The Banditti Of The Plains, Or The Cattlemen's Invasion Of Wyoming In 1892. [The Crowning Infamy Of The Ages]

A. S. MERCER

Publication: Privately printed by A S Mercer, 1894, Cheyenne

First Edition. 8vo. Black Pebbled Cloth, 139 pp., Preface, Introductory, Illustrated. This original 1894 edition is one of the great rarities of Western Americana. Six Guns 1478 says "Exceedingly rare." It had a tempestuous history. "Immediately after it was printed, The Wyoming cattlemen objected to having their activities thus exposed, and in the course of a libel suit the entire issue was impounded by a local court and ordered destroyed. While the books were in the custody of the court, a number of copies were stolen and smuggled to Denver, which lay outside the court's jurisdiction. It is claimed that the books were unbound when they were stolen and were later bound in Denver." This account of the infamous Johnson County War was impounded upon printing due to a libel suit by the several big cattlemen who strongly objected to its content. Six Score 79: "One of the most famous range books. A lot of confusion exists about this book, due to its supposed suppression and the vitriolic nature of the content. Mercer, a promoter and newspaper editor, wrote the book as an attack on the actions of the Wyoming Stock Growers Association during the Johnson County War. The work is usually listed as being published in Cheyenne; however, both of Mercer's children maintain that it was printed in Denver." Mercer moved to Cheyenne in 1883 and started the Northwestern Livestock Journal. His book became the most famous work ever published in Wyoming. This copy is not one of the initially-bound copies. Based the fine condition of the text block, we do not believe to be a rebound copy of the original binding. We believe it to be one of the sets of unbound sheets that were stolen, taken to Denver and subsequently bound in black pebbled cloth, shinier, but similar to the original bound copies, but with the Title and author printed in gilt on the front cover and spine. The small bookplate of the previous owner is affixed to the lower, blank portion of the Preface page, else a bright, attractive copy of this legendary Western rarity.