The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-12-18

Bret Harte has written another Truth
ful James" poem. II was prepared for the
New York Independent. where /; appeared
last week and is entitled:
Truthful James and the KIondiker.
We WOE sttin' free~-lke ez you and me--.n
our camp on the Stanislow,
Round a roarin fire Of bresh and brIar
stirred up by a pitch-pne bough,
And Jones of Yolo had finished his solo on
Bilson's prospectin' pan,
And we all WOE gay until Jefferson Clay
KEN in with Kiondike man.
Now I most despIse low language and lies.
as used 10 remark 20 Nye.
But the soul of Truth-,hough he was hut
youth-looked out from the stran-
gers eye,
And the. things he said had frequent read
In the papers down on ''the Bay"
And the words he choosed woz the kind
wot's used In the best ,heayter play.
He talked of SHOWS. and Of whisky whot
froze in the soIidest kind OF chunk,
Which ii took Just pound 70 go fairly
around when the boys had first
And of pork that was drilled and with dy-
Mantle filled before 1t would Weld TO
a blow
For things will be strange when thermom.
sters range TO sixty degrees below.
How they made soup Of boo,s-which the
oldest best suits-and a ''fry'' from a
dancing shoe.
How in Yukon valley a corpse dc bslIay
might get up a fine "menoo"
But their regular fare when they'd nothin'
10 spare and had finished their final
Was the harness leather which with hides
went together, though the last ddn't
count ~ a rue.
Now all this seemed true. and quite natc:e.
and then he se4ot,p IF .b. COLI
And we ali sot UP, ana rehiled his cup,
and this is the yarn ne told:
There was gold In heaps--bIt it's there =
keeps, and will keep til the Judgment
Day.
For It's very rare that man gets there
and the man that Is there must stay!
IT'S thousand miles BIZ them Russian fsles
(Which the same you are not IF you'd look
at the spot on the map--'hat OF gold
ia bare).
Then river begins that the Amazon skin.
and the big Mississippi knocks out
For it's seventy miles cross SO mouth
when II smiles, and-you've only be-
gun your route,
Here Bison arose with keerles=-l,ke nose
and he gazed on that Klondlke youth.
And he says: Fair s.r, DO not think
infer that your words are not words
Of truth.
must die--your sperit is wandering
here
When ct Dawson Ciiy-the rnore's tho pity
you've been frozen up nigh a year.
You need not care. for I never Was there"
said that simple KlOniike man
I'm q company foater and business pro-
Ynoter and this ia nv little plan
/ show you he dangers To which you are
strangers. and nov FOR sum youtI
learn
What price y0g expect us-as Per this pres
pectus--to insure your safe return"
Then Bison Stared. and Re almost Pared.
bat he spoke IN a cslra-like tone7
"iou'I excuse me Tor sayiu' you're rather
dsiarin your chance 20 insure your
oan.
For we're wayworR and weary. your sevle
isn't CHEEKY. we've had quite enough
of your game"
But-what dId affect Hs-he took ts,a- nroS-
pectus aa1 chuc ked Il riRat Into she
fame
Then our roarin' sre % hresn ana h~la-
flashed up on the STA nislow
And Jefferson Cay went softly away with
;ha. youth with the do1ncast brow
And Jones % Yoia repeated mis- SOLO on that
s.ili. calm evening air
And we thought with = SILVER % yukon
rvsr ard the sorg thas VAS called Get
There.
Loncoa. England.