Pétrole

1868 · blb07086 — Boston: Lee and Shepard 1868. 1st. Hardcover. Very Good. Eggplant colored cloth with multiple varying width blind stamped rulings around border of front and back. Elaborate gilt decorations and lettering to spine - book is tight square sharp-cornered and free of major flaws or markings inside and out other than general but minor soiling to boards. Nice tissue guarded frontis by Nast along with multiple other illustrations. Book is Very Good. The popular work of ironic fiction written by journalist and political commentator David Ross Locke 1833-1888. Locke's greatest influence was through his satirical writings as ""Petroleum Vesuvius Nasby"". The Nasby letters harshly ridiculed the plight of peoples in the Confederate states and the complicity of Northern politicians. Both Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant recognized Nasby as a significant source of support for their presidencies. Locke's friend Thomas Nast 1840-1902 eventually heightened the work with his illustrations and was also credited by Lincoln for inspiring people to support the war effort. ""Nasby"" himself was portrayed as a thoroughly detestable character � a supreme opportunist bigoted work-shy often half-drunk and willing to say or do anything to get a Postmaster's job. Locke's own father had served as Postmaster of Virgil New York. At the time the Letters were written postmaster positions were political plums offering a guaranteed federal salary for little or no real work. Until the glorious day when he received a ""Post Orfis"" from Andrew Johnson Nasby worked when he worked most frequently as a preacher. His favorite biblical texts unsurprisingly were the ones that were used by Southern ministers to ""prove"" that slavery was ordained by the Bible. Lee and Shepard hardcover