The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #113678   Message #3824985
Posted By: Joe Offer
07-Dec-16 - 05:24 AM
Thread Name: Robert Schmertz - songs and information?
Subject: ADD: Monongahela Sal (Robt. Schmertz)^^^
I happened to participate in the experience that led to “Monongahela Sal.” Bob and I traveled from Pittsburgh to the American Institute of Architects convention at Cincinnati on the steamer “Jason,” the last and most powerful of the stern-wheelers. The social life of these towboats centers in the pilot house where, for four days, we listened to the Captain and crew gossip of river affairs. Reference was frequently made to various river pilots, their exploits, bizarre habits and dress. It was a painful wrench to leave the boat and its fascinating crew to sit on hard convention seats in a city hotel. The thought of the legendary river personalities and the charm of those few days on the Ohio simmered in Bob’s mind to finally become this melodramatic ditty.

Charles M. Stotz 1949

MONONGAHELA SAL
(Robert Schmertz)

She was born in an old Monessen Alley
And her ma and her pa, they called her “Sal”.
She grew up to be the pride of the Valley,
A typical Monongahela gal.

She wandered one day by the river
Where she watched the “Jason” steaming by,
And her heart gave a leap and a quiver
When she caught the handsome pilot’s roving eye.

His name, so they say, was Mote Stanley
And he wore a fancy sportin’ coat.
He was tall dark and handsome and manly
And the best durn pilot ever steered a boat.

CHORUS 1
Roll on Monongahela, Roll on to the O-hi-o
Roll on past Aliquippi, down to the Mississippi
Clear to the Gulf of Mexico

Then Mote gave a toot of his whistle
And the “Jason” churned the water at her stern,
And Sal, steppin’ light as a thistle,
Reached up and took Mote Stanley’s hand in her’n.

It was love, careless love on the river,
It was love careless love by the shore;
But I know that the Lord will forgive her
’Cause she never knew what love was like before.

He swore that he always would love her
As they locked through the old Emsworth dam.
But that night overboard he did shove her
And then Mote Stanley took it on the lam!

CHORUS 2
Roll on Monongahela,
And lap the waters gently at Dra-vo.
Where they’re back to makin’ barges at much more normal charges
Than the LST’s they made some years ago!

Now, no one could say that Sal was sickly;
She didn’t even take time out to bawl.
She just high-tailed right down to Sewickley
Slappin’ out a fast Australian crawl.

Then Sal hit the grit at Rochester
Where the “Jason” was a-steaming close to shore.
From a yard bull who tried to arrest her
She up and swiped a great big forty-four.

She raised up that big shootin’ iron
And she banged six shots right into Mote.
And when she had fin’lly ceased firin’
She’d sure messed up that fancy sportin’ coat!

CHORUS 3
Roll on Monongahela,
Where the catfish and carp left long ago.
You used to be so pewer, but now you’re just a sewer -
Messin’ up the Gulf of Mexico!

Then Sal to the judges said “Good Mornin’!”
And the jury foreman said “Not guilty, gal!”
So let all you pilots take warnin’
Don’t mess around Monongahela Sal!

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