Narrative of Edward Mcgowan - Rare Book Insider
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McGowan, Edward

Narrative of Edward Mcgowan

Privately printed by Thomas C. Russell, San Francisco: 1917
Small 8vo. Illustrated plates. Publisher's brown paper covered boards with cream title label on spine. Previous owner blindstamp at top of title page; previous owner name in pencil; else a fine copy. Including a Full Account of the Author's Adventures and Perils While Persecuted by the San Francisco Vigilance Committee of 1856 - Together with a Report of His Trial Which Resulted in His Acquittal. First published in 1857, described in The Zamorano 80 as "one of the rare pieces of Californiana.published in pamphlet form by `Ned' McGowan, one-time justice of the peace in San Francisco, and an ex-convict from Pennsylvania, as a vindication of his conduct in absconding after being accused of complicity in the murder of James King of William." (Adams Six-Guns 1408; Cowan p.407; Howes M103; Zamorano 80 #54). Limited Edition to 200 numbered copies, this copy not numbered.
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Empire on the Platte

Crabb, Richard; with research by Burt Sell "An official publication of the Nebraska Centennial. This is number 180 of a special edition of 250 copies SIGNED by the author". 8vo. x, 373 pp. Index. Illustrated by Ernest L. Reedstrom and with photographic plates and portraits throughout, map endpapers. Two original paper "Nebraska Centennial" blue promotional wrap-around bands laid in (one in fine condition, see image). Decorated tan cloth spine, rust paper covered boards in publisher's pictorial dustjacket. Housed in publisher's box with jacket image applied to top. A fine copy; minor rubbing to box corners else fine. A trade edition was also issued in pictorial cloth. Ramon Adams in his Six-guns mentions the trade edition but apparently was unaware of this scarce special edition. We find only one copy of this special edition in online institutions. A rousing adventure in a fascinating history of the Great Plains from the Civil War until the 1880's. The book was supressed (and copies ordered destroyed) by the U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, as a result of a suit by Alan Swallow (publisher of titles by Sage Books) which proved plagerism from Harry Christman's "Ladder of Rivers" published by Swallow. This copy is certainly from the few copies that were surrendered to Alan Swallow. How many copies Swallow had is not known. In any case, this is one of the best books on the constant fight of I. P. Olive and his cowboys in Texas and Nebraska and their fight with the homesteaders and the rustlers. It is "one of the most nearly complete histories of the feud between the Olives and Luther Mitchell and Ami Ketchum" (Adams). Also includes material on Doc Middleton, Jesse James, and Johnny Ringo.