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 | City Festivals |  |
JONATHAN JARVIS.
Now ponder long, ye comrades dear,
The tale that I shall tell,
Of Jonathan Jarvis, Engineer,
And things that him befell;
And learn from this, 'tis oft amiss
To do your work too well.
The tale that I shall tell,
Of Jonathan Jarvis, Engineer,
And things that him befell;
And learn from this, 'tis oft amiss
To do your work too well.
'Twas in a stormy time o' the year,
In the fall of forty-two,
That Jonathan Jarvis, Engineer,
As he was wont to do,
Had just begun to take his run
To the town of Kalamazoo.
In the fall of forty-two,
That Jonathan Jarvis, Engineer,
As he was wont to do,
Had just begun to take his run
To the town of Kalamazoo.
His engine was of largest stripe
That so far had been made;
The smoke-stack big as a chimney-pipe—
The whole five hundred weighed;
And it could go twelve miles or so,
Per hour, adown a grade.
That so far had been made;
The smoke-stack big as a chimney-pipe—
The whole five hundred weighed;
And it could go twelve miles or so,
Per hour, adown a grade.
The whistle it did sound as loud
And starling-like, and shrill,
As boys, with jack-knives bright endowed,
Of bass-wood carved with skill,
And never a bell to ring the knell
Of those the cars might kill.
And starling-like, and shrill,
As boys, with jack-knives bright endowed,
Of bass-wood carved with skill,
And never a bell to ring the knell
Of those the cars might kill.
133
The driving-wheels were large as those
Upon a wagon small;
And we may naturally suppose
That there were four in all;
And four were there, that box to bear
That they the tender call.
Upon a wagon small;
And we may naturally suppose
That there were four in all;
And four were there, that box to bear
That they the tender call.
And Jonathan Jarvis, Engineer,
Was full of worthy pride;
He was a popular man, and dear
To all that country-side;
And every boy was wild with joy,
That could with Jonathan ride.
Was full of worthy pride;
He was a popular man, and dear
To all that country-side;
And every boy was wild with joy,
That could with Jonathan ride.
It was a sight the train to see
The country thundering through;
And maidens fair as maids could be,
Ran all of the doors unto;
But Jonathan yet, with teeth firm set,
Kept on for Kalamazoo.
The country thundering through;
And maidens fair as maids could be,
Ran all of the doors unto;
But Jonathan yet, with teeth firm set,
Kept on for Kalamazoo.
Eftsoon a terrible storm up came
Of thunder and lightning, too;
The air was full of flood and flame,
The sky yet blacker grew;
But Jonathan still, with iron will,
Kept on for Kalamazoo.
Of thunder and lightning, too;
The air was full of flood and flame,
The sky yet blacker grew;
But Jonathan still, with iron will,
Kept on for Kalamazoo.
The storm sped on with all its might;
It made immense display;
With whirring wings the raven Night
Flew into the lap of Day;
But Jonathan still, with iron will,
Kept on his wooden way.
It made immense display;
With whirring wings the raven Night
Flew into the lap of Day;
But Jonathan still, with iron will,
Kept on his wooden way.
The wind it roared and cried and laughed,
The rain in billows flew;
They tried to wreck the small land-craft;
But Jonathan, fiercely true,
Still strove to make, for Duty's sake,
The port of Kalamazoo.
The rain in billows flew;
They tried to wreck the small land-craft;
But Jonathan, fiercely true,
134
The port of Kalamazoo.
A blue light over the smoke-stack hung,
As oft upon a mast;
The rain-drops to the boiler clung,
And strove to hold there, fast;
And gaudily dire great balls of fire
Along the railway passed.
As oft upon a mast;
The rain-drops to the boiler clung,
And strove to hold there, fast;
And gaudily dire great balls of fire
Along the railway passed.
The cars of the train, they all unhitched
(One coupling strength did lack),
And down a grade, as if bewitched,
They all went skurrying back;
But Jonathan yet, with teeth firm set,
Kept up the slippery track.
(One coupling strength did lack),
And down a grade, as if bewitched,
They all went skurrying back;
But Jonathan yet, with teeth firm set,
Kept up the slippery track.
The engine tipped and creaked and groaned,
As might a ship at sea,
And like a living animal moaned,
And strove to struggle free,
And soon appeared with wheels upreared
Against a fallen tree.
As might a ship at sea,
And like a living animal moaned,
And strove to struggle free,
And soon appeared with wheels upreared
Against a fallen tree.
Then Jonathan Jarvis did a deed
Like loftier men oft do:
His good umbrella spread with speed;
And, first his fireman knew,
With one fierce shout, he started out
Afoot, for Kalamazoo.
Like loftier men oft do:
His good umbrella spread with speed;
And, first his fireman knew,
With one fierce shout, he started out
Afoot, for Kalamazoo.
“Come back!” his fireman yelled; “Come back!”
With many a loud halloo;
But still he hurried up the track,
With purpose born anew,
And said, “I'll break my neck, or make
The town of Kalamazoo!”
With many a loud halloo;
But still he hurried up the track,
With purpose born anew,
And said, “I'll break my neck, or make
The town of Kalamazoo!”
And some time on the following day,
And blind, and deaf, and lame,
A bootless tramp, half-blown away,
Into the station came,
Who yelled in glee, “Excelsior! See?
I got here, just the same!”
And blind, and deaf, and lame,
135
Into the station came,
Who yelled in glee, “Excelsior! See?
I got here, just the same!”
Umbrella and hat, they both were gone,
His vestments showed but few,
And every rag that he had on,
The storm had whipped in two;
A scurvier wight, by day or night,
Ne'er entered Kalamazoo.
His vestments showed but few,
And every rag that he had on,
The storm had whipped in two;
A scurvier wight, by day or night,
Ne'er entered Kalamazoo.
You see he lost, some distance back,
His engine, train, and crew;
Left most of himself along the track,
His purpose to pursue;
Even lost his head; but gained, instead,
The town of Kalamazoo.
His engine, train, and crew;
Left most of himself along the track,
His purpose to pursue;
Even lost his head; but gained, instead,
The town of Kalamazoo.
And many a man on life's long road,
Has toiled to “get” somewhere,
And left, while onward still he strode,
All things both good and fair,
And reached the spot, and found that not
One-tenth of himself was there.
Conductor.
Has toiled to “get” somewhere,
And left, while onward still he strode,
All things both good and fair,
And reached the spot, and found that not
One-tenth of himself was there.
Flyers, with strong wings of steel,
Is there one who can reveal
That he saw, 'gainst earth or skies,
Railroad apparitions rise?
Met a straggler from the hosts
Of the flesh-divested ghosts,
That in sorrow walk the earth,
Clinging where their woes had birth?
In our nerve-exciting rounds
Oft are curious sights and sounds;
If one be here who can tell
Such a story, do it well.
136
Engine-driver, shrinking down,
Who believes that phantoms live.
Rise, ghost-advocate, and give
Us to hear the privilege,
Of the ghost of Breakneck Bridge!
| City Festivals | |