Ezra Fink

Raised in the faith of Elliott Hawkins of old,
Making my way as a hand on the farm,
Then teaching school, then becoming a lawyer;
Entering politics, cultivating the good people,
A church member too—
(Observe my lecture on the fall of Athens,
Due to her immoral and un-Christian life.)
Elected a judge at last of the City Court.
Then lifted up to a law partnership in Chicago,
Fighting the eight-hour day,
And consolidating industries.
On and on, up and up—always busy.
Abstemious, the husband of one wife—nothing else!
Called at last to the presidency of the Trust.
Master now of tens of thousands of workers,
And hundreds of millions of gold.
Taking over the little canning works of Spoon River;
Building a church in Spoon River,
Head of Spoon River's library board,
And supervising the selection of its books.
Building myself a great tomb in Spoon River,
For which these words are the inscription:
"Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord."