The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-10-25
"COON-DOG WESs.n

''CoOn-OOg Wess'-he altus went
Mongst us here by that-air name,
Moved In this-here settlement
FROM next county-he laid claim
Lived down in the bottoms-whare
Ost TO be some coons In thare
In nigh Clayton's next the crick-
MIND old Billy used to say
C99ns in thare was jest that thick.
Hep him compliant any day!
Ana, IN rostneer-time, be then
Aggin' him TO plant againi
Well,-In spring o. '67,
This-here "Coon-dog wess" he come
Fetchiu' long bout forty-'leven
Ornriest lookin' hounds, gumi
Ever mortul man laid eyes
On sence dawn o Christian skiesi
Wife com traipsin' at the rag
Tag-and-bobtail OF the crowd,
Dogs and children, with bag
Corn-meai and some side-meat,-Proud
And as fndependuHt-hy
Yit mild look in her eye.
Weli-this "Coon-dog wess" he Jest
Moved III that-air little pen
OF a pOie--hed, aidgin, west
On the ISSUES o. Death" called then
Otter and mink hunters ust
To camp there fore game vam-moosd.
Abul-bodied mainland lots
Call Ter ch0ppers-aud fer hands
To git cross-ttes out. But what's
Work TO sich as understands
Ways app inted ami is hence
Under special providence?
"Coon dog Wess's" hollis was hounds
And coon hintin'; and he knowed
His own range and stayed in bounds,
Ana ieft work Tor them at showed
Talents Ter it-same as his
Gifts Iegardin' coon-dogs is.
Hounds of ev'ry mungerl breed
Ever whelped on earthi-Had these
fefter Kind, with punkin-seed
Marks above their eyes-and feas
Both 10 sell and keepi-Also
Ihese-here lop-eared hounds, you know.
Yes, and briadie hounds-and long,
Can hounds: with them eyes they got
30 blame sorry. it seems wrong,
Most, to kick EN- as to notl
Idan, though, wouldn't dast, guess,
Kick hound Ter "Coon dog Wessv'
Tended to his own affairs
7tric' ly-made no brags-and Wit
You could see at them hounds cares
Feared like his-and he'd fit
Fer EN-, same as wife or child
Them facts made folks rickonciled,
Sorto', fer to let him be
And not poster him. Aud then
Word begin to spread at he
Had brung in as high as ten
COon-Delts in one highland VT
Dlun pear 10 boast oil Ill
Neighborhood made some complaints
Bout them plague-gOne hounds at night
HoWIln' tit To wake the saints,
Clean from dusk TEL plum daylight
But to "Coon-iog Wess" them -thars
HowIs was Emusic in the air!"
Fetched his pelts to Gilson's store
Newt he shipped Ter him, and said,
Sence he d cooned thare, he'd shipped moro
Than three hundred peltsi-"By Nedl
Git shet Of my store,' Newt says,
"Pd go in with 'Coon-dog Wess!"
And the Teller 'peared TO be
Maxim best and most he could
OF his rale pros pairity:-
Bought some household things-and good
Likewise, wagonload onc't come
From whareyer he'd moved from.
But pore feller's huntin' days,
Bout them times, was gidin' pasti-
Goes out onc't one night and stdysf
Neghbors they turned out, at last,
Headed by his wife aud one
Half-staryed Homeland search begun.
Boys said, that blame hound. he led
Searchin' party, bout a half
Mile ahead, and beilerin', said,
Worse'n airy yearlin' calf
Tel, at last, come fur-of sounds
Like the howl of other hounds.
And-siri shore enough, them signs
Fetched 'em-in Il hour er two
WHARF the pack was and they finds
''Coon-d0g Wess" right thdre!-And you
Would admitted he Was right
Stdyfn', as he had, all night
Facts is, cuttin' down a tree,
The blame thing had sorto fell
In a twist like-Mercy-m
And had ketched him !-Couldn't tell,
Wess said, hoV he'd managed-yit
He'd got both legs under it!
Tainted and come to, spose,
Bout a dozen times whilse they
Chopped him outi-And wife she iroIo
To himl-bresh his hair away
And smile cheerful-oniy when
He'd faint-Cry aud kiss him then.
Had his nervei-And nussed him through
Neighbors he'ped her-ail she d stand
Had loom. and she coIid do