Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1892-10-15
PoTIPHAR BAGGs, POET.


PoTIPHAR BAGGS, POET
No ordinary child OF the muse was
Potiphar and no ordinary rhymes
were those of his composing. His
poems were sacred things dedicated
to and solely read by Victoria by
grace of God queen OF Great Britain
and Ireland and Fotiphar Baggs him
self.
His own family. that is his wife and
daughter and, of course. the more
favored eonfdants of her most gracious
majesty were also permitted to share
in the delights OF their theme and
meter; hut their circulation was rigid
" confined to the royal household it,
self and about half a dozen OF the
mostexclusive residents of Clementina
street San Francisco
Since Potiphar had accepted the
pension OF the industrious excise
officer away back in the earliest sew
entities and emigrated to the far Pacific
Slope to join the son who had pre-
ceied him he had devoted his entire
talents and energies to the compost
ton OF laudatory odes idyls and epics
dedicated to the honored ruler OF the
country he had left behind. II a
royal duke got the grippe then Poti-
phar's muse awoke and his loyal DO.
som throbbed forth pEan OF poesy.
Similarly the potent passion burst
forth in burning flames if a royal
princeiing took wife or royal
princess had baby.
Every quarter-day the poet left the
peaceful precincts of Clementina street
and wandered down to the British
consuls Office where he drew his
emoiument OF nineteen pounds ten
shiliings sterling. or about S95 of
American money. Every quarter-day
he duly squandered the same. or the
greater part thereof, on some fit and
proper troublesome poetic token of
esteem-to Victoria, queen of Eng
land
This invariably took the form of an
original poem based on some regal
episode OF the preceding quarter
The manuscript duly type written by
his daughters fiance. Henry Selby
was committed to the tender mercies
OF a printer who at vast expense.
set up the same and printed it on
satin or velvet A fitting case to
hold the same and an obsequious note
engrossed on vellum to accompany it
consumed whatever funds were left
over and above the cost OF publ
cation.
When all the preparations were
complete the work and trimmings
were carried home for Mrs. Baggs and
Emily's inspection.
In times gone by the advent OF
Potiphar with her Majesty's poem
used to be gala event and one
fraught with high revelry in the
Baggs household. Since Potiphar Jr
the only son and main support of
the famlly-had died. however. it was
hard, very hard for the faithful wife
to look pleased and happy and con-
graduate her husband and applaud
him in his work.
She never forgot her boys death:
she never forgot how his father had
buried his GRIFFIN the delight afforded
by an opportunity to immortalize his
only son in an elegy.
How she had suffered that dreapv
day when the old man stood there by
the black DIN and canted and re-
canted the gruesome rhymes OF which
every line but added to the mothers
and sisters torture.
The son. the brother was dead
They knew be was dead. Was he not
lying there cold and stiff; and did
they not know his worth and had
they not always loved him? What
did they care for eulogy or elegy2
OF what consolation was poetry while
the corpse lay there with closed eyes
and face OF CHASTITY Wilderness?
Then with the sons death came
poverty poverty that pinched and
gnawed poverty that BUNDLED pride
and kept the CRATE empty in the win.
ter time. or course Emily was earn
ing Sl5 a month at the telephone
Office on Pine street and Mr. Selby
was so good paying SO week for his
room when it really would have been
dear at -. so; but it was hard work
to grub along that way and spend all
that money on the queen when Emily
wanted warm wraps and things and
the doctor had advised her to try a
trip to the country.
But Potiphar never noticed these
things. He was a poet you see.
Once he had been a common excise
officer-a mere gauger in fact; but
that was long ago. He was a poet
now There was no poet like him.
and none so solid WITH the queen
anyhow. If there was no meat for
nner-well, what does a poet want
h meat when he is trimming over
the divine afflatus9 II Emily
4 change--well she would get
II change by and by when old
died and Potiphar Baggs
laureate TO the court and
gland.
TeEnyson would die!
My Tenuyson - stood
I'd endless fame and