The Oskaloosa herald., 1894-05-31
THE FRIENp IN NEEp.
By TAG HUssY.

A-AS AS1S@
Bear them gently. bear them gently, dear
river of Des Moines,
Down through our much loved Iowa, where
your sparkling waters join
The Mississippi river with its calm majes-
tic sweep,
AS it runs race with patience to swell the
vasty deep
Where the ocean viii receive it, send the
waters back again
In soft refreshing showers to gladden.
Iowa's plain.
How sweet of you, dear river, when our
folks began to shout
That kelly's hungry army had worn their
welcome out;
When railroads, so aggressive and so fond
of the long haul,
Would not even furnish ''hog rates''-or
any rates at all;
How sweet of you, 1 say again, to bare your
Come, rest upon this bosom. Accept this
shining way!' ~
Oh, sand bars, hide your faces now and be
ye water veiled,
Until this feet of working men have past
your presence sailed;
And snags, will you please clear the track
and let the navy go
Unhindered and untrammeled on their
winding way and slow2
Crab-apple blossoms, when you can per-
fume the gentle breeze,
To mingle with grape blossoms scent-bow
low, ye willow trees!
Be kind to them, o riveri Encourage them
to think
That it is good for outside cleaning as well
as for drink
And shore sands, be ye softened where the
gentle river flows,
As the softest bed and pillows where the
rich man may repose;
AVaA cal Id
gentle ray,
That by sunlight and by moonlight they
may hasten on their way,
On the high and holy duty to which they
say they're sent
To shake up Grover Cleveland and the gen.
eral government.
Don't delay them, little Eddyville, at your
pretty horseshoe bend;
Fill them up with grub and move them on
to their journeys end.
Keep Al Swain clean off the fagship-lest
to all our grief,
They should take him down to Washington
as a captive Indian chiefi
This world can not be equal made, no mat
ter how we try,
Some of US must eat the stale brown bread
while others ''swipe" the pie;
And it is not unnatural that these common
tars should roar
That Kelly hugs the angels, while we have
to hug the shore"
Ottumwa, why be timid2 Let General
His feet and take collection to the music
of his band.
His tars are very harmless-you need not
fear your lives
Leave your chicken coops wide open, but
fasten up your wIvesl
I always thought twas uniforms which
charmed woman's gaze
hT1tS
to pretty ways;
For women are intuitive, and maybe this
is how
They see the noble purpose which wreaths
each manly brow.
Keosauqua, give them welcome, with pro-
visions without end
They'll need it, these brave sailors, when
they sail around that bend
Of fourteen miles or over. Don't mention
it, alack!
Lest they fear there is no ending and try
to paddle back
Just pass them DER those rapids, on, past
old BentonspOrt,
To the twelve foot dam at Bonaparte, for
here there will be some sport
In getting the feet over. For the boys it
will be fun,
And it's altogether likely that there'll be
more d--ns than one.
And Pennington will pass the boys along
the river fine,
And Missouri then will share the work of
keeping them in line.
Perhaps, too, in the way of feed she'll lend
hand at that,
And while the glee club sings a song, Kelly
will pass the hat.
So bear them gently, river dear, let nothing
interfere
To cause the men and "angels'' to shed a
single tear.
Oh, favoring winds! oh, current strong
bring to them good luck,
And land them on the border line four
miles from Keokuk!
State Register, May 13, 1894.