Page:History of Oregon Literature.djvu/335

 Simpson," in which he said, "Somebody has already described him in print as 'the most drunken poet, and the most poetical drunkard that ever made the Muses smile or weep'." The article, which goes into more detail than was contained in the letter, describes the poet's activities, particularly his methods of composition, while he was a sober guest at the cabin on Williams Creek. It is here quoted in part:

On our return to my place of residence, I prevailed on Sam to stop over with me for the winter and try to get out an edition of his poems.... As a preliminary he started in reading all the books in my library.... He very soon made me aware of the fact that he was an omniverous reader. Book after book was gone through, yet no addition to the volume of original verse. I tried to encourage him to get down to business, even though he didn't produce anything equal to his best.

"You think you must not write anything unless it is as good as 'Beautiful Willamette'," I remarked to him one day.

"That has exercised a sort of tyranny over me," was the reply.

For the first time, perhaps in many years, our favorite bard was thoroughly sobered up and continued so all winter....He took a notion at one time that he would help me in my work of making rails....He also wanted to try his hand at mining.... At last, however, he got settled down to writing poetry and was then in his proper element.

...He worked as I have seldom seen men work before or since, barely stopping long enough to eat and help with the culinary chores....Often, on going in at noon or night, I would hear him, long before I got near the house, going over his numbers to be sure they had the right sound and rhythm before he would transmit them to paper. When once he had his lines put down, they were apt to be in every way correct and as he wanted them to remain. Seldom was it that