A COLLECTION OF EIGHT OF HIS BOOKS: White Tiger; Barbry; The Siamese Cat; and more

New York / Boston: Various publishers, 1907 - 1921. First edition. Eight books, all but one first printings, six INSCRIBED and three with LETTERS SIGNED to his aunt, MRS. J. B. RIDEOUT--author of CAMPING OUT IN CALIFORNIA--laid in. Henry Milner Rideout (1877-1927), a native of Calais, Maine, was author of 16 novels, 23 short stories & novellas (many of which appeared in The Saturday Evening Post), and a biographical memoir. His early writing abilities where such that they spurred his high school English teacher, Laura Burns and her cousin, distinguished Harvard English professor Charles Townsend Copeland, to motivate local townspeople to lend Rideout the funds necessary to attend Harvard. He graduated in 1899 and was an instructor in the English department for four years--until his college debts were paid off. After The Atlantic Monthly accepted two of his short stories, he decided to earn a living by writing. He set off from San Francisco for six months of travel in the Far East under contract to the American Woolen Company, reporting on jute mills in the Philippines, Indonesia, and India. He translated his experiences and observations from travel in those places so well--skillfully writing on locales such as Bangkok or Canton--that readers assumed he had traveled more widely. He earned readership in not only the United States, but Canada and Great Britain. His eminence was such that when he died while on a family trip to Europe, the San Francisco Chronicle ran a banner headline announcing his sudden death. THE COLLECTION consists of eight books without dust jackets in overall very good condition, all but one of which are first printings/impressions and six of which are INSCRIBED to his aunt. Most are spine faded but otherwise very good (as noted below): *THE SIAMESE CAT*, NY: McClure, Phillips, 1907. General wear but still good, not signed or inscribed | *DRAGON'S BLOOD*, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1909. Second impression. Spine barely faded on this one. Better than very good. Not signed or inscribed but with ownership signature of Mrs. Rideout on endpaper. | *WILLIAM JONES*, NY: Frederick A. Stokes, 1912. A biography. Spine unfaded but corners and spine ends show some wear (still very good). Inscribed. | *WHITE TIGER*, NY: Duffield, 1915. 2-page ALS to his aunt (both sides of single sheet) laid in. Foxing to edges of frontis and title page. Inscribed. | *THE FAR CRY*, NY: Duffield, 1916. Lettering on front board rubbed but readable. Inscribed. | *THE KEY OF THE FIELDS and BOLDERO*, NY: Duffield, 1918. Front hinge cracked but tight. Rideout's obituary with dateline Antwerp, Belgium, pasted to front endpaper. Inscribed. | *FERN SEED*, NY: Duffield 1921. TLS written in 1925, laid in, as well as "With the Compliments of the Author" card. Handwritten note on title page, presumably by his aunt, about his death (mistakes the year) and this being his last book (also a mistake). Inscribed. | *BARBRY*, NY: Duffield, 1923. TLS with handwritten notes, laid in. Inscribed.