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Reed Anthony, Cowman
Large Format for easy reading. From the writer and genuine Western Trail cattle driver, responsible for some of the best and most realistic accounts of cowboy life in literature.
212 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1907
About the author
Andy Adams
233 books22 followersAndy Adams (1859–1935) was born to pioneer parents in Indiana, worked in Texas for ten years driving cattle, and settled in Colorado Springs, where he began writing his "real" stories of cowboys in the West.
While still in his teens, Adams ran away from home. He eventually made his way to Texas, where he found work as a cowboy. From 1882 to 1893, Adams witnessed firsthand the golden era of the Texas cattle industry, a time when the cowboys ran cattle on vast open ranges still relatively unrestricted by barbed wire fences. In 1883, he made the first of many cattle drives along the famous cattle trails running north from Texas to the cow towns of Kansas. As farmers began to challenge the ranchers for control of the land, Adams witnessed the gradual fencing-in of the cattle country that would eventually end the short age of the open range. He made his last cattle drive in 1889.
In 1893, Adams left Texas for Colorado, attracted by rumors of gold at Cripple Creek. Like most would-be miners, he failed to make a fortune in the business. He eventually settled in Colorado Springs, where he remained for most of his life. While doing on a variety of jobs, Adams began to write stories based on his experiences as a Texas cowboy. In 1903, he found a publisher for his novel The Log of a Cowboy, a thinly disguised autobiography of his life on the plains. A fascinated public welcomed tales from the former cowboy, and Adams wrote and published four similar volumes in less than four years.
Adams distinguished himself from the majority of other western authors of the day with his meticulous accuracy and fidelity to the truth. As its name implied, The Log of a Cowboy was a day-by-day account of a cattle drive Adams had made from Texas to Montana. The book had little plot beyond the progress of the cattle herd toward Montana, and had none of the romantic excitement offered by less literal chroniclers of the West. Adams' self-avowed goal was to make his fiction indistinguishable from fact, and as one commentator has noted, "in this he succeeds only too well."
While a reader searching for a good story might find Adams' books somewhat dull today, historians and writers looking for an accurate depiction of the cowboy life have found them invaluable. Beyond his five best-known books, Adams also wrote two popular novels for juveniles later in his career. When he died in Colorado Springs in 1935, he left a number of unpublished manuscripts of novels, stories, and plays that historians of the Old West have also found useful.
While still in his teens, Adams ran away from home. He eventually made his way to Texas, where he found work as a cowboy. From 1882 to 1893, Adams witnessed firsthand the golden era of the Texas cattle industry, a time when the cowboys ran cattle on vast open ranges still relatively unrestricted by barbed wire fences. In 1883, he made the first of many cattle drives along the famous cattle trails running north from Texas to the cow towns of Kansas. As farmers began to challenge the ranchers for control of the land, Adams witnessed the gradual fencing-in of the cattle country that would eventually end the short age of the open range. He made his last cattle drive in 1889.
In 1893, Adams left Texas for Colorado, attracted by rumors of gold at Cripple Creek. Like most would-be miners, he failed to make a fortune in the business. He eventually settled in Colorado Springs, where he remained for most of his life. While doing on a variety of jobs, Adams began to write stories based on his experiences as a Texas cowboy. In 1903, he found a publisher for his novel The Log of a Cowboy, a thinly disguised autobiography of his life on the plains. A fascinated public welcomed tales from the former cowboy, and Adams wrote and published four similar volumes in less than four years.
Adams distinguished himself from the majority of other western authors of the day with his meticulous accuracy and fidelity to the truth. As its name implied, The Log of a Cowboy was a day-by-day account of a cattle drive Adams had made from Texas to Montana. The book had little plot beyond the progress of the cattle herd toward Montana, and had none of the romantic excitement offered by less literal chroniclers of the West. Adams' self-avowed goal was to make his fiction indistinguishable from fact, and as one commentator has noted, "in this he succeeds only too well."
While a reader searching for a good story might find Adams' books somewhat dull today, historians and writers looking for an accurate depiction of the cowboy life have found them invaluable. Beyond his five best-known books, Adams also wrote two popular novels for juveniles later in his career. When he died in Colorado Springs in 1935, he left a number of unpublished manuscripts of novels, stories, and plays that historians of the Old West have also found useful.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 24, 2013
This novel reads like an autobiography and I wouldn't have known that it wasn't without the help of internet. Reed Anthony was born in Virginia in 1840 and served his home state during the Civil War. After the war he migrates to Texas and starts the life of a cowboy, herding cattle to rail heads for transport eastward. This story reads like fact and I can imagine the information it shares is more realistic that the glimpses of western life we grew up with on television and film. I also assume that there is a fine line in what constitutes the difference between a cowboy and a cowman. This story differentiates the two thus: a cowboy is a hired hand and a cowman is the actual owner of the cattle. If you are looking for a book of the Wild West or your average western novel, leave this one on the library or bookstore shelf. If you are looking for a book that relates the real daily life of herding cattle, this is a book for you. At times it is tedious but in the end many fantasies of this time are dispelled and it will provide you with more answers than questions. Andy Adams (1859-1935) wrote relative few stories but if you like this then you are sure to like them.
December 5, 2019
I found this story to be quite interesting, but I can understand why some find it tedious. We follow the life of a young continental soldier, wounded, then assigned to help take care of the army’s cattle. From there on he takes us through year after year of learning the cattle business, driving the cattle to market, selecting good horses for the drovers, trading, trading, trading cattle for horses, horses for oxen, and round and round again. The weather, landscape, Indian attacks, government contracts, saboteurs... all come into play as he gradually moves up the cattleman’s ladder from hired hand, to foreman, to small partnerships with other ranchers, all the way up to a huge cattle magnate, herding thousands of cattle every year. I learned about the different grades and types of cattle, and much about their individual personalities. Reed Anthony was a thoroughly honest and compassionate character. He followed one of his early business associate’s insistence that he start collecting land scripts for acreage in Texas, long before it was thought to be worth anything. He secretly built up his collection of certificates over the years, fearing that if anyone knew they would call him a fool. He was gone from home much of the year with the cattle driving, but managed to raise 10 children with his loving wife. I listened to this novel as a free download from LibriVox.org., read by an outstanding reader, Richard Kilmer.
May 22, 2019
Even in the late 1800s, systems were already in place leading to situations we have now.
January 30, 2021
An interesting read about the beginnings of the cattle industry in Texas. Especially because of the nearness of this autobiography to where I live.
July 7, 2016
I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. Was it a novel, or a personal diary of life as a cowman? It was certainly very frank and direct. Hardly any embellishments in the tale telling although plenty of dramatic scenes to choose from such as an attempt to rescue steers that found themselves trapped in quicksand, and the unfortunate results. Not a pretty scene but fairly dramatic.
I was a little uncomfortable at some of the language used in this book of course it no doubt would have been more acceptable at the time. Not quite what a modern audience would appreciate.
I was a little uncomfortable at some of the language used in this book of course it no doubt would have been more acceptable at the time. Not quite what a modern audience would appreciate.
October 10, 2019
An AA. Western Action Adventure (RAC)
AA. has penned a western action adventure which begins in the Civil War when a young soUthern not is assigned to the infantry, is wounded three times, finally ends up assigned to the purchasing and movement of cattle. He expands his horizons and become the cattle supplier for numerous Indian Reservations. He was a fair man and did not hold with cheating the Indians after taking their lands away. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
AA. has penned a western action adventure which begins in the Civil War when a young soUthern not is assigned to the infantry, is wounded three times, finally ends up assigned to the purchasing and movement of cattle. He expands his horizons and become the cattle supplier for numerous Indian Reservations. He was a fair man and did not hold with cheating the Indians after taking their lands away. This is an excellent read for the genre.....DEHS
July 19, 2017
Not a book for everyone.
Both books are about the cattle drives from Texas to the north, as far as the Dakotas. The competition for government contracts to supply the army and the reservations, becomes bitter when speculators, with Washington's corrupt element decide, to vie for the money. I found the books interesting, as far as historical fiction goes.
Both books are about the cattle drives from Texas to the north, as far as the Dakotas. The competition for government contracts to supply the army and the reservations, becomes bitter when speculators, with Washington's corrupt element decide, to vie for the money. I found the books interesting, as far as historical fiction goes.
March 23, 2024
[Virginia: Shenandoah Valley; Civil War: Pennsylvania, Tennessee; Kansas: Abilene, Dodge City, Fort Larned, Wichita; Texas: Anthony Ranch west of Fort Worth on the Brazos River; Fort Griffin; Fort Smith; Fort Belknap; Austin, Chisholm Trail; Colorado; Wyoming; Montana]
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews