Durango semi-weekly herald., 1904-02-04
week.
A Noted Character in the Pioneer Days
OF the San Juan Passes Away in
New York-Poet, Actor and
Author.


Author.
%
Telluride Journal.
Denver paper chronicles the
death In New York recently of Big
BIZ Deyere, known as the Tramp
Poet of the Rockies" The paper
gives his age as "A years, which is an
error. as he is about IS years of age.
Back in the'7O's "Bill" was char
acter In the San Juan. when he and
the Journel scribe were quite chum-
my--sort of running mates. Billy"
was poet and printer but in those
days absolutely worthless. without am
bition or object in life. further than
having good time.
There were no taiiors in the coun-
try then, only ready-made, hand-me-
down very common ready-made cloth
ing, and owing to his gigantic physi-
cal proportions, ''Bill. could find no
ordinary garments that he could got
into and all summer long he wore
big canvass overcoat, without vest
or under garments. except rough
shirt he made himself out of a Call
fornia blanket
Bill had the run OF the printing
he would get a job of printing for
some saloon, do the work himself and
deliver II, which would entitle him to
run several days account at the
bar.
One night in the summer OF 70. the
writer and ''Blll" were wandering
about Silverton and dropped into the
variety and "Maison de Jole." run by
Tom Cain and Bob Roberts In one
OF the most abandoned of the coryp
hees fitting about the place "Bill'
recognized a woman whom he had
known as an innocent girl, school
mate friend OF his youth. back in
New York. Calling her TO him they
briefly talked over their youthful
days. and finally we left.
The incident made a deep impress
sion on "Bill's" mind, and as we
strolled up the street we Invested our
last two-bits in sack of peanuts
| which the two of us quietly munched
rs we walked along, BIZ declining
20 talk. very unusual circumstance
with him. Dropping into Ed Cor
mans Rosebud" we went into the
back room, deserted at that hour and
seating ourselves at round table.
''Bill'' dumped the peanuts out and
| tearing the manila bag into TWO sheets,
wrote thereon the following verses:
In dreams see thy face the while,
'Tis more than passing fair;
! And wonder why that sunny smile
No longer fingers there.
I ask me il that bosom's heave,
Hides not heart that's doomed to
| grieve
And wither in despair
I ask me If JOY or peace can be,
| With one so dissolute as she?
| Il knew thee once. thou fallen flower.
When virtue marked thy youth;
knew thee once, in that bright hour
OF purity and truth,
knew thee once e'er treacherous
ways
Had damned the sunshine of thy days,
| And marred' the virtues of thy
youth
And now l know thee in thy shame,
| Without a friend, without name.
An outcast from thy fathers home,
A bllghted, joyless thing;
Thy journey onward to the tomb,
A rayless wandering.
Uncheered by hope your bosom heaves
Yet like the roses scattered leaves
Some sweets still round thee cling
And like ivy round the shattered pine
fain would fall before thy shrine.
There's beauty still upon thy brow.
And kindness in the heart,
And thou canst smile cen now,
All hopeless as thou art,
But sorrows have begun to chase.
rhe light of love from thy young face
Yes. thou wilt soon depart
AS bends the lily to the blast,
Unwept, unloved, you'll die at last.
God cheer thee on that lonely day,
When none stand by thy bed;
None weep to see thee pass away,
None sigh for thee when dead.
|
Where cold. forsaken and forgot,
Reclnes thy sinful head
The grave perchance will grow as
green,
But few will know that thou hast
been"
Bill handed us the manuscript
and by accident the beautiful senti.
ment was preserved. He published
several volumes OF poems. but the
above appears in none of them.
Mr.. Devere had unusual stage tai
ent. and was an actor of more than
ordinary merit. Some ten or twelve
years ago he "braced up and during
the latter part of his life managed
one of Hoyts companies, playing the
start part. that OF Country Editor
for number of years In The Texas
steer Two years ago, while the
company was at the Tabor Grand for