Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1913-03-13
''OLD JIM

We give herewith one OF MIR. Huston S poemS-'Old Jim.
1rely contains a beautiful sentiment, whether applied to wor
horses or worn out humans:
Well, Sary, | guess I'll jest turn old Jim out,
He's past twenty-six now, er night thereabout;
Yes, twenty-six years it is since he was foaled,
I mind now the night; an, My! Q, but it was cold!
An how I took bed quilts and covered him up,
An that night he kicked me, the blamed little pup.
Twenty-six years! Ny! That's been a good while.
An since then old Jim's pulled me many a mile.
But he's gettin' stiff an not fit fer much now;
I'm too chicken-hearteo to kill him him, | low.
I'll jest turn him out an allow him to roam
Some one else may want him an give Kim a home.
He's too old fer my work an don't mount to much;
Too stiff to do drivin'-couldd do trucking and such.
An somebody1l take him an give him his keep,
Err he'll find a straw stack round somewhere to sleep.
'Taint no use a fussin' now, Sary; you know
When I set my head on things, they We got to go.
You know at Old Jim amt at all with his feed,
Besides that I've got one more horse an l need.
'Taint no use a-cryin now, Sary; [ say
When I've got my head set, why, things go that way.
Now look here, Sary, ye'd jest as well learn,
While ye may run the home ye can't run the barn.
Well, Jimmy, old boy, I'm a turnin' We loose
But some way l feel like a bloomin' old goose;
I s'pose it's cause Sary's a takin' on so
Since I've bout decided at I'd let We go.
You've been mighty faithful, old rascal, all right,
An ready fer business by day or by night;
But you re gettin' old, an We amt with yer keep,
An I'd rather put yer feed into some sheep.
Eli some calves, er some pigs, er some good thing
like that, a
What'd keep on a-growin' an takin' on fat.
You're mighty nigh bin an ain wuth much to me-,
An Ill turn ye loose on the road an well see
Eff some other teller what's got lots of hay
An thinks lots of horses1l low we to stay
An take up yer residence maybe with him
Fer, you've got a mighty god record, Old jim.
You onct was a dandy, an none Of yer size
In this here whole country'd throw dust. in your eyes:
An tough an old chap as a man ever worked,
An ready Ter business, an never have shirked
In saddle, er buggy, er wagon, er pillow,
An, we've been real chummy fer many years now.
You've. been pretty decent, Old jim, that's q fact
! Xpect when Yer gone | won't know how to act,
Cause we've been together = good many years,
An We've seen some JOY as good many tears;
An somehow it seems that it's lest like as not
AT you've helped to make about all at / got.
An jim, | remember, as now look back,
An recollect things AT has come in our track,
At you'ye been a mighty good nag, Jim, that's so,
An IN kinder sorry at you've got to go.
Right now | mind Willie, our dear boy at died,
An how he liked you, an how he would ride
On that bak OF yourn, an we all never feared
AT he would get hurt, cause you never got skeered.
An cut up mean didoes, like some horses do,
An how Willie say it, Old jim, like You
An jim Is the bestest old horse in the land,
An how you'd eat sugar right out Of his hand.
IL tell you, Old Jim, I've a mind to give in:
Some how 4 Jest feel I'd be dom, a sin
Ef turn We out when you'v We no place to 90
AT you could get shelter from rain an the snow.
II tell you, Old Jim, you've been faithful and true.
! Wouldn + had much if it WASH t fer YOU:
An Il The good LordilI my meanness forgive.
III keep We, old boy. Jest as long as ye live.
-Frank Gs Huston