Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 5.djvu/411

 UKCOLLKCTIONS OF AN OLD PIONKKR. 401 Christmas eve he composed a very pretty song, begin- ning, " Yuba, dear Yuba." He has since written many poetical pieces, and many prose communications for the newspapers. One thing can be said of genial, kindly McPherson, that there is Dot a particle of malice in his composition. No one ever thought of suing him for libel, for he never wrote a harsh word of any one, living or dead. No one then in the mines except McPherson had poetic fire enough in his soul to write a song. We spent many pleasant evenings together, around the camp fire at Long's Bar.