Omaha daily bee., 1905-06-25
The Marvellous Echo Of MiRgO'S Neck.

Mingos neck is a strip
OF hills where the mountains gaily dip
In mock obeisance though somehow
Each made the other a stately bow.
And there, like wrinkle in earth's fair check
Is the rocky bed Of barren creek.
Before the Neck is the Mngo Gap
'Tis there that the echoes wrap
Themselves in a wrhing and tangled knot
When tourists would shout from the proper spot
one day, when a man sought that euincnce
He found the way barred by a high board fence
on which the legend in letters queer:
d" J. MINGO is BOSS OF THE ECHO HERE
THE WONDERFUL ECHO OF MINGOs NECK
PERFORMS AT THE RATE OF TEN CENTS PER Eek"
Thus. having abiding rlace and name
The wonderful echo to fame
And people would journey from miles around
TO shout and then hear the replying sound
So soon a word the Neck would whack
The natural wonder would fling 1t back:
In answer sonorous went across
The mountain II struck would give II a toss.
And rumbing rolling both To and fro
'Twould leap till it dwndcd all soft low
And then with final dcspairing shrek
Would dizzily drop in the barren creek.
For Instance, If YOU should approach the site
tFirst paying your dime. which was only righD
And shout quite distinctly: Hello! HclIo,'
The answers would rise a rhythmic flow:
Hello Elo! HELLO! 'Euol
Hellohcllohelo!'
Waxing mildly mellow
Hello o-ello- clo-Lo! Hello, 'Fllo
Helcll-ollo 'El-cl-cl-lo,"
Then finding life in a sharp rebound
The sound would swift till a hill it found:
HELLO! HELLO!
Hello! 'Ello-elo-el-cl- o. O-cllo!"
And Grumbe and rumble and tumble and below:
Hello! Hello! o. hcl-el-cl-cllo.'
Until at the last, with a shade OF despair
1t would lnger and sway through the quverng air
And would swoon in dulcetly whispering o."
All shattered and tattcred to earth below.
Twas wonderful, ,yes On that natural yell
Was founded the Mngo's Neck hotel
Where rates were high and the beds hard
But where each day the piazzas Jared
In sympathy with the shouting heights
That formed the store of the guests delights
And then when Mingo waxing fat
With wealth-for his charges this that
For rooms, for meals, and for extras served
Were fixed by steward all ron-ncrvcd-
He painted another announcing line
the dingy sign:
THE WONDERFUL ECHO OF MINGO's NECK
PERFORMS AT THE RATE OF TEN CENTS PER Eek
He painted another announcement there
Concerning the echoes that split the air:
THIS ECHO" he painted all boldly then,
" PERFORMS IN THE MORNING FROM TO TO-"
he reflected and painted
THE AFTERNOON HOURS ARE FROM TO l."
Thereafter the guests were compelled to wait
Till the hands their watches We're fixed at s;
A couple hours of inspiring
And then they must wait till from > to 4.
But still they all seemed to be satisfied
And hearked to the echo with joy and pride
one day-it morning and half past o.
The crowd assembled about the sign,
And each had paid his admitting dime
But none got al echo in all that time.
They fretted fumcd and they shouted loud
Rut never echo to thrill the crowd
while they wondering what was wrong
And why they got nothing for shout or song,
Young Mngo-he of the cChos boss
Appeared the Neck and came on across.
Pa says" he explained, that he sends regrets
For each of the echoes that gets,
But he's got cold in his neck and throat
simply can't speak, or can't sing a note.
And So please hm-yOu've paid the price
And he gets well he will echo twice
Today in the brambles of Mngo's Neck
A tumbcd down sign says: TEN CENTS PER ECh.