POEMS.
San Francisco: Henry Payot, 1868. First edition. Hardcover. 137 pp., mounted frontispiece photograph of the author; 12mo, rebound in green leather with gilt title. Rather primitive but not inappropriate binding, some stains to text, overall quite presentable and near very good. Item #22756
John Rollington Ridge (1827-1867) was a Cherokee Indian born in New Echota, Cherokee Nation (now Georgia). He came to California in '49 for the gold but soon turned his efforts to writing. In 1854, under his Cherokee name, "Yellow Bird," he published what is known as the first novel published in California as well as the first Native American novel, The Life and Adventures of Joaquin Murieta: The Celebrated California Bandit. In 1857 he became first editor of the Sacramento Bee newspaper. He died at his home in Grass Valley (Nevada County) California. A scarce book, though not nearly as rare as the first edition of The Life and Adventures of Joaquin Murieta; the last copy to sell at auction (2003) fetched $86,250!
Price: $400.00