Emil and Julia Thomas Bakery

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StevenTrost
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Re: Emil and Julia Thomas Bakery

Post by StevenTrost »

oazarker,

I have to disagree with you on some things. Not the research you have done but the way you misrepresent things. You say the request for the directery was denied. no it wasn't, it was given in detail. Meyer city and business directory for 1891. I don't know how it could be more clear than that. If I want to see that directory I'll find it just like everyone else. You have not given anything but a reference to a lot of what you have posted either so you have no room to demand anything more of someone else. I haven't seen anything of the leases and deeds and other things you have posted other than links to internet sights that one I couldn't get to work. Im not saying anything you posted isn't true, just that you ask of others what you yourself haven't done. And I don't mean you have to go back and post them now that is not what im saying.

you say we are asked to take things on faith, and statements were made as proof positive about Julias location and definitive statements were made. No they weren't, everything I saw presented was referenced by the poster as being personal opinion based on what they have learned. you throw these statements around which misrepresent the thread.maybe it seems that way in yourr mind but not in everyone elses. you joined here a few days ago and your very first post I could see there was some kind of chip on your shoulder, it got worse with each post and finally a tag team came in on que and it went full blown. those of us reading aren't too stupid to see what was happening. I like your research but this isnt a contest with the winner take all. your research made me think about the whole affair but I still think research of documents doesn't tell the whole story.
Since I asked yesterday for the moderators to take control I thank them for cleaning up the board and hopfullythe attacks and stupidity will not continue.

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Re: Emil and Julia Thomas Bakery

Post by cubfan64 »

StevenTrost wrote:"Yes, there's always the possibility that Julia could have been "running" both businesses for some reason - that's always a possibility, not probably, but possible. However, as I said, Ely stated she had that lease, and I don't believe she did."

I dont know much about the matter but to me I don't think Julia had a lease at the Ely location, if anything she was working there either as a baker or running the store for whoever did have a lease on it. That is entirely possible, I was in a situation where that could have been the case with myself once so to me it is very possible it all depends on your circumstences.

I doubt if Sims Ely ever reserched the leases while writing his book. saying Julia took a lease may just have been an asumption on his part. The location Ely gives in the book is to detailed to be a mistake in my mind.

I went and looked for the Phoenix directory's and found a little and some on the Lenerd Meyer directory's and his business in phoenix. I'm not very good at internet research so am sure more is there I just don't know how to look for it. We tend to believe everything is somewhere on the net but the fact is for all thats there its still only a small portion and much of whats there is errors. Just my 2 cents worth.

Steven
Steven - The statement you made that I placed in bold is what I have to disagree with you on at this point. The way I see it, if you believe Ely is very specific and detailed in his statements, then you can't just pass off his words that "Julia took the lease at that location" as an assumption on his part. Why would be be so specific in one part of the sentence, but not the other?

Ely's history and character suggests he was a detail oriented individual (newspaper man, person assigned as project leader, etc...). At one point in his book he mentions that he has a photocopy of the agreement Waltz made with Andrew Starrar. I personally do believe Ely researched things that he was told in order to try to figure out what matched and what didn't. He mentions at one point that he and Bark interviewed Reiney and Julia separated on a number of occasions and then compared notes - to me that implies the he researched and investigated things to try to discover what "chaff" he could dismiss and what things were real clues.

On the other hand, there are things in Ely's book such as dates, names, etc... that appear to be incorrect - therein lies the dilemma. The reader is left to interpret things as they see fit, which unfortunately with human nature being what it is, we tend to interpret those grey areas in ways that fit the theory we've been building.

I don't have an answer to the question of why Ely stated that Julia's business was on the south side of Washington. If he had examined the lease documents Ozarker presented, he should have questioned his conclusion. Did Julia tell him this information? Did he get the information at a later date from another writer, or is this really where Julia happened to be taking care of Waltz?

Based on the factual history I've seen, the majority of the evidence suggests to me that for whatever reason, Ely has that fact wrong. I hope to find some newspaper advertisements showing Julia's business being at that location on the S side of Washington while I'm in AZ in a few weeks. If I do, I'll certainly post copies here - if they indeed show that information, it could have an impact on what I believe.
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Re: Emil and Julia Thomas Bakery

Post by StevenTrost »

cubfan64

yes I see your point and it certainly has to be considered. Im not sure I totally agree with you but I don't know the Ely book very well so can't say what all else was right or wrong. i know there are some things in it he got very wrong but that doesn't mean everything else was wrong to. Some times you can two things in one sentence, one thing true, the other false, one thing right, the other wrong. You can't say theres a rule that just because Ely wrote two things into a sentence they both have to be correct or both incorrect. You have a good point though and it makes me consider other angles. I have some questions about Frank Aklire but am almost afraid to ask them now.

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Re: Emil and Julia Thomas Bakery

Post by Ozarker »

Hello All:

A short primer:

All lease and deed records that have been cited in this thread are available on-line at the Maricopa County Recorder website:

http://recorder.maricopa.gov/recdocdata/


This is a state government site and is not affected by the Federal Government shutdown.

The above was the very first link I posted, because I knew the discussion was going to cite these records extensively. In fact, I'm guessing this link covers over 90 percent of the references I've used.

Once at the site by following the above link, you must select one of the two available year ranges (either 1871-1946 or 1947-Present).

Obviously, you will want to select the year range 1871-1946.

Once you have selected the 1871-1946 year range, simply enter the specified book and page numbers (as cited in the thread discussion) into the appropriate fields, then press SEARCH.

A listing of available records will be presented by type (for example, Miscellaneous, Deed, Mortgage, Lease, etc).

Select the hot link next to the type of record I was describing (for example "Leases")

On the next screen that is presented, click on the only hot link available (located in the "Pages" field).

A pdf file of the original record will be displayed.



It is possible for anyone to provide a direct link to each one of the individual Maricopa County Records by displaying the desired record on your screen and then coyping and pasting the link into the thread. However, the links are volatile (they only stay good for about 24 hours or so), and then the Maricopa County web site recompiles and any links you have provided directly to the individual records become dead links.

Since I did not want to be the cause of a thread full of dead links, I provided a general link to the main records page at the site and simply cited Book and Page numbers - figuring it was self-explanatory on how to use the site (there is also a Help section at the site).


I have generally tried to present either a transcript or link for the records I have cited, especially when I thought the record was critical to the discussion. And as stated above, the general link to the Maricopa County Recorder site covers the vast majority of my citations. For any other source that I referred to, without a link or transcript, I am more than happy to provide them on request.

And I will do so here on the thread, without question and without expecting folks to jump through hoops, so that they can be viewed and discussed by everybody.

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Re: Emil and Julia Thomas Bakery

Post by oroblanco »

To all,
I would only add that we ought not throw too many stones at Sims Ely, for errors found in his book. He wrote it in the last days of his life, in fact while he was in a sanitorium; he was working from memory largely, aided by the notes taken many years previously.

Further still, the actual book we have, is not actually written by Sims Ely but by the editor; Ely presented the manuscript to the editor (the name escapes me but I think it was John Willey?) who really crafted the mass of information into a story form, and thus we have the book, which was not in the form that Sims Ely had actually penned it. Ely also did not go to the county courthouse to check on whom had leased what property when he was writing, in fact he did check with some sources like James H. McClintock's "Arizona the Youngest State" and Will C. Barnes, "Arizona Place Names" as well as various other old timers he knew that he drew upon their memories. I don't think he was attempting to write a purely historical documentation by any means.

In the years after Waltz's death, other treasure hunters had few options on whom to approach for information and help; Julia Thomas was the most forthcoming, even drawing up a number of maps which she sold, but the others like Dick Holmes, Jim Bark or Reiney Petrasch were not about to give out the information they were using to try to locate the mine.

Good luck and good hunting amigos, I hope you find the treasures that you seek.
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Re: Emil and Julia Thomas Bakery

Post by Ozarker »

Hello oroblanco:

(Can I say that without getting you accosted again?)

Conspiratorially (heh), I agree with your comments on Sims Ely and his book. (GASP!)

Really though, joking aside, I don't necessarily hold the errors in Ely's book against him, but I learned within the first month of reading his book to check his facts (thoroughly) before citing him (a good practice no matter the author).

There are plenty of obvious errors laced throughout Ely's book, and if you read enough material about lost mines and the American southwest, it becomes apparent that Ely (or perhaps his publisher/editor) also melded other tales into the Lost Dutchman, perhaps in order to round out the story. One of the best analyses I've seen of Ely's book, including the source for some of his material, is found in Robert Blair's book (Tales of the Superstitions, 1975).

Regarding the specific errors though (the name of Julia's husband, the date of relocating her business, the location she moved her business) all suggest that Ely did not get that particular information directly from Julia, which I think has already been covered here. Julia may have made an error on the date of her move (who can remember dates?), but I doubt she would forget where she had leased and was running her business, and I seriously doubt she would forget her own husband's (Emil's) name (they were married nearly eight years, and worked their stores together for most of that time).

Something that I haven't seen mentioned, either in Blair or in the talk that Dr Glover gave on the book's publication, is the impact that time and money (the almighty god) had on getting the book through the process. Publishing a book is a risky venture - future returns on sales are generally the bottom line - and accuracy usually becomes the first casualty when trying to meet budget and schedule. I think style was probably more important than details, at least to the publisher.

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Re: Emil and Julia Thomas Bakery

Post by Matthew Roberts »

At the 2012 Dutch Hunters Rendezvous, Thomas E. Glover was the Saturday night featured speaker. Mr. Glover spoke about Sims Ely’s book, The Lost Dutchman Mine. During the speech Mr. Glover told the crowd Sims Ely did not write the book, a writer at Morrow and Co. Press, the books publisher, supposedly wrote the book from a submitted manuscript. At the end of the talk I was even more confused about the book than in the beginning. I chalked that up to Mr. Glover building interest for his new, soon to be printed books which will cover the Ely subject.

Unable to get answers to my many questions I attempted to contact the William Morrow and Company Press in November 2012. I learned Morrow and Co. no longer exists as Morrow and Co., but through sales, mergers and acquisitions today is a part of News Corp. (NC) the largest publisher of books and magazines in the world. Harper-Collins (HC), a subsidiary of News Corp, is today the parent company of the former Wm. Morrow and Company. News Corp. Harper-Collins (NCHC) retains all the imprint records of books acquired through a series of mergers and acquisitions, including the records of Morrow and Company. HC still retains certain printing rights to the book. News Corp. Harper-Collins is located on 10 E. 53rd Street in New York City, they have an office here in Los Angeles.

It took me four months and persistence to contact someone at HC who was able and willing to help me find the answers I was looking for. It took another 5 months to finally get those answers.

When the book was being prepared for publication, Morrow and Co. assigned just two employees to guide the book through to it’s 1st printing. Irwin Schope was assigned art and layout duties, and John Willey was assigned editing duties. Schope did the cover art and maps that appear as well as the general format and layout of the text and chapters. Willey edited the chapters and arranged them in the order we see them today. No one at Morrow and Co. either wrote or rewrote the book, this according to the records retained by Harper-Collins.

Harper-Collins explained, editing a book and writing a book are entirely different endeavors. Neither Willey nor Schope were on the Morrow staff as writers. In fact, Willey was not even an editor, he was the treasurer of Morrow and Company. Morrow and Company employed writers who did rewrites and screen plays from scripts as they did a lot of work with Broadway plays and radio and television. There is a distinct difference in publishing between editors and writers. The Morrow and Company records from 1953 shows none of Morrow's writers were involved with the books writing.

In the Morrow records is a page, written by Sims Ely, entitled Authors Note, in which Sims Ely implies he is the books author and signs the document as the Author of the book. The page is signed by Sims Ely. Also in the record is the documentation Sims Ely retained the copyright for the book with all rights reserved. As Harper-Collins explained, had Morrow and Co. written, or rewritten the book they (Morrow) would have the copyrights. H-C explained this was an important and critical point. No publisher would write a book without retaining the copyright and a book is considered written or rewritten if 41% of the work is penned by the publisher.

Editing a book is not writing or rewriting, it is correcting grammar and punctuation, arranging the sentences, paragraphs and chapters into readable sequence and deleting parts that are redundant or boring to the reader. Adjectives and adverbs are added in editing but not subjects, people , places or events. Editors do not write or rewrite books, they aid in the grammatical, sequential and interesting flow of the book.

Another extremely interesting point came to light concerning Ely’s book. When the book was printed it was assigned the Library of Congress Code Number 53-10167. It was also assigned the Library of Congress Classification Number 1.7G subclass GR Western Folklore, fiction.

Harper Collins explained this is the proper classification for not only Ely’s book, but for all Lost Dutchman Mine books. The Lost Dutchman Mine is a Western Folklore Legend, not a historical Non-Fiction as current Dutchman books masquerade themselves. At best it is historical Fiction, a loose combination of folklore and incidental facts.

Why is this classification important ? As HC explains, over the years, small, local publishers and fly by night printers have corrupted the LDM book classification to become a "979.175 type Non-Fiction book". As if it were a True, Non-Fiction Historical Documentary. The current LDM books do this to garner a wider audience and increase the price of the book.

But this is deceptive advertising, bait and switch. There is a large market that deals only in True, Historical Non-Fiction books and documentary accounts, this market is deceived by the false classification and buys the books with the understanding they are Non-Fiction documentary and finding out later they bought a combination of loosely woven historical fiction.

One of the reason recent Lost Dutchman books sell so poorly is because large lot buyers have been burned by the false classifications and have been stuck with hundreds of books they must unload onto the Fiction market at great loss. They are understandably shy about purchasing large lots of these type books and now buy small quantities as they sell them, if they sell at all.

If News Corp. Harper Collins were to ever publish a Lost Dutchman Mine book today it would receive the same type of classification given the Sims Ely book in 1953 1.7G GR Western Folklore . Wm. Morrow and Company of New York was one of the leading and most reputable publishers of their day. News Corp. Harper Collins is today the leading and most respected publisher in the world. Publishing has fallen considerably with the influx of the small local printing houses. An interesting and eye opening look into today’s publishing world from the largest and most respected publisher of books in the world.

Now, if Sims Ely didn’t write The Lost Dutchman Mine, and it wasn’t Wm. Morrow and Company, who did ? (The above is my personal opinion based on my conversations and correspondence with News Corp, Harper-Collins.)
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Re: Emil and Julia Thomas Bakery

Post by Ozarker »

Hello All:

In a previous post, the followng (generic) titles were provided by the poster regarding the city directory discussion:

Bensol City and Bensol Business Directories
Disturnell City and Business Directory
A. Leonard Meyer City and Business Directories
another directory published in Tucson but included some Phoenix business


The above are listed as they were given in the post, including spelling.

Unless I misunderstood, I believe we were also specifically told that only one of the directories was published and printed locally (in Phoenix):

"Meyer's directory was the only one published and printed in Phoenix locally. The others were printed in SanFrancisco and elsewhere."


I am still wondering about that statement. City directories were sometimes published and printed out of area, but most of the time, and certainly in the case of Phoenix, the directories were compiled and published locally. One of the main reasons for this, as indicated in the preface of one of the directories, was the extreme effort the publishers had to go to in order to ensure accuracy. A directory published out of area would face much more difficulty than local publishers - and therefore they would be much more prone to mistakes.

Thankfully, we are not in that situation, because as I said, most of the directories (in fact, all but one - see below) were compiled and published locally in Phoenix.

(The printing of the directories was another matter entirely, and where (what city) the directories may have been printed in after compilation is not really so important to the discussion. However, for the information of the readers, the 1888, 1892, and 1895 directories were all printed locally, in Phoenix. I'm still waiting for an answer on the 1899-1900 and the 1903 directories - but seriously, it's not all that important)

A shown below, Phoenix (starting out) did not have the benefit of regular yearly business and city directories, and there were different publishers for each of the directories. These are the full titles of the directories, followed by the city they were published in, the publisher's name, and the year they were published:


Disturnell's Arizona Business Directory and Gazeteer, 1881 (San Francisco: W C Disturnell, 1881)
Meyer's Business Directory of the City of Phoenix, Arizona (Phoenix: A. Leonard Meyer, 1888)
Phoenix (City) Directory for the Year 1892, including Mesa and Tempe (Phoenix: Bensell Directory Company, 1892)
Phoenix (City) Directory for the Year 1895 (Phoenix: Arizona Directory Company, 1895)
Phoenix (City) Directory for 1899-1900 (Phoenix: Phoenix Directory Company, 1900)
Phoenix (City) Directory 1903 (Phoenix: A P Skinner, 1903)


I did not put any effort into tracking down the "another directory published in Tucson but included some Phoenix business" reference. I wouldn't even know how to begin a search for that one.

I've also seen a 1901 Board of Trade Directory, the 1905-1906 Phoenix (City) and Maricopa County Directory, and the 1912 and 1913 City Directories. By 1915 the directories were being published on a yearly basis, but all of these later directories are long after Julia had left the confectionery business and wouldn't contribute directly to this discussion.

As already discussed, Julia moved her business to the Capitol Building (north side of Washington) on 28 May 1891. A little over a year later, on 10 July 1892, Julia sold her business in the Capitol Building to the firm of Schooler and Wilson.

The data for the directories was collected and compiled at the end of the year before publishing. For example, the 1892 Directory would reflect things as they stood at the end of 1891.

Similarly, any 1891 Directory (which I could find no proof of) would reflect things as they stood at the end of 1890.

Therefore:

THE VERY FIRST DIRECTORY THAT JULIA COULD HAVE POSSIBLY APPEARED IN AT HER NEW LOCATION WAS THE 1892 CITY DIRECTORY.

According to the 1903 Directory, the directories were printed in the spring of the issuing year, and as stated above, they reflected the data compiled at the end of the previous year.

Each of the early (City) directories had an addendum sheet (or sheets) located at the beginning of the directories, reflecting late changes or additions which became available as the publishers were going to press. I was unable to determine the cut-off date for the addendum sheet(s), (something I intend to revisit for another project), but it is not important to this discussion because Julia did not appear on any of the addendums.

In 1903, the publisher decided that spring was too early to issue the directory, and that beginning the following year (1904) they would instead start the practice of publishing in the fall, for the stated reason that too many people returned to Phoenix from their long summer get-aways and moved into new addresses, making a spring directory more prone to error by later in the year. This might become important later on, if we get around to it, as I wind down my final series of posts for the thread.

The above mentioned 1881 Disturnell's Directory and Gazeteer, the 1888 Meyer's Business Directory, and the 1892 Phoenix (City) Directory, which are the documents that bracket Julia's move to the Capitol Building, are all available on line and free of charge through the following portal:

https://sites.google.com/site/onlinedir ... z/maricopa


Finally for now, the most recent (I think) definitive assertion regarding the directory which clearly listed Julia at the Sims Ely location was as follows:

"If you would remember you would have known I already posted the information to the directory reference. All you have to do is go back and write it down.

To those seriously following this thread,

The A. Leonard Meyer's Business Directory of the City of Phoenix (Arizona) 1891."



The above statement was followed a few posts later by this statement:

"You say the request for the directery was denied. no it wasn't, it was given in detail. Meyer city and business directory for 1891."


To be clear, I did not ask for the title of the directory in my original request. I asked for a link, scan or transcript of the specific listing for Julia Thomas found within any such directory, so that the readers could see and evaluate it for themselves.

I do not currently know if an 1891 edition of A. Leonard Meyer's Business Directory of the City of Phoenix (Arizona) exists. I have so far been unable to find any specific reference to it, other than in this thread.

And at present, I cannot be absolutely certain that an 1891 edition of the A. Leonard Meyer's Business Directory of the City of Phoenix (Arizona) does not exist. It can be extremely difficult to prove the non-existence of something.

But in evaluating whether such a directory ever existed, I recommend that readers check the short and very informative article at the followng link concerning Anton Leonard Meyers:

http://www.yumasun.com/articles/meyer-2 ... -city.html


I seriously doubt the Meyer's Busienss Directory was ever published again, after the first (and only) issue in 1888.

Regardless, in my opinion, even if by some extraordinary stretch such a directory did exist, it would not be useful because of the date of Julia's move, as discussed in detail above.


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Re: Emil and Julia Thomas Bakery

Post by Matthew Roberts »

Sims Ely

The Lost Dutchman Mine

Wm. Morrow and Company Inc. 425 4th Avenue New York City 16
1953 1.7G GR Western Folklore
6 printings : 1953, Jan 1954, Apr 1957, Dec 1960, Oct 1964, Apr 1966.

14 Chapters
178 Pages
55,960 Words

The Lost Dutchman Mine is a VERY short book. It is written for all ages, that is to say there are no big words or technical terms. It is listed by Morrow and Company the publisher as a 6th grade reading level (1953). The book can easily be read cover to cover by an average reader in a few hours. The chapters are short, the shortest chapter 8 pages, the longest 23 pages, most chapters are 10-13 pages. Short chapters keep the reader engaged longer. The format and layout of the book is designed in large type and wide spacing, this makes the book extremely easy reading and holds the reader to keep on reading.

You often hear people say, the Lost Dutchman Mine by Sims Ely is the best book ever written about the LDM with the best information because Ely was closer to the time and sources.

None of these statements are exceptionally true.

The book is the easiest to read of all the Dutchman books, not to confuse easiest to read with, the best book. The book is both filled with wonderful acurate information and at the same time, with inaccuracies from beginning to end.
Sims Ely proves beyond a doubt that being close in time to the story and characters, is not an advantage.

The Lost Dutchman Mine is a wonderful book, lots of great stories and accounts thrown together in an almost flowing but slightly disjointed account. In spite of many inaccuracies, Ely does give some good solid insight. I enjoy the book, I’ve read it cover to cover at least a dozen times. I even have some pages fairly well memorized. Ely did a good job and the book sold very well.

Of course in 1953 with the fantastic boom of the Western movies and Cowboy television shows, and the full backing of Morrow and Company of New York into every major market in America, it was a sure thing it would be a success. Morrow was one of the 3 top publishers in North America in 1953.

The book received a tepid review when it was released. No earthshaking reviews, an average, good book, good looking cover and maps, no photos or index, priced reasonably.

A short overview of each of the 14 Chapters in The Lost Dutchman Mine


Chapter 1. 12 pgs. Describes the Superstition mountains. Story of Adolph Ruth.

Chapter 2. 8 pgs. Jim Bark.

Chapter 3. 13 pgs. Dr. Abraham Thorne story. Simon Novinger story.

Chapter 4. 15 pgs. Jacob Weiser, John D Walker, Tom Weedin, the rawhide map.

Chapter 5. 23 pgs. Two soldiers, Aaron Mason, EA Panknin and the swamper.

Chapter 6. 12 pgs. Joe Dearing, John Chewing, more about Dr. Abraham Thorne story.

Chapter 7. 11 pgs. Jacob Waltz, Helena Thomas, Charles Thomas, Reiney Petrasch, Waltz pays Helena’s debts with gold, Waltz ships gold to San Francisco.

Chapter 8. 16 pgs. Waltz tells story of his mine. Waltz partner Weiser. Weiser’s death. The mine and caches. Peralta’s in Mexico. Flood of 1891, Waltz’s death.

Chapter 9. 10 pgs. Corroboration of Waltz stories by his neighbors and Phoenix residents. Helena Thomas, Jim Bark, Reiney, Herman Petrasch, A.L. and Fred Henshaw.

Chapter 10. 11 pgs. Cowboy accounts of the mine. Trails and clues. Bluff Springs Mt. Tortilla Mt. Charlebois and LeBarge. Jimmy Gibson, Jimmy Anderson, Jim Bark, EE Wright , the horse country, Charlebois spring.

Chapter 11. 12 pgs. Silverlock and Malm. Apache Jack, George Scholey, Black Mt. Apaches bury the mine. Blind squaw story.

Chapter 12. 13 pgs. Various Indian stories about the mine. Apache Jack, Watsky, Forbac, JD Walker, Del-Shay, Pahsaum, Emerson, Henry.

Chapter 13. 12 pgs. Peralta land grant fraud. Rables-Gonzales story. More Indian stories and accounts. The Don’s Club of Phoenix.

Chapter 14. 8 pgs. Entirely about the James Cravey disappearance and Sheriff Lynn Early.
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Re: Emil and Julia Thomas Bakery

Post by Matthew Roberts »

Matthew Roberts wrote:Sims Ely

The Lost Dutchman Mine

Wm. Morrow and Company Inc. 425 4th Avenue New York City 16
1953 1.7G GR Western Folklore
6 printings : 1953, Jan 1954, Apr 1957, Dec 1960, Oct 1964, Apr 1966.

14 Chapters
178 Pages
55,960 Words

The Lost Dutchman Mine is a VERY short book. It is written for all ages, that is to say there are no big words or technical terms. It is listed by Morrow and Company the publisher as a 6th grade reading level (1953). The book can easily be read cover to cover by an average reader in a few hours. The chapters are short, the shortest chapter 8 pages, the longest 23 pages, most chapters are 10-13 pages. Short chapters keep the reader engaged longer. The format and layout of the book is designed in large type and wide spacing, this makes the book extremely easy reading and holds the reader to keep on reading.

You often hear people say, the Lost Dutchman Mine by Sims Ely is the best book ever written about the LDM with the best information because Ely was closer to the time and sources.

None of these statements are exceptionally true.

The book is the easiest to read of all the Dutchman books, not to confuse easiest to read with, the best book. The book is both filled with wonderful acurate information and at the same time, with inaccuracies from beginning to end.
Sims Ely proves beyond a doubt that being close in time to the story and characters, is not an advantage.

The Lost Dutchman Mine is a wonderful book, lots of great stories and accounts thrown together in an almost flowing but slightly disjointed account. In spite of many inaccuracies, Ely does give some good solid insight. I enjoy the book, I’ve read it cover to cover at least a dozen times. I even have some pages fairly well memorized. Ely did a good job and the book sold very well.

Of course in 1953 with the fantastic boom of the Western movies and Cowboy television shows, and the full backing of Morrow and Company of New York into every major market in America, it was a sure thing it would be a success. Morrow was one of the 3 top publishers in North America in 1953.

The book received a tepid review when it was released. No earthshaking reviews, an average, good book, good looking cover and maps, no photos or index, priced reasonably.

A short overview of each of the 14 Chapters in The Lost Dutchman Mine


Chapter 1. 12 pgs. Describes the Superstition mountains. Story of Adolph Ruth.

Chapter 2. 8 pgs. Jim Bark.

Chapter 3. 13 pgs. Dr. Abraham Thorne story. Simon Novinger story.

Chapter 4. 15 pgs. Jacob Weiser, John D Walker, Tom Weedin, the rawhide map.

Chapter 5. 23 pgs. Two soldiers, Aaron Mason, EA Panknin and the swamper.

Chapter 6. 12 pgs. Joe Dearing, John Chewing, more about Dr. Abraham Thorne story.

Chapter 7. 11 pgs. Jacob Waltz, Helena Thomas, Charles Thomas, Reiney Petrasch, Waltz pays Helena’s debts with gold, Waltz ships gold to San Francisco.

Chapter 8. 16 pgs. Waltz tells story of his mine. Waltz partner Weiser. Weiser’s death. The mine and caches. Peralta’s in Mexico. Flood of 1891, Waltz’s death.

Chapter 9. 10 pgs. Corroboration of Waltz stories by his neighbors and Phoenix residents. Helena Thomas, Jim Bark, Reiney, Herman Petrasch, A.L. and Fred Henshaw.

Chapter 10. 11 pgs. Cowboy accounts of the mine. Trails and clues. Bluff Springs Mt. Tortilla Mt. Charlebois and LeBarge. Jimmy Gibson, Jimmy Anderson, Jim Bark, EE Wright , the horse country, Charlebois spring.

Chapter 11. 12 pgs. Silverlock and Malm. Apache Jack, George Scholey, Black Mt. Apaches bury the mine. Blind squaw story.

Chapter 12. 13 pgs. Various Indian stories about the mine. Apache Jack, Watsky, Forbac, JD Walker, Del-Shay, Pahsaum, Emerson, Henry.

Chapter 13. 12 pgs. Peralta land grant fraud. Rables-Gonzales story. More Indian stories and accounts. The Don’s Club of Phoenix.

Chapter 14. 8 pgs. Entirely about the James Cravey disappearance and Sheriff Lynn Early.

Forgot to add to the above post:

In the original publication, Sims Ely credited some of the people who helped him compile information for the book. It is a very short list. One thing I noticed while reading the book is Ely had a peculiar habit of making a historical statement in one chapter, and crediting the source of the statements in a later chapter. He did that on three occasions that I caught but only after having read the book several times over.

Matthew
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