[Item #52020] Overland Red: a Romance of the Moonstone Cañon Trail [With Holograph Letter From the Author]. HOBO FICTION - CALIFORNIA, Henry Herbert KNIBBS.

Overland Red: a Romance of the Moonstone Cañon Trail [With Holograph Letter From the Author]

Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1914. First Edition. First printing. 12mo (18.5cm). Publisher's red cloth boards, lettered in black on spine and front cover; 349pp; illus. This copy with a 3-pp holograph letter from Henry H. Knibbs laid onto front pastedown. Copy of American journalist David G. Baillie (recipient of the letter), inscribed by him to his son Hugh on front free endpaper, dated Christmas, 1920. Tight, Very Good copy with mild fading to spine. First page of letter is laid down to front pastedown; second page is loosely laid in.

An early, anonymously-published work by the prolific California author, best-known for his work in the genre of Western fiction. The title character, "Overland Red," is described on the "Buddies in the Saddle" website as a "former sheriff of Abilene, now an itinerant (hobo) on the run from the law in Barstow, where he's mistakenly believed to have killed a man. Living rough, he has his wits and plenty of grit to keep him going" (see: buddiesinthesaddle.blogspot).

The included letter is undated, addressed from Knibbs to the American journalist David G. Baillie (at this time Editor of the Los Angeles Times), inviting Baillie to a soirée at Knibbs' apartment on Cole Avenue in Los Angeles - "...nothing formal, just cigars and chat out here on the edge of things..." and includes a brief note on the present work: "...keep an eye on 'Overland Red' - he is now in a large third edition and I have netted over five thousand dollars so far, on advance sales." A later gift inscription transfers the book from David Baillie to his son Hugh, noting in the inscription that the book "...was published anonymously, and caused much guessing until Knibbs 'acknowledged responsibility.'.

Price: $300.00

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