TALL TALES OF DEADEYE BOB – J. Rufus Gray SIGNED, 1978 PB

$3.00

Tall Tales of Deadeye Bob by J. Rufus Gray and illustrated by Phyllis Riley Evans. From Mennonite Press with 1978 copyright.

1 in stock

Description

The Introduction
During the greater part of the nineteenth century that territory extending westward from Missouri to the Continental Divide and lying between the Platte River in Nebraska on the north and the state of Texas on the south was thought of as Kansas. Most of it was. It was a wild and mysterious land, and many marvelous things were said to happen there. Explorers, adventurers, trappers, hunters, Indian fighters and freighters, on returning East, were famous for the wonderful stories they brought back with them of their fabulous adventures in “The Wild and Woolly West.” They told tales of fountains that spouted hot water, of Pike’s Peak and the mountains, of vast plains without limit that were watered by streams that never ran dry, of buffalo herds that blackened the prairies, of swarms of grasshoppers that darkened the skies, of toads with horns, of rabbits that could run forty miles an hour and of corn that grew twenty feet high. Finding themselves being disbelieved these narrators resorted to prevarication and fabrication to express their disgust. They would exaggerate and then attest to the verity of their stories by swearing that it happened Out There In Kansas. The Great Salt Lake and the geysers never were in Kansas and the Territory has been reduced to the present limits of the State, but the monstrous stories told by those early adventurers endure. In their virgin state the high plains were enchanting and promising. The ranchers and farmers who first settled the prairies soon learned, however, that nature was often miserly in bestowing her bounties, and frequently defaulted in fulfilling her promises. These hardy people bravely faced the resulting hardships and bolstered their courage with humor. They exaggerated their troubles to ridiculousness, and the resulting Tall Tales were added to the folklore of the region. Some of these fabrications are recognizable adaptations of legends which have been carried west from other lands, but most of them are creatures of life on the High Plains.

Publishing Info
Tall Tales of Deadeye Bob by J. Rufus Gray and illustrated by Phyllis Riley Evans. From Mennonite Press with 1978 copyright. This paperback book measures 8″ x 5-5/8″ and has 108 pages. The book was SIGNED by Rufus on the title page as shown.

Condition
See photos above. Some scuffs and stains and shadow of a sticker on the cover. The spine has not been opened/creased. The pages are in very good condition with just a bit of storage on the corner tips. No names or other markings found. From clean, smoke-free home.

Shipping
Generally sent the same day payment arrives. Unless you request otherwise, I will wrap the book in plastic wrap to help protect it from the elements, create a custom-made cardboard box to ship it in, and send via Media Mail with Delivery Confirmation tracking. See the shipping page for the cost to send a one-pound Media Mail package. Insurance is an additional cost as described. I am delighted to combine postage and insurance costs if you purchase more than one item. The second item may travel for free or just a few cents more — so it’s worth taking a look at my other items before you complete your order.

Not sure?
If you’d like more information about or photos of Tall Tales of Deadeye Bob , please feel free to contact me. If it’s the price you don’t like, make a reasonable offer!

Check out my other pioneer books. The more you buy, the cheaper postage is per item!