Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1856-08-08
a California Poem.

PBGsix OF CarorniA and With large clasy Of rcadcl
will b. fully popular the original poem. Thoss VII
can not appreciate the fun it is b. hcr.d will be CO,
c.liatcd by the striAins and excellent moral,l
THE SONG OF NOTHIN' SHORTER.
Br II. W. rALLBor.
Al the mission of Dolores,
Near the to an of San Francisco,
Dwelt an ancient Digger Indian
Who supported his existence
Dong chores and running errands,
l"hen he got more kicks than coppers.)
He was old and gaunt and ghosilv,
And they called him Step-and feich-it.
Old aad grim and ghostly was he,
YET he had lovely daughter,
Sweet and budding though not blushing,
For her skin was kinder lawpey,
50 she really couldn't do it.
Bat she was "cushine creature"
And her Swinging steps SO fawn-like
knocked the hud-sight' OF the daughters
or the usurers consequential
who ia Oug,ies Iite, important,
Raiiling past the lonely tollgate.
Yes, sweet and fairy creature
e Was old Siep-and-feich-it's daughter,
And her name was Tipsydoosen
or the foung-srasshoppcre
Should You ask me whence this story,
whence this legend and tradition
should answer, That's my business,
And were 10 go and tell Won
You would know as much as I DO"
Should you ask who heard this story,
This story queer and wild and waywardi
should answer. should tell you,
All the Caliio-nia people,
Pir7s Of Pipeville, King of William,
Jones and Cohen. Kean, Buchanan,
And Miss Heron, sweet as sugar,
and tnc Chinese eating biri':-nesis-
We! they know Oh Siep-and-fe,ch-l
Near a grocery a, the Mission
Step-and-fetch-it and his daughter
In the sun were once reclining,
Near them lay whiskey bottle,
Mighty little was there in il,
For the o'd mans ;hiis, consuming
Caused that fluid to evapora,e
In his hand old Step-and-fetch-i,
He'd a chunk of boiled salmon,
Ana IS ish and bones he boited.
Waggei from side TO side his visagc,
And with means strange, Wild, portentous,
Suag the song o. "Noihin' Shorter"
accompanied By TIL gdcosen
10 four sharns upon the lew's-harp:
"Twang a-6iidle iwang-a-d;ddlc,
Twalg a-diddle. twang -adiddie,
Twang, TwaHg, Twang, Tum!
"Nothin' Shorter was a Digger,
80 am |, and nu;hin' shorier-
tThuS he sang. old Siep-and-f -fetch-it)-
And he lived upon the mountains,
Gns his roots and shool; the acorns,
And the rich srasshoPpers roasted;
Happy was he, bold and fearless,
With no troubles 10 m0lest him,
With no fcas upol his blanket,
(For in fact ne hadn't got one;l
Bat one morning gazing earthward'
lie beheld pond Of water,
Which he forthwith fell in love with,
AID the pond reciproca,ed;
And thev loved each other fonily-
HAPPY long they were together
Twang a-diddle, twang-ad diddle,
Twang, twang twang,
"Yes, TN" pond loved Nolhin' Shorter.
Evcry day she bathed his forehead.
Gave HIM drink when he was thirsty,
And would hare washed him all over
Only thai would lake the dirt off
And the grease n! ;-low-ochre
In which his very soul delighted.
Bat they lived and loved together
(An original exprcssion)
TIL the sua w.,h fever scnrching
CAUSED the iirle pond % dry up;
Then was Noihin' Shorter angry,
Iond he how.ed and tore his breech-cloth.
And with fury shriskcd and danced,
A I'D on the sun he poured his curses,
Aud he cried, .O'Scallewasser
Which is tine Indian name for Sun, Sr,)
fou have been and gone and done il
II was you dried mp nv sweetheart,
killed the beauteous Muddybot,om-
fou confess II, YOU confess it,
AND he saw the Sun wink at him I.
As if 70 say he feli glad of it.
Then M started Nothin' Shorter,
Out Of willow bark s?d rushes.
With them rent crag asunder.
Ana, pichir- up the scattered pieces,
Hdried them a, the sun in vengeance,
hnc so last the rocks kept fslng
Ihat the air was nearly darkenei
And obscured. SO Noih.n' Shorter
Couid not see but what he hu it.
So he ran and kept on throwing
Stones an! dirt and other missiles,
Iili the Sun, which kept rerreatine,
Gc' alarmed al his persistence,
And behind the western mountains
HID his recreant head in terror;
But the last rock Nathin' Shorter
Threw, feil back on his .cabeza,'
And produced commnuied
Fracture Of the cerebellum.
Jwang- a-diddle- twang -diddle,
Twang, twang. tum.
For some time poor Noihin' Shorter
lag Upon the earth quite senseless,
Til small exploring party
Under Colonel JcHS c. FaENoxr,
Pe@ed him up ard fixed his bruises,
Put or D7lley's Pain Extractor.
And some Liquid Opodeldoc.
When relieved, enough sorely shattered,
He sat up upon his launches,
And ~ "ccmont to,i his story.
listened that young savan,
Wrote 1t down upon his r~:e-book,
Ha7 old p-.uss 10 make drawing
Rearesentins No,hiD' Shorter
Throwing boalicrs; then he gave him
Aa old blanket aud a oeef-bone,
And when he asked him for quarter,
Told HIM 10 90 unto the Devil.
bG; far away in Easter cities
Fremon; told that tale Of wonder:
And certain famous poet
Heard - al. and saw the picture,
Wrote it ont and had it printed
In one volume post octave,
And wish had the money
For this song of Nothin' Shorter
T~ang-a-diddle, twang-a-diddle,
TwauS. twang, tgalg.
Al this lrnc,urc, Amos Johnson
Rushed 'uaulturusiy from his grocery,
Crying. Dern your Indian uproar,
Stop that noise and dry up quickly,
hr, by the eternal jiEsc,
Ill here he saw Miss Trpsydoo.en,
And the heart Of Amos caved in