‘Sweet Daisy Grogan, Who Wears A Small Brogan’ by Winfield Hogaboom

Commentary by Tark Mackintosh

Miss Daisy Grogan Miss Daisy Grogan was a beautiful, talented, well-known actress working in Los Angeles in the winter of 1901. A creepy stranger, Winfield Hogaboom, wrote this fan fiction poem dedicated to her and had it published in the Los Angeles Herald, where he also worked.

slogan Slogan certainly rhymes with Grogan. What else after all rhymes with Grogan? Not many things, as we shall see.

brogan Aha! Brogan also rhymes with Grogan and slogan. Mr. Higaboom has hit the jackpot! Publish this man! A brogan is a heavy leather worker’s boot fashionable for stomping, twirling acts on vaudeville.

When her dear uncle died New information: Miss Daisy has an uncle, but we are not going to be spending much time with him.

cried Rhymes with died. Winfield Hogaboom has written what is known as a Rhyming Poem, and the Los Angeles Herald has printed it. We assume that Miss Daisy Grogan was close to her uncle, for Winfield surmises she was devastated by the news of his death.

felt better…a letter The letter contained good news.

million…billion Presumably a million dollars, not rupees. Miss Daisy Grogan has inherited a million of something, perhaps a million poems or valentines, though still stuffed inside one assumes 2 little brogans.

star…her own private car Quite a luxury for a working actress in 1901 unless she has a million dollars. In 1901 the Locomobile Buggy Top cost only $950.

For sweet Daisy Grogan / Who wears the small brogan. The poem is over.

Photo of Helen Bertram, stage actress, 1901.