California Dreamers

Roy Reuben Rosamond published stories in Out West that began as ‘The Overland Monthly’ that was published by the writer, Bret Harte, whose patron was my kindred, Jessie Benton. Before radio and television Americans read magazines to get their feel for the land. Folks back East wanted to go West and live like natives, wanderers, and gold miners. Folks wanted to live half-naked in tents. They wanted to bond with Squaw Girls, dig for gold, and never work again. Minus the drugs, many Americans wanted to be Hippies. When the right-wing evangelicals put down the California Dream – they destroyed America! With their god, Ronald Reagan, they made Californians out to be dirty, in need of bath – like most campers!

In 1911 Royal wrote ‘The Squaw Girl’ and took out “Dramatic rights” on his short story lest it be stolen from him and made into a movie. I suspect…