Overland Monthly Vol. 5

San Francisco: John H. Carmany & Co, 1870. First Edition. One large octavo volume wih green leather boards and brown endpapers; 584p; ~24 cm Very good (+) to near fine; slight edgewear to spine and corners; pages clean and binding tight. Hardcover.

A collection of dozens of articles, essays and poems written about 19th century travel and development of the Western United States, with a California-centric bent. Poetry, articles, reports and more detail the impressions and explorations of a variety of authors. About the magazine: "The Overland Monthly was founded in 1868 by Anton Roman, a Bavarian-born bookseller who moved to California during the Gold Rush. He had recently published the poems of Charles Warren Stoddard and a collection of verse by California writers called Outcroppings. The magazine's first issue was published in July 1868, edited by Bret Harte in San Francisco, and continued until late 1875. Roman, who hoped his magazine would "help the material development of this Coast", was originally concerned that Harte would "lean too much toward the purely literary". Harte, who had been editor of both The Golden Era and The Californian, was in turn skeptical at first that there would be enough quality content provided from local authors.The first issue included contributions from the "Golden State Trinity": Harte, Stoddard, and Ina Coolbrith. ¶ Despite the positive response from critics and the magazine's profitability, publisher Anton Roman sold the Overland Monthly in June 1869 for $7,500 to John Carmany. Harte immediately offered the new owner a list of demands, including a raise to $200 a month and a guarantee of his complete editorial control of each issue. Carmany agreed to his terms, and Harte was able to leave his job at the San Francisco Mint to devote his full attention to the Overland Monthly. The publication continued to thrive in this period; Mark Twain reported that he had "heard it handsomely praised by some of the most ponderous of America's literary chiefs."" --Wikipedia. ¶ Early California Writing & Writers. California, California Periodicals, Periodicals, West (U.S.) Periodicals, West United States