The Range Men
"The vibrancy of the frontier flows through, refusing, like the prairie wind, to be contained . . . Cowboys, outlaws, celebrated chieftains, mere murderers, disappearing buffalo, whisky peddlers, the first Black and Chinese Albertans, missionaries, cattle barons and brave police men move in a continuous cavalcade in the magic–lantern show of our imagination in these pages." —from the foreword by Sid Marty.
Journalist Leroy Victor Kelly's The Range Men chronicles the early days of ranching in southwestern Alberta, from the arrival of the first large herds in 1876 through to 1913, when the book was first published. Kelly gathered material from the records of the North West Mounted Police, William Pearce's government reports, the Calgary Herald the Macleod Gazette and other publications, and collected anecdotes from old-time stockmen such as George Lane and John Ware.
A window into the period after the buffalo but before extensive settlement, The Range Men paints a vivid, engrossing and sometimes unflattering picture of colonial life and attitudes. The struggling ranchers of the vanguard were learning everything as they went, from how to breed stock to how to get their herds through the winter.
The ranchers of the first few years in Alberta showed certain defects of judgment and inexperience—the overcrowding of choice ranges, the promiscuous mixing of different breeds of stock, the careless dependence on the chinook winds to bring the cattle safely through the winter months.
Kelly's unvarnished account of the relentless march of "progress," as settlements were built and big ranches like the Cochrane, the Medicine Hat and the Bar U were born, notes the impact of farming on the wild prairie ecology and documents treaty betrayals and efforts to reduce and "subdue" First Nations through smallpox and rum. More than a story of cattle trades and the hard beginnings of the Alberta cowboy, The Range Men is an authentic and important slice of history.
- In Stock Out of Stock
- Heritage House Publishing
- 9781894974943
- September 23, 2009
- Stock Photo
- 384
- L 22.9cm x W 15.3cm x H 2.5cm
Book Condition Notes
New: A brand-new, unused, unread copy in perfect condition.
Like New: A copy that looks unread and in perfect condition. Dust jacket is intact, with no nicks or tears. The spine has no signs of creasing. Pages are clean and are do not have any notes or folds of any kind. May have a remainder mark. (usually black or red in colour and is usually a dot or line on the bottom of the book on the page edges).
Very Good: A copy that has been read but is in great condition. May have slight cosmetic defects such as marks, wears, cuts, bends and crushes on the cover, pages, spine and dust jacket if applicable. Pages and dust cover (if applicable) are intact and do not have any notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. May have a remainder mark (usually black or red in colour and is usually a dot or line on the bottom of the book on the page edges).
Good: A copy that has been read but in clean condition. The spine, cover, pages and dust jacket (if applicable) may show signs of wear such as marks, wears, cuts, bends and crushes. Pages and dust cover (if applicable) are intact and do not have any notes or highlighting. May have a remainder mark (usually black or red in colour and is usually a dot or line on the bottom of the book on the page edges).
Acceptable: All pages are intact; the cover is intact. The spine, cover, pages and dust jacket (if applicable) may show signs of considerable wear such as marks, wears, cuts, bends and crushes. Pages can include limited notes in pen or in highlighter, but the notes do not obscure the text. May have a remainder mark (usually black or red in colour and is usually a dot or line on the bottom of the book on the page edges).