Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-07-27
viii Read His Star Poems in
a Setting of Catchy
Comment.
LEGENDS AND JlNGLES
Excels as a Writer of Indian Legends
and Rhymed Stories from the In
cidents Of Every
Day Life.

reader of his most popular poetical sue
cesses, interspersed by catchy comment,
the program to be introduced by a short
pithy address in which amateur poets are
extolIed, encouraged and instructed, and
the ~Doetical side OF the American people
set forth in unusual praise.
Mr.. Branch, who has published two
editions Of his poetical works, one a
brochure and one a cloth bound volume,
has not sought to contribute to the maya
zines, but has. introduced all his poems In
local Iowa newspapers to which he has
been attached, or from the platform TO
home audiences. Though editor of a coun-
try paper, member of the town council,
volunteer RENAL member of the West
gate cornet band, clerk OF his Woodman
camp, teacher of a Sunday school class
! and member Of the choir In his church, he
finds time to occasionally write a delight
full Indian legend, a romantic rhymed
story, a pretty lyric or bit OF high-hown
blank verse. But his most successful
verses, the ones that nave given him a
statewide reputation, are those descriptive
Of pretty features Of local scenery and
romantic or otherwise interesting incidents
Of village and country life.
Mr.. Branch's latest poetical success Is
bills School Ma'am,' a rhymed romance
In broken metre, in which Bill, an un-
lettered but manly young farmer, tells his
married sister, who has just arrived for a
visit al the old home, Of his love for the
pretty school ma'am who is boarding
there. Bill opens his remarks by declar-
Ing this young lady to be:
--- the incest gal on the girth
OF this great old whirlin' earth.
He then goes on to tell how she has
awakened in him an ambition to 'be
somebody" and grows eloquent describing
her superior qualities as a school teacher,
A boarder and a lady, and how abashed ne
was when first she first came. The stanza
setting forth her beauty Is quoted entire:
Is she purity? Well, / should say!
Purity as the break Of day
wy her hands is jest like lilies, and her
eyes
They are picturs from the skies
And them teeth
You should see EN- shine beneath
Her lips when they are slightly parted,
Jest when a smile has started
on that face that heaven lent her,
Face fashioned by some inventor
'Mong Gods angels up above
Wy Sis, 'twould make We love
Every inch of her. Main gracei
But she has the sweetest face
Ever / see, and them little feet o. her'n
They jest make me yearn
To hold EN- in my hands
They look so
Joshuai but they are stunnin'!
Don't see how she stands
So handy
On SIGH purity bits of candy
AS them feet!
Neat?
Bless YOU. yes,
And the bewitchin'est dress
That ever was she wore
Last Sunday. You'd a swore
That she jest fioated like a fay
In it, std of walkin'. It's a way
She has that makes her seem
Like Somethin' seen in a dream
One has had, but don't jest recollect
'Cept the iingerin' nice effect.
Job and Moses!
She jest moves in %flounces, lace and roses,
Like they was air and she a spirit
/ can't describe Ii, mr. corne near IL.
Though homely in phrase, where can you
find a more eloquent description of femi-
nine charm and beauty? Wrapped up in
his subject Bill continues in the praise of
his lady love and tells how she rescued
him from a watery grave after he had
helped her out of a broken place in the
Ice and then was himself sinking from cold
and exhaustion: but how he ~despaired of
ever winning her love because he was $50
rough and ungainly'' and she so learned
and refined declaring emphatically, how
ever, that he viii win her yet, If he has to
give up farming and ''go through Yale"
There Is a sequel 10 the poem In a foot
III III GADidlli lhdl tt lodh6 ~
who was In the hammock just outside the
open window, overheard every word OF
Bills eulcgy. and afterward joined heart
lily in the young mans plans for his future
education. advising him to build upon the
fundamenta knowledge gained in his very
successful farm work by studying agri-
culture In Its scientific form. After Bill
had been dressed up by the schools and
became a noted farm scientist, known in
ILL., all I4xxA efrhhnyhaA nu tsprAfaaanr
BILL the little school ma'am became the
queen OF Professor Bits home.
THE Last of the Sahoahs" is the most
finished and sentimental. and ''The Ban
ished Sachem'' the greatest of Mr..
Branch's indian Legends, but Prairie
Flower OF the Poncas'' is the prettiest and
viii be read the most. This poem is writ
ten in niawathan style, and Is descriptive
af prairie scenes on the Little Sioux river
in early Tune time, long before the pale
face ~trespassed on the virgin western
prairies." Prairie Flower, the pretty
PoEca girl, is thus described:
Eyes that twinkled like the starbeams.
Tresses black and silken, flowing
Like the dropping wings of angels,
Fingers like the touch Of morning
I As ii lifts the waking eyelids,
Feet whose tread upon the grasses
! Were MS breathings of a spirit.
Voice as sweet and softly charming
1 AS tHc DlIu-lolcS OF the UayDfeak,
aus was blessed the good Beak's daugh-
ter.
And her features and her figure
| Were so cornely that the Poncas
| Named her Vivee. Prairie Flower.
Whether In stately blank verse or in
hcnnely phrase of country lover, in ballad
| or short lyric. the author abounds in pref
~ compliments to women. This poem
ends romantically In the espousal and
marriage CT Prairie Flower TO Big Antiers.
the awkward but brave son Of Chief Gray
| Wclfe. after the boy had won distinction
ir an engagement with an attacking lard
| OF Gnahas.
The poem which won Mr.. Branch his
frst fame and which has been rceited by
TIE prize pupil. in many a rural and village
F, school in Cowboy Jacks Story" treat
ing OF an adventure in western Nebraska
IN the carly 'sos. Jack was the black sheep
in aa eastern home. He went west.
roughed il. ard fraly established a cattle
ianch Bordering On the ranges or the sioux
ard Cbtyennes. Ore night he ros lost on
the plains tn u storm. While being wor-
| rsed ny wolves he heard the shouts OF
write mon and the whoors CT Indians
! mn glcd With the firing OF guns 70 the
! rear. and srrnisg upon his trail he went
Is ;he rescue Of the whites. The Indians
s.ere repuised. but while TIE whites were
/ rejoicing In their sictoi IA sneaking red
4 ~ ma an ara Sf.te one - aha .hts.1rou =