Uncle Will and the Fitzgerald Curse, a review

Review and musings by Doug Gibson

The late Utah-born author John D. Fitzgerald is certainly not a household name, but many of his books, primarily the youth fiction "The Great Brain" series, are both recalled and loved by I'd wager millions. In the 1950's, long before he started "The Great Brain" books, he wrote "Papa Married a Mormon," a major best seller. (Our review is here). That novel had several printings. A sequel, "Mamma's Boarding House," also sold well. Both are easily accessible today, "Papa Married a Mormon" can be bought for within $20, "Mama's Boarding House" is a bit more expensive, usually. Fitzgerald wrote a third novel, "Uncle Will and the Fitzgerald Curse," and I promise to get to that as soon as I've finished my beginning musings.

The above-mentioned series and novels relate the lives of the Fitzgerald family in a fictional Utah town named Adenville. The time period runs from the late 19th century into the first dozen or so years of the 20th century. Close to Adenville, in southern Utah, is a mining town later turned ghost town named Silverlode. Tom D. Fitzgerald is Papa and the Mormon he married is Tena Nielsen Fitzgerald. Children of the Fitzgeralds who are prominent in the books include John D., (the author of the novels) and his older brothers Tom D. and Sweyn D.

Fitzgerald is a marvelous storyteller. The books are mostly arranged in chapters that tell a distinct tale from beginning to end. The author manages to do this while keeping the flow of the novel. There are minor inconsistencies of time frame and character events but they are subtle and do not distract from an enjoyable reading experience.

Fitzgerald's writing style has been compared to Mark Twain, Nathaniel Hawthorne, John Steinbeck and Harper Lee. He vividly describes the regional western era of the state he grew up in, with idealized, often-moralistic depictions of sheriffs, newspapermen, gamblers, saloon keepers, Latter-day Saint bishops, Catholic priests, Protestant ministers, teachers, mothers, dads, children, merchants, gunslingers, con men, miners, team of horses drivers, bigots, dance hall girls, Native Americans and even town drunks. Often in the chapters a negative influence in the moral tale will reform and become a positive influence within both diverse communities, Mormon, straight-laced Adenville, and the more "back-street, hell-raising" Silverlode, later represented as East Adenville. In other chapters the negative influence either dies at the hand of justice, or suffers appropriate monetary loss/comeuppance, or is sent off to jail.

While I may make no claim that Fitzgerald is the equal of Charles Dickens (there are probably only 8 or 9 writers in history his equal) I see a type of Western America "Dickensian-like" talent in Fitzgerald as he describes both the personal appearance, speech, and colorful personalities and antics of his many characters.

UNCLE WILL AND THE FITZGERALD CURSE

Time to get to the review of the above-mentioned book. It involves the life of a prominent character, Will D. Fitzgerald, Tom's brother and uncle to the children. In "Papa Married a Mormon," we meet this very rich owner of the White Horse Saloon and gambling hall in Silverlode. He is an agnostic and skeptic, but extremely fair and pragmatic. A longtime gambler, he worked his way across the country, earning his wealth initially through gambling, and killing several men in gun draws. He's a positive, loved member of the family who uses his considerable intellect, wits and wealth to help resolve some crisis in the novels.

"Uncle Will and the Fitzgerald Curse" is Will's story. A significant portion of the book is spent on Will's childhood, in the Fitzgerald family home in Pennsylvania. Already a headstrong child, Will reacts negatively to his maternal grandfather moving into the home. He is an autocratic religious bigot who -- with his father's enabling -- takes over authority in the house. His mother is also plagued with religious intolerance, but also is a loving influence. Will and his grandfather clash over several years, with Will slowly defying his parents, and the community. He turns into a known troublemaker, non-conformist, "bad seed."

There is a chapter, early in the book, in which Will, in his upper mid teens, is seduced by an unhappy early-middle-aged female librarian, who harbors a past romantic grudge against his father. The sexual seduction passages are not explicit, but is a bit shocking, perhaps more today where a mature adult seducing an impressionable teen is considered a criminal offense rather than a "rite of passage."

When Will turns 18 his father describes in detail the Fitzgerald family curse, which evolves from an Irish descendant named Dennis who turned traitor in the old country. Due to the treachery, a curse was placed on one male child of each generation. Several sons die ignoble deaths. In Will's family, the "cursed" one is predicted to suffer a fate worse than death. Although Will has heard his father scoff at the curse's veracity, listening this time, he senses his father believes he is cursed. He leaves his family at 18 on very formal, chilly terms, determined to become a gambler, head West, and build an empire. (I forget to mention that the aggrieved father who set the curse dictated that all male descendants of the traitor carry the middle name, Dennis.)

Will's travels through the West and the early years of his adult life take him through St. Louis, where he meets a mentor who teaches him to gamble successfully, with advice to live a detached life. Regarding women, the mentor says, "Why buy a cow when milk is so cheap."

Silver Plume, Colorado, which is a real place (I've been there) is the next major, long-term stop in Will's education. He takes a high-level gambling position with a successful saloon owner, with an eye toward buying the saloon'gambling hall one day and having his empire. He also gains a measure of prominence in the mining town. As always there are very descriptive characters, sort of Damon Runyun-esque, if the late Broadway scribe had written about the mining town West, about parlor house madams, female saloon owners, bullies, gamblers, miners, old-timers ...

His tenure in Silver Plume teaches a maturing Will several harsh realities caused by the life choices and viewpoints he's followed. He initiates a physical relationship with a beautiful showgirl, mistaking lust and a desire to possess her for love. She wants a wedding ring, and eventually leaves the relationship.

Later, he falls even harder for a newspaperman's daughter. She's a pretty young woman, charitable and religious. She represents conventionality, something that Will has rejected. My opinion is that Will sees in her the values he first learned in his youth. He mistakes his response to her purity, charity and friendship as love. She rejects him, preferring a more conventional mate, and a  conventionally decent life, although she lacks the maturity to understand that the "decent" homes she tells Will she wants her children to play in may not not necessarily be populated with decent adults.

Will painfully discovers, during his failed courtship, that prominent men with whom he rubs shoulders with will never accept him into their society or families.

It's actually a blessing that she rejects him, but it crushes Will, who leaves Silver Plume and wanders for a long time -- distracted -- until he wills himself to forget her. His despair during that time causes him to think that maybe he is a cursed Fitzgerald.

Will eventually makes his way to Silverlode and uses his gambling skill to win The White Horse Saloon in a high-stakes game with the owner, but has to outdraw and kill him afterward. Soon after, he finds a healthy, lifetime love.

"Uncle Will and the Fitzgerald Curse" is a great read, as satisfying as "Papa Married a Mormon" and "Mama's Boarding House." I sense it didn't sell as well as the others. It's a very expensive book to buy used; I've only seen first editions for sale. I owned a copy for years, but lost it in a 1997 move across country. I finally bought a copy for $150 a few weeks ago. Usually copies run $250 and above. I've added three links (here, here and here) to buy used copies. (I will add that I am skeptical of any offer for under $100). Readers who can't afford a copy should write to libraries and see if they will photocopy the book for a reasonable price. The book is out of print, so I imagine there is no legal impediment. I have receives photocopied pages of books from libraries.

I've written a lot about Fitzgerald and his work, on another blog, Plan9Crunch. Here is one and another is a review of the film version of "The Great Brain." It was released in 1978.

Fitzgerald researcher Carrie Lynn runs the valuable Finding Fitzgerald blog. She is also the author of a recent book, Finding Fitzgerald. It answers many long sought-after questions about the people who represented the characters in Fitzgerald's novels and how the author's hometown of Price, Utah, represents both "Adenville" and "Silverlode." You can buy Finding Fitzgerald here. I have done a review of the book here and interviewed Ms Lynn here. (Below is a photo of author John D. Fitzgerald).

Hamblin biography captures the many talents of the 'apostle to the Indians'

Review by Doug Gibson

Add early Mormon explorer/colonizer/missionary Jacob Hamblin to the list of excellent biographies of early Mormon church leaders. Historian Todd Compton’s “A Frontier Life: Jacob Hamlin, Explorer and Indian Missionary,” University of Utah Press, 2013, covers its subject extensively.

Hamblin is best known for his efforts to assimilate American Indians into or near Mormon towns and culture. Those efforts, although very sincere, ultimately failed. As Compton explains, the entire movement of eastern United States’ settlers into long-inhabited Indian lands created a situation in which tribes were forced into competition for necessities such as water, seeds for food, hunting, and of course land. It was an overall battle that the American Indian would lose.

As a result, as Compton notes, Hamblin’s most effective skill with American Indians was his ability to negotiate through tense altercations. In 1874, after three Navajos were killed — and another wounded — by an Indian hater, his outlaw sons, and a hired man, Hamblin bravely went — essentially unprotected — to explain to the angry Navajos and others that the Mormons were not to blame. As Compton relates, Hamblin calmly asserted his innocence as Indians in the council were telling him he would soon be tortured and murdered as a payback. Hamblin survived that experience, and his explanation of the massacre ultimately overrode a biased report from a corrupt Indian agent who disliked Mormons. Only his genuine honesty, respect for the American Indians, and his past history of championing the Indians of the area, saved his life.

Compton’s biography solidifies Hamblin’s legacy as one of the best early explorers of the mid- to late- 19th century. He led exploring teams into pristine lands in and around the Grand Canyon. He led treks into Arizona, and was among the first to visit the Hopis. He moved into barren areas of Arizona, getting past the Colorado River, the Virgin River, going through canyons and along cliffs in areas that might trouble mountain goats. Compton relates Hamblin’s experiences with noted American West explorer John Wesley Powell, correctly noting that Powell relied heavily on Hamblin’s previous excursions, using his knowledge and experience.

In southern Utah, Hamblin settled Santa Clara, Kanab and other areas. A polygamist, he included American Indian women as wives. He was a fierce believer in Mormonism. As Compton explains, he was typical of believers in his era, noting “revelations” and judgments of God that could occur anywhere, in dreams, or while traversing the countryside. One explorer colleague wryly noted a trip in which Hamblin attempted to convert him to Mormonism.

Hamblin was baptized in Wisconsin in 1842. After his wife converted, the family traveled to Nauvoo shortly before the death of Joseph Smith. After the killing of the Mormon prophet, Hamblin gave his alliance to Brigham Young, eventually left Nauvoo after helping build the temple, and endured severe poverty in waiting areas such as Mount Pisgah, and Council Bluffs, Iowa, while waiting, with other Latter-day Saints, to earn the money to travel to Utah. One consolation was a return to Wisconsin and discovering his father, Isaiah, who had been anti-Mormon, had joined the church along with others of the family. They eventually traveled with him to Utah.

There was a severe drawback, though. Hamblin’s wife, Lucinda, left him and the family prior to the trek to Utah. As Compton notes, Hamblin is very harsh to her in his autobiography but conditions themselves were extremely harsh, and Compton adds that Hamblin’s next wife, Rachel, who knew Lucinda, had kinder recollections of her.

Things didn’t get easier for the family. Severe cholera struck their pioneer company while traveling to Utah. Although there were many deaths, and Jacob, Rachel and family members suffered, none of the Hamblin family died.

Although Compton clearly admires his subject, and the book often rebukes more hostile accounts of Hamblin, including John D. Lee’s memoirs, the author does not avoid the failings of Hamblin. Although he was not in southern Utah when the Mountain Meadows Massacre occurred, and would have certainly opposed it, Hamblin did assist Brigham Young and other leaders in misleading authorities of the massacre’s details. He also helped hide suspects, such as John D. Lee, by moving him to remote living spots. And, when Lee became expendable to Brigham Young, Hamblin dutifully testified against him at his trail.

This “disloyalty,” however, is mitigated by the fact that Lee was indeed guilty. As Compton, and others have noted, a key injustice of the aftermath of the Mountain Meadows Massacre is that others clearly as guilty as Lee, were not prosecuted and punished.

Hamblin’s efforts with the Indians were hampered by the widespread inability to understand the deep cultural chasm between the natives and the settlers. In fact, he eventually more or less gave up on working with the Paiutes of southern Utah, turning his expectations to the Hopis in Arizona. His most valuable strengths were his history of integrity with the Indians and his negotiating skills. They were needed often, particularly during the long Black Hawk War, and an 1860 expedition in Navajo in which George A. Smith Jr., the teenage son of LDS apostle George A. Smith, was killed by Indians. Hamblin’s earned trust was used often in dealing with Navajos, a strong tribe, with wealthy farmers, that was decimated by westward expansion.

Hamblin lived a frontier man’s life, often away from his family, as liable to sleep in a leaky tent than a clean bed. He suffered economically due to his church devotion, and that caused hardship for his wives and children. The “apostle to the Indians,” and his family, dealt with floods and parched conditions, and threats from Indians. His sorrows included returns from long explorations only to learn a child had died. He lived to age 67, dying of malaria in his own bed at the family home.

-- Originally published at StandardNET

176 years ago, preacher convinced many Christ was about to return

I read “America 1844: Religious Fervor, Westward Expansion, and the Presidential Election that Transformed the Nation.”

The book, by political writer John Bicknell, is published by Chicago Review Press. Not surprisingly, the Mormon leader/prophet/politician Joseph Smith’s run for the presidency is recounted by Bicknell. Smith died in June, long before James K. Polk was elected president.

Another preacher in 1844, William Miller,  (seen above) thought that most of the world would shut down on March 21 of that year. While Miller is little more than an obscure footnote today, he nevertheless managed to convince at least 25,000 hard-core believers, known as “Millerites” (they preferred the term Adventists), that the world would end, and had perhaps 20 times as many sympathizers.

Miller was born in rural New York in 1782. In many ways, he followed the religious trends of his generation, Bicknell recounts.

Born a Baptist, early in his adulthood he became a deist, divorced from the emotionalism of evangelical behavior. Then, after witnessing violence and bloodshed in the War of 1812, the husband and father made a significant switch, becoming a convert of the Second Great Awakening, a movement that Bicknell explains was directly opposed to deism.

Bicknell accurately describes the temperament in early America that inspired men such as Miller, Smith and Alexander Campbell. He writes: “Religious life and religious practice had become democratized by state disestablishment -- the states’ withdrawing of government support for churches -- and new practitioners were flooding into the market, hawking new wares, selling a new brand of Christianity to a new nation. It was a very American idea; the individual, freed from the constraints of hierarchical tyranny, would discover and interpret the Word for himself.”

Despite Miller’s ultimate poor prediction, he immersed himself into Biblical study. Strictly conventional on many aspects, Miller was obsessed with finding the date of Christ’s second coming in Biblical passages, particularly the Book of Daniel, recounts Bicknell.

Miller believed that Daniel 8:14, which includes, “... Unto two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed,” as meaning years. By factoring in some other considerations, he deduced that 2,300 years after 457 BC -- the Babylonian captivity -- meant that Christ would come to the earth in 1844. Although he initially kept his beliefs secret, eventually Miller began preaching his second-coming theory.

The first half of the 19th century was a time when disasters, economic or mechanical, were defined as godly warnings by many. Miller’s public profile prospered by the long economic distress which began in 1837 and, as Bicknell recounts in detail, a military arms explosion in February aboard the U.S. Princeton that killed several, including Secretary of State Abel Upshur.

By the time of the explosion, Miller was preaching across most of the civilized nation, including Boston, “where crowds were so thick that people stood for hours to hear him speak, and ’multitudes’ were turned away,” to Washington D.C.’s Apollo Hall, within shouting distance of the White House.

As Bicknell notes, much of the credit for Miller’s success -- besides his stamina -- was the entry into his inner circle of a convert named Joshua Himes, an abolitionist who was particularly skilled at public relations. Himes understood and exploited the power of the moving press, via newspapers and pamphlets, to move Miller’s messages into scores of thousands and more. As Bicknell writes, Himes started “the movement’s first newspaper, Signs of the Times, in 1840 ... and he was the driving force behind a vast array of tracts, pamphlets and books.”

Despite his popularity, Miller was mostly derided by prominent contemporaries. The Mormon leader Smith mentions him by name in a March 10 sermon, excerpted by Bicknell, when he told listeners “I take the responsibility upon myself to prophesy in the name of the Lord, that Christ will not come this year as Miller has prophesied.” Ironically, in the same discourse, Smith seems to indicate that Christ would come 40 years later.

A week before the date predicted, Miller retired to his village home by the New York, Vermont border to await Christ’s return. Many of his national followers, Bicknell writes, “quit their jobs or closed their businesses in anticipation of the end. Others gave away their earthly possessions.” Bicknell adds that one boy, 12, refused to chop wood, telling his father that winter would not arrive.

When Christ failed to appear, Miller’s credibility suffered generally the same fate as the late Harold Camping’s suffered when his claim in 2011 that Christ would return failed to occur. Most of his followers gradually deserted him and those who never believed him enjoyed a good post-humiliation chuckle at his expense.

As Bicknell notes, Miller had always given himself a little bit of leeway in his prediction and he never stopped believing that the return of Christ was coming at any time. He died in Hampton, N.Y., in 1849 at age 67. He does have a legacy. The church he inspired, Advent Christian, has 61,000 members today and the church owns his New York home, and maintains it as an historical site. His papers were donated to Aurora University.

-- Doug Gibson

Originally published in 2014 at StandardNET.