Shelf
List
R French, William
175 Papers, 1877-1967 (bulk
1877-1934).
Twenty-six
folders.
MICROFILMThese are the papers of an author and
newspaper publisher at Eminence in Shannon County, Missouri. Included are hunting and fishing diaries,
journals, teaching notebooks, lists of published works, short stories, and
family correspondence.
Folders
1-11: Miscellaneous notebooks and
papers, 1877-1967.
Family correspondence, composition book,
teaching notebooks, notes on moving to
Folder 1: Correspondence,
1877-1934.
Family correspondence, mostly between
Celestine French,
Folder 2: Diary of a trip to
This small notebook details the first
week of a trip from
Folder 3: Composition book,
1908-1909.
Miscellaneous notes on world geography
precede French’s story, “Careless Carl: The Story of a Wasted Life.”
Folder 4: Notebook, 1909.
Only three pages of this small notebook
bear writing. It includes a list of
“dates to remember,” concerning early hunting trips and literary efforts. Much of this information is duplicated in the
lists of published works in Folders 5 and 15.
Folder 5: List of writings,
1902-1911.
This volume bears the notation, “A
Complete List of all my Published Writings, with a description of each.” Sixty essays, short stories, and articles
are noted, each with the details of publication and compensation. See also Folders 4 and 15.
Folder 6: Teaching notebook,
1911-1912.
Contains notes on French’s tenure as
teacher at the Prairie Hollow and Owl Bend schools in
Folder 7: The Mixture, Eminence,
Two issues of this small literary
magazine published at Eminence by the French brothers, February 1914 and
October 1916.
Folder 8: Short stories, n.d.
A two-page typescript of hunting and
fishing anecdotes. Includes “Bass Volunteers
for the Stringer,” “Fishing in the Treetops,” “Lucky Prod With a Gig,” and “Two
Rabbits at One Shot.”
Folder 9: “Tom Howard Slept
Here,” by Luther Rowlett, n.d.
An undated, manuscript piece by Luther
Rowlett, possibly submitted for publication in The Mixture. It concerns a
visit to Eminence in September 1881 by Jesse and Frank James, who posed as
cattle buyers. There is considerable
background material on the Civil War in
Folder 10: Hog book, 1930-1934.
An accounting of French's hog business,
including expenses and receipts, inventories of animals, and farrowing records.
Folder 11: Hunting book, n.d.
A listing of various types of animals
killed with different weapons. Also a
record of French's total fishing catch.
There are a few miscellaneous farm records for 1966-1967 at the end of
this volume.
Folders
12-26: Diaries, 1906-1926.
Hunting, fishing, and trapping diaries,
daily journals, and miscellaneous items.
The diaries are nearly complete for the period 1906-1926.
Folder 12: Diary,
There are
hunting, fishing, and trapping notes, 1901-1906, interspersed with other
records at the beginning of the volume.
Folder 13: Diary,
Folder 14: Diary of a hunting
trip, 1-2 July 1909.
Folder 15: Diary,
Contains a listing of French’s writings
to 1914. See also material in Folders 4
and 5.
Folder 16: Diary,
Folder 17: Diary,
Folder 18: Diary,
Also includes miscellaneous notes for
1912-1913.
Folder 19: Diary,
Folder 20: Diary,
Folder 21: Diary,
Folder 22: Diary,
This notebook details French’s military
service during World War I. He trained
as an army automotive mechanic at
Folder 23: Diary,
The first twenty pages contain notes and
diagrams on auto mechanics, probably made during French’s military training.
Folder 24: Diary,
Folder 25: Diary,
Folder 26: Diary,
Information
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cards for this collection
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