1912, BC: Another Chinuk Wawa telegram
Tuck this into our file on telegrams in Chinook Jargon.
A telegram from Chinook, Montana, for illustrative purposes only (image credit: ebay)
An annual reunion of a British Columbia fraternal organization of Settlers included this message from afar:
Messages of goodwill from faraway
members of the association were re-
ceived by H. P. Keary, and these are
printed below.Harry Major telegraphed from Los
Angeles: “Klahawa tillicum Hyas
kloish King George coolie Wah Wah
tillicums Hyas kloosh muck a muck
Beaver ahoy.”
— from “Splendid Success Crowns Native Sons’ Great Ball”, in the New Westminster (BC) Daily News of January 30, 1912, page 1, columns 3 and 4
That’s not really great (and it’s rather silly) Jargon, coming long after the frontier period, from a Settler who must not have been using the language much in California.
Here’s a glimpse at what it might be saying:
“Klahawa tillicum
‘Hello friends.’
Hyas kloish King George coolie Wah Wah tillicums
‘A true Canadian hastens to tell friends,’
Hyas kloosh muck a muck Beaver
‘Beaver is great food.’
ahoy.”
‘Ahoy!’
