Q: "I love collecting items about ferrets and I noticed you mentioned an old
    book about a ferret named Tony.  Do you know of some more?"
 
A: No, but I know how to make a 'fmore.  Thats two ferrets with a
   marshmellow between them.  The trick is to hang on to 'em as you heat
  'em over the fire...
 
Well "ferret" in this case is a late 1800's reference either to thief or to
detective and usually the former (I have one where the detective is a
reformed thief).  There were a whole slew of them printed at the turn of the
century, usually as frontier-based dime novels, and running about 20-40
pages.  I was given one as a joke, and have since found a couple more in
used book stores, and I can't pass them by.  Heres a minor list for your
enjoyment, or for future ferret names.
 
Burton Egbert Stevenson  1929  "The Mystery of the Boule Cabinet."  The
Ferret Library; New York.
 
Charles Morris  1889  "White Wing, the Ferret Flyer." Beadle and Adams,
Beadles Pocket Library No. 295; New York.
 
Edward L. Wheeler  1880  "Captain Ferret, the New York Detective, or Boss
Bob's Job."  Beadle and Adams; New York.
 
Edward L. Wheeler 1886 "Tony Fox, the Ferret, or Boss Bob's Boss Job."
Neadle and Adams, Beadles Pocket Library No. 127; New York.
 
Edward L. Wheeler 1899 "Tony Fox, the Ferret, or Boss Bob's Boss Job."
Westbrooke Co., Deadwood Dick Library No. 33; Cleveland.  (Yes, all three
are the same story)
 
Edward L. Wheeler 1882 "Sierra Sam, the Frontier Ferret, or A Sister's
Devotion." Beadle and Adams, Beadles Half-Dime Library No. 244; New York.
 
Thomas Chalmer Harbaugh  1891  "Sol Sphinx, the Ferret Detective: or, The
Seven Secrets. A Romance of the Demon Doctor of Gotham." Beadle and Sons,
Beadles New York Dime Library No. 654; New York.
 
Thomas Chalmer Harbaugh 1889 "Silk Hand, the Mohave Ferret:  or, The
Marked Man of Arizona." Beadle and Sons, Beadles New York Dime Library No.
550; New York.
 
Thomas Chalmer Harbaugh 1891 "Jason Clew, The Silk Handed Ferret; or, the
Maze of the Silver Dagger." Beadle and Adams, Beadles New York Dime
Library No. 671; New York.
 
Thomas Chalmer Harbaugh 1886 "Father Ferret, the Freisco Shadow: or, the
Queen of Bowie Notch. A Romance of Man, Woman and Mystery in Frisco and
Gold Camps." Beadle and Adams, Beadles New York Dime Library No. 421; New
York.
 
Thomas Chalmer Harbaugh 1890 "Captian Sid, the Shasta Ferret; or, the
Rivals of the Sunset. The Romance of Rattlesnake Mine." Beadle and Adams,
Beadles New York Dime Library No. 592; New York.
 
Harry Rockwood  1883  "Abner Ferret: The Lawyer Detective."  J. S.
Ogilvie; New York.
 
And here are some more modern titles in the same vein:
 
Walter Morison  1995 "Flak and Ferret: One Way to Colditz." Sentinal Pub.
(WWII History).
 
Gene Kemp  1990/1991/1993 "Just Ferret."  Collins Educational/Penguin
 
Carol Hathorne  1995  "Ferret in the Vestry."  Monarch Pubs.
 
Douglas Boyd  1997 "The Fiddler and the Ferret." Little Brown.
 
Alison Prince  1997  "Fergus, Fabulous Ferret."  Hodder
 
Jeff Gallagher 1995  "Spud Ferret and the Case of the Stolen Diamonds: A
One Act Play."  Schoolplay Productions.
 
And a bonus for my New Zealander buddies:
 
Ferret.  An underground newspaper published by Kozmik Krumbia out of
Christchurch.  (And would I love a couple of copies, hint, hint.)
 
Now for the rest of the FML.  Remember when I did the nicknames?  If you
send or post book/play/song titles having to do with ferrets or having
ferret in the name, I will compile them and post the list like the
nicknames.  I already have a lot, but there is always one or two missed by
almost everyone.  Make sure you have 1) Name, 2) Year of Publication, 3)
Proper title, 4) Publisher, and 5) Place of publication, or as much as
possible.  I will also accept publications by people whos last name is
Ferret, or movies/television shows having ferrets in them, but get the
director's name and year or release *before* you send it in.
 
Bob C and 20 MO Biblioferts
[Posted in FML issue 2211]