The Duluth rip-saw. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1917-19??, 1917-09-29
POETS CORNER
SALE OF THE SPOTTED SPIDER.

SALE OF THE SPOTTED SPIDER.
This be the yarn Of Old Jack Rider,
The gent what owned the Spotted
Spider
A minin' claim, which, he oft said,
Run high in gold and tin and lead,
Likewise galena, copper-and
Old Jack would ofttimes wave his hand
And say, without shade o. mirth:
"That is the richest piece o. earth
A man e'er slapped his opticks on;
But still hain't so clearly gone
But what if some would come and tell
Me certain figgers that I'd sell.''
One day the stage throwed out duck
An eastern tenderfoot-and luck
Jes' took him by the hand and led
Him right around where Rider fed.
Across the grub board steamin' hot
Old Jack and Tenderfoot jes' got
On easy terms, and Riders smile
Assayed way up in simple guile.
The Tenderfoot allowed he would
Providin' it was really good-
Hook onto some rich mimi ground,
If any was layin' round.
Says Jack, "I have a tip-top claim,
The Spotted Spider is her name,
She runs free gold most anywhere
But still I don't allow I'd care
To sell for any smallish stake.'
Says Tenderfoot, "What will ye
take?'
Old Jack he bowed his head and think,
Then says, "You come with me and
bunk,
Tomorrow, bright and early, we
Will jes' trail out and sort % see
What a bonanza I have got"
And so they chawed and gassed and
thought:
Old Jack of how this Tenderfoot
BY providence had jes' been put
Fer him to pick like wimmin pick
The tender and defenseless chick.
And to hisself the eastern duck
Said, "Surely this is golden luck;
This man with whiskers, minus brains,
Was made fer my espeshul gains.
No doubt his mine is rich and
The same fer figgers small will buy,
Go back unto the East and sell
The stock fer twice it's worth-and,
well,
It seems a shame to thus deceive
Such innocence, but, by his leave,
I'll show him several kinds o. tricks,
And on His Whiskers will mix
The cards, until my gray, old dad
Back there in Wall street will be glad,
And say his son sure shows some sign
Of hewin' to his pater's line.''
Next day Old Jack, all full o. guile,
| Gazed on his finger nails, smile
Camped round upon his features drear
| And tore his face from ear to ear.
| B meath his finger-nails, you see,
He'd packed fine gold, fer Old Jack,
When Tenderfoot would come around
Would set there pannin' on the ground
Some oxe from out the Spotted Spider
Chuck full o. guile was Old Jack
| Rider
And water would jes' sort o. get
Jacks finger nails all lose and wet;
And there in that there pan would be
A string o. gold most fine to see.
The Tenderfoot's all untaught eyes
Hangs on his checks with glad surprise
Right then and there he vowed he
| would
Make his first promise true and good.
"Ten thousand fer the claim" says he
And Old Jack answers slothfully:
cit pains me, friend; ten thousand
hain't
A pen mark to pail o. paint
To what the Spiders really worth
But as I'm old and this yere earth
Won It see me long, I reckon now
You'd better dig the stuff and low
We'd better make the papers out,
The Spiders yourn from tail to snout.'
About a year, when Old Jack had
Jes' pulled his freight, this eastern lad
With men a-workin' night and day,
Jes' strcuck it rich and rich to stay,
And sells the Spider slick and clean,
And makes a million in between.
When Jack he hears the news he said
"Well, wouldn't that jes' kill We dead
Providence sure seems to hold
The shorn lamb from the bitin' cold;
Next time a tenderfoot I see
He gifts no sympathy from me,
I'll eat him whole and never leave
A reminent Ger which to grieve.'
Next day Old Jack letter got.
It read: GA million on the spot.
Am sendin' you check fer ten
Big thousands; now and then
I feel pang. this check will heal
The wounds within both hearts. feel
Ny friendships yours, to say the least
Regards,
| +. F. from out the East.
ROBERT V. CARR