Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1910-12-01
STATE IN LITERATURE
(BY DoANE ROBINsoN)

AhS Ai4uiAieS llOul TWO lDfaf.a ans 10
desire to establish distinctiyely South
Dakota shelves, for information about
booked ii ton by South Dakota writ 1
ers. Perhaps Others aye interested.
The first South Dakota writer of
fiction, so far as l can lea n. was Mrs
George E. Spencer of Deadwood, who
wrote very excellent story of Bla X
Hills life which she ruined by giving
it the vaudeville title of Ca amity
Jane" Mrs. SPENCER now resides in
Watertown, N. Y, and the book is out
of print, but may be obtained of Soc
| ond hand dealers.
Hamlin Garland was the next South
Dakota writer and he has three fc-
tons which are peculiarly ours. T ey
are Jason Edwards, An Ave age
| Man," Brown county story filled
with the spirit of the old days of pop
ulism. Many of the old time Aber-
deem boomers figure in 1t thinly dis
gu.sed. The Little Norsk, or Old
Pap's Flaxen," a MCPHERSON county
story in Garland's best style. Bo,h OF
these works ale now out of print.
'Moccasin Ranch, is a recent story
by Garland, which is rather question
able in its morals. 1t has to do with
demonstrating in Brown county.
Miss Stella Gilman of HUDSON, was
also an early fiction writer and her
THAT Dakota Gill" and "A Gumbo
Lily" two very creditable books, are
out of print.
Judge George H. Marquis, of the
Third circuit, has very good lit e
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 religious story en-
titled Told Again" l find it occa-
sionally in second hand lists.
Thomas A. Stubbins, Yankton col
lege man, has a patriotic story for
boys, The Patriot" Donohue, Chi
cago.
Eleanor Gates (Tulley) "Autobiog-
raphy of Prairie Girl" and "The
near Humboldt, Minnehaha county,
scene of her first story The scene OF
the second is along the Missouri from
Fort Randall TO Bismarck.
Sioux Falls, left five creditable rocks
of fiction. the best known of which
was his first, Ben Blair" which had
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 Dol a The
Eternal Question:" and one other, a
posthumous work, all have to do with
life in Sioux Falls.
Kate and Virgil Boyles have col
Elaborated upon three fictions: Lang
ford of the Three Bars" a ta'e OF
Lyman county cattle rustling, in wniE II
John @. Anderson as Langford, ana
John G. Baitine, the newly elected
state senator from Lyman county, as
prosecuting attorney, We for heroic
honors; ''The Homesteaders," quiet
er Lyman county story, and the last
"Tha Spirit Trail" aphic story
of the Sioux war all by M Clurgs
John II. Burns, the we'll known at
torney of Deadwood has splendid
story in his Memoirs of Cow Pony "
"Everyman His Chance" is a Rapid
City story, by Miss Matilda Stonf
Woods, daughter of the late James M
woods, ine well known politician OF
Rapid City. 1t is very good stoiy
published by Badger, Boston.
A further reading Of joseph Mill:
Hanson's with Sully in the Sioux
Lands" leaves me doubling the pro
pliety of chasing that excellent worl
as fiction. 1t is very reliable history
, but is as interesting as any fiction
These works made up shelf o.
twenty-three highly creditable works
;cti tho Il
of South Dakotans and usually upor
South Dakota themes. There are
several other works which for one
reason or another should be upon The
South Dakota shelf.
Governor Gilbert A. Pierce wrote
the Dangerous Woman" a story O
, the civil war and the days immediate
ly following The Identification of The
author with Dakota makes his woll
, Of special interest
! THE Conquest" by Eva Elmer.
Dye, is for two reasons ours. 1t ha
, much to do with primitive Dakot'
, affairs and the author is forme
resident, having been the wife of Pro
fessor Emery of the Madison normal
1.-The Westerners." by Stewart Ed
q ward White is story of the Bla
Hills, though Mr. White was neve
!, more than temporary resident o
;. the state.
paul Traver's Adventures" wa
3 written by Sam T. Glover, while
l resident of Sioux Falls, but not pub
lished until long time after tn
author left the state. 1t does no
have much to do with South Dakot
q matters.
I '''ronda," by Warren K. Morehead
is story of the Sioux of South Da
q kota and incidentally of the whit
d people who live among them.
J, There are perhaps others of thi
class as we'll as other Distinctive
: South Dakota productions, but this
the complete list which has bee
gathered in the state library.
II sisseton1i- Til large harm, valne
at $4,000, of William Simon seve