1906 Staunton Poem

An Interrupted Dream - Macoupin County, Illinois

I dreamed of 30 years ago and as a boy I roam
About the streets of Staunton which at that time was home,
I think of all the old folks who long since passed away,
And I dreamed that o'er the river for them's eternal day.
I hear the people crying when Voge sank the shaft,
The coal is all a going it surely cannot last;
I hear the croaker croaking that real estate will drop,
And I hear the foggies saying that good times sure will stop.
I dreamed quite distinctly that Gottleib run a shop,
And I saw the Luebbe building with the bowing alley top;
I heard the children going to the old 3-story school,
And I saw the teacher lick them when they disobeyed the rule.
Yes, I remember with distinctness that awful frightening glance,
When teacher with a hickory, dusted out my winter pants;
And I trembled with a weakness when being called upon,
In growling tones of thunder "Come hither Mr. John."
And the bright eyes of the lassies who sat a row ahead,
Snickered as they whispered "just look at John, how red,"
And I took the licking boldly, resolved to never cry,
But the keen switch swished so awful I thought I'd surely die.
I dreamed of all the fellows who cut up awful capers,
And thought of Thomas Bentley who used to make the papers;
How we relished all the news of Staunton round about,
And sat upon the sidewalk and read the news all out,
About Jap Smith the constable and all the Walker boys,
Who used to run the city and sometimes make a noise;
Of Snipes and Edward Bayless we read it every word,
Of how Cap Burns bought cattle and likewise, Charlie Bird.
Joe Cowell who owned the pony of good old Texas stock,
And won the fellows money a running Little Rock.
When Peter Camp the milk man walked behind the plows,
And after dark in winter pailed a dozen cows,
When once a year quite regular Uncle Peter Long,
Preached a sermon (hard shell) and also sang a song.
T'was before we had a mayor or a board of Alderman,
When the Townsend brothers ran the Mill called Royal Gem;
Arch Hoxsey bought the products from off the farmer lads,
And the town board and president were known as city dads,
And there's another one we dreamed of one we knew quite well,
T'was Wm. Quade, proprietor of the Quade Hotel;
We dreamed of all the Shirleys, the Hoxseys and Polk Best,
Hamp Wall and Montor Higgins the Snells and all the rest;
Remember readers 'tis a dream and now the dream is past,
For on the balmy morning air someone called BREAKFAST.

---

Contributed by Cindy Leonard, extracted from Staunton Star, 11 Oct 1906

---