Cow Country

Will James' collection of stories and illustrations is a beguiling antique, first published in 1927. The theme is the changing culture of the West during the first 25 years or so of the 20th century. Cattlemen and cowboys struggle with new methods and technology. Environmentalism is threatened. Cow country gradually changes ownership, and the stage is set for clashes in vision. Out on the Y-Bench spread, the new owner is a dude who tries to impose European ideas of saddles, livestock husbandry, and range management. Grizzled Bearpaw and the boys take exception to these mandated changes. Humorous confrontations ensue. In another story, two old timers just can't stomach encroaching civilization and head west for California, until real estate developers scare them back to Wyoming. The presentation of the book is more than its content. The many charcoal and pen-and-ink drawings look as rustic and hardened as the weather beaten cowboys, wild horses, and longhorns they portray. The first person narratives of the Westerners are rich with vernacular and colloquialism. The stories are lightweight, but hearfelt. More as written portraits than tales of Western adventure. Will James' work as an illustrator compares favorably with Remington and Russell. The book celebrates his love of the land and the animals, a change of pace for modern readers. ;-)