A BALLAD OF LOGAN'S FLAT

The world was young on Logan's Flat, The new-split posts were raw; The little robins wondered at The various things they saw. For nine bark humpies there were set And nine small squares o !orn; And people worked with oreheads wet From very early morn. The pumpkins grew with eager haste To musi! that was strange, "here a#e-strokes sent the trees to waste Along the e!hoing range. $reat orest wealth went up in smoke That s!ented all the air; And heavy o#en in the yoke "ere toiling everywhere. %rave hopes there were on Logan's Flat And on the hills around; The sto!k grew numerous and at, Faith ploughed a willing ground; And where the old bark humpies stood &ew homesteads swi tly rose; The years were kind, the seasons good For everything that grows. The people toiling on that land, Though ar rom all their kin, %eheld in dreams a uture grand Their !hildren's toil might win. They thought o lines o linking steel To bring their produ!e down, "ith whistle shrill and lying wheel, To markets o the town. Their strong sons grew, their daughters wed, Li e went with even stride; %ut hope grew aint and si!k and dead And men orgot their pride. The slattern homes and !areless arms Told all the bitter tale ' stoutest hearts and strongest arms And toil o no avail

And while the unbroken distan!e held Their souls in su!h a !hain, The roaring !ity grew and swelled And !alled in language plain To those who elt that li e was pent )n poor and narrow ways, Till bitterness o dis!ontent Filled all their nights and days. The world was dull on Logan's Flat, The en!es !rumbled down; The little robins wondered at The paddo!ks bare and brown. And in the night a small green thing *ame down the dry !reek bed, +prung rom a seed the wind !ould ling "hen all the land seemed dead. &one marked its growth through weeks and days Till, lush with li e and at, )t walked through all the summer's bla,e Along the !areless Flat. "here a#e-strokes sent the trees to waste Their timbered strength in smoke, )t grew with green and easy haste %e ore its oes awoke. And when they knew its strength and hold -pon the !onquered land, &o hope was high, no heart was bold The mena!e to withstand. .ile by swi t mile it gathered in Their i ty years o toil; They le t the green and growing sin Full master o the soil. The homesteads !rumble to de!ay "here on!e bold dreamers sat And talked about the iner day To dawn on Logan's Flat. Through aisles o green the !attle gra,e / +ome grass is le t them there / The rest is one unbroken ma,e ' pri!kly, hopeless pear.
.ary .!*ommonwealth &.+.". 01seudonym o 2avid .!3ee "right4 The Bulletin, 5 6uly (789 2.":s Loose !uttings