Classic Poem

1

Come all ye railroad section men,
 An' listen to my song;
It is of Larry O'Sullivan,
 Who now is dead and gone.
For twinty years a section boss,
 He niver hired a tar—
Oh, it's “j'int ahead and cinter back,
 An' Jerry, go an' ile that car-r-r!”

2

For twinty years a section boss
 He worked upon the track,
And be it to his cred-i-it,
 He niver had a wrack,
For he kept every j'int right up to the p'int
 Wid the tap of the tampin'-bar-r;
And while the byes was a-shimmin' up the ties,
 It's “Jerry, wud yez ile that car-r-r!”

3

God rest ye, Larry O'Sullivan,
 To me ye were kind an' good;
Ye always made the section men
 Go out and chop me wood;
An' fetch me wather from the well,
 An' cut the kindlin' fine;
And anny man that wudn't lind a han'
 'Twas Larry'd give him his Time.

4

And ivery Sunday marni-i-ing
 Unto the gang he'd say:
“Me byes, prepare—yez be aware
 The ould lady goes to church the day.
Now I want ivery man to pump the best that he can,
 For the distance it is far-r-r;
An' we have to get in ahead of Number 10—
 So, Jerry, go an' ile that car-r-r!”

5

'Twas in November, in the winter time,
 An' the ground all covered wid snow,
“Come, putt the hand-car-r on the track,
 An' over the section go!”
Wid his big sojer coat buttoned up to his t'roat,
 All weathers he wud dare—
An' it's “Paddy Mack, will yez walk the track,
 An' Jerry, go an' ile that car-r-r!”

6

“Give my rispicts to the Roadmas-ther,”
 Poor Larry he did cry,
“And lave me up, that I may see
 The ould hand-car-r before I die.
Then lay the spike-maul upon his chist,
 The gauge an' the ould claw-bar-r,
And while the byes do be fillin' up the grave,
 Oh, Jerry, go and ile that car-r-r!”