Crusoe of Lonesome Lake [antikvár]

AcknowledgmentsThis book is the result of an assignment by the Reader's Digest, in which an abbreviated version has been published. While traveling as an R.D. roving editor I was able to fly to Lonesome Lake and to remain long enough with Ralph A. Edwards, his wife and daughter to hear, and take down in tape-recorded form, the full story of their lives in the wilderness.For this rare opportunity and experience I am greatly indebted to DeWitt Wallace and Lila Acheson Wallace, editors of the Reader's Digest; and to Paul Palmer, one of its executive editors. To these three I shall always be deeply grateful, for reasons which every reader of these pages will appreciate.Lonesome Lake and its frontiersman were first mentioned to me, during casual luncheon conversation, by Shane MacKay, editorial director of the Canadian edition of the Reader's Digest. I immediately thought that a man who had lived more than forty years cut off from civilizationand in a place with the alluring name of Lonesome Lakemust have a real story to tell; and Shane MacKay promised to obtain more information on which to base an assignment suggestion. My warm thanks are due both to him and to Bruce Larsen, city editor of the Vancouver Daily Province, whose expert preliminary scouting convinced me that I must go to Lonesome Lake, and must meet Ralph A. Edwards.My friend John Fischer, editor of Harper's Magazine, gave me enthusiastic encouragement while I was working on this book manuscript. I am especially indebted to him for a number of perceptive suggestions, all of which proved helpful m writing the final draft.One person solely, however, has made it possible for me to write this bookmy wife, Theodora C. Stowe. While Ivii