# Mr. Kelmar — Travel Essays character guide

> Mr. Kelmar in Travel Essays by Robert Louis Stevenson.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Kelmar, Mrs. Kelmar, Mr. Kelmar, Introduce Mr. Kelmar

**First appearance:** 0092-i-to-introduce-mr-kelmar

## Snapshot

The smiling Calistoga storekeeper who rules his debtors like a king and steers the narrator toward Silverado with suspicious enthusiasm.

## Who they are

Kelmar is the rural merchant whose credit binds half the settlers within miles of Calistoga into permanent, unpayable obligation — a family friend who dines at their tables and dictates their business. His sudden warmth about Silverado, after shaking his head at Pine Flat, hints at motives beneath the hospitality. His wagon carries the narrator up the mountain, making him the quiet engine of the whole Silverado venture.

## In the story

### [With the Children of Israel](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/travel_essays_se/chapters/with-the-children-of-israel)

The Russian Jewish storekeeper and central figure of the chapter, described as good-natured but a tyrant over the rural population through credit and debt.

### [To Introduce Mr. Kelmar](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/travel_essays_se/chapters/i-to-introduce-mr-kelmar)

The storekeeper and the narrator's principal adviser; a Russian Jew with a projecting under lip, who holds economic sway over the local settlers.

### [II: First Impressions of Silverado](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/travel_essays_se/chapters/ii-first-impressions-of-silverado)

Drives the carriage with a steady, clergyman-like demeanor; later leads the group on a meandering walk through the woods, showing a childlike enthusiasm.

### [The Return](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/travel_essays_se/chapters/iii-the-return)

The Hebrew tyrant and village usurer who orchestrates the placement of ship's kettles, smiling throughout the delays.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/travel_essays_se/characters/kelmar
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/travel_essays_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/travel_essays_se/characters