RC = RARE, COLLECTIBLE ITEMS'

RC CAXTON'S BOOK: a collection of essays, poems, tales, and sketches by William Henry Rhodes (July 16, 1822-April 14 1876); edited by Daniel O'Connell.
This is a first edition printed in 1876 by A. L. Bancroft & Co. of San Francisco. It was printed posthumously shortly after the author's death when confronting a burglar in his home in April, 1876. The copyright is by his wife Susan Rhodes. William Rhodes was an early writer of science fiction, a poet, a lawyer, and a judge. An early book of Rhodes' poems relating to the Eastern U.S. was published in 1846, and in his writing at that period he was "already weaving the problems of science with fiction" [from the preface] "...and had Mr. Rhodes devoted himself to this then novel department of letters...[T]he great master of scientific fiction, Jules Verne, would have found the field of his efforts already sown...". His California materials had been published in local newspapers in the San Francisco region and reprinted elsewhere, often under the name Caxton, and also presented to members of the Bohemian Club (still an active group). Many of these papers were later lost in the great earthquake of 1906. There are 28 separate chapters invoking extraordinary imaginations and skillful creation of suspense. "The Case of Summerfield" is known well; in that a person has created a vile of a substance that will turn all the water on Earth into fire if used--and that it would be used unless the person (Summerfield) was paid a large ransom. But the piece was published as fact and created a great public disturbance. In the book is a sequel, also published as fact, in which Summerfield somehow disappears (prearranged) from a train car on the Central Pacific Railroad as it rounded the precipitous Cape Horn near Auburn and Colfax, California, and whose body was lost--until Rhodes went to look for the body and found it, describing its condition in a most grotesque fashion. He also found the vial, at the same time California bandit Black Bart appeared, claimed it, and took it and who soon killed the author--as the author continues to describe his own death and the aftermath--pure science fiction. Another intriguing tale describes imaginary Indian conflicts and resolutions between tribes on Lake Bigler (Lake Tahoe) and even comes up with some notions on how the land and lake levels have changed, at least partly accurate. An interesting literary work from a man in the entirely different legal profession. There are 300 pages, 6 in. by 8.5 in.

Condition: Covers are of dark blue cloth with gilt title on front and on spine (including Bancroft & Co. imprint). Rubbing on edges of corners of covers with a 1 inch tear at top of spine;embossed imprints on rear. Inside covers are brown paper; back one has split along the fold line up to 2 inches from top, exposing binding but which is still intact. Sheet holding pages 16 and 17 are loose. An inscription in pencil appears on a front page before the title page, indicating a "present to my mother" dated "Chrisamus 1876". There is a split in the crease between the copyright page and the preface, but both pages are in place. And there is a 1 inch stray mark in a blank place on the Preface page (page 3). Except for a few smudges on some pages, the contents are solid and without marking; easily read. Condition by eBay standard is Acceptable mainly because of the cover and one loose sheet. The book has been in a private collection for about the past 30 years.
ISBN: None. Order #: VINT3664 soft-cloth$130.00. RC  Also available on eBay.com and vialibri.net.

 

Sample pages, illustrations:

back cover

 

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