Book Reviews

T/?e Silver Queen: Her Royal Highness Suzanne Bransford Emery Holmes Delitch Engalitcheff 1859-1942.

By JUDYDYKMAN and COLLEEN WHITLEY (Logan: Utah State University Press, 1998 xii + 188 pp Cloth, $37.95; paper, $22.95.)

The very rich have often intrigued us, and this book is about one of Utah's wealthiest: Suzanne Bransford Authors Judy Dykman and Colleen Whitley give us almost a year-by-year account of her life, beginning with her ancestors— prosperous Southerners prior to the Civil War—and her early years in California when it was still a frontier As a young woman in the 1880s Susie worked on the West Coast sewing dresses, making hats, and styling hair— work she would later deny having done when Eastern society leaders shunned her after learning she had once worked as a common laborer Still single in her mid-twenties and looking for a change, she followed family friends to Park City, a well-established mining town when she arrived in 1884 Her early years in Park City are elusive to the authors, perhaps due to Susie's own request that letters and diaries referring to this time be destroyed.

Shortly after her arrival in Utah, Susie married Albion B. Emery, who was thirteen years her senior. "The Emerys' marriage was surprisingly happy even though they hadn't known each other long" (24). Within this union Susie failed to have her own child, but she and Albion became parents to her sister's child when he was left motherless shortly after his birth They also adopted a shy, quiet girl, Louise Grace, whose personality sharply contrasted with Susie's flamboyance Their relationship was strained most of their lives as Grace failed to live up to Susie's social expectations

When Susie was only thirty-five, Albion's death left her a widow Albion left no will, and his estate was settled in a major court case that would smear the Emery name in Utah's newspapers and turn Susie's public image from that of a grieving widow into a greedy, ungrateful friend.

By the time she married her second husband, Colonel Holmes, a prominent Utah citizen, Susie was already moving into the Gilded Age high society by incorporating their norms and behavior Her high-style living in elaborate homes and fashionable hotels provided places of flamboyant entertaining when she was not traveling around the country and Europe Her magnificent dresses would become one of the hallmarks of her social image Her money came from stock holdings in Utah mining.

The balance of the book gives the reader an in-depth look into this famous woman's life as the authors detail her years with family and friends Though much of her time was spent away from the state, many of us remember landmark buildings associated with the family. These include the Bransford Apartments that stood on the northeast corner of State Street and South Temple; the Louise Grace Emery Apartments on the corner of State Street and North Temple; and of course the Gardo House, originally built by Brigham Young but perhaps made famous when Susie owned it and lived there

The authors' research is extensive and impressive, including conversations with many of Susie's descendants and acquaintances. Numerous primary sources were also consulted, furthering the documentation of Susie's life The book abounds with period photographs, helping the reader understand Utah's Gilded Age. The authors have also carefully and helpfully placed Susie within national historic events.

Susie would marry three more times, not always happily. With one, Prince Nicholas V. Engalitcheff, she earned her coveted title The Great Depression and falling stock values decimated her assets, yet she continued to maintain her facade of wealth to impress the eastern social aristocracy.

Susie resorted to selling the jewels from necklaces to finance her travels; a sign of failure in the society she worked so hard to join would be to "drop out" and not be constantly seen on the travel circuit Her attempt to replenish her finances with a biography failed as the world's attention turned to current events of a pending world war and away from aging socialites

In the end, it is a sad story. In her quest tojoin the East Coast high society she denied her roots and eventually lost her loved ones The family had many divisions, some public, as money disputes were fought out in court. Susie's family members were lost before she made amends She died surrounded by little love and no money

For those interested in the lifestyles of the flamboyant Gilded Age as played out in Utah, this book is for you It is a complete biography of one of Utah's best-known socialites of this period as well as an excellent description of how the very rich in this era lived Susie is a tragic and perhaps ironic example of this clique—one who worked so hard to belong, then, once accepted, worked full-time to maintain her position there at a great personal cost.

ANN CHAMBERS NOBLE Cora, Wyoming

Living at the Edge: Explorers, Exploiters and Settlers of the Grand Canyon Region.

By MICHAEL F. ANDERSON. (Grand Canyon, Ariz.: Grand Canyon Assoc, 1998. viii + 184 pp Paper, $18.95.)

We have in this volume the history and culture of the Grand Canyon, a new picture of the canyon, and a fresh interpretation of its importance in the development and shaping of history with regard to the human element living on the rims. It is easily the best account yet written about the people living on the rim who left their marks upon one of earth's mightiest wonders The reader is awestruck by 200 rare historic photographs, many never published.

Michael F Anderson is a scholar's historian He collected voluminous material, studied it carefully, and interpreted the information as objectively as his background would allow. Using twelve custom maps, the author blended geography with the human story of this "big hole in the earth's surface." It is the most complete treatment yet given pioneer history in and about the Grand Canyon. There are many books about the canyon—its geology, majesty, and splendor There are very few books that encompass the story of humans at the edge of the canyon

Stories of the Spanish, mountain men, and government surveyors unfold easily I was fascinated with the tracing of railroads in the canyon, some built, some proposed Moving to the chapter on the South Rim, I found an amazing full-page photograph of an early automobile teetering on the edge of the cliff. These old pictures tell as much of the story as written words do The scholarly reading is made more enjoyable by the insertion of colored pages with short vignettes on subjects such as "Lost Gold on the Arizona Strip" and "And Who Were the Harvey Girls?"

Living at the Edge also sheds light on heretofore untold history. A revealing photograph that caught my eye was of a pair of buffalo pulling a wagon at a time when pioneers were developing large buffalo herds on the North Rim Many North Rim facts and stories revealed are virtually unknown even to historians.

Tying the North Rim story into the history of Utah is another important contribution of this attractive publication Like the pioneers, present-day residents still feel that the area between St George and the North Rim is part of southern Utah. The book also deals with the Arizona Strip, another facet of Grand Canyon history usually not regarded as part of the canyon story

Finally, the author manages to convey the vigor and insight of those varied people who shared the history of the Grand Canyon. The soft-cover book is "fully indexed, with extensive endnotes."

One closes this book with the feeling that the untold stories have at last been documented As students of western history or just as hikers we are indebted to Anderson for expanding our knowledge of the Grand Canyon and of the unique characters who struggled to survive and prosper in this part of northern Arizona

BART ANDERSON Washington County Historical Society St. George, Utah

A Saw, Pocket Instruments, and Two Ounces of Whiskey: Frontier Military Medicine in the Great Basin.

By ANTON PAUL SOHN (Spokane: Arthur H Clark Co., 1998 237 pp $32.50.)

Anton Paul Sohn brings his training as a physician and head of pathology at the University of Nevada School of Medicine to study medicine in the Great Basin military installations during the last half of the nineteenth century Researching a topic little covered in the existing literature, Dr Sohn situates army medical care in the Great Basin within the broader context of United States medical knowledge. His analysis and views of the origins of disease shows this relationship In the absence of germ theory, army doctors subscribed to the miasma notion—that vapors, pollution, and foul air from decomposition of vegetable and animal matter precipitated diseases Military physicians in the Great Basin demonstrated these ideas in their supervision of hospital construction, where they were concerned with the availability of fresh air and multiple sources of ventilation. They also believed that emissions from dressings and other materials acted as sources of diseases, which they thought to counteract by periodically replacing hospital walls.

The competency of physicians generated considerable attention from military authorities, especially given the uneven state of medical training. The preparation of aspiring physicians frequently consisted of apprenticeships under practicing doctors—symbolizing the absence of medicine's professional standing. Slowly, prospective physicians began to complete training in medical colleges Still, no national standards existed before the end of the nineteenth century nor did any accrediting agencies function during these years. Nevada, where the majority of the Great Basin physicians were located, required a high school diploma by the mid-1870s but had no statewide licensing until 1899

Concerned about the professional quality of their physicians, the army demanded that candidates pass an extremely rigorous examination that covered topics ranging from Latin to surgery The high rate of failure in these examinations and the intense demand for medical care on the frontier meant that the military also recruited contract physicians who were seeking posts in the West In both cases the men had limited resources with which to treat their patients. Instruments such as chisels and probes were crude and few. Effective drugs were rare In fact, whiskey continued to be used in amputations, one of the most common forms of frontier surgery

Army physicians in the Great Basin had to cope with constant paperwork. This ranged from fiscal recordkeeping to hospital requisitions Since military physicians kept track of medical accounts, by default these men assumed the responsibilities of post treasurer for their installations. Great Basin physicians were also expected to provide reports that categorized the afflictions and ailments encountered in treating soldiers These reports gave the army consistent records of the quality of life on the frontier. In addition, army doctors in the Great Basin wrote prescriptions, monitored hospital workers, and enforced health regulations

Army physicians dealt with sanitation issues, disease outbreaks, traumas, and other ailments tied to military life. On the frontier, poor hygienic habits of the soldiers and contaminated food or utensils made infectious diarrhea the most common problem facing medical doctors Malaria also plagued soldiers on the frontier although quinine and an eventual accurate diagnosis of the offending parasite reduced the incidence of this once-severe affliction. Inadequate diet often led to scurvy, which frequently reduced the soldiers' capacity to resist other diseases Army physicians commonly treated alcoholism, a routine occurrence in the isolated frontier forts. As members of a new mobile class without customs, roots, or close social ties, soldiers were prone to this weakness Inevitably, venereal disease also accompanied this lifestyle. Finally, post doctors often saw violent trauma, an unavoidable outcome of the very trade of soldiering

As the only trained personnel in the region, army physicians also extended their care to the surrounding populations Civilians came in sufficient numbers to provide both medical practitioners and the forts with outside income. Indians, too, used the fort physicians; smallpox epidemics in the Great Basin brought in desperate indigenous people whose own healers proved inadequate

Sohn provides the readers with a sound, thorough, and easily understood history of military medicine in the Great Basin. Despite the author's skill at placing the Great Basin within larger contexts, he fails to address this issue regarding the fate of indigenous people who suffered the same end as their ancestors when encountering the diseases Europeans and their descendants brought with them to the Americas. This minor point aside, Sohn's work stands as an effective introduction to army medical care in the Great Basin

EDWARD J DAVTES II University of Utah

Culture across Borders: Mexican Immigration and Popular Culture.

Edited by DAVID R MACIEL and MARIA HERRERA-SOBEK (Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1998 xiv + 268 pp Cloth $40; paper $16.95.)

A thin line that marks the spot where two worlds come together, the border between the United States and Mexico is also a line of national anxiety for both countries Much of that anxiety is focused on the figure of the immigrant who crosses that tense, frightening line

In the first chapter of this collection about how the image of the immigrant arises within U.S and Mexican popular culture, UCLA historian Juan GomezQuinones and California State University-Dominguez Hills historian David R. Maciel provide a useful summary of the history of immigration from Mexico to the United States. They see the immigrants as cultural actors operating in an international space and explore how this changes spatially, temporally, and socially They also explore how the history of Mexican immigration challenges dominant ideology concerning the peculiar institution of slavery and its role in the formation of U.S. society and the positive value accorded to immigrants in the national mythos when they have been systematically devalued in the political and social economy.

Subsequent chapters explore how the image of the immigrant appears and changes at various times and places in the literary, visual, and cinematic arts as well as in the ballads and jokes of folklore.

Literary scholar Alberto Ledesma of California State University-Monterey Bay views the role of immigrants within Chicana/o literature in terms of debates about the nature of Chicana/o letters and identity He points to a tension in the immigrant as point of origin for the community and yet as a trope that often is accorded a negative valence This makes the immigrant a difficult and yet important theme filled with ideological weight Ledesma also looks at the role of emigration in Mexican literature and the place of this trope in the construction of Mexican national identity.

Art historian Victor Alejandro Sorell of Chicago State University explores a rich set of visual representations of immigration by Chicana/o and Mexican artists He looks at three decades of art and their relation to the promised land and the broken promise of the United States These are vivid and sharp portrayals of issues relating to the crossing of the border and its place in the consciousness of both societies

Historian David R. Maciel and Mexican political scientist Maria Rosa Garcia Acevedo explore the troubled and changing space of immigration in both U.S and Mexican films Although the image of the immigrant has appeared in U.S films, the authors point to the person of immigrants as the absent presence from the center stage of narrative in Anglo films and a looming presence in Chicana/o films In Mexico the situation is different. Here films mark shifts both in Mexican political use of the immigrant for the construction of national identity and in the movement of production from government-funded to private capitalist enterprise. This exploration of Mexican filmography is one of the strongest points of this collection

Folklorists Jose R Reyna of California State University-Bakersfield and Maria Herrera-Sobek of the University of California-Santa Barbara relate and analyze the ambivalent place of the immigrant withinjokes around the border. They argue that jokes have a critical place within folklore of the border, perhaps even more important than that of the folktale, and that they reflect the shifting issues invoked by immigration.

Finally, Maria Herrera-Sobek investigates the critical folk genre of the corrido, a kind of ballad that seems to constantly be refreshed in the culture of the border. She shows how the corrido functions within Mexican films of immigration as a shorthand, a hypertext that embeds critical references and information within the cinematic flow. This is an important multi-disciplinary collection of articles around the subject of the representation of immigrants within shifting political, economic, and social spaces Of course it cannot be complete It does leave large areas of popular culture unexplored, but it points the way towards future work on this politically explosive trope and reality in both Mexican and U.S societies and cultures Although not its focus, this book also, at times, suggests the value of comparison with other national contexts.

My only complaint with the book is that the introductory theoretical chapter, despite the marshaling of impressive phrases, seems theoretically vacuous in terms of the very social theories the authors reference. This is unfortunate, but it only slightly mars what otherwise is an excellent and informative collection about the representation of a critical contemporary and historical social issue.

DAVID CLARK KNOWLTON Human Pursuits Salt Lake City, Utah

Comstock Women: The Making of a Mining Community.

Edited by RONALD M.JAMES and C ELIZABETH RAYMOND (Reno: University of Nevada Press, 1998 xii + 394 pp Paper, $24.95.)

Comstock Women is one of several recent books presenting women who vary widely (and often) from the stereotypical soft-hearted whores and bonanza queens who almost exclusively people the mythical mining West In this work, the writers' lens focuses in tightly on Storey County, Nevada, encompassing (as the title suggests) the fabulous Comstock Lode and its attendant settlements of Virginia City, Gold Hill, and Silver City Just as the lode stimulated the growth of these settlements, the recent computerization of the Storey County manuscript census for 1860-1910 (except 1890, lost in a fire) and the 1875 Nevada census inspired or informed many of these articles

The work opens with two articles in the "Introduction" section In the first, C Elizabeth Raymond provides an overview of the rest of the book, categorized by sections entitled "At Home in a Mining Town," "Occupations and Pursuits," "Ethnicities," and "Image and Reality." Then, in a piece Ronald James co-authored with Kenneth H Fliess, a series of bar graphs derived from the census data is analyzed and interpreted. Interestingly, despite the general emphasis in this volume on non-stereotypical females, the authors insist that the discussion of the complexity of women's existence (especially as indicated in the 1880 census) "must begin with prostitution" (28). After accounting for all possible or potential prostitutes, other groups can be effectively analyzed The authors critique an earlier analysis by Marion Goldman for finding too many prostitutes before going on to an overview of other female occupations on the Comstock As they admit, "summaries of groups lack the life breathed into the past by individuals" (38). The remaining articles try to provide that breath of life.

Articles in each of the subsequent sections deal more with flesh-and- blood women and include such interesting themes as marital status (divorce was fairly prevalent), vices (especially opium use), public activities (such as spiritualism and fortune-telling), and special callings (specifically, the Daughters of Charity) The section on "Ethnicities" includes Irish, Chinese, and Paiutes, the last group atypically enumerated in the 1880 Gold Hill census (239-41) The final section, "Image and Reality," departs from the census period but does emphasize widely different interpretive approaches to turnof-the-century Comstock women. The first essay, by Andria Daley Taylor, glows with vibrantly worded descriptions of 1940s literati and their unintended impact on the Comstock Lode The final essay, by Donald L. Hardesty, suggests applications of historical archaeology for future studies of mining town women

As with all collections of essays, the writing, use of sources, and analysis are uneven As previously mentioned, census data obviously suggested certain topics, notably the ethnicities described, boardinghouse keepers, and needleworkers (each of whom has a separate essay) Nonetheless, in her discussion of the Chinese, Sue Fawn Chung also incorporates folksongs to illustrate women's concerns and conditions on which the raw data are necessarily silent Likewise, in discussing divorce, Kathryn Dunn Totton makes excellent use of court documents, additionally tracing the fate of one of the divorcees by directing the reader to a companion piece on opium use (337, n47) Such interlocking of lives across different topics is rare More would be welcomed An exception to this lament is the almost universal use of the memoirs of Mary McNair Mathews, published in 1880. Few essayists omit her very quotable prose

The book, as a whole, suffers some copy-editing errors potentially confusing to the reader One of the most bewildering is the reference to one of the Comstock's most fortunate women, a widow who married "Silver King" James Mackay. She is first presented as widow "Louise Hungerford Bryant" (137) and, after her second marriage, as "Marie Hungerford Bryant Mackay" (138) This confusion only dissolves when in another essay she appears as "Marie Louise Bryant," who subsequently married Mr. Mackay (160). In another oversight, the discussion of women's public activities refers to the Women's Christian Temperance Union, noted thereafter as the "WTCU" (193). Such annoyances are minor, however, and can easily be corrected in a later edition

Taken in toto, this book offers tantalizing glimpses into women's history research possibilities as well as singular female groups on the Comstock It touches on innovative topics, especially drug use and fortune-telling It also illustrates the multifarious uses of census data, much of them included in the appendices with the hope that they "may serve as the basis for further research" (303) Given the solid building blocks here offered, the goal of a future synthesis should not go unrealized.

NANCYJ TANIGUCHI California State University, Stanislaus Turlock, California