June 15, 2025 and on this day ninety-five years ago in 1930, Edgar Rice Burroughs began the western story, “That Damn Dude.” He changed the title to “The Brass Heart.” It was published by Thrilling Magazine as “The Terrible Tenderfoot” and by ERB Inc. as “The Deputy Sheriff of Comanche County.” Collier's rejected the story. The story was also rejected by the Saturday Evening Post, Liberty, Ladies Home Journal, Blue Book, Argosy (twice), and College Humor. Five years later he re-submitted the manuscript to Liberty under the title "The Brass Heart" using the pseudonym, John Mann. Liberty rejected it again. The story eventually saw print in Thrilling Adventures in 1940.
Details about the publishing travails of the novel are to be found at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0777.html
By cosmic coincidence, yesterday, I received copy of “The Terrible Tenderfoot,” as published in conjunction with the 2022 Dum-Dum hosted by Jimmie Goodwin in San Antonio, Texas. The copy is signed by Jimmie and by artist Douglas Kluba and was limited to 100 copies. Thank you, Jimmie.
The photograph is of Edgar Rice Burroughs, Florence, Mary Lucas Pfleuger (in the flowered dress), and her husband Wayne – September 7, 1940. The novel was dedicated to Mary Lucas Pfleuger and I often wondered who she was and why ERB dedicated a book to her.
The drabble for today, Deserved Dedication,” is fictional, but ERB and the Pfleugers often played bridge, so could be.
Joan Burroughs Pierce said, “Dad, I don’t understand why “The Brass Heart” hasn’t sold. It’s a perfectly good western.”
“I agree.”
“One question. Who is Mary Lucas Pfleuger? You dedicated the book to her.”
“She and her husband regularly play bridge with me. He’s a big deal with the sugar farmers association.”
“Anything else?”
“She bids and plays like a madwoman. She overbid us to seven no trump doubled and redoubled at a three cents a point. I told her if she made it, I’d dedicate a book to her. She did. We earned a $100 each on that hand.”
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