David Harum, by E. N. Westcott 1926
On December 23rd, 1897, D. Appleton and Company accepted the manuscript for “David Harum” by Edward Westcott, a retired Syracuse bank teller who died before publication. The book was destined to become an all-time best seller and was best known for the colloquial use of the term “horse trading.” In the book, the main character, David Harum, is a banker and horse trader from the town of Homeville in Central New York. This is remarkably similar to the real life individual David Hannum, a banker and horse trader from the town of Homer in CNY, who is best known for his involvement with the Cardiff Giant hoax. The book was adapted into a movie starring Will Rogers and the world premier was held in Cortland in 1934.