Rare Book Monthly
Book Catalogue Reviews - September - 2006 Issue
The Wild West from Gene W. Baade
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Item 130 is an obscure, scarce autobiography of a man of some note, though not a household name. Charles Fessenden Morse was born in Boston in 1839. He graduated Harvard in 1858 and went on to serve as captain for the Union Army in the Civil War. He is portrayed in the 1989 Civil War film "Glory," his role played Donovan Leitch, Jr. Leitch's father is familiar to the peace and love generation, the singer who used just his first name, "Donovan." Morse moved to Kansas City in the 1870s, where he went on to be a successful businessman, involved with the stockyards, railroads, and real estate. In 1920, he wrote A Sketch of My Life written for my Children, and a Buffalo Hunt in Nebraska in 1871. However, according to a note by his son, Arthur Holdredge Morse, Charles asked that the Sketch not be opened until he died. Morse died in 1926, and his obscure autobiography was privately printed in 1927. $300.
Item 203 is a wanted poster from the Wild West, but not the Old West. The subjects of this poster are Patty Hearst and fellow "outlaws" William and Emily Harris. "Self Proclaimed Members of the Symbionese Liberation Army...All Three should be Considered Armed and Very Dangerous," it warns. The FBI eventually got their woman, though she probably wasn't all that dangerous. $200.
There is a certain irony to Steven Longstreet's 1952 book, A Century on Wheels. The Story of Studebaker. A History, 1852-1952. Studebaker was one of the foremost wagon makers of the 19th century, and one of the most innovative automakers of the 20th. Half of the chapters in this book deal with Studebaker's pre-auto days. However, while Studebaker was a premier automaker in 1952, it soon afterwards lost its ability to seriously compete with the Big Three, and it would only last in the business for a little over one more decade. Item 108. $15.
You may reach Gene W. Baade at 425-271-6481, email bookwest@eskimo.com.
