Frontier Trails. The Autobiography Of Frank M. Canton.

CANTON, FRANK [EDITED BY EDWARD EVERETT DALE]

Publication: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1930, Boston and New York

First Edition. 8vo. Cloth, titles stamped in black on the spine, xvii [blank], 237 pp., Preface, Introduction, Foreword, Frontispiece, 12 Plates, portraits. Edited by Edward Everett Dave. "This autobiography, written shortly before his death and edited from the manuscript he left, tells of his experiences during the Johnson County War and of his later experiences with the outlaws of Oklahoma. Canton was hired by the large cattle interests of Wyoming to fight the smaller owners and so-called rustlers in the Johnson County War, and naturally he tells their side of the story...much of the book is devoted to the better known outlaws of Oklahoma at which time Canton was a peace officer there."--Ramon Adams. A man of questionable character and veracity, Canton was arrested several times in Texas for cattle theft, bank robbery, and killing a black soldier. An important outlaw and range war book. Shortly after Canton's death in 1927, his papers were donated to the University of Oklahoma. Among the papers was five thick notebooks in which Canton had written the story of his life. Editor Edward Everett Dale rescued these and edited them into a fascinating account of Canton's experiences of frontier life spanning 50 years as a law officer in the west, including the Johnson County War (where Canton was Sheriff), fighting outlaws in Oklahoma and the Klondike Gold Rush (as a Deputy Marshal). He visited the Little Big Horn battlefield in 1878 where he met Custer's Crow scout Curley. Canton offers his reconstruction of the battle. Previous owner's bookplate on front pastedown, a clean, fine copy in the elusive dust jacket. Dust jacket has modest amount of chipping along edges, at spine ends, and corners. One inch closed tear to top edge of front panel and some light general soiling. An unusually nice copy of an important book, protected in a slipcase.