Whispering Smith

There were two Whispering Smiths, one the fictional railroad detective in Frank Hamilton Spearman's novel, and the other a historic westerner whose real name was James L. Smith. The fictional character was the hero in this best-selling novel of 1906, and the book's popularity made it the prototype for Western fiction. Spearman became fascinated by railroad lore through his contacts with the Union Pacific while a Nebraska banker. He had previously authored several stories with railroad plots...