American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-01-23
Selected sHisrelza,,p.
WILLIAM BROWN, OF OREGON.

Credited by the New York Graphic to joaquin
Miller.
They called him Bill, the hired man,
And she they called her Mary Jane,
And lovers often drew . rein
To chat and sigh as lovers can
Across the gate in snatch and catch;
And women winked across their tea
And said, and truly so. thought he
That she would make \ splendid matcn-
This hired man had loved her long,
Had loved her best and first and last;
Her very garments as she passed
For him had symphony and song
So when one day. with brow afrown
She called him Bill he raised his head,
He caught her eye. then faltering SAID:
-. love YOU, and my name Is Brown
She fairly waltzed with rage; she wept:
You would have thought the house anre;
She told her sire. the portly Squire,
Then sme!t her smelling salts and slept.
He swung pistol on each hip.
He gathered up great ox-whip
And drove toward the setting sun.
He crossed the great backbone of earth,
He saw the snowy mountains rolled
Like mighty pillows, saw the gold
OF awful sunsets, saw the birth
of sudden dawn upon the plain
And every eve would William Brown
Eat pork and beans and then lie down
And dream sweet dreams Of Mary Jane.
The tetcr board of life goes up.
The teter board of life goes down,
The sweetest face must learn TO frown;
The biggest dog has been pup.
Her lovers passed. Wolves hunt in packs.
They sought for bigger game; somehow
They seemed 10 see about her brow
The fofky sign ofturkey tracks
At last she nursed a new desire;
She sighed. she wept for William Brown
She watched the splendid sun go down
Like some great sailing ship afre;
Then rose and checked her trunks right on
And in the cars she lunched and lunched,
And had her ticket punched and punched
Until she came to Oregon
She wore blue specs upon her nose,
She reached the limit of the lines,
And then set out to reach the mines
In rather short and manly clothes.
Her right hand held pafaeol,
Her pocket held Testament,
And thus equipped right on she went,
Went waterproof and waterfall
She asked miner gazing down,
SLOW stirring something with spoon,
To tell her true and tell her soon
What had become Of William Brown.
Hclooked askance beneath her specs,
Then stirred his cock tail round and round,
Then raised his head and sighed profound
And said, - Hes handed in his checks"
Then care fed on her damaged cheek
And she grew faint. did Mary Jane,
And sme1t her smelling salts in vain,
Yet wandered on wayworn and weak
Until at last she sat her down
Upon a sloping hill alone;
And there good gracious. stood q stone,
And 10! that stone read William Brown
"Oh. William Brown! Oh, William Brown!
And here you rest at last, she said.
.. With this lone stone above your head,
And forty miles from any town:
will plantcypress trees, I will,
And will build . fence around,
And 1 will Mrtilize the ground
With tears enough to turn mill"
She went and got hired man,
She brought him forty miles from town;
Then in the tall grass she sat down |;
And babe him build as she rhsuld plan; )
But Digger herders with their bands
They saw and hurriedly they ran
And told Q bearded caftle-man
That some one builded on his lands.
He took a rife from ths rack,
He girt him in HIS battle pelt,
He thrust two pistols in his belt.
Then mounted on his chargers back
And plunged ahead. But when they showed
A woman there about his eyes
He pulled his hat. and he likewise
Pulled at his beard and chewed and chewed.
- Oh, lady dear, what do you here:''
g build . tomb unto my dear;
l plant some flowers for his sake"
The bearded man threw his two hands
Above his head, then brought them down
And cried. "Oh, 1 am William Bsown,
And this the corner Of my lands"
Her specs fell off, her head fell back
Some like q lifted teapot lid;
She screamed-this ancient maiden did
Then, fainting. split herself alack!
Right in the beard of William Brown.
Then all the diggers were amazed,
They thought the lonely maiden crazed,
And, circling there, they squatted down.
The preacher rode a spotted mare,
He gallOped forty miles or more;
He swore he never had before
Seen bride or bridegroom half SO fair
And all the miners, they came down
And Toasted as the night advanced;
And all the Diggers drank and danced
And cried, +" Big Injin, William Brown"