The Republican journal., 1912-04-25
"SCRlBBLER JOE. "
lice in Two Days. Is Genuine Poet.
TLeWiston Sun.

Seldom if ever have the Lewiston po-
lice had under their protecting wing a
man who carries with him more evil
dences of latent talent than John
Mitchell, or as he calls himself, "Scrib-
bier joe Like many other people
"Scribbler Joe" is too generous to a
fault. Unlike manv other men who find
themselves in unpleasant predicaments
as the result of this generosity hes has a
pleasant occupation with which to while
away the hours when he is SOLDERING off.
''Scribbler joe is a poet. With him
he carries two huge rolls of poetry. This
is carefully indeXed and includes such
subjects as ''The Bangor Fire, " 1.-The
Houlton Violin" and many poems of the
woods and river '"The City Cop" and
'The Cop They Call Skidoo" are also in
the list.
His poems are carefully written. His
poems have a swing to them that re-
minds their readers of the works of Hol-
man Day. They have furnished inter
esting reading for the entire corps of
city building employees. One of his
poems, entitled, "When the Woodsmen
Come to Town." follows:
Oh! They're coming to the city
On every railroad train,
For the lumberjacks have broken camp
In the logging swamps of Maine
Dressed in all sly les and colors
Of red and blue or brown
Why, it's better than circus
When the woodsmen come to town.
A merry. shifting. laughing crowd
They whistle and they sing
The kids call them swamp angels
Or the humming birds of spring.
Clothiers see them coming,
Jews smile but never frown
At the jingle of the dollar
When the woodsmen come to town.
Gilt-edged saloons they patronize
With proud and lofty air
When well filled up with wheel grease
There's music on street or square.
Oft Tilted by some fair one
Their sorrow they must drown
Oh! the Coontown Band amt in it
When the Woodsmen come to town.
They're coming, yes, they're coming
And they spend their money fast
But they know they're always welcome
While their hard-won dollars last.
Their names unknown to history
They are not men of renown.
Oh! The Teddy Bear amt in it
When the woodsmen come to town.
Some times they get shade too gay
Ills then they take ride
Up the street to City Hall
policeman by their side.
The Judge then looks them over
With stern, judicial frown.
There's hustle in the courtroom
When the woodsmen come to town.
If sentenced then to pay fine
And the bill they cannot pay,
They're taken to a boarding house
That stands back out of the way
Where they're dressed up in tiger suit,
Each looks just like clown,
And every room is occupied
When the woodsmen come to town.
Just about a month ago "Scribbler
Joe" fell from the water wagon with a
terrible thud. Tuesday morning he was
released and yesterday morning again
arraigned in the Lewiston Municipal
Court. The mittimus was withheld and
it was expected that he would take the
first opportunity to leave town.
Instead he continued his Indications
and, according to the police, was soon SC
inebriated that he could be best cared for
at the station. Judge Brann promised
him 80 days on his next appearance in
court SO that he will probably have plen-
ty Of time to scribble off some more
gems Of the Maine woods.