January 7, 1927 Dear Mrs. Russell: Your telegram about the introductions is dated January 2nd but that is an error, of course. I only received it yesterday over our own Western Union ex- tention wire right here in the office. It is rather too bad about the mixup[sic] over introductions. I’m afraid there is nothing to do now but wait and see if both gentlemen deliver their material. I wrote you immediately about our plan for getting an introduction just to avoid any such mixup[sic] but went ahead in approaching Mr. Wister with the result that he said he would do it and had already begun it. After considering all the names of possible introducers to the book we felt that Owen Wister was the best one. “Trails Plowed Under” is a book by a very great authority on Western ways and Western life as well as a book by a very great artist. As such we felt that it should have an introduction by someone with a reputation and the literary distinction to treat it with the seriousness and importance Mr. Russell’s work deserves. It would be very embarrassing to us now to call him off. As indicated, the only thing I see to do is to let it ride for the time being in case one or the other should forget it. Have you signed the contracts and started them back to us? I hope so because we want to begin on this book right away. It’s going to be a long job and has to go through a great many more manufacturing processes than the average book of fiction. I’m writing you a separate letter of suggestions about the text and pictures and would appreciate it if you would answer this letter immediately and formally because, after all, you see we are doing a big job in the selection and arrangement of the material and must have your O.K. on it at every stage. Sincerely yours, Mrs. Nancy C. Russell [signed] H.E. Maule 701 Michigan Blvd. Pasadena, California HEM:F [Transcribed by Lauren B. Gerfen, 2012-05-07]