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JAMES B HENDRYX: One of the Great Mountie Writers
It was Hendryx's experiences in the Klondike that inspired him to write Northwesterns. He recreated the Northern world of red-coated Mounties, gamblers, outlaws, dance hall girls, sled mushers, dogs.
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Among the great writers of Classic Northwesterns was American James B Hendryx.
Hendryx created a number of major Northwestern characters, including Corporal Downey of the North-West Mounted Police and Black John Smith, leader of an outlaw cummunity at Halfaday Creek, just inside the Alaska border.
As one modern fan says, "He really experienced the things he wrote about -- he spent extensive time in the Canadian wilderness, had a ranch in the Badlands of Wyoming, sought his fortune in the Alaskan Gold Rush, and had an enormous range of other experiences, including 'enough law school to stay out of jail.' He was no armchair adventurer -- he was as tough as his characters, yet with a great sense of humor and gentle manner. "
James Beardsley Hendrix (1880-1963) was born in Sauk Center, Minnesota. Hendryx worked as a traveling salesman, cowhand, tan bark buyer and insurance agent, before heading for the gold fields of the Klondike. It was Hendryx's experiences in the Klondike that inspired him to write Northwesterns...
He recreated the Northern world of red-coated Mounties, gamblers, outlaws, dance hall girls, sled mushers, huskies, wolves and the Great Gold Rush in all its adventure and complexity.
Among the best of his published Northwesterns, many featuring the Mounties, are:
1915 The Promise
1919 The Gold Girl
1922 Snowdrift
1923 North
1924 Without Gloves
1923 At the Foot of the Rainbow
1924 The One Big Thing
1925 Downey of the Mounted
1926 Oak and Iron
1927 Frozen Inlet Post
1928 Gold and the Mounted
1929 Man of the North
1930 Blood on the Yukon Trail
1931 Corporal Downey Takes the Trail
1932 Raw Gold
1933 The Yukon Kid
1935 Outlaws of Halfaday Creek
1936 Grubstake Gold
1937 Blood of the North
1939 Black John of Halfaday Creek
1940 Edge of Beyond
1943 New Rivers Calling
1944 The Way of the North
1945 Courage of the North
1948 On the Rim of the Arctic
1949 Murder in the Outlands
1951 The Stampeders
1951 Murder on Halfaday Creek
1953 Intrigue on Halfaday Creek
1953 Gold is Where You Find It
In 1925, he introduced Corporal Downey of the North-West Mounted Police to the world in DOWNEY OF THE MOUNTED:
"WELL, took who's here!"
The voice of Inspector Costello boomed hearty welcome as Cameron Downey reported for duty. "Regimental Number 0750, Cameron Downey," he repeated aloud as he wrote down the words, "Rayported for jooty October the fifteenth." He laid down the pen, and glanced With approval at the trim young figure before him. "An' whin Oi holler fer a good man they sind me a rookie so bran' new he don't know a manual from a martingale. Did ye gather in any bank robbers along the road?"
"No, sir."
"'No, sor,' says he. jist come breezin' in impty handed, loike he owned all Canady. Ye can onglue yer heels, now. An' don't stand there like ye'd a ramrod shoved down yer back. How are ye, Cammie, me bye? Ut's glad Oi am to see ye."
"And I'm glad to see you, Sarg -- Inspector, I mean-----"
"That's right -- don't belittle me rank," grinned Cosello, "wouldn't be a fair deal, bein' as oi couldn't do the likes be yersilf."
"And, I'm glad you're the man I had to report to."
" Wid a dozen Superintendents an' Inspectors hollerin' fer min, faster than they can turn out the rookies, ye'd be the wan Oi'd git."
Downey detected a twinkle in the Inspector's eye. "I'll bet you asked 'em to send me so you could kind of help me get broken in."
"Whisht, now -- tis not for a raycruit to be ques- tionin' the acts av his superiors."
"Anyway," grinned the boy, "you're wrong about my not knowing the manual. I can almost repeat it by heart."
"Well, thin, the first job ye've got is to fergit ut. The manual, son, is like the dictionary -- a handy book to run to fer reference, but a blame poor wan to learn be heart. The sayin' goes that possession is nine points av the law -- an' ye'll learn that common sense is nine points av inforcin' the law."
"When do I get my first detail?"
"Up on the bit, an' rarin' to go," grinned Costello. "But don't worry, son. From now on, the least av yer worries will be drawin' daytails. .."
On an evening, three weeks later the two drew their chairs to the roaring stove in the trading room of the Moon Lake Post, and talked with MacMurtrie, the factor. Winter had come suddenly, and with vengence. The wind roared in the spruce tops and soughed and whistled about the eaves of the log building, as it drove the powder-fine snow in an opaque white smother.
"'Tis a fine job ye got here the night, Costello," said the hearty old Scot, as he tamped his pipe with his thumb. "Since noon a mon could scarce see the length of his arm past the door."
"'Twas tough goin' an' no mistake, but we was already on the river when the storm broke, an 'twas only a question of followin' it up to the lake."
The Scot turned to the boy with a smile: "An' how now do you think of policin'? For, I tak' it ye're new to the business. An' what wad ye done an' ye'd be'n alone?"
The young Mountie returned the smile: "I like it. I didn't know the trail, an' if I'd been alone, I'd have camped till the storm was over."
"Well spoken, lad. 'Twould be the best judgment of a mon older than ye. Ye're an outlander, born, I tak' it?"
"No, all my life I have lived in a town. This is my first real trip."
The factor turned a puzzled face toward the grinning Inspector: "Losh, Costello, d'ye tell me ye're facin' what's likely before ye with a raw recruit -- an' a townsman, at that!"
"Sure, Mac," laughed the Inspector, "but, mind ye, Oi picked me raycruit." He paused, abruptly, and grinned at Cammie: "There, 'tis no use lockin' the stable door after the cat is out av the bag. Unofficial, Oi did sort av hint to the Commissioner that av ye wasn't too blamed raw, ye'd be more welcome thin somewan Oi didn't know who he was, nor where he come from."
He glanced again toward the factor: "Ye see, Mac, Oi've know'd um since he was knee-high to a rabbit. We celebrated his first pair 'av britches togither wid a ride on my horse through the town. Townsman he is, as ye say, but the blood's there. The lad's grandson an' namesake to owld Cameron Downey ---"
To read much more about the life and works of James B. Hendryx, as well as other great authors of Mountie Fiction such as Ian Anderson, James Oliver Curwood, Ryerson Johnson, William Byron Mowery, T Lund and Zane Grey, go to our site!
Our site is about The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Literature, Hollywood & History. From the books of James Oliver Curwood and Jack London, to movies like SUSANNA OF THE MOUNTIES and SERGEANT PRESTON. Articles on police dogs, horses and heroes.
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