Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1876-06-29
[Por the Grant County Herald.l
CENTENNIAL POEM.
HY LUTHER BROWN.


by LUTHER BROWN.
In seventeen hundred seventy.six,-
One hundred years ago.
Our nation, now so strong and great,
Made but little show.
The Colonies were then thirteen,
John Bull did plant them here,
And said if they behaved themselves,
They naught should have to fear.
For he would keep them from all harm;
No trouble should they see;
But they should pay three pence pei
pound
AS duty on their tea.
Now John was rich, and strong, and
brave,
A sturdy man was he,
Who ruled at home with iron hand,
And triumph'd on the sea.
And John he thought his Colonies,
Like children ever dear,
Should trust him for all time to como
And nothing have to fear.
But Colonies, like boys grown large
And feeling stout and strong,
Are not at times disposed to yield
To what is clearly wrong.
So when John sent his tea ships DER,
To get the tax on tea,
The Yanks did hoist tho tea chests out,
And threw them in the sea.
Now this thing broke the camel's back
For John could stand no more;
And so his fleets and armies sent
To land upon our shore.
And Gage did land, at Boston town,
An army stout and strong,
To punish well tho Yankee boys,
For doing so much wrong
We need not trace them through the war;
Suffice it here to say:
For seven long years they fought us well,
Then found it wouldn't pay.
Now John had for a neighbor near
A Frenchman, stout and strong,
Who lived across the channel way,
And often did him wrong.
And he and John oft had row,
And sometimes came to blows,
When one or both was sure to get
A broken head or nose
This Frenchman. now, It's plain to see,
Was pleased that John should try
To rule by force the colonies
IT'S plain the reason why;
For this they thought would cripple John,
So he could managed be
By France upon the Continent
AS well as on the sea.
Ben Franklin then was sent to France,
To see what they would do,
For helping on the Yankee boys,
And putting John right through.
Ben made the Frenchmen see quite plain
That John must crippled be,
Or soon he'd rule DER all the laud
AS well as on the sea.
And so they sent an army DER,
To help to cripple John,
That fought beside our Yankee boys
Till victory was won.
And then, at Yorktown John laid down
His sword and guns and all,
When he, no doubt, did realize
That he had had a fall
Yet John is planting colonies
All DER the world to-day,
Where he can find vacant space.
And make the people pay.
Now let US see what we have done,
Since we became of age,
That's worth the while to have it spread
On the historic page -
We've cleared up thousand miles
OF wilderness, and more,
And built up towns and cities large
On ev'ry rivers shore.
We've sent the lightning round the world
A little spark of fire,
To carry all our friends the news,
All on copper wire.
We've tunneld through the mountains
base,
And laid down rails of steel.
On which our trains do run so smooth
That scarce jar we feel
Our locomotives whistle shrill
Is heard throughout the land,
And fast trains running night and day
Are seen on every hand.
We've churches, schools and colleges
All DER our vast domain,
Where rich and poor alike may go
And useful knowledge gain.
We've built machines to do the work
That thousands used to do,
And still each year arc bringing out
Another one that's new.
We've harness'd with our iron bands
That monster giant, steam,
And made him do our heavy work,
As we'll az sew a seam.
We've struck the chains from off the
slaves,
And millions now are free,
Whose fathers wore the bondman's yoke
When John came DER tie sea.
ITEMS FROM THE WITNEss-W G
re of the opinion that should the
/. & s. w. railroad company UNDER
axe to violate it's contract by leav-
ng PIatteville off the main line oil
be road they wouli find that they