July 1889
A Fishing and Hunting Trip
It was in the month of July, 1889
that Ed and his party took fish hook and line
to go up the Poudre a fishing for whale,
and to see fine scenery and shoot a few quail.
There was Ed Birney and Fred and Christopher G.,
and Eva and Billy and then Mrs. B.
to wind up the crowd, there was Henry and Norm
and little "Polasky from the Buckhorn."
Polasky is an orphan, he's gentle as a lamb,
they found him six miles from water
and then ten miles from land.
He is a wonderful orphan; he just takes the cake,
he would laugh at the "sinkers" that Christopher would bake.
Chris was head cook for the first day or two,
he would bake beautiful "sinkers" and make a nice stew;
he was an excellent cook; he would make nice coffee and tea,
but the sinkers Polasky nailed up the tree.
Then there was Ed and expert at fishing,
and Billy the flunky, he was an expert
at dishing up the fine trout
that Christopher would fry,
and pass to each one the gooseberry pie.
Fred, the proprieter of the circus so grand,
Birney the leader of the Stove Prairie's tin band,
Norman, the strong man that travels with Fred
could hold a man on each shoulder and one on his head.
Henry the hunter so brave and so bold,
the dangers he passed can never be told.
He would hunt morning and night and chase the wild deer,
and climb over rocks without any fear.
Then comes Eva, the artist so fair,
there was none in the party with her could compare;
She would climb over mountain and take long tramps,
and sketch all the scenery especially the camps.
Then come Mattie to bring up the rear,
wild mountain lion's she stood in great fear,
she would fish on the banks of the Poudre's clear stream,
and thinks the days passed there was like a beautiful dream.
And now I'll say farewell to each one,
but come again next summer with your fish poles and guns,
and we'll go up the Poudre fishing for whale
and see fine scenery and shoot a few quail.
written by Mrs. John Berry
Mother of Lottie Berry Alexander (1897-†c.1995)
transcribed by Paul Wehr