The Mobridge news. [volume] (Mobridge, Walworth Co., S.D.) 190?-1917, 1910-12-02
A IN LITE aATURE
tBY DoANE

cApIOlldIlOH VI Tie T6-
sent works of the Boyles and Han
Son in a recent article has brought
me inquiries from two librarians who
desire to establish distinctively South
Dakota shelves, for information about
booked fiction by South Dakota writ.
ers. Perhaps others are interested.
The first South Dakota writer of
fiction, SO far as l can learn, was Mrs.
George e. Spencer of Deadwood, who
wrote a very excellent story of Black
Hills life which she ruined by giving
it the vaudeville title of Calamity
Jane Mrs. SPENCER now resides in
WATERFOWL, N. Y, and the book is out
of print, but may be obtained of sec
ond hand dealers.
Hamlin Garland was the next South
Dakota writer and he has three fic-
tions which are peculiarly ours. They
are Jason Edwards, An Average
Man." a Brown county story filed
with the spirit of the old days of pop
ulism. Many of the old time Aber-
deem boomers figure in it thinly dis
guised. "The Little Norsk. or Old
Pap's Flaxen," a Mcpherson county
story in Garland's best style. Both or
these works are now out of print,
"Moccasin Ranch" is a recent story
by Garland, which Is rather question
able in it's morals. 1t has to do with
homesteading in Brown county.
Miss Stella Gilman of Hudson, was
also an early fiction writer and her
That Dakota Girl" and "A Gumbo
Lily" two very creditable books, are
out of print.
Judge George H. Marquis, of the
Third circuit, has a very good little
detective story, entitled "Fairview's
Mystery"
Marion l.. Fox, once editor of the
Sioux Falls Press, wrote a book in
tended to discredit the Philippine war,
which he called Private Smith" 1t Is
out Of print.
Rev. W. D. Atwater of Sturgis long
ago published a religious story en-
titled Told Again" I find 1t occa-
sionally in second hand lists.
Thomas A. Stubbins, a Yankton col
lege man, has a patriotic story for
boys, The Patriot" Donohue, Chi
cago.
Eleanor Gates (Tulley) "Autobiog-
Pillow Woman" Mrs. Tulley was born
near Humboldt, Minnehaha county,
and the old homestead there is the
scene Of her first story. The scene OF
the second is along the Missouri from
Fort Randall to Bismarck.
The late DR.. Will Lillibridge of
Sioux Falls, left five creditable books
of fiction, the best known of which
was his first, Ben Blair" which had
a remarkable sale, and is still going.
ben Blair" and Where the Trail
Divides" are stories of the old cat
tie range region in western South Da-
kota. The Dominant Dollar" The
Eternal Question" and one other, a
posthumops work, all have to do with
life in Sioux Falls.
Kate and Virgil Boyles have col
laborated upon three fctions: Lang
ford OF the Three Bars" a tale of
Lyman county cattle rustling, in which
John @. Anderson as Langford, and
John G. Bartine, the newly elected
state senator from Lyman county. as
prosecuting attorney, vie for heroic
honors; The Homesteaders," q quiet
err Lyman county story, and the last,
1.-THE Spirit Trail" a gsaphic story
of the Sioux war, all by McClurgs.
John H. Burns. the we'll known at
torney of Deadwood has a splendid
story in his Memoirs of a Cow Pony
''Everyman His Chance" is a Rapid
City story, by Miss Matilda Stone
Woods, daughter of the late James M
Woods, the well known politician or
Rapid City. 1t is a very good story
published by Badger, Boston.
A further reading of Joseph Mills
Hanson's With Sully in the Sioux
Lands leaves me donbting the pro-
priety OF chasing that excellent work
as fiction. 1t is very reliable history,
but is as interesting as any fiction.
These works made mp a shelf of
twenty-three highly creditable WORKS
OF fiction that are distinctly the work
of South Dakotans and usually upon
South Dakota themes, There are
several other works which for y
reason or another should be upon n
South Dakota shelf.
Governor Gilbert A. Pierce wrote
the Dangerous Woman" a story OF
the civil war and the days immediate
" following. The identification OF the
author with Dakota make his work
of special interest.
4Tbe Conquest" by Eva Emery
I'VE Is for two reasons ours. 1t has
much to do with primitive Dakota
affairs and the author is a former
resident. having been the wife OF Pro-
lessor Emery of the Madison normal.
seThe Westerners," by Stewart Ed
ward White. is a story of the Black
Hills. though Mr.. White was never
more than a temporary resident or
the state.
Paul Traver's Adventures" was
written by Sam T. Clover, while a
resident of Sioux Falls, but not puba
lished until a long time after the
author left the state. 1t does not
have much to do with South Dakota
matters.
fonda by Warren X. Morehead,
is a story or the Sioux Of South Da-
kota and incidentally OF the white
people who live among them.
There are perhaps others OF this
! class as well as other distinctively
South Dakota productions. but this IS
the complete list which has been
gathered in the state library.
HW