Fifty Years of a Misspent Life, by Joseph Harlan, alias Joseph Sherwood et al. A true story of a life of venture, reciting his experience in counterfeiting, his contact with crooks, highway robbers, detectives etc. His Own Story, Written by Himself by Harlan, Joseph

[Pennsylvania]: self-published, 1899. Octavo (18.2 x 14.3 cm). Original printed wrappers; 58 pp. Good or better; some wear and chipping to spine; a few nicks and creases to covers; stamped "private library of D. R. Berkey" to upper front wrapper; internally sound and clean. Harlan opens the preface to his slim volume by writing, "The reader of these pages will no doubt be surprised that a man possessing so unsavory a reputation as I, should essay to make public the deeds of a misspendt life. Misspent in a greedy, selfish desire for gain, at the expense of the welfare and happiness of my fellowman, and often, very often, to the punishment and misery of myself."

The following pages provide a glimpse at Harlan's life in counterfeiting, including complaints about how labor intensive counterfeiting was. He notes that the "1000 to 1500 impressions which I have made in a day has been harder work than I ever experienced in coal mining." He was arrested for the first time in 1853, and had many run-ins with the law over the subsequent years. An author's note on the final page indicates that Harlan intended to publish a Part II of his story, but it's unclear if that ever came to fruition.

Scarce; as of December 2023, OCLC does not locate a listing for this volume.