Beadle's Dime Novels No. 97: The Doomed Hunter

About this issue

Beadle's Dime Novels No. 97-98 (1866) presents two frontier narratives. "The Doomed Hunter; or, The Tragedy of Forest Valley" by James L. Bowen depicts early settlement in Ohio's Silver Run region. The narrative centers on Ralph Rilley, a respectable young hunter who seeks permission from Jehonikam Andrews, a monopolistic fur-dealer and store proprietor, to marry Andrews's daughter Nancy. Andrews refuses, insisting Nancy is betrothed to a wealthier man back East. Ralph counters that Nancy loves him and consents to marriage. The confrontation escalates when Andrews attempts to beat Ralph with his cane; the younger man overpowers him and ejects him from his own home. The companion piece, "Ruth Harland: The Maid of Weathersfield" by W. J. Hamilton, depicts early New England during the Pequod War, blending Puritan settlement life with forest scenes and historical figures. An appended "Base-Ball Player" guide for 1866 includes rules, club formation information, and statistics.