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Copyrighted 1919 
 
 by 
 F. D. Merrill. 
 
To the many friends who knew and loved Mr. 
 Peter W. Sams we are presenting herewith three of his 
 poems, hitherto unpublished. Two of the poems show 
 a little of his religion which like his politics and his 
 views on public questions was a product of his own 
 deep independent thought. The third poem is presented 
 as illustrative of his saving sense of humor which made 
 his companionship enjoyable to his many friends. 
 
 Born in Ohio in 1840, the oldest child in a large 
 family, he gave his early life to helping his younger 
 brothers and sisters. In 1864 he removed to Illinois, 
 settling near Brighton in Macoupin county where he 
 resided until he removed to Los Angeles, California, in 
 1890. 
 
 In 1879 he was married to May Flannigan who died 
 two years later leaving him with his only child now 
 Mrs. May S. Merrill. Three years later he married 
 Eliza J. Fruit who passed away about ten years before 
 he was called to his last rest. 
 
 He was ever faithful to his friends and his later 
 years were marked by his devotion to his four grand- 
 children. In 1870 he took the first three degrees in 
 Masonry in Hibbard Lodge, F. ^A. M., Brighton, 
 Illinois. At the time of his death, ire was a member of 
 Palestine Lodge, F. & A. ]V.,'Lp^ Angeles,' California, 
 and Palestine Chapter, O. E. ' Sv tos Arfgeles. He 
 passed on to the other side Ju>ly; 12,;X919K; '," j i // 
 
 416117 
 
His philosophy of life is perhaps best shown in his 
 own words. 
 
 "This world would be a lonesome place 
 Were we of all our friends bereft, 
 With all our loved ones called away 
 And none but self to love were left." 
 
 And again 
 
 "When your mental skies are overcast 
 And for sunshine you are pining, 
 Just turn the dark clouds inside out 
 And take a look at the lining/' 
 
 F. D. MERRILL. 
 Berkeley, Calif., July, 1919. 
 
Jiffonherful tlfyouglft anh j&mte 
 
 O wonderful thought! How we're rapidly whirled 
 Through boundless space on this beautiful world, 
 With its beautiful rivers and lakes and seas, 
 Its beautiful forests of beautiful trees, 
 With its beautiful mountains whitecapped with snow 
 And beautiful grass covered valleys below, 
 With the beautiful verdure of its sun kissed hills 
 And its flowers kept beautiful by sparkling rills 
 Which are formed by beautiful drops of rain 
 And flow from the mountain to water the plain. 
 The clouds and the rainbow the stars and the sky 
 Are all objects of beauty we're told by the Eye. 
 
 There are beautiful songs from the birds in the trees, 
 
 And beautiful music in the hum of the bees, 
 
 In the wind as it gently rustles the leaves, 
 
 In the raindrops that gently drop down from the eaves, 
 
 In the voices of loved ones who to us are dear 
 
 There is beautiful music, we're told by the Ear. 
 
 There is beauty in the love of the friends whom we meet, 
 When with kindly good fellowship we each other greet. 
 There is beauty in impressions that never will fade 
 From the lives of our fellows if lovingly made. 
 But the beautiful things that the world now most needs 
 Are beautiful thoughts expressed in our deeds, 
 If such beautiful thought of our lives be a part, 
 We shall know by the joy that we feel in the heart. 
 
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 When the light of your life goes out from earth 
 May it peacefully pass away, 
 Like the golden gleam of the setting sun 
 O'er the sea at the close of day 
 
 As he sinks from sight in the ocean's heart 
 And his brightness fades away 
 To give place to the mellower light of the stars 
 That follow his westward way. 
 
 They their silent and faithful vigil keep 
 In their peaceful and quiet way 
 O'er the swelling bosom of the billowy deep 
 Till the dawn of the coming day. 
 
 May good guardian angels watch over you then 
 As the stars watch over the deep 
 And keep in their memory the good you have done 
 While you're taking your last long sleep. 
 
 Then may your new life like the rising sun 
 
 Burst forth in a cloudless sky 
 
 And shine brighter, grow happier, more beautiful still 
 
 As eternity's eons roll by. 
 
 And there in the presence of God may you live 
 And enjoy the reward of the blest 
 In that beautiful land the home of the good 
 The land of eternal rest. 
 
esormiwm nf 
 
 J 
 
 te 
 ten ta a 
 
 You asked me to write you and tell of my trip 
 Now I'll open the throttle and just let 'er rip. 
 I left Los Angeles the steamer to take, 
 And went to. San Pedro via the Salt Lake. 
 
 I there left the train and boarded the Yale 
 Which lay at the dock just ready to sail. 
 In the harbor the water was quiet enough 
 But outside of there it was pretty well, rough. 
 
 We watched the wide water from earliest dawn, 
 That we might see a whale out sprinkling the lawn 
 Some didn't get seasick and some of us did, 
 And it took lots of pressure to hold down the lid. 
 
 Away down in the water looking over the rail 
 You might see a big fish standing up on his tail, 
 With his mouth wide open as big as a tub 
 And big tears in his eyes as he looked up for grub. 
 
 When some poor sea sick Satan with a heluvahoop 
 Would hump up his back and pass him the soup. 
 It was awful to hear the heart rending groans 
 As we thought of the locker of old Davy Jones. 
 
But at last our good ship triumphed over fate 
 And brought us all safely in through the Gate, 
 To the city that was shaken so hard by the quake 
 And afterwards burned like the one by the lake. 
 
 Now : If you don't credit what I've said by this pen 
 And think I'm a liar just ask me again. 
 If then you don't believe it don't raise a big fuss 
 For it's all you will get from your friend, 
 
 A Kweerkuss. 
 

Oaylord Bros. 
 
 Makers 
 
 Syracuse, N. Y. 
 PAT. JAN. 21, 1908 
 
 YB 
 
 416117 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LIBRARY