Railroads


 




    Our nation was expanding its transportation capabilities in other ways, too.  The invention of the steam engine opened the possibility of easier long distance travel, and railroads were pushing across deserts and mountains, giving rise to a wealth of folk songs. These songs told of all aspects of railroading, from clearing the land and laying the tracks, to working on the trains, and even to the lot of the hobo who "rode the rods".
    The ballad, John Henry, tells the story of a contest between John Henry and the newly invented steam drill.  The C & O railroad crew was working on a tunnel through a mountain.  When the use of the steam drill threatened to put hundreds of men out of work, John Henry offered the challenge of a contest. Swinging two 20 pound hammers, John Henry beat the man using the steam drill fifteen feet to nine, but he died as a result.  Here is his story.
 
 


The Ballad of John Henry

1.  John Henry told his captain,
   Well, a man ain't nothin' but a man,
But before I let your steam drill beat me down,
I'll die with a hammer in my hand,
I'll die with a hammer in my hand

2.  The captain says to John Henry,
Gonna bring that steam drill around,
Gonna take that steam drill out on the job,
Gonna whop that steel on down,
Gonna whop that steel on down.

3. Well, the man that invented the steam drill
He thought that he was mighty fine,
But John Henry drove his steel fifteen feet,
And the steam drill drove only nine,
And the steam drill drove only nine.

4. John Henry was hammerin' on the mountain,
There was lightnin' in his eye,
He drove so hard that it broke his heart,
And he laid down his hammer and he died,
And he laid down his hammer and he died.


 





    Another famous railroad song tells the story of John Luther Jones, better known to the world as "Casey" Jones.  Early in the morning of April 30, 1906, Casey climbed up into the cab of engine #382 of the Illinois Central Cannonball Express.  He was the engineer on the run from Memphis, Tennessee to Canton, Mississippi, and he was carrying the U.S. Mail.  It was raining hard, and the train was late.   Casey pushed to make up the lost time, and as his train thundered into a double S curve just outside Vaughn, Mississippi, he saw the red tail lights of a stalled freight train right in front of him.  Casey yelled to his fireman, Simm Webb, "Jump, Simm!", which were Casey's last words as his train slammed into the last cars of the stalled freight.  Casey's body was found in the wreckage.  Later, a roundhouse worker named Wallace Saunders wrote a song about the accident.  In most versions, the two trains crash head on, which is not the way it happened, but the legend has gone on anyway, and has not suffered from stretching the truth a little.
 


The Ballad of Casey Jones

Come all you rounders, if you want to hear,
The story of a brave engineer,
Casey Jones was the rounder's name,
On a six-eight wheeler, boys, he won his fame.
Casey Jones, mounted to the cabin,
Casey Jones with his orders in his hand
Casey Jones, mounted to the cabin
And he took his farewell trip to the promised land.

The caller called Casey at half-past four,
Casey kissed his wife at the station door,
He mounted to the cabin with his orders in his hand,
And he took his farewell trip to the promised land.
Casey Jones, mounted to the cabin,
Casey Jones, with his orders in his hand,
Casey Jones, mounted to the cabin,
And he took his farewell trip to the promised land.

They pulled up within two miles of the place,
And number four stared him right in the face,
He yelled to the fireman, said, "Simm you better jump!
'Cause there's two locomotives that are goin' to bump!"
Casey Jones, mounted to the cabin,
Casey Jones, with his orders in his hand,
Casey Jones, mounted to the cabin,
And he took his farewell trip to the promised land.


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