The Alaska citizen., 1914-07-20
PIONEER LITERATURE.

| Love for everything that is beauti
full and inspiring in nature is one
OF the things that makes a man a
! pioneer, and thus the pioneers have
| always produced literature of high
standard There have been many
things written about Alaska that
should be collected into book to
show what the pioneers of the Ter
ritory have been moved to write.
Prof John B. Horner. of the Ore
gon Agricultural college, collected
samples of the pioneer literature
of Oregon few years ago, and pub
lished them in book form. The
book enjoyed such remarkable sale,
that second edition was published
and sold and it is probable that a
third edition will appear. This shows
how much interest the public has in
the writings of pioneers.
1t will be remembered that Jack
London's first successful literary eff
| fort was the Call of the Wild" one
of the first Alaska stories ever
written. Six years previously Jack
London had been sending stories to
magazines, but without success. Then
he came to Alaska. and the inspira-
ton he received when on the
trails and in the mines here, re-
suited in his first success.
Oregon Literature" the book writ
ten by Prof Homer, brought to
light some real classic gems of pio-
neer work, the most notable being
the poem. "The Beautiful William
cite" written by Sam L. Simpson, a
pioneer type-setter of Oregon 1t is
so in line with the idea Of pioneer
literature and its beauties. that It
is worth while to reproduce it here.
| First, however, it would be well to
tell something about its author, and
the peculiar conditions that inspired
the poem.
| Mr.. Simpson lived, in the long ago,
near the banks Of the Willamette
river, which threads it's way through
the valley of the same name, and
passes through the city of Port
land on it's way to join the Colum-
bia. some distance from the ocean.
Mr.. Simpson had been having
some disbursements. and just when
the world seemed darkest he left
his home early one morning and
went to the river, seemingly to get
consolation from it. 1t is asserted
by some of his friends that he had
intended to drown himself, but that
is not certain.
1t was an inspiring scene that
greeted his eyes as he reached the
west bank of the river. The sun
was just beginning to rise above the
distant snow peaks of the Cascade
range, and in the foreground was
the peaceful stream, lined with
trees and other vegetation. The
scene appealed to his poetic sense,
and forgetting his troubles and the
gloomy side of life, he wrote the
poem that is destined to live indef-
initely.
Mr.. Simpson died some years ago,
and there has been talk Of erecting
monument to his memory. The
words of 1.-THE Beautiful Willamette"
as written by Mr. Simpson on that
summer morning, are as follows:
From the Cascades frozen gorges,
| Leaping like child at play
Winding, widening through the valley
Bright Willamette glides away;
| Onward ever
! Lovely river.
Softly calling to the sea:
| Time that scars us,
| Mains and mars US,
| Leaves no track or trench on
Springs green witchery Is weaving
Braid and border for thy side:
Grace forever haunts thy journey,
Beauty dimples on thy tide;
Through the purple gates Of morning
Now thy roseate ripples dance.
Golden, then, when day. departing
On tiny w,i." trails his la lca.
Waiting, flashing,
Thinking. splashing.
Limpid, volatile and free
Always hurried
To be buried
In the bitter, moon-mad sea.