Monday, October 27, 2008

Cowboy legend's books come home to Millarville Will James was 15 when he left his Montreal home with $10 and a bag of his mom's cookies, heading west to fulfil his dream of becoming a cowboy. James would become a Canadian cowboy legend, whose illustrated books about the West were bestsellers even at the height of the depression. A century after he began his ranching career in southern Saskatchewan and Alberta, a piece of James' legacy returned to the province Friday when his complete works were donated to the Millarville Community Library. "His work is as relevant today as it was yesterday because he's capturing that lifestyle that we fear is gradually vanishing," said Wendy Dudley, an author. Dudley presented the books to the library on Friday on behalf of the Will James Society, of which she is a member. His books about Smoky the Cowhorse, Cowboys North and South and Horses I've Known inspired generations of children to fall in love with the rural lifestyle -- including musician Ian Tyson, who wrote a song about his childhood hero....

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