Sims Ely

[roadrunner]

Where could a person buy a copy of this original Holmes document,or report,or manuscript.?
Is it even worth looking at or owning.

 

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[Matthew Roberts]

Where could a person buy a copy of this original Holmes document,or report,or manuscript.?
Is it even worth looking at or owning.

roadrunner,

The Superstition Mountain Historical Society Museum at Apache Junction sells copies of the Holmes manuscript. Also Tom Glover wrote a book a few years back about the Brownie Holmes manuscript, some of those books are still around and can be looked up on Amazon.

Both are well worth having. Many people don't believe the Holmes account, many do. Neither can say one is wrong and the other is right. It is worth reading and deciding which parts or all of it you believe or don't believe.

Clay Worst gives a talk every year at the SMHS Museum at Apache Junction in which he goes through the Holmes manuscript and tells the story. It is well worth attending. I think Clay told me he will be giving this talk again the 2nd of January if I'm not mistaken. A call to the museum will confirm his speaking schedule.

Matthew

 

[roadrunner]

Thanks,I will stop by the next time I go to the valley.

 

[sgtfda]

RR I have Glovers I can lend it to you. You going to dons camp this year?

 

[Cubfan64]

Cubfan,

According to Harper Collins, an editor cannot fill in a story with people, places, events or happenings. They can make the writing more readable with adjectives and adverbs. That is not writing. Morrow had writers on staff but none were assigned to the book. Willey was not a writer, he was an editor. In a publishing company such as Morrow in the 1950's you must understand everyone was unionized. Editors didn't write and writers didn't edit . It wasn't something like the book submitted doesn't seem too interesting so we'll have the janitor make up some neat stuff to put in it. Everything was structured, everyone had their specific tasks and if the book needed writing a writer was assigned to do it.

Harper Collins explained if Morrow had written the work they (Morrow) would have retained the copyright. They didn't, Sims Ely kept the copyright so right there tells you who wrote the book. In the publishing business 41% of the writing is considered the property of the publisher and you can believe if a company writer is assigned to write, there will definately be 41% written and or changed. Thats the way the publishing business works.

From what I learned, 13 chapters were submitted. The book was so short, a 14th and final chapter had to be submitted. That 14th chapter dealt completely with the death of James Cravey and ended the book on an extremely strange note. Had the book ended with the 13th chapter, it would have flowed into the ending. The Cravey chapter (14) made a right turn to the 13th chapter and broke that flow completely.

I thought T Glover's talk was interesting, but not informative in the least and actually raised even more questions that went unanswered and caused more confusion of the issues. That is why I decided to get in touch with Morrow and Company.

I think there are only two possibilities. Either Sims Ely actually did write the book himself, or someone wrote it for him. But if someone wrote it for him, it definately was not someone at Morrow and Company. That would leave me with the question, who did write the book ?
There are some other things I learned about the writing of the LDM book, something with implications that I don't want to go into until I read what T Glover puts in his book(s) about Ely and the book, The Lost Dutchman Mine.

Kraig - I wasn't really implying that they would have had a janitor write the book, but I understand what you're saying. I guess I'm just not convinced enough to believe that an editor couldn't or wouldn't do a little more than just edit a manuscript prior to publishing (see Donald's post earlier about one of his works).

That said, considering I've never tried to get a book published, I do have a general question for anyone out there who has. At the end of all the editing, rewrites, etc... does the actual author get the opportunity (or better yet, do they have to) sign off on the final copy prior to it's being published? In other words, would Sims Ely and/or his family have been given the opportunity or been asked to sign off on the final copy? If so, ultimately, that would imply to me that no matter what, the buck stops with Sims Ely and his family as to the content of the book.

Just some questions as I'm thinking out loud here.

 

[roadrunner]

RR I have Glovers I can lend it to you. You going to dons camp this year?

So far it is a yes.
But I am having to look for another place to live as my lease is out Oct 1st.
I am looking for a job also. I have my own home remodeling business in Superior, but if I move to the valley,I will work there as its to much driving and wear and tear on a vehicle to drive that far,plus drive around the valley.
Thank you for the offer.