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Richard Melville Hair and his spoon.

Article Excerpt
The two letters from Herman Melville's old shipmate from the United States, Oliver Russ, requesting a "keepsake" for his son, Herman Melville Russ, seem to have inspired Melville to sent keepsakes as well to the son and nephew of his old Acushnet companion Toby Greene. In time the gifts--apparently engraved silver spoons--were received by young Russ, by Herman Melville Greene, Toby's son, and by Richard Melville Hair, Toby's nephew. (1)

For the Melvillean the spoons naturally stir the hope that, when they are found, some paper with the familiar daunting Melville handwriting will be wrapped around them or reposing in a box with them An effort by the present writer to find Richard Hair's spoon did not produce the spoon but did shed some new light on Hair. Apart from Hair's spoon and middle name, which must have made him aware that he had a tenuous connection with someone whom Uncle Toby at least regarded...

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