The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1885-01-16
CHLORIDE SIERRA COUNTY, N NJ FRIDAY JANUARY l6 1885,

NNlNANA Nl iut NNNAAs fAtfNfaluttik
10 TIE publishers. he learned that all
the books had been sent as directed.
Once more seeking the agent and max
ing himself known. this knight of the
road" believed he did remember some
thing about some books coming there
FOR Capt Crawford. bat not being call
ID for they were sold at auction FOR
freight LIDO not think one could just
ly accuse him Of lack Of energy or
firmness had he dropped the pen from
this date. but Jack was not gaing 10
show his hand on any such -raise." lie
procured a copy Of hrs book from a
citizen OF Denver. and is now engaged
revising and enlarging u for future
publication.
Many persons are familiar with the
dialect poems of Bret Ilarte and John
Hay. but il is doubtful If ANYBODY can
recall anything they have written so
intensely Of the plains. plainy. 50 free
and easy. so original aud so innocently
blasphemous as the Poets Scouts RAT.
lin Joo's Prayer the poem In ques.
lion was inspired by the death OF
Monte Bill at Cariboo. Bill was a
noted gambler. and Ratlln' Joe was his
friend; and as there was no preacher
present at the planting" Joe yolun'
teered to "rassel" with n prayer, and !
think when the admirers of Messrs
Hay and IIarte reach that part OF the
prayer" which | quote they will agree
that the Poet Scout is entitled to frs,
money.
Ratlin' Joe was the noxt of the speakers.
And Joe was africnd of the dead.
The salt water stood In his peepors,
And these are the words which he said
"Just give him corner, good Lord, not or
stocks,
| Fur ain't such a burned fool ~ that,
TO AK yo fur anything worldly for Bill.
kase he'd put me up then fur "A fiat.
'I'm lost on the rules o. yer game. but III an
Fur scat fur him back o. yer throne,
And III bet my whole stack that the boyl
behave
| II yer angles jist let's him alone.
'Therc's nuthin' bad boat him unless he get
riled-
The boysll all back me In that
But II anyone troads on his eorns, then yor
bet.
He'll fight ut the drop o. the hat.
"Jist don't let yer angles run over him, Lord
Nor shut OF all to once on his drink;
Break him IN kind o. gentle and mild on th'
start.
And he'll make yer no trouble think"
Though this is a fair representation
of the Poet Scout IN dialect verse, yeI
it gives you no conception of his better
work. There is vein OF pathetic
tenderness running through all hi
verses which one would hardly expect
to find in the writings of man whose
whole life has been made up of hard
knocks. misfortunes and dangers. Thus
in his Burial of Wild Bills"
"Under the sod of the prairie land
We have laid him down TO rest,
With many tear from the sad,rough throng
And the friends he loved the best.
"Under the sod In the land of gold
We have laid the fearless Bill;
We called him Wild, yet, little child
Could bend his iron will"
And again;
"There's green grassy mound in tho valley
lows,
Where angels their viglls arc keeping;
The pine trees are singing n dirge FAR above,
The sky peGrly teardrops is weeping;
And cooling on high is a bright turtle dove
Ger the grave where my mother Is sleeping
Did Brrns or Moore ever write 8
verse of more natural melody, more
breezy music, than the following con
tains
"And though l am far from that valley to-
day,
The scenes are all pictured before me;
The deer are ut water. the birds are at play
And the skylar<s are all singing DER me.
I think can see my dear comrades of old,
The sound of each rifle seems ringing;
The echo comes back from the valley OF
gold,
While the boys round the campfire art
singing.
But am not Antony; neither am
come to bury or to praise in this in
stance. The man, who as boy was
left for dead on the field OF Spotsyl
vania, and who by his own effort has
reached the height and won the envi'
able notorlety that Capt. Jack Craw'
ford has, needs no praise and de-
serves no censure. After repeating fol
me the poems from which quote the
foregoing ack Informed me that he was
forming theatrical company and in
tended to make a tour to the states
soon. ! tod him that from his present
position and surroundings l fancied
his ambition was to become one of The
solid men, of the territory. but he
answered that 1t was altogether toe
conhning and tame life for him. Sc
doubtless he will take the trail again
or the stage.-E. l.. KEYEs, in Wash
ing Cd. CD Post, Nov. 30th, 1884.