Beadle's Half Dime Library, No. 750

1891 · 16 pages

Catalog Note This issue features "Violet Vane, the Vanquished; or, The Life Struggle at Shanty City," a Western romance by William G. Patten. The narrative follows two eccentric old men—the ragged, sunflower-wearing vagabond Erasmus Wagg ("Ole Blossom") and Jeduthin Corker, a Maine Yankee with precise genealogical claims—who meet outside the White Eagle Hotel in the frontier town of Shanty City. Initially quarreling over a widow named Susie Swan, they reconcile upon discovering their mutual acquaintance with the legendary Violet Vane. When a rougher character, "Dagger Dan," mocks them, Old Blossom attempts retaliation but is forced to surrender. The arrival of a stagecoach brings Maggie Mayee, an Irish girl, whom Old Jed attempts to escort with awkward chivalry. Old Blossom, adopting an Irish accent and manner, successfully charms her away from the Yankee, demonstrating his cunning adaptability. The narrative blends frontier action with comedic character interplay.

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