Charles H. Hughes of New Haven, Conn., wrote to the N.Y. Sun in June, 1909:

"In 1858 the railway song was sung by everybody in the State of Rhode Island and all over New England. In 1865 I went to see in the western ocean trade, and one of the best sounds I ever heard was, 'Oh, poor Paddy, he works on the railway.' It was aboard the Celestial empire, Black X line, in transit for the Swallow Tail line, Captain John Tailor, known as Black Jack Tailor....Here is the old style:

In 1845, when Daniel O'Connell he was alive,
And Smith O'Brien, to my surprise,
Was working n the railway, the railway,
Oi'm weary of the railway,
Oh, poor Paddy, he works on the railway.

The song was used as a pumping chanty."