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Mercer, A. S. (Asa Shinn Mercer) : Washington Territory. The Great North-West, Her Material Resources, and Claims to Emigration. A Plain Statement of Things as They Exist

Frank McCaffrey & the Dogwood Press, Seattle, WA, 1939

One of 350 copies. Original publisher's green cloth binding with gilt lettering on spine. Lightly embossed decoration showing the outline of Washington Territory on front cover. 6 1/2" x 9 1/2." Fifty-four pages, complete. Pages are virtually pristine and intact except for light to moderate age toning. Covers are virtually pristine and intact except for slight wear to extremities, possible discoloration on the front decoration showing Washington Territory on front, and a tiny red dot and a few tiny smudges on front. Binding is tight. A Fine copy. Front colophon: "This is Number Two of the Dogwood Press Series of Western Americana; only 350 copies have been printed." This is a reprint of a promotional book about Washington Territory that was written by Asa Shinn Mercer (1839-1917), an American entrepreneur, author, and politician. Mercer served in the Washington State Senate, but he is perhaps best-known for being the founder and first president of the University of Washington, being a key figure in bringing immigrants to Washington Territory, and for his controversial book, The Banditti of the Plains (1894), in which he sided with the smaller settlers and ranchers instead of the cattle barons in the wake of the Johnson County War. Mercer's Washington Territory is an example of his relatively lesser-known literature in which he promotes the Pacific Northwest. This book was written to entice people to visit and settle in Washington Territory. Mercer's descriptions herein of Washington Territory are relatively concise, but a wide range of subjects about the region are addressed. Charles W. Smith (1877-1956) was a librarian at the University of Washington Library. He writes an introduction that briefly describes and lauds Mercer's career and writing ability. The following is an excerpt from Smith's introduction about the book: "Much statistical material is included, covering climate, distances, population and other data. When describing the physical features of the country, however, all factual restraint is abandoned and an exuberant eloquence takes place. Few writers have given a more glowing tribute to the scenery and natural advantages of the Pacific Northwest.". Book. Book Condition: Fine. Binding: Hardcover

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