More doggerel poetry with CJ

[David D Robertson]

"A Learned Siwash" by De W.C.L. [De Witt C. Lockwood]

page 24 of _The Californian Illustrated Magazine_ "publisher's
supplement"...vol. III? 1893?

Here you go, sans formatting (thanks to Google Books' "view as plain text"
feature):


THE
LEARNED
SIWASH.
(
A tragedy, .)
BY DE \v. c. L. '
T\vas a rare summer day and the beautiful bay
Of Tacoma was calm as a mirrored glass,
When out from the shore, a kanim, which bore
A siwash and klootchman, was seen to pass.
The klojtchman paddled — her lord looked addled —
For lines of ^perplexity wrinkled his brow ;
Not an object in sight to the left or the right
Caught the glance of this wise one who sat in the bow. "
I'm aware," he began — how glib the terms ran — "
That the book-name of white-fish is oxyrhynchus ;
That a cod is o.gadus ; likewise it will aid us
To know that a salmon is called oncorhynchus. ' '
But what bothers me more than the wolf at my door,
The grippe, or the fate of our own Reservation,
Is an Indian word, of which ne'er have I heard
What the white men regard as its pluralization. ' '
Tis klootchman, ' ' he muttered, and immediately uttered
The name so alluring again and again ;
Then he cried in despair, as he shook his thick hair, ' '
Does the word double-up as klootchmans or klootchmen ? "
If you know how it goes, fair daughter of Lo's,
In the name of Tacoma and old Chief Seattle
Relieve my suspense — the torture's immense —
Out with it, fond matron ; I conjure thee — prattle."
She spake not a word, and the only sound heard
Was that of the oar as she paddled away ;
Then fear filled her soul, while her eyes 'gan to roll,
And quick as a flash she sprang into the bay ! *******
For days the lone man would steadily scan
The water in hopes she would come back to him ;
But she's still sinking slowly, and this wise man and lowly
All henceforth must paddle his own kanim.

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