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E c c e C o w b o y : E . C . A b b o t t ’s W e P o i n t e d T h e m N o r t h R i c h a r d H u t s o n W e P o in t ed T h e m N o rt h : R ecollection s o f a C o w p u n c h e r (1 9 3 9 ) r e c o u n t s w h a t t h e a u t h o r c a lls t h e “c iv iliz in g” p r o c e ss o f t h e e x p a n d in g c a t t le fr o n t ie r a ft e r t h e C iv il W ar. It is a n im p r e ssiv e e x a m p le o f a n A m e r ic a n au t o b io gr ap h y , o n e w h ic h Lar r y M cM u r t r y , a n a u t h o r it y o n T e x a s r a n c h in g h isto r y , h a s c a lle d “[b]y an y st a n d a r d , a su p e r b m e m o ir ; a n d fa r a n d aw ay t h e b e st b o o k o n t h e t r a il- d r iv e r s” (In a N ar r o w G rav e 1 7 4 ). T h e “r e c o lle c t io n s” o f E d w ar d A b b o t t ’s ear ly life as “a r e al o ld c o w h a n d ,” a G r e a t P la in s t r a il- d r iv in g c o w b o y in t h e 1 8 7 0 s a n d 1 8 80 s, p r e se n t t h e r e a d e r w ith t h e c o m p le x it ie s sc h o la r s a n d t h e o r ist s h a v e e n c o u n t e r e d in t h e st u d y o f a u t o b io gr a p h y as a liter ar y ge n r e (2 3 0 ). T h e d ile m m a s o f t e llin g “ t h e st o r y o f m y life, w it h so m e h ist o r y t h r o w n in ” ar e r ic h ly p r e se n t h e r e d e sp it e — o r m a y b e b e c a u se o f— t h e fa c t t h a t A b b o t t h im se lf a p p e a r s u n a w a r e o f a n y lite r ar y se lf- r e fle c t io n in t e llin g t h e sto r y o f h is life as a y o u n g m a n (4 ). In fa ct , h ist o r y is n o t ju st “t h r o w n in ” ; it e m e r ge s n a t u r a lly w it h t h e u n fo ld...

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