George Henry Abbott Harris Writings for The Advocate
“The Advocate! The Advocate!
(The Pleasant Grove “Advocate” is now up and running but alas has a shortage of articles so George Henry is asked to write for them at various times.)
June 14, 1877 the first edition:
“Welcome, welcome, little sheet now with U we are complete
It should grace the fireside and be the Pleasant Grovian’s pride.
I don’t know your little name, but I’m surely not to blame:
It wil not do to be hard on her, Edited by Brown & Gardner.
We have the News & Herald too, and lots of others in ful view
But this one is the pet of al, ful of intelligence tho’ small!
It’s been a long time on the way, although it now wil have its say;
Minues lies, & slander spleen fit for women or for men.
Welcome, welcome, little friend, try our talent & depend
We’ll assist U with a wil and your mission help fulfil.”
July 1st Sun-
“The Advocat! The Advocate! Oh! How I love the Advocate;
It’s beter now than being to late, come let us her the Advocate.
It is so young, so very small, but it gives good advice to al’
That before long, we shal see a change in this locality.
This city must spread to the east, upon the bench, wil be the feast;
Of grain & roots, & fruits in store to satisfy the honest poor.
Silk worms wil be introduced-fine stockings, then wil be produced
Straw hats & wooden shoes perhaps wil take the lead of other traps.
Because they’re useful, cheep & good, the upers & the soles are wood.
It would not hurt your foot a bit to have a cow step on it.
It any want to spark at night with shoes like that they’re in the right
4 ft so warm, 2 heads so cool, I’m sure they would not act the fool.
By getting themselves in a pet and floundering like fish in a net
Take my advice when it gets late, go home & read the Advocate!”
“Pleasant Grove Aug 29th 4 PM. Editors Advocate: if you should deem this effusion worthy of a place in your valuable columns, it is at your service with any changes U may think fit. H.”
“I’m herding cows this afternoon, I’ve just been huming out a tune
But now I’l try to while the time by making up a little rhyme.
Lots of things around I see tho hard to fix in poetry:
A young beginner here am I but I’l not learn, if I don’t try.
I see & feel the pure rich air, it seems to drive away dul care:
I’m sitting here upon the ground, no firmer seat can e’er be found.
The little springs lies jus NE, between us there is quite a feast;
There used to be naught but sage brush, but Wadley raises with a rush.
The mountains E are very steep, and seems to me to be asleep;
But how can that be when they bear al kinds of grasses, course & fair.
- E. of us are kanyons low, Grove, Battle Creek, Dry & Provo;
Which give to us the element of needful water, without stint.
Just S. of us the city fair, I’m sure there must be money there;
But we had beter here than that to satisfy the appetite.
- W. presents the loveliest view, if I had nothing else to do
I’d jump upon poor Charley’s back then to the gate in ½ a crack.
The W. is now not far behind in grain or fruit of any kind;
To recompence the honest man the one who works hard, when he can.
- W. My God, what do I view, the Heavens are open’d to a few’
He has reveal’d his mind & wil, says to his children ‘Peace be still’
May we every moment live, to Him al our praises give;
Than al our hearts & hands, carry out his great commands
Twil exalt us on this Earth, Kings & Queens (tho not by birth)
Then make ready for the bride, dogmatic errors override.
Such as flinging down our crown at his feet while air resounds
With folly of extremest kind that’s not a Heaven to my mind.”
“Sept 30 1877 – I wrote the following for my Niece (Eva Buraston) for the Advocate:”
“Time rols along, another month has fled into the dreary past & we may spend 1 profitable moment in review. Have I like ‘Noble Man’ improved the past, wisely spent each fleeting hour in doing good, & reaching out my hand to the oppressed, the hungry & the poor, & poured the oil of joy into the ever open weeping heart? Have I amassed from the rude elements of chaos, more than my feeble frame has needed to consume or have I with loafish ingenuity watched with gloating eye the reward of others toil, & with greedy, tigeristic snatch, claimed it as my own? If so that I desire to live on other’s earnings, where has my nobility gone, where is my manhood, where is my respect for the principles of truth & love, revealed by Him who created al things & said ‘Behold I have given U every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of the earth, and every tree in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed?’ to U it shal be fore meat.. here then is the grandest mission, let us al follow his divine example, & help to organize- from the crude organic elements , that wil sustain, beautify and restore to pristine goodness al things, for the immediate benefit of mankind, giving to the supreme ruler, al praise, for the inestimable gifts of reason, power & wisdom so liberally granted unto us.”
“Nov 4th 1877-Miss Loll Brown requests me to make a piece of poetry for her Advocate. On looking out I behold the 1st snow for this winter:”
“The beautiful snow! The beautiful snow!
We love to behold it wherever we go
On mountains, in valey, there’s nothing we know
That gives earthly comfort, like plenty of snow.
Our land was a desert, no tame thing could grow
Without the advantages taken of snow
The rainbows rich colors, cals forth from us Oh!
But God’s gracious hand is shown us in snow.
The earth has yielded again of its strength
(God only requires of us just the tenth)
And now from its labors, while it takes a rest
God covers it over-I think with the best.
Everything tries to wear it away
And mess it, & waste it by night and by day
But He that’s above, hath ordered it so,
That nothing can melt al the beautiful snow.
Until the sun’s cheering rays in the spring,
With true warmth shal appear, the birds then wil sing
The fishes wil leap, al things wil be gay
And the mountains of snow, wil then melt away.
And furnish a liquid, to run on the land,
To help to increase, for that’s God’s command:
Likewise virgins, may we, in wastefulness slow
Make the best use of al the beautiful snow!”
(Sometime in December 1877 this was entered)
“Last Thursday evening the Advocate was read by Editors Harvy Wadley & Had Stewart ( I furnished the following which was read by them efectfuly.)”
“A rich man asked the way to heaven, I herd the answer clear & kind,
Leave al your guilty sins behind. And start afresh in virtues path
Ceas al unnesary laf, believe that God wished you wel
Repent & forsake sins of hel, be baprtized in the liquid grave
Then other siners try to save receive the ‘Holy spirit free’
And happy may you ever be from step to step you then go on
Eshue the works of Babylon al words of wisdom U may prove
To be essential for your good. Your tything pay on every thing
Temple oferings now bring in Twil give you chances for to be
Saviours thro out Eternity, Now this wil satisfaction give
While you with his kind people live but if you wish Gods favor more
Sel what thou hast & give his poor then you wil hear the welcome sound
From Him who has an endless round. My little ones around me see
In blessing them ‘Ye have blesd me.”
(Sometime in June 1878 in a report to the Editors of a trip to Salt Lake City)
“O pretty little sheet they volume is complete
Like the clouds on high soaring in the sky.
Gathering from the Earth ever since thy birth
Desending then again upon the aried plain
To nurish & sustain with dew & snow & rain
Al vegitable creation in this part of the nation.
They mission was to draw the intelligence thou saw
And every month give out and scater it about-
Where it wood do most good and cheer al that it cood
To raise our hearts above and win them by they love
Of knowledge truth & light ( O what a pretty sight)
To point to us the ways of endless happy days.”
“Jan 31, 1879-Fri at noon I continue to pen a few items, It is very noisy, it is very cold out of doors, & I allow the girls to remain in the school room & they are about as noisy as the boys.”
“April 1879-This piece was suggested by this, I started for meeting & the boys thinking I had gone got my best rooster tied to a stake & Shorland, Alexander, James, Joshua Holman & one or 2 more took turns in shooting at it. I felt impresd that they would miss it & so they did for over an hour while I made the following & they were much surprised at seeing me, when they came to the house.
“Woodheads spare that bird, touch not a single limb:
In youth it fondled me and I wil not pet him.
Twas my young daughter’s hand, that laid it in its nest;
Then Woodhead let it stand, Now U shal let it rest.
That old familiar bird whose glory & renown;
Is spread oer al the farm, Thou shalt not knock it down.
Woodhead spare that bird, Hurt not its pleasant ties;
Oh spare that good old chap, with eyes lifted to the skies.
When but a youngish man, I sought its grateful smile;
In al my gushing joy, Whole hours we did beguile
Its mother fed it here, its father did command;
Forgive my foolish love, but let the old bird stand.
Its heart strings round me cling, and as it neck does bend;
The hopers they are caught, for dick is stil my friend.
Old bird, fine bird rare bird, stil live on this dear spot;
While ive a tongue to wag, Woodhead shal hurt thee not. GHAB”
(Though no record of it published in the Advocate it still deserves a place here)
“This paper was not read on the 1st Thursday, on act of a dance, but was read a week after by B. WD. Inc as Geo Hays was absent.”
“Editors Advocate: knowing your earnest desire, for the advancement of literary ability, give me faith to ask U to publis the quiet effusions of a brain, that has always being devoted to the public weal, & more especially for the young. Al acknowledge the greatness of the age, in which we live, but I could scarcely believe that in this the 19th century when convend (the other evening) purely for pleasure, to hear the mocking tones of a few graduates from our former schools, & otherwise respectable connected, who shurely beleivd contrary to our progressive Darwin & had consequently taken the desending shoot; most of them born in the purest atmosphere of the globe, reard under the tender care of loving parents surrounded on every had with God like counsel, And yet ‘ As the Earth is lower than the Heavens’, so are their ways lower than the most youthful intelligence. A Gentleman from our sister city, was invited to amuse us to cheer our souls, with the etherial strains of his vocal powers. He generously acquiesd; God grant he may live long & prosper. But oh! Witness the contrast. The 1st verse of his melodious song, had not ceasd its sweet warbling echo on our ears, when the damdest sounds as proceeding from the infernal region of the damd, was echod back, aided we know by the blackest invisible imps of pandemonium, who were rejoicing that order was distroyd. Heavenly asperations turnd into helish burlesque religious, civil & judicial authority trampled under foot, & sweet liberty for which our noble forfathers bled & died, thrown into the dust.
Individualy we have no objection to a gentl clap or two, as it is an old established rule, to show our appreciation of real talent, so seldom in our midst but this even could be done in a much more pleasing way, by complacent smile, the gentle nod, a slight toss of the head or its inclination forming an acute angle to the right or left, or resting on our pedal extremities a seasonable while, or any other peaceful way of appreciation, which I hope here after our City authorities wil help to establish, that the stranger that is within our gates, may mis the insult, & that our otherwise peaceful city, may retain her position, among her county sisters, & help us to further realize ourselves a progressive people. Geo H A Harris”