By Jan MacKell Collins During the 1870s and beyond, people in the eastern half of America were eagerly reading about pioneer adventures in the West. Only handfuls of them actually knew somebody who dared to sell what they could, pack what remained into a wagon, and set out to begin a new life in a raw, untamed and sometimes dangerous land. To those in big cities like New York, Philadelphia and other places, such an undertaking was unimaginable. Some stories read like a juicy dime novel, an especial boon to those living boring, menial lives. The right author could lead ...