LOCAL COLOR
 19th-century Regional Writing in the United States


PHILANDER DEMING
(1829-1915)

   Transcribing court trials in legal records and actual incidents of Adirondack life in magazine sketches became, during the 1870's, the alternating activities of Philander Deming (1829-I915). His first stories, contributed as early as 1873 to The Atlantic Monthly, were as unadorned and uncolored as the matter he recorded in court; with awareness of New York mountaineers' responses to the vicissitudes of life, he recounted narratives of people, self-possessed and reticent, yet ready to follow their convictions to the limit. Born in Schoharie County, New York, Deming taught school before attending the University of Vermont and Albany Law School. Becoming a court stenographer, he demonstrated successfully a verbatim system of shorthand reporting and prepared a handbook, The Court Stenographer (1879). His tales were collected in Adirondack Stories (1880), containing "Lost," and in Tompkins, and Other Folks (1885). His reflective, shy, mellow qualities emerge from his autobiography, The Story of a Pathfinder (1907).

   I have a xerox of his autobiography if anyone needs it or would just enjoy taking a look at it (it isn't high on the list for putting on the site, but then I always try to respond to my audience. Let me know.) The tale I have included, "Lost," like his other work, is haunting and memorable. I highly recommend it.


[Biographical information taken from Warfel & Oriens ****]

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"Nineteenth-century Regional Writing in the United States" is the work of Dottie Webb. For suggestions, complaints, cattle-rustling schemes or gossiping over the fence in neighborly fashion, send your e-correspondence to drdotwebb@traverse.com

This document was last modified 1/7/98.

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