy, Trapper, Lumberman, Stockman, Oilman, Banker, and Governor of Wyoming. Obviously, Brooks did many things in his life, including his service as Wyoming Governor from 1905-1911. However, Brooks did not get around to publishing his memoirs until 1939. Reportedly, 250 copies were printed by Arthur H. Clark, but only 88 were sold, the rest being given to Brooks to do with as he pleased. According to noted western writer and historian J. Frank Dobie, obviously not a big Brooks fan, "It was merely printed to satisfy the senescent vanity of a property-worshiping, cliche-parroting reactionary who made money ranching before he became governor of Wyoming." On the bright side, this will always be a scarce book. And, for those of you who, like me, are not as literate as Dobie, "senescent" means "approaching advanced age." Actually, by 1938, he was more than approaching senescence as Brooks was age 78. $300.

Item 199 is the story of a forgotten "cattle king," who ought to be remembered at least for his name: Fountain Goodlet Oxsheer. Oxsheer built up some of the largest herds, and largest ranches ever seen in Texas and Mexico in the years after the turn of the century. Oxsheer managed to sell his lands in Mexico just in time to get out before the revolution, but two other times he was not so lucky. He was forced to sell off thousands of head of cattle for a fraction of what he paid, along with most of his land when beef prices collapsed after the First World War. After rebuilding his fortune in the 1920s, he would be crushed once again when cattle prices crumbled after the stock market crash of 1929. He died two years later at age 82, not enough time to rebuild his empire. The book, published in 1986, is The Forgotten Cattle King. $35.

Old West Books is found online at www.oldwestbooks.com, telephone 817-557-4830, email oldwestbooks@earthlink.net.