FOUR TITLES BY J. MCCAN DAVIS, ONE AUTHOR-SIGNED AND THREE PERTAINING TO ABRAHAM LINCOLN. Two copies: HOW ABRAHAM LINCOLN BECAME PRESIDENT; first, Centennial edition, 1909, The Illinois Company, Springfield, Illinois, soft cover, 96-pages. Octavo, front cover separated from body of book; second, author signed, 1908, 16mo. Press of Henry O. Shepard Co., Springfield, IL. 80-pages, Frontispiece illustrations. Softcover, a bit of chipping at spine and corners. Errata slip tipped to inside rear wrapper. First edition, handsomely inscribed and signed by author on the front flyleaf: "With the compliments of the author. / Very sincerely, / J. McCan Davis." This book is a rarity. Davis partnered with Ida Tarbell on several early 20th century Lincoln volumes; ORIGIN OF THE LINCOLN RAIL, June 1900. Stapled octavo-size pages from unknown source on the origin of how Lincoln became known as "the rail splitter." Fascinating history. A bit of fence rail was brought into the Illinois nominating convention by Lincoln supporters. And as Davis wrote, the rail-splitter image "was no accident or spontaneous happening, but was carefully planned and was executed with an adroitness which made the effect most dramatic and impressive; THE BREAKING OF THE DEADLOCk, 1904, Press of The Henry O. Shepard Company, Chicago, 440-pages, hard-cover, octavo, no dust jacket. Though not specifically about Lincoln, McCan Davis was such a prolific Lincoln historian and author that this work was acquired. Collection of a Retired Journalist Estimate $100-200
