Volume 15 , Issue 31

The Little Old Sod Shanty On the Claim

The following poem was written by an unknown author, 18 August 1885, and appeared in the "History of Grant County, Kansas. It was entitled, "The Little Old Sod Shanty On the Claim."

Poem

I'm looking rather seedy now while holding down my claim,
And my victuals are not always served the best,
And the mice play shyly 'round me as I nestle down to sleep
In my little old sod shanty in the west.

The hinges are of leather, and the windows have no glass,
While the board roof lets the howling blizzards in;
And I hear the hungry coyote as he he sneaks up throughout he grass
Round my little old sod shanty not he claim.

Yet I rather like the novelty of living in this way
Though my bill of fare is always rather tame;
But I'm happy as a clam, on this land of Uncle Sam,
In my little old sod shanty on the claim.

But when I left my eastern home, a bachelor so gay,
To try and win my way to wealth and fame,
I little thought that I'd come to burning twisted hay
In my little old sod shanty on the claim.

My clothes are plastered o'er with dough, and I'm looking like a fright,
And everything is scattered round the room,
But I wouldn't give the freedom that I have out in the west
For the table of an eastern Mansard house.

Still I wish that some kind hearted girl would pity on me take
And relieve me from the mess that I am in;
The angel! How I'd bless her, if this her home she'd make,
In my little old sod shanty on the claim.

And we'd make our fortunes on the prairies of the west,
Just as happy as two lovers we'd remain.
WE'd forget the trails and the troubles which we endured at first
In our little old sod shanty on the claim.

And if fate should bless us with now and then an heir
To cheer our hearts with honest pride to flame,
Oh, then we'd be content for the toil that we'd have spent,
In our little old sod shanty on the claim.

When time enough has lapsed and all those little brats
To man and womanhood have grown,
It won't seem half so lonely when around us we shall look,
And we see the other old sod shanties on the claim.
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