"Loolee Palava" A French - Indian Romance of Fort Duquesne -- 58 pp handwritten manuscript of a novelette set in Pittsburgh during the Seven Years War. Ca. 1896.
Paperback. Probably written by a Pittsburgher, 'Loolee Palava' tells that story of Louis Bouriel, 'only child of a very wealthy, proud and austere nobleman of France' and his journey to America where he engaged in skirmishes and battles in the Pittsburgh area, with a number of love intrigues, etc. A bit of a potboiler. 58 pp, handwritten, with many corrections, appears to be lacking at least the last sheet, as it ends in the middle of a sentence. Some of the pages are 14 inches tall, others are 12 inches, bound with an old string at the top. Light wear. The name Loolee Palava may have been inspired by an article that appeared in the Pittsburgh Press in 1896: ' LOOLEE PALAVA: A Legend Suggests a Name for Four-Mile Run. George M. Brisbln, of Osceola Mills, formerly of the Gazette, of this city, has written a letter to Superintendent Falconer, of Schenley Park, giving him a brief, but Interesting history of Four-Mile Run [currently the valley in Greenfield where Carpatho-Rusyns, including the Warholas, settled], when It was a favorite place for hunters, trappers and Indians. Mr. Brisbln is 70 years old and was born In this city. He says an old Indian hunter often accompanied him on hunting excursions, and related numerous legends concerning the locality. In 1751 the son of an Indian woman went on the warpath and never returned. The woman pined for her son for many years, and finally became insane. Everyday she visited Four-Mile run and called "Loolee Palava," and the echo returned "Loolee Palava," which the woman believed was the voice of her son. Her devotion to her son's memory became known to the Indians, who named the run Loolee Palava, or Whooping Boy, the name of the young warrior. The suggestion to name the run Loolee Palava may be adopted.' This novella was apparently never published, but we think the name of it was the result of reading this article in the local paper. Good. Item #H1749
Price: $262.50