The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-05-29
The FAIR Shaw assoc.
III. L. G.)


Sing to you OF the beautiful river
| Named by Otchipwe,-the fair Shiawassee.
List TO the murmuring chant OF her current,
Winding along mid the suppliant rushes
Tossed in dismay by the winds weird passion
| Surging on up from the heart of the southland,
Whirling and swirlirg in eddies unending.
Eddies unbroken except for the sudden
Cleave OF the pike or the leap OF the pickerel,
Swift runs her course thru the limitless marsh
es-
Home of the wild.duck, the muskrat, the otter
Up to the North thru the Saghinan basin,
Fruited and grained by her life-giving fluid.
On to the bay OF the Sauks and Lake Huron,
On to her death In the tombing OF waters
Rolls there in splender the fair Shiawassee,
Rolls there in glory the beautiful river.
Once by her shores dwelt the Otchipwe nation /;
Hardy and strong were her warrior children
Bravely and boldly they fought and they hunt
ed.
Hotly they loved and as fiercely they hated,
There by the banks OF the beautiful river.
There pitched their wigwam of hide and OF
spruce pole,
Kindled the fire.pine on the soft greensward
Roasted the flesh Of the fish and the wild duck;
There drank they deep OF her clear, cooling
nectar,
Pledging the soft sonbre eyes OF the maidens.
There in the flame. glow beside the still water,
Led by the medlcnemen OF the village,
Frenziedly danced they to clicking OF rattles.
Frienzledly pranced they TO booming Of skin.
drum
Danced there in peace, and in war, and in
harvest
Bore forth the fragile canoes of the head-men,
Freighted with spear and with bow, and with
arrow.
Bound on a mission OF blood and Of pillage;
Tnen in the van sat the priest OF the bear. robe
Symbol of battle-and chanted the war.song
Up to the saffron skinned moon in the heavens,
Up to the Manitou hid In the cloud.land,
Up from the breast Of the fair Shiawassee,
Up from the breast Of the calm, placid river.
Once to her shores came the axeman and saw.
yer;
Servant was she to her pioneer woodsmen.
There in the heart Of the virginia. forest,
Close by the marge OF the beautiful river,
Swung their bright axes and voyaged their
steel ribbands
Sharp TO the core OF the pine and the hemlock 4;
Laughing and gay were her rivermen alway,
CARRIED with the Mackinac, booted with iron
Sash oelted round with the brightest OF Grim
son;
There from the dawn Of the morning Till dusk.
time,
Swiftly they roped up the logs on the water,
Turning and twisting with pike and with
peavy,
|
| Came then the welcoming hail OF the mess
TENT
| Odor OF salt-horse, of biscuit of coffee
| Sped DER the tangle of pine to the hungry
| Stacked were the saws and the axes, and
cant hooks
Mid the blithe shouts Of the returning toilers
| Stacked till the call of the sun OF tomorrow
After the feast round the old boarded table
Eaten with zest, and with jest, and with
laughter
Drawn were the pipes and the spirals of
black jack,
Sweet sang the strings Of the old, bruised
fiddle,
| Fast flew the fe ct to the quaint Irish ditties.
| There in the gloom by the fair Shiawassee,
There in the gloom by the beautiful river.
L'Envoi
Stilled are the songs OF her warrior children,
Sleeping the bards Of the Otchipwe nation;
Hushed are the carols OF pioneer woodsmen,
| Scattered earth o'er are the axemen and
sawyer
YET thru the springtide, the summer, the
autumn.
Sweet to my ear comes the chant OF the river,
Rising and falling in melody tender,
Telling OF days that are dead and forgotten.
| Sing on forever beautiful river.
Ever and aye, o thou fair Shiawassee!
*Note, The word "Shiawassee'' in 0tchipwe
or Chippewayan, means beautiful river.