11 August 2017, 03:29 PM
volatpluviawashington Irving
I am reading ASTORIA by this author. I found it by accident at Amazon. In his introduction he indicates that he met John Jacob Astor, who complained that the public did not know and understand about his enterprises. He then asked Irving to chronicle the fur trade business and write about it. He gave Irving a huge volume of records kept by individuals from top to bottom of the organization(s). He engaged his nephew to sort and compile related information. I am just getting started reading.
11 August 2017, 05:55 PM
BoartoothSounds cool....gonna have to look it up....
12 August 2017, 12:12 PM
andy*Irving also wrote:
A Tour on the Prairies
And
The Adventures of Captain Bonneville.
Both are also well worth searching out to read.
All Three A Tour ... Astoria ...The Adventures..
Can be found together in the Library of America edition of Three Western Narratives.
Happy reading!
Andy
13 August 2017, 11:31 AM
Notchy BobThanks for posting, Volatpluvia. I have not read
Astoria, or
Captain Bonneville, although I have seen them referenced many times, and Bernard DeVoto mentioned both many times in
Across the Wide Missouri. You guys may have inspired me to read them!
I have a copy of
A Tour on the Prairies, which I believe is a first-hand account. I read it cover-to-cover many years ago, and now may have to read it again. It's a great read, for anyone interested in the western frontier of the 1840's and the Mexican War. I know the last rendezvous was in 1840, but the fur trade did not suddenly come to a halt. There were still mountain men trapping beaver, hunting buffalo, and wandering the plains and mountains with muzzle-loaders in hand for many years after that. Theodore Roosevelt described actually meeting some of the hold-outs as late as the 1880's!
Irving's works were and still are significant references. Please let us know what you think, after you have finished the book.
Best regards,
Notchy Bob
14 August 2017, 09:52 PM
volatpluviaSorry, guys, I got distracted by A CASE OF NEED by the late Michael Crighten. I will get back to Irving soon.
18 August 2017, 09:33 PM
volatpluviaOkay started reading again. The voyage from New York to the columbia, high adventure, struggles between the ship captain and the company men. Right now I am where they are building the fort at the mouth of the river, and the captain and sailors departed for a trading run up the coast and are never seen again.
02 September 2017, 09:50 PM
volatpluviaUpdate: Irving gave a detailed report of the overland expedition sent by Astor. Such danger. Such deception, first by whites and then by indians! Themen were then subject to hardships that I can't imagine surviving. They ate dogs until the began to prefer it. They ate their horses. I am now reading about the second attempt to go back east overland. We who grew up in the modern era I think very few would have survived. Amazing. I will report again after finishing the tale. Irving tells it all well.
05 September 2017, 12:38 PM
volatpluviaDone! Amazing loss for such great effort. I can't imagine this today.
05 September 2017, 12:40 PM
volatpluvia[QUOTE]Originally posted by volatpluvia:
Done! Amazing loss for such great effort. I can't imagine this today. If you want to understand the times and lands read it!