Indian Summer is in full, fine fettle here in Central Oregon. The next few days will hit the 80s — which means I will be spending my Wednesday on a woods ramble before I am tasked to moderate a League of Women Voters candidate forum for the Sisters City Council election. Yes, it’s also the political season.
Between multiple publication deadlines and the Sisters Folk Festival, I have been unable to finish off the Once Upon a Time in Los Angeles podcast series — but circumstances are changing now. I’ll be able to complete the next two episodes before the month is out, then turn to King Philip’s War.
The term Indian Summer is a curious one. It denotes the hazy, smoky, warm days of autumn after the first frost — but the etymology of the term is completely obscure. As I noted in a post back in 2018, it is first recorded in 1778, in Letters From an American Farmer, by a French-American soldier/farmer J. H. St. John de Crèvecoeur.
“Then a severe frost succeeds which prepares it to receive the voluminous coat of snow which is soon to follow; though it is often preceded by a short interval of smoke and mildness, called the Indian Summer.”
I had long believed the term harkened back to the old frontiers of New England, New York and the Ohio River Valley, where the season marked a final, severe spasm of raiding against the settlements. That’s a plausible theory, but there’s nothing in the record to back it up.
It’s the rigth time to break out the Hugo Pratt/Milo Manara erotic graphic novel of Puritan New England….
Yes, you read that right…
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From Indian Summer to hunters in India…
Lane Batot has acted generously to fill a gap in Frontier Partisan lore that I didn’t know existed. He sent a copy of an omnibus of the Indian hunting writing of Kenneth Anderson.
Anderson is much less famous than Jim Corbett, but he engaged in similar work, hunting maneaters. His hunting grounds were in southern India, while Corbett operated in the north. Shakari Connection serves up his bio:
Kenneth Douglas Stuart Anderson (1910 – 1974) was an British writer and hunter who wrote many books about his adventures in the jungles of South India. His love for the inhabitants of the Indian jungle led him to big game hunting and eventually to writing real-life adventure stories. He would often go into the jungle alone and unarmed to meditate and enjoy the beauty of untouched nature. As a professional hunter, he searched out man-eating big game to eliminate the threat they posed to villages. Some of his most notable kills include the Sloth bear of Mysore, the Leopard of Gummalapur, the Leopard of the Yellagiri Hills, the Tigress of Jowlagiri, the Tiger of Segur and the Tiger of Mundachipallam. He is officially recorded as having shot 8 man-eating leopards (7 males and 1 female) and 7 tigers (5 males and 2 females) on the Government records from 1939 to 1966 though he was rumoured to have unofficially shot over 18-20 man eating panthers and over 15-20 man eating tigers.
He did this work mostly with a well-worn Winchester 1895 rifle chambered in .405 Winchester. We tend to think of the lever action as an American Frontier rifle — which it was, of course — but the 1895 found its way to Africa and India, and was even a contract military rifle for Russian units in World War I.
The online magazine Shoot’n, Fish’n ‘n’ Huntin’ reports that:
Between the late 1930s and 1960s, Anderson used an 1895, in .405, almost to the exclusion of all other rifles and calibres, the only other firearm, which he used when conditions warranted it, was a 12 gauge shotgun.
Anderson was also noted for his trademark Gurkha “smasher” hat and his ever-present pipe. Anderson’s writing is lively and pleasing — just the right thing for the nightstand. Who doesn’t want to induce dreams of jungle adventures with trusty Winchester in hand?
Forgotten Weapons examines a Rock Island Auction Co. specimen of the military 1895 in 7.62×54.
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I found it rather startling to see a sponsored link from Teen Vogue pop up on my FB feed. This is what the Almighty Algorithm does to a Frontier Partisan:
6 Ways to Incorporate Late 1800s Fashion Into Your Fall Wardrobe
Get inspired by the costume design of the new CW series Walker Independence—and the 19th-century pieces that are making a comeback.
Good gracious…
I am informed that Walker: Independence is an origin story for another show on the CW network titled Walker, which is a reboot of the venerable Chuck Norris vehicle, Walker: Texas Ranger. Alrighty then…
Set in the late 1800s, this origin story follows Abby Walker, an affluent Bostonian whose husband is murdered before her eyes while on their journey out West, as she crosses paths with Hoyt Rawlins, a lovable rogue in search of purpose. Abby and Hoyt’s journey takes them to Independence, Texas, a small town with a big future.
I dunno about “the 19th Century pieces that are making a comeback” per Teen Vogue but I will say that the lovely Katherine McNamara rocks a Prussian Blue dress and a Winchester 1866 Yellow Boy. If that’s going to become a fashion trend, I’m for it.
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Another highlight of Sisters Folk Festival 2022 was a late-night set by Jig Jam. They’re an Irish (+one Scotsman) outfit that toggles between Celtic music and Bluegrass — which, of course, are cousins anyway — and they rock it. Here they are on the classic Columbus Stockade Blues:
They blew the roof off…
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lane batot says
I read somewhere that that was indeed what “Indian Summer referred to–the last mild days of Autumn when it was still comfortable(and likely) for Indian raids to occur, and was compared to the venomous snakes last threat for the year, too! It may well have been somewhere in the book “Myths of the Cherokee”, or another similar historical collection–I’ll havta try and find it, but it could take awhile, with my voluminous collection to hunt through(I ain’t braggin’ here, but I am gloating!)….Glad Anderson’s book arrived, and leave it to you to elaborate on his choice of gun! Whereas I’m always more in tune to the dogs involved–and as you will learn in one of these Omnibus tales, a village pariah dog may well have saved Anderson’s life from a man-eating leopard in the dark, with a very satisfying ending to the story! Anyone who loves Jim Corbett’s stuff, and despaired that he wrote so few books(he coulda wrote a hundred, and it would still be too few!), take heart and delve into the 8 books Ken Anderson wrote–so like Corbett’s in nature and subject, if with perhaps a bit more twinkle in Anderson’s eye!
David Wrolson says
The Ken Anderson book(s?) sound interesting partially because of the south India location. So much of ‘India Stuff” is up north.
I ran across something that hit my X-Ring to add the the trapline and I will order as soon as I write this.
“from Sand Creek to Summit Springs: Colorado’s Indian Wars”
JimC says
Gonna have to check this out. You would LOVE Anderson.
Arthur Devor says
I have read some of his books. Good stuff. There is a facebook group dedicated to him. Lots of photos. Plus I’ve yet to see any nasty, hateful behavior. For a facebook group that’s pretty good.
Jim
JimC says
I’m gonna track that down.
Quixotic Mainer says
Wow, Jig-Jam is fantastic, I’ll add them to the Pandora mix for sure.
On the topic of 19th century fashion comebacks, I happened to talk with a carload of younger gals a few weeks back whom I first thought were mennonites, due to the dresses and one bonnet. However, the necklines and skirt lengths made them look more like the high school prom being held at Bag End. They informed me that this is called “Cottage Core”. Who knew?
To connect the military Winchesters with the 66 that lovely Walker ancestor is carting; I recall reading about a scrap between the Turks and the Russians in the 1870’s. The Turks had apparently gone in big on the improved Henry, which gave them a big leg up on the Russians whenever they were caught within .44 RF range. That’s about as far away from the American west as one can get a levergun, but admittedly still a prairie.
JimC says
A powerful image, that…
I published a photo in The Nugget from a young lady here in Sisters who was visiting the Hindman Barn homestead site at Camp Polk Meadow (one of our few remaining historic sites) who described her fashion as Prairie Core. As you say, who knew? I find it all kinda charming though..
Joe says
I didn’t realize that the 1895 was fielded in WWI, and by Russia no less. Russian Military did seem to favor the tried and true.
On Walker: Independence, I’ll be open-minded and give it a chance. Does anyone else feel like Walker should be packing a Walker revolver? Hah!
JimC says
Yes, by the eternal..