Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, POPULATION, by WALT MASON


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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

POPULATION, by                     Poet's Biography
First Line: Prune center is a hustling town. For
Last Line: Then why invite him to your town, and beg that he will settle down?
Subject(s): Immigrants; Towns; Emigrant; Emigration; Immigration


PRUNE CENTER is a hustling town. For liveliness it has renown. The leading
boosters stand and crow, "Just watch our population grow!" All new arrivals have

their charms; they're welcomed there with open arms. All sorts of cheap and
worthless lads, the deadbeats from the other grads, the loafers who, for vagrant

ways, have drawn ten dollars or ten days, who'll work the town for grub and
coal—just so they swell the census roll, they're welcomed with a hip-
hooray, and told to camp right down and stay. If I were owner of a town, and
wished to give it high renown, I'd see that no one settled there, without a
record clean and fair. I'd have a censor in each street, the new-arriving gents

to meet, and he would warn the worthless skate to turn around and pull his
freight. You don't invite the worthless dub to seek your home and eat your grub.

Then why invite him to your town, and beg that he will settle down?





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