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This page will be a forever "work in progress." We decided to start it up today on Memorial day 2012 "just because." We don't have time today to do everything we want to do with these books. Here's what we would like to include:Title, author, publisher, date of publication, various editions, LOC # & ISBN #, avg. used value, sources of used copies, review by blog author, review by others as rec'd, relevant excerpts, sources of audio versions and more--whatever more we can think of. Over the years we've read a lot of books relating totally or partly to The Salmon River. It's our hope to list as many of them as time and energy permits.
We WELCOME book reviews by those who have read any or all of the books we feature. Please email us. Our email is embedded on the cover photo of our blog. We don't plan on selling books but we might consider making this also a clearinghouse of Salmon River books people might want to sell, especially the hard-to-find titles and editions. All such ads would be forever free. If you have a rare Salmon book you'd like to see, let us know. Likewise, if you are looking for a particular book, you can put a free notice here. We won't be selling books via click through links to Amazon or any other vendor. Plenty of people already do that. We want this section to be untainted by any hint of commercialism.
Here's the books we recently checked out of the Idaho Falls Public Library. We will start adding their information as the days go by.
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Title: IDAHO A Guide in Word and Picture
Publisher: Federal Writers' Projects & Oxford, NY, 1950
(NOTE: There is no LCCN or ISBN listed for this book.)
(NOTE: There is no LCCN or ISBN listed for this book.)
This book is a total hoot! It was originally published in 1937. The federal gov't hired hundreds of writers to fan out and describe the 48 states. Although it was a classic "make work" kind of thing back then, those writers left a legacy unparalleled in our country's modern history. We excerpted what the unknown author(s) said about a few portions of The Salmon River. You can read them by clicking here:
One of our favorite classic pieces of purple prose describes Clayton, Idaho, as the writer(s) saw it in the 1930's. (The publication date for the first edition of the book is 1937 but it's likely the field work was done as much as two years beforehand.) OK, here's the Clayton excerpt:
"Clayton...looks as if a flock of terrified buildings had been blown by a strong wind to settle here in the gorge and were still troubled by loneliness and indecision." (1950 edition, Page 191)
This classic book was reprinted in 1950. Apparently, Idaho leadersin the Post War Period felt they needed to update some of the statistics to reflect a progressive state. It's difficult to find first edition copies of any of the "American Guide Series," as they were called upon their completion.
However, it's possible to find copies of the 1950 Idaho edition and every serious Salmon Country aficionado really ought to have a copy of this book on their book shelf (or shelves, as the case may be).
Today, prior to adding this narrative here, we checked ABE Books and scored a copy for a mere $3.97, apparently including shipping. At least one copy is priced as high as $75! Buyer beware. YMMV.
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Title: Land of the Yankee Fork: The Story of the ...
Esther Yarber
Sage Books, Denver, 1963
LCCN: 63:19185
"Land of The Yankee Fork" is an endearing book. We've never actually owned a copy but we've checked it out too many times to remember. You can pick and choose your way through this book. You don't have to start at Page one and read it page-by-page. Open it to any chapter and it's a delightful read. Each of the chapters are stand-alone stories. One of our all-time favorites it entitled "The Lady and the Woodchopper." The entire story barely covers two pages in the 207 page book. The story supposedly takes place in January 1883 when a "working woman" in Custer's red light district was allegedly stealing cash from her intoxicated customers. Basically, the town leaders (such as they were) kicked her out of Custer in the middle of the winter. Since the road to Challis was closed, she offered $100 to any miner who would physically carry her over the snow to Challis. A Norwegian woodchopper came forward and said he would do it for $150. At first the working girl refused calling his price "Robbery!" Well, the big mam informed her the price actually covered two round trips--one for her and one for her trunk. She had no choice so she agreed. When she showed up at daybreak on the appointed day, she was greeted by man with an ordinary kitchen chair strapped to his back. Bystanders helped hoist the woman into the chair and off they went on skiis up the snow-choked road to Challis. They spent the night at the Twelve Mile House and made it to Challis by nightfall the next day. Afterwards, the Norwegian got back to Custer, strapped on her trunk and dutifully delivered it to Challis where he collected his $150. The next day he was back on the job at the General Custer Mine cutting wood for the furnaces there--tired but $150 richer!
As we were preparing to post this narrative we began reading various chapters of the book. We enjoyed the one about Clarence Eddy and noted he wrote "The Pinnacle of Parnassus." We will do a separate review on that book of poems. If you enjoy a good yarn well told, you will enjoy Land of The Yankee Fork. There's enough good yarn in that book to knit a real nice hat and scarf.
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