Manuscript Account Written by a California Man in 1906, Looking Back at his Adventurous Childhood in Colorado in the 1870s and 1880s

Fresno, CA: 1906. Unbound manuscript comprised of 13 leaves measuring 8.5 x 11", with ink manuscript to rectos only, titled "Highlights of my Childhood." A memoir written by Hal Baldwin of Fresno, California in 1906, recounting his childhood in Central City and Boulder, Colorado in the 1870s and 1880s. The account includes vivid descriptions of the adventures, mischief-making and hijinks that Hal and his friends got up to on the streets of these Colorado towns--sleighing on the dangerous Rocky Mountain slope, shooting slingshots on the streets of Boulder (in one instance, killing a cow), exploring caves and mines in the mountains, and much more. The text also includes descriptions of Hal's friends and teachers (naming many of them), including a Civil War veteran teacher who read to them from his diary (he spent time at Libby and Andersonville prisons), a family that included one son who was killed and another who was blinded by a mining accident, African American playmates, and others. The account ends with a description of a trip to Wyoming during which Hal and his father encountered a wounded escaped convict. Yellowing and creasing to paper, damp staining to upper margin of first three leaves, slight chipping to margins of first leaf. Some excerpts follow:

"Another of my pals was Charley White. He, however, was a colored boy and as a playmate could not be beaten. We used to have a circus on a level spot in thier backyard. He was employed at the Union Depot in Denver last I knew."

"The Purmont family were very close friends--two of the boys were blasted in a mine--Jim was blown to bits and Charley blinded for life. His siter Flora always looked after him and his family. She was a very fine sweet woman and gave up everything in life for Charley and his family."

"While we were living on east Pine Street a bunch of us boys were playing 'sling the picket'. We found a negro boy and he was hanging around to throw the picket and mess up our game. Finally one of us threw the picket, a good sized wagon spoke and this negro boy stopped it with his head. He was carried ome, a short distance, and in some way his mother, a husky fat wench, got it in her head that I was the guy who hit her boy with the picket and a few days later she saw me and gave me the run of my life"

"We lived up around Sugar Loaf for some time. The only real mischief I recall up there was when a kid named Washburne and I found a prospect hole--The miner's tools were there and a tin powder can with a few pounds of powder. We poured string of it along the ground--dropped the con and touched off the powder. There was a long flash and the con was blown into small bits. Luckily none of them hit us."

"Out from Rawlins we wre awakened in the night. A horseman called for help and a Mr.Danford, one of our crown dressed a gun shot wound in the man's lef and he went on. Several hours later we were again awakened by a sheriff and deputy, looking for the man who called earlier. There had been a shooting escape in Rawlins." Item #7617

Price: $250.00