Bob More: Man And Bird Man.

J. FRANK DOBIE

Publication: The Encino Press, 1965, Dallas

First edition. 4to. Limited to 550 numbered copies of which this is #205. Designed by William D. Wittliff. Wittliff's first book with the Encino Press imprint and winner of the Texas Institute of Letters award for design in 1965. Bound in a beautiful shade of adobe cloth with two color paper title label affixed to upper board, tan endpapers, two color printing thru-out. housed in the original brown paper slipcase with matching paper title label. Originally printed in the Southwest Review in 1941, it is a superb essay on More who was the manager of W. T. Waggoner’s vast Three D Ranch. A collection of essays and sketches, reflecting Dobie’s fascination with individuals who live close to nature. It’s not literally about bird-men, but about independence and rugged individualism, deep connection to land and animals and the fading frontier lifestyle. More considered the Waggoner Ranch along Beaver Creek and the Wichita River to be the finest bird preserve in Texas. More assembled, organized, and scientifically marked a collection of 12,000 to 15,000 bird eggs from 750 species and his collection is considered the finest west of the Mississippi. Bob More, a pioneer conservationist both in his ornithological and ranching activities, insisted on light grazing and extra tanks to bring back native grasses to their original state. He stipulated that a patch of grain be left around every wild turkey nest discovered in the field. Fine in matching slipcase. Biography of Bob More, an oil man with a Texas- sized passion for bird eggs.