According to Wikipedia: "Frank Hamilton Spearman (September 6, 1859 December 29, 1937) was an American author. He was known for his books in the Western fiction genre and especially for his fiction and non-fiction works on the topic of railroads. Although he wrote prolifically about railroads, his actual career was that of a bank president in McCook, Nebraska and did not himself work for a railroad. Spearman was also a devout Roman Catholic convert and held political views best described as proto-libertarian, both of which beliefs are also reflected in his novels."