Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1874-03-14
THE IRON HCRsE-A TALE.
PART I.

TN people VINO were more cOntentcd than
they
With themselves, and the manifold blessings
which Heaven
Had kindly withheld. or more kindly given,
Until, in the course Of progressive events,
They bowed to tho worship of dollars and
cents.
And now comes the story, thousand times
told.
OF the sorrows that follow the struggle for
gold
On the Columbia. thus opens the drama,
4 city was built bv the name of Kalama
Another arose, not very far froma
Deep hole in the Sound and was christcned
Tacoma.
Then a railway was built connecting the two,
And wild over the track the iron horse flew.
Kalama, Tacoma. like friends cross the board.
IIohnobbed with each other and libations
poured,
Whilst Olympia sat by at the table so wide.
With no dish sho could reach save CLAIMS on
the side.
1t was not for anything wrong in this meat.
That the clans were less plenty, less juicy or
sweet,
Than they had been through all the years
that were past.
That Olympia turned from them disguised at
last.
Oh, no; but that envy, which Ger since the
fall,
Has dwelt in our hearts to make fools Of us
all
Which melts poor Belinda to tears of distress
When Flora appears in her pack
dress,
Turns Thomas's happiness all into smoke,
When Peterfield finds q new fold for his
cloak
Now gnawed like file in the heart of tho
town,
And nothing would do but road of its own.
The matter was talked up on crossings and
corners,
Till the citizens looked like professional
mourners;
For they said that the place would now go to
the dogs,
BE u home for tho jack-snipc, a dwelling for
frogs,
Unless something was done towards raising
the rhinO
For connecting by rail with the town of Te-
nino
Discussion ran high. and parties were made,
On questions of iron, and stringcrs, and
grade,
One wanted strap rails, another the T,
\ third thought that wood far cheaper would
be,
A fourth swore these butchers the project
would mangle,
For nothing would answer the purpose hut
Angle.
The worst storm of all, the longest to rage,
Was the contest that rose on the question of
gauge;
Some wanted the narrow, others wanted the
wide,
Whilst others would haye third rail on the
And think that I've heard some angry de-
On the question of tariff for passage and
frcights.
A great meeting was called to settle the
broil,
And speeches were poured DER the people
like oil;
The elements Gained into quiet and peace,
And the matter was placed in the hands of
Trustees,
With powers quite ample. discretion quite
broad,
And instructions to go on and finish the road
Their articles filed in due form with the
clerk,
The Trustees proceeded at once with their
work
In filling the chair, their very first act,
They proved themselves men Of true finessc
and tact;
BY unanimous vote they settled on Blinn,
Expecting, of course that he'd furnish the
tin"
In neat little speech, in language refined,
This very high honor the Captain declined.
But rendering the story of ancient renown,
OF Caesars three times refusing crown,
And thinking the Captain might be in that
vein,
BY unanimous vote he was chosen again.
The twice protfered honor again he declined
The words of his speech have passed from my
mind,
Though I'm told that the Board, to man, I'M
derstood
Their substance to be, He'd be id if he
would"
Having failed to connect, OH this reasonable
plan,
They had to put up with their second best
man,
And devise other means of raising the rhino
To connect them by rail with the town of Te-
nino.
And so they resolved that work should COM
mence
On the sixth day of April whateer the ex-
pense, ,~
To open an office and full set of books,
And enter at once on the selling OF stocks,
For which they proposed to tako money or
land,
Or labor, or what was most ready at hand.
An office was found with convenient dis
patch,
In prominent place, and q signboard to
match,
In large, colored letters. was placed DER the
door
To let people know what the office was for,
AS they came into town with pockets ofrocks