30 lines, typed, on both sides of stationary of the "Harbor Rest," dated Eureka, California. July 11, 1911. With envelope return addressed to Jack London, Glen Ellen, Sonoma Co. CAL and signed photo of Jack London.
Addressed to Mrs. William B. Strandborg care of "The Oregonian," Portland Press Club, Preland (sic) Oregon: "Dear You, I have been wondering for years where you were. I knew you had married somebody in the writing game, and that was all I did know. Just now Mrs. London and I have been out a couple of months with four saddle horses harnessed to a light rig. Our saddles are strapped on behind. You will see that we are very near the Oregon Line. We are keeping right on up through Del Norte to Oregon, and across Oregon to Nevada. We expect to stay out until we are driven in by the fall rains. So if you are coming to Califrnia (sic) in the summer, you are going to miss us. But if you come in the fall, for heaven's sake take time enough to come and visit us on the ranch. We are only 60 miles north of San Francisco, at Glen Ellen, Sonoma County. We'll promise you the choice of all sorts of saddle horses from bronchos (sic) to thoroughbreds, and some of the prettiest country and trails you ever saw . . . . this of course includes your good husband. That "Semper Idem" story was written by me before ever you and I got married–what I mean is, before you ever married your present husband, and before I ever married my first wife. That is to say, before you came up to San Francisco and went to work on the CALL, I wrote this story. I believe I got five dollars for it, from some daily short story syndicate. Semper Idem was of course the phrase taken from your letters. Some time ago, this was put into a collection of short stories put into book form. Evidently the Portland Oregonian has bought the right to republish these book stories. To take the place of the brown sepia photo destroyed in the fire, I am sending you this one, the only one I have with me in my baggage, and which you will notice is for professional publicity purposes only. When you get up to see us the ranch (sic), I'll see about digging up a good one for you. Don't forget the ranch address. Semper idem, (signed) Jack London." The letter was written while Jack and Charmian were on there driving tour up the coast from Sonoma County to Oregon. London's account of the trip "Navigating Four Horses North of the Bay" was published in Sunset Magazine in Sept., 1911 and again as "Four Horses and a Sailor" in the collection "Human Drift" (Macmillan, 1917). Mrs. Strandborg is believed to be Ernestine Coughran, an apparently unrecorded female friend of Jack's. She married William P. Strandborg in Portland, Oregon in 1907. Both were working journalists and both were active in the women's suffrage movement in the city. "Semper Idem" was published in the "Black Cat" in December, 1900. London received $50. for it. "Harbor Rest" was the house boat berthed at Field's Landing just south of Eureka, California of H.L. Ricks, formerly mayor of Eureka.