Signed, J. Evetts Haley - Jeff Milton, Good Man With A Gun

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AUTHOR: J. Evetts Haley, with illustrations by Harold Bugbee

TITLE: Jeff Milton: A Good Man with a Gun.

PUBLICATION DATA: 1948. Univ. of Oklahoma. First Edition.

Inscribed by Haley on the half-title page to Louise and O.C. Holt, and simply signed "Evetts." The Holt clan had a ranch in Spearman (Hansford County), and were close with Haley, as he had a ranch in neighboring Hutchinson County. Louise did some friendly proofreading for Haley over the years and this book comes to us from the estate of her daughter.

Condition report:

Hardcover, clothbound, with illustrated dust jacket. Book is near fine, showing little visible wear. Dust jacket shows some edge creases and two short edge tears. Shelfwear to spine ends and edges. 430 pages.

Why It Matters:

Jefferson Davis Milton was an intrepid man, a cowboy and a Texas Ranger, working in Texas from 1880-84 before moving on to West Texas and New Mexico, where he became a U.S. Marshal. Between these covers are outlaws and gunmen - John Wesley Hardin, Black Jack Ketchum, John Selman, George Scarborough, Burt Alvord, and Billy Stiles. And who better to tell Miltons' story than J. Evetts Haley?

Haley was an important chronicler of the Texas Panhandle Plains and the American West. He did the foundational research and artifact-gathering for what would become the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum.

Haley was also active in politics, running for governor in the race won by Price Daniel. He went to the Duke of Duval, George Parr, and informed him that under a Haley governorship, he'd be locked up. He opposed desegregation, socialism and FDR. But he opposed LBJ so much, he wrote one of the best-selling political books of all time (A Texan Looks at Lyndon), which sold nearly 8 million copies. He was a colorful man and his writing reflects it.