The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 49, July 1945 - April, 1946 Page: 328
717 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 24 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
the impressions from reading came from the little booklets
that sold for ten cents each thus Dime Novel Texas was the
Texas of most of America's youth. The Dime Novels were
readily available; they were priced within the reach of all;
they were readable; and in so far as literature about Texas is
concerned, they ,were practically without competition. The
writer recalls only two Texas items issued during the period
with sufficient reader appeal to challenge the popularity of
the Dime Novels-Charley Siringo's A Texas Cowboy; or, Fif-
teen Years on the Hurricane Deck of a Spanish Pony, first
issued in 1885 and destined to sell a million copies during the
lifetime of its author, and John C. Duval's The Adventures of
Big-Foot Wallace, the Texas Ranger and Hunter, first issued
in 1871, with the second edition in 1872, a third printing in
1873, a fourth printing and third edition in 1885, and steady
popularity to this day resulting in 'a total of seven printings.
Recent re-readings of these two favorites do not indicate
that the stories were in violent disagreement with the legendary
Texas of 1860 to 1900.
Dime Novel Texas was populated with villainous Mexicans,
cunning Apaches, treacherous Comanches and Kiowas, friendly
Tonkawas, thieving Navajoes, an infrequent renegade white,
beautiful and virtuous maidens, poor but proud "Colonels" from
the old South, brave Texas Rangers, daring Indian fighters,
faithful soldiers, rough trappers and hide-hunters with hearts
of gold, hard-riding cowboys, enterprising mustangers, sharp-
shooting hunters; an occasional lisping Englishman, stuttering
Dutchman, or scary negro for comedy relief; herds of longhorns,
wily mustangs, and buffalo; a profusion of other wild game;
and, of course, handsome young heroes to dominate each
situation.
The situations were standard, too-a wagon train (an iso-
lated fort or a lone ranch house) attacked by Comanches (Kio-
was, Apaches, or Navajoes) and the Texas Rangers (soldiers
or cowboys) to the rescue-Mexicans (Lipans, Comanches, or
Navajoes) raiding a settlement (a hunter's camp or a ranch)
to steal the horses (or cattle), the pursuit and the inevitable
"lesson" taught the redskins ("greasers" or "hoss-thieves")--
a beautiful maiden held captive for ransom (revenge or spurned
love), the long search, the daring recovery, and marriage to
the hero-family feuds transferred from Kentucky (Tennessee
or Virginia), the wrongs righted and the families united-328
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 49, July 1945 - April, 1946, periodical, 1946; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth146056/m1/383/: accessed April 20, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.