Real Cowboys!

This wonderful photo of an unidentified westerner was taken at the Bingham Copper Mine in 1913 by the writer’s own description on the back.  The portrait epitomizes a westerner of the period, not a cowboy, though I give them their due and respect along with farmers and ranchers.  This man in a mining camp, dressed for work with kit and saddle bags carrying perhaps maps and papers needed for his work.  For my needs, a perfect model for the male character in the sequel to Dear Kiss.  Nelson Chandler will be more completely described in the book, but here are a few characteristics.  His reading tastes run to John Muir and the writings of Teddy Roosevelt, another easterner seduced by the magic of the West.  Nelson assumes an unstudied approach to dress and interaction with those he meets.  He is not given to pretense, but carries his own luggage as he exits the train station and scans the Ogden Utah skyline for the first time in 1908.  This will be his new home. Back for a moment to the “Old West”, wild or not, most present day westerners do not own horses, but many have guns for hunting. Flyfishing and boating are popular along with, as in earlier days, photography of canyon rock, clear streams and 100 mile vistas.  How “wild” then is or was the West during the time of Nelson Chandler?  Only in the sense that a healthy respect is called for in interacting with broad canyons, steep cliffs and dangerous desert spaces, especially for transplants from the East.  Keep an eye on this page for more comments about the setting and characters in Annie Elgin and how the West itself plays a role in this newest tale.

MB