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Open Poetry #14
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Underground Round-Up---historical humor
| Open Poetry #14 |
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Underground Round-Up---historical humor |
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VAS Member Rara Avis
since 2000-11-16
Posts 7450Oregon |
Underground Round-Up Virginia Salter Hop Sing was a laundry man he’d clean your things while you’d sit or stand most likely you’d be in your birthday suit so he’d offer a bath for a bit more loot. A ten-cent bath is what the first man’d find then eight, six on down the line dependin’ upon water’s temp kind sir and the ‘mount of dirt it did incur. His business was in the underground in Pendleton, a mighty, western town where gamblin’ and boozin’ for the price of gold even during prohibition, or so I’m told. The bartender had a greedy thumb he’d measure the gold, and sprinkle some a good steward, I’m sure you’d agree he’d wipe the bar keepin’ it ‘dirt’ free. And oh, that rag, the worth of it he’d shake to the floor and stomp a bit then at home in his own sweet room he’d pan for gold while his shoes he’d groom. Takin’ tips* was the western way gettin’ those cowboys’ t’extra pay thirty-forty dollars he’d sure collect makin’ certain they’d paid due respect. Now in this era, yes present day that’d be three hundred or four, a shift, I’d say for an ‘honest’ bit o’ work servin’ you and the value of a muddy shoe. © June 22, 2000 *Pendleton, Oregon underground tour brought this info to me. The bartender would, when the ‘patron’ was a bit tipsy, take a pinch of gold from his pouch and sprinkle some on the bar as he was heading for the scale to measure out the cost of a drink. He’d then wipe the bar and shake the rag on the floor behind the bar. During the last hour, his clean up time, he’d go out and get muddied up shoes, come in and stomp on the floor, collecting the gold into the mud. When he’d get home he'd clean off his shoes into a pan and carefully pan for it with water and perseverance. He’d usually collect thirty to forty dollars a night, which would be 300 to 400 dollars today. [This message has been edited by VAS (edited 06-18-2001).] |
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| © Copyright 2001 Virginia Salter - All Rights Reserved | |||
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JLR Senior Member
since 2001-02-04
Posts 1785 |
Very cool poem and history lesson all in one...enjoyed! |
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Interloper
since 2000-11-06
Posts 8369Deep in the heart |
And I thought Hop Sing plied his trade on the Ponderosa in Nevada ... hmmmmmmmm. Grinning from ear to ear  |
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Joyce Johnson
since 2001-03-10
Posts 9912Washington State |
Wonderful VAS. Broad topic, well done. Joyce |
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autumn Junior Member
since 2001-06-08
Posts 44Maine |
Enjooyed the poem and the background on the poem. Thanks for a delight. |
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Corinne Member Ascendant
since 1999-10-28
Posts 5167state of confusion |
Excellent read, enjoyed stepping back in time! Cor |
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ethome Member Patricius
since 2000-05-14
Posts 11858New Brunswick Canada |
I got a great chuckle out of this one! Good write! |
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Titia Geertman Member Ascendant
since 2001-05-07
Posts 5182Netherlands |
As always VAS your write is a wonderful joy to read. Titia  A rose is a rose is a rose...I guess... |
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