Ghengis was truly a God!!!!!!!
Chinese labor was primarily found on the line built East from the West Coast. The Westward line had an inordinate number of Irishmen ... both immigrants and Civil War Vets. The Welsh did most of the tunneling. An Irish crew set a record for one day's hand-laying of rail that stands today ... just over 10 statute miles. The rowdiest waycamps were those on the Westward line; the Chinese were placid by comparison.
Ten hours to Rama. Don't be railroaded.
As an Irishman of long-standing (all my life, in fact) i am always amazed at that sort of dedication to labor, something which i abhor . . .
The thought is exhausting to me . . . i need to go rest . . .
When John Henry was a little baby boy, sitting on his papa's knee
Well, he picked up his hammer and a little piece of steel, said
"Hammers gonna be the death of me, Lord, Lord" (repeat 4 times)
The captain said to John Henry, "I'm gonna bring that steam drill around
I'm gonna bring that steam drill out on the job
I'm gonna whip that steel on down, Lord, Lord" (repeat 4 times)
John Henry told his captain, "Lord, a man ain't nothing but a man
But before I'd let your steam drill beat me down,
I'd die with a hammer in my hand, Lord, Lord" (repeat 4 times)
John Henry said to his shaker, "Shaker, why don't you sing?
Because I'm swinging thirty pounds from my hips on down,
just to listen to that cold steel ring, Lord, Lord" (repeat 4 times)
Now the captain said to John Henry, "I believe that mountain's caving in"
John Henry said right back to the captain,
"Ain't nothing but my hammer sucking wind, Lord, Lord" (repeat 4 times)
Now the man that invented the steam drill, he thought he was mighty fine
But John Henry drove fifteen feet,
the steam drill only made nine, Lord, Lord (repeat 4 times)
John Henry hammered in the mountains, his hammer was striking fire
But he worked so hard, it broke his poor, poor heart,
and he laid down his hammer and he died, Lord, Lord (repeat 4 times)
and Cav, here's the follow up:
Oh a nine pound hammer,
Is a little too heavy,
Oh, a nine pound hammer,
Is a little too heavy,
Oh, a nine pound hammer,
Is a little too heavy, Lord.
It killed John Henry
(It killed John Henry)
But it won't kill me.
There's more, but I can't remember it all.
The final verse to your John Henry goes:
They took John Henry to the graveyard,
And they buried him in the sand.
And when any locomotive comes a passin' that way,
They say, "Yonder , lies a steel drivin' man, Lord, Lord.
Yonder lies a steel drivin' man. "
Here lies that steel drivin' man (prolly)
History Prof Identifies John Henry's Gravesite?
Timber, here is a link to all the John Henry stuff: We would pass through the Great Bend Tunnel on our way to White Sulphur Springs to play a gig.
http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/patc/johnhenry/
I be an attitude too. Anyone tell me what kind?
The Welsh! Tunneling! Of course ... I should have known
Hey! This thread got serious!
(Thats me starting reading from behind)
I like that song, btw. <nods>
Hey, nimh. I like songs about real events, too.
They give him his orders at Monroe, Virginia
Sayin', "Steve you're way behind time
This is not Thirty-Eight, but it's old Ninety-Seven
You must put her in Spencer on time"
Then he looked 'round and said to his black greasy fireman
"Just shovel in a little more coal
And when we cross that white oak mountain
You can watch old Ninety-Seven roll"
It's a mighty rough road from Lynchburg to Danville
In a line on a three mile grade
It was on that grade where he lost his airbrakes
So you see what a jump he made
He was goin' down grade makin' ninety miles an hour
And his whistle broke into a scream
He was found in the wreck, with his hand on the throttle
And scalded to death by the steam
Now, ladies, you must all take warning
From this time on and learn
Never speak harsh words to your true lovin' husband
He may leave you and never return
Hank Snow
O, in eighteen hundred and forty one,
My corduroy breeches I put on,
My time was nearly done,
To work upon the railway, the railway,
Im weary of the railway,
O, poor Paddy work on the railway.
O, in eighteen hundred and forty two,
My corduroy breeches then were new,
I did not know what I should do.
To work upon the railway, the railway,
Im weary of the railway,
O, poor Paddy work on the railway.
O, in eighteen hundred and forty three,
I sailed away across the sea,
I sailed away to Amerikee.
To work upon the railway, the railway,
Im weary of the railway,
O, poor Paddy work on the railway.
O, in eighteen hundred and forty four,
I landed on the Columbia shore,
I had a pick-ax and nothing more.
To work upon the railway, the railway,
Im weary of the railway,
O, poor Paddy work on the railway.
O, in eighteen hundred and forty five,
When Dan O'Connelly was still alive,
I worked in a railway hive.
To work upon the railway, the railway,
Im weary of the railway,
O, poor Paddy work on the railway.
O, in eighteen hundred and forty six,
I found myself in a hell of a fix;
I changed my job to toting bricks.
To work upon the railway, the railway,
Im weary of the railway,
O, poor Paddy work on the railway.
O, in eighteen hundred and forty seven,
When Dan O'Connelly went to heaven,
Little Paddy was going on eleven.
To work upon the railway, the railway,
Im weary of the railway,
O, poor Paddy work on the railway.
O, in eighteen hundred and forty eight,
I found myself bound for the Golden Gate,
Gold was found in the western state.
To work upon the railway, the railway,
Im weary of the railway,
O, poor Paddy work on the railway.
O, in eighteen hundred and forty nine,
I passed my time in the Black Ball Line.
And that's the end of my monkeyshine.
To work upon the railway, the railway,
Im weary of the railway,
O, poor Paddy work on the railway.
(Many many variations on this tune)
If they don't know what they have that is good, they should loose it for a while.
