Outcasts of Poker Flats

There are wonderful, well-written (although in an older style) stories about the early days of the Old West along the lines of Jack London, Mark Twain and John Steinbeck. Early California comes alive on the pages, as do some of the characters doing the gambling, settling down, and even stealing horses, with some of the culprits barely escaping the vigilantes (but not always). I particularly enjoyed "Salomy Jane's Kiss," "The Poet of Sierra Flat," and "The Luck of Roaring Camp." Some sadness and struggle in the stories, but also a lot of humor. These stories will never die and the writer will become immortal with the readers that enjoy this genre. This book would be make great reading while sitting along a "Gold Rush" creek in the High Sierras.

This dramatic play in one act was adapted by Perry Edwards from the original story by Bret Harte. It has a cast of 4 men and 3 women. It is set in a cabin somewhere in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California from November 23 to December 12, 1850. Six people are trapped there. There are the outcasts--Uncle Billy, Mother Shipton, John Oakhurst, and Duchess. And there are the innocents--a young man Tom, his fiancee, and Jim Wheeler, a solid citizen. Uncle Willy will use any method necessary, including murder, to survive. Oakhurst's gentle breeding stirs him to risk his own safety in loyalty to the group. Tom's bubbly enthusiasm often ignites the group, and though lacking in education, his depth of understanding is unmatched. As the effects of hunger take a deeper hold on the group, the action heats up to a violent and dramatic brawl which will irrevocably change their destinies. This play is appropriate for middle school, high school, and adult audiences. It can effectively be performed by high school, college, and community theater groups.

The cover blurb describes Bret Harte as "the creator of the Western story." This may be true, but it is praise that undersells the quality of Harte's writing. While these stories contain many of the clichés to be found in typical Westerns - stage coach robberies, hangings, and slick, handsome gamblers - these are not escapist stories, but admirable studies of men and women subjected to frontier isolation and harsh conditions. They are easily comparable to the stories of Jack London, and a few of them even to John Steinbeck. If his other books are equal in quality to this selection, Harte certainly deserves to be more widely read. I remember that "The Outcasts of Poker Flat" was included in one of my high school literature anthologies, but I think that it was one that we did not read, probably because there is a prostitute in it. A common theme of many of these stories is how deeply these frontiersmen respond to innocence, whether in the form of young love or a newborn child. These are stories that will stay with you for a long time.

I had never even heard of Bret Harte before I read this story, and I really enjoyed it. I loved the way that he used language and imagery to vividly portray the people of Poker Flat. The way that John Oakhurst's (the gambler) thoughts are described, as everything relating to a game of cards, was interesting. It really made me feel like I could see all these people- they seem like very real, everyday characters that could be encountered in anyone's life. Harte obviously knows people, and knows how to tell a good story. I would love to read other stories that he's written.

tnIn my opinion Uncle billy truly steals the scene. It was true inspiration to me. I couldnt wait tot see how it ended . I recommend it to anyone