SIRINGO, Charles (1855-1928). A Texas Cow Boy; or, Fifteen Years on the Hurricane Deck of a Spanish Pony. Chicago: M. Umbdenstock, 1885.

The first edition of "the first autobiography of a cowboy, and unquestionably one of the most important range books" (Six Score). The Texas bibliographies are lyrical in praise of Siringo's tale: "This is the most authentic book on the Texas cowboy ... J. Frank Dobie said that 'no record of cowboy life has supplanted this rollicky, reckless, realistic chronicle,' and that it is 'the most real non-fiction book on cowboy life. Will Rogers commented, 'Why, that was the Cowboy's Bible when I was growing up.' J. Evetts Haley said that 'no single writer typified the achievement of cowboy literature, from the plane of the dime novel to one of character and distinction, so well as Charles Siringo." Original printed in an edition of 2000 (half in wrappers and half in cloth as here), estimates are that a quarter of a million copies were issued in Siringo's lifetime. Adams Herd 2077; Adams Six-Guns 2032; Basic Texas Books 185; Best of the West 200; Dobie, p. 119; Dykes Kid 17; Graff 3804; Howes S-518 ("b"); Six Score 99.

Octavo (196 x 138mm). Chromolithographed additional title and frontispiece (these are identical to the wrappers of the wrapper issue); two vignette wood-engraved portraits of the author, "in cow boy uniform," and "after he become stove-up." Original pictorial cloth stamped in black and gold (both hinges cracked through, a little chipping to endpapers, general wear and pale damp-spots to covers, gilt rubbed). Provenance: E.E. Benjamin (early ownership signature and inkstamp to verso of color title).