by Pa Rock
Reader
I will admit to being a fan of the adventure books for boys which were often published in a series format at the beginning of the 20th century, and, in fact, I have read and reviewed many of the Hardy Boys mystery novels that were cranked out by various authors - all writing as Franklin W. Dixon - during the last century.
Five years ago I read and reported on an adventure novel set in the Canadian north woods entitled "Canoe Mates in Canada" by a writer calling himself St. George Rathborne. It was a compelling narrative with a writing level that far exceeded that presented in the books about young Frank and Joe Hardy and their friends. Recently I have come across another book by St. George Rathborne, and this one, too, tells about a series of adventures experienced by two older teen boys - or perhaps young adults - as they spend part of a rough winter camped in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming.
The new book is "The Rocky Mountain Boys: Camping in Big Game Country." It was published in 1913, a year after "Canoe Mates in Canada," and is 248 pages of relatively easy reading. The copy that I have has a handwritten inscription, in pencil, on the inside cover which reads: "Ivan Welch. Merry Christmas 1923 from Grandpa." I would be happy to forward the book to anyone who can prove a relationship to young Ivan - who would likely have been born sometime around 1910. The book found its way back into circulation at a flea market in West Plains, Missouri.
"Rocky Mountain Boys" tells the story of two cousins who were on the verge of manhood. Tom, the country cousin, lived and worked on his family's ranch in Wyoming. Felix is the city cousin from back East who came to Wyoming seeking adventures and hoping to improve his health. The young men made a plan to spend part of the winter in a dugout/cabin in the Rocky Mountain foothills that has been abandoned by an old trapper who was a friend of Tom's. As the story opensed they were being deposited on the banks of a river by a friend - and they began an arduous march into the hills - laden with food and gear - to find and claim the former abode of the old trapper - and to reclaim and use the old man's traps.
When the young hikers finally reached their destination they were kept from unlocking the door of the cabin/dugout by an angry growling coming from the inside. A large cat of some sort had apparently climbed in through the chimney and was claiming the accommodation as his own for the coming winter. When they awee finally successful in smoking the creature out, they discovered it to be a large bobcat - which Felix then shot and Tom skinned and worked at preserving the pelt.
The bobcat proved to be the first of many animals that were killed and skinned by these young men out seeking adventure. The senseless killing and carnage, while undoubtedly far more acceptable at the time the book was written, definitely suffered a lack of declining social acceptance over the ensuing century. However, to the author's credit, the young men themselves began to sense that there was a lack of fairness in killing just to be killing - and Felix, in particular, began germinating a bit of a moral conscience with regard to hunting.
There is also a point early on in the story where Tom discussed the local Indian population with his cousin and made a generalization that the proud Red Man often suffered from the effects of drink. That stereotype was put to rest later in the book when Felix is befriended by a family of Native Americans shortly after he had helped to save the life of the family's father - and before the book came to an end the Indians and the campers developed an acceptance and trust of each other.
There were a pair of villains in the book as well, white poachers who confronted Felix on the trail after he has shot and killed their dogs which were trying to kill him. The poachers beat Felix, stole his rifle and supplies, and left him for dead. Fortunately the Indian family helped Felix to right that score.
Other adventures in the book included dealing with a pack of angry wolves, Felix being attacked and thrown up into a tree by a large buck that he had wounded but failed to kill, the killing of an elder mountain goat for its trophy horns, and Felix killing a grizzly bear.
A subtext of this book dealt with the development of boys into men. Felix was described as somewhat frail when he arrived in Wyoming, but by the end of the book he was every bit as much of an outdoorsman as his rural cousin. The author described the transformation like this:
"Rocky Mountain Boys" was artfully plotted and tightly written. It was successful in its description of a time, and a place, and a culture in our country's past that feeds into a vision of America today, a vision that much of the country struggles to maintain. It shows us who we were, and it gives clues as to why our country has developed the way that it has.
I'm glad that I took the time to absorb this bit of our past.
Reader
I will admit to being a fan of the adventure books for boys which were often published in a series format at the beginning of the 20th century, and, in fact, I have read and reviewed many of the Hardy Boys mystery novels that were cranked out by various authors - all writing as Franklin W. Dixon - during the last century.
Five years ago I read and reported on an adventure novel set in the Canadian north woods entitled "Canoe Mates in Canada" by a writer calling himself St. George Rathborne. It was a compelling narrative with a writing level that far exceeded that presented in the books about young Frank and Joe Hardy and their friends. Recently I have come across another book by St. George Rathborne, and this one, too, tells about a series of adventures experienced by two older teen boys - or perhaps young adults - as they spend part of a rough winter camped in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains of Wyoming.
The new book is "The Rocky Mountain Boys: Camping in Big Game Country." It was published in 1913, a year after "Canoe Mates in Canada," and is 248 pages of relatively easy reading. The copy that I have has a handwritten inscription, in pencil, on the inside cover which reads: "Ivan Welch. Merry Christmas 1923 from Grandpa." I would be happy to forward the book to anyone who can prove a relationship to young Ivan - who would likely have been born sometime around 1910. The book found its way back into circulation at a flea market in West Plains, Missouri.
"Rocky Mountain Boys" tells the story of two cousins who were on the verge of manhood. Tom, the country cousin, lived and worked on his family's ranch in Wyoming. Felix is the city cousin from back East who came to Wyoming seeking adventures and hoping to improve his health. The young men made a plan to spend part of the winter in a dugout/cabin in the Rocky Mountain foothills that has been abandoned by an old trapper who was a friend of Tom's. As the story opensed they were being deposited on the banks of a river by a friend - and they began an arduous march into the hills - laden with food and gear - to find and claim the former abode of the old trapper - and to reclaim and use the old man's traps.
When the young hikers finally reached their destination they were kept from unlocking the door of the cabin/dugout by an angry growling coming from the inside. A large cat of some sort had apparently climbed in through the chimney and was claiming the accommodation as his own for the coming winter. When they awee finally successful in smoking the creature out, they discovered it to be a large bobcat - which Felix then shot and Tom skinned and worked at preserving the pelt.
The bobcat proved to be the first of many animals that were killed and skinned by these young men out seeking adventure. The senseless killing and carnage, while undoubtedly far more acceptable at the time the book was written, definitely suffered a lack of declining social acceptance over the ensuing century. However, to the author's credit, the young men themselves began to sense that there was a lack of fairness in killing just to be killing - and Felix, in particular, began germinating a bit of a moral conscience with regard to hunting.
There is also a point early on in the story where Tom discussed the local Indian population with his cousin and made a generalization that the proud Red Man often suffered from the effects of drink. That stereotype was put to rest later in the book when Felix is befriended by a family of Native Americans shortly after he had helped to save the life of the family's father - and before the book came to an end the Indians and the campers developed an acceptance and trust of each other.
There were a pair of villains in the book as well, white poachers who confronted Felix on the trail after he has shot and killed their dogs which were trying to kill him. The poachers beat Felix, stole his rifle and supplies, and left him for dead. Fortunately the Indian family helped Felix to right that score.
Other adventures in the book included dealing with a pack of angry wolves, Felix being attacked and thrown up into a tree by a large buck that he had wounded but failed to kill, the killing of an elder mountain goat for its trophy horns, and Felix killing a grizzly bear.
A subtext of this book dealt with the development of boys into men. Felix was described as somewhat frail when he arrived in Wyoming, but by the end of the book he was every bit as much of an outdoorsman as his rural cousin. The author described the transformation like this:
"It appears that, no matter what a fellow may seem like at home, when he lands in the wilderness, the veneer is bound to drop off and the true elements that go to make up his real nature are quickly apparent." P. 150
"Rocky Mountain Boys" was artfully plotted and tightly written. It was successful in its description of a time, and a place, and a culture in our country's past that feeds into a vision of America today, a vision that much of the country struggles to maintain. It shows us who we were, and it gives clues as to why our country has developed the way that it has.
I'm glad that I took the time to absorb this bit of our past.
No comments:
Post a Comment