| Harriet Monroe, ed. (1860–1936). Poetry: A Magazine of Verse. 1912–22. | | | | Jean Joseph Rolette | | By Laura Sherry |
| | From “A Town on the River”
JEAN JOSEPH ROLETTE, | |
| Captain of the fortress of Prairie du Chien, | |
| Envoy extraordinary from John Jacob Astor, New York, | |
| Owner of pelts of the Northwest. | |
| |
| Jean Joseph Rolette, | 5 |
| Your tomb stands high on the bluff | |
| Commanding the river, the Northwest and your widow. | |
| You tamed the blood of the red Indian; | |
| Made a fortune in furs; | |
| Captured in St. Louis the most beautiful woman in the Mississippi valley. | 10 |
| Your passionate blood, on that adventurous honeymoon, | |
| Sang lustily | |
| As your paddle cut into the strong current; | |
| And your canoe, with its precious voyager, | |
| Shot through the waves three hundred miles up the great river. | 15 |
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| Under an arrogant stone on the hill | |
| Your humble ashes rest. | |
| Peace lies on the valley. | |
| |
| But there is adventure in barter, | |
| And the blood of swift spirits is on the scent. | 20 |
| Your rival has captured the fur-trading post, | |
| Built a fine house boldly facing the hill, | |
| Defying your arrogant tomb; | |
| And married your widow. | | | | |
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