[Platt, P.L., and N. Slater]:

$75,000 · Offered by William Reese Company

[TRAVELER'S GUIDE ACROSS THE PLAINS UPON THE OVERLAND ROUTE TO CALIFORNIA]. The imperfect but bibliographically significant Wagner-Streeter-Dietrich copy of one of the rarest overland guides to California, and one of the first books copyrighted in California. This was the first and only copy by which the book was known for several decades. Streeter writes:"This is one of few of the early overland guides having a map especially drawn for the guide. I acquired my copy of this Guide, lacking the first sixteen pages including the title, from the late Henry R. Wagner some time in 1936. Over twenty years later Carl I. Wheat reproduced the slightly imperfect map in Volume III of his Mapping the Transmississippi West. Thus far the TWS copy was the only known copy, but in 1961 or thereabouts a second copy was acquired in Steilacoon, Washington, textually complete, though with only a stub of the map. Finally a perfect copy showed up in Chicago that was bought by Howell and Nebenzahl and purchased by Everett Graff. A reprint of the Graff copy, with an introduction by Dale Morgan, was published by John Howell early in 1963 and a copy given by him to TWS in May 1963. In the reprint, the main title differs very slightly, but has the imprint, Chicago. Printed at the Daily Journal Office, 1852, and a wrapper title within a decorative border. This copy was carried across the plains by one Thomas Reber in 1854."Wheat devotes several pages to this specific copy in Transmississippi West, includi

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