cett entered for copyright "Songs of the Mines, Written Expressly for the
Sons of the Rocker by Robin Rover." The title page bore the following
lines:
No shrilly strain, miscalled a song The high-flown air I bring you But, if your nerves are pretty strong A sailor's song I'll sing you.
On April 16, 1852, Joseph F. Atwell sought copyright protection for the "San Francisco Quadrilles Arranged from the Most Favorite Negro Melodies for the Pianoforte, Respectfully Dedicated to the Ladies of California by Their Sincere Admirer, George Peck." Put's Original Songs as Sung by the Sierra Nevada Rangers with Unbounded Applause throughout the State was entered on September 20, 1854, by John A. Stone. In 1854 Nicholas Charles Bochsa entered for copyright two volumes of opera entitled Anna Bishop's Operatic Library. Madame Bishop gave a series of concerts that year at the Metropolitan Theater in San Francisco. Bochsa, a harpist, acted as the manager. The books were published during this engagement. M. A. Richter presented for copyright a musical composition entitled "The California Pioneers," and Stephen C. Masset, the title "Clear the Way or Song of the Wagon Road." Masset, an Englishman, had come to California in 1846. He gave entertainments in San Francisco at which he sang his own songs. Notice of his farewell concert appeared in the Alta California of February 22, 1852. In 1863 Masset wrote Drifting About or What Jeems Pipes of Pipesville Saw and Did, This work is autobiographical and relates incidents of his several visits to California.
In one instance the copyright record has aided in identifying a partial ghost— a book preserved only as an imperfect copy with title page and preliminary pages lacking. It bears the running title "Guide to California." Wagner in Plains and the Rockies<r17> lists this under Platt, with date and place of publication lacking. The copy thus described was carried by Thomas Reber across the plains in 1854. On January 16, 1852, P. S. Piatt and Nelson Slater, the latter the author of "Fruits of Mormonism" entered for copyright a book entitled "The Traveller's Guide across the Plains , the Northern Overland Route from the States to California. Showing the Distances from Point to Point, Accurately Measured with Roadometers, and Describing the Springs, Streams of Water, Hills, Mountains, Camping Places, and Other Notable Objects along the Route, together with an Appendix, Containing the Routes from Council Bluffs to Fort Laramie, from Fort Leavenworth to the Big Blue River, the Routes by way of Salt Lake and Fort Hall, and a General Summary of Distances." This is without doubt the book referred to by Wagner.
In another instance the title of a book was registered and remains in manuscript today— "The Narrative of the Life and Adventures of G
