The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #8383   Message #52366
Posted By: Uncle Fred
06-Jan-99 - 07:54 PM
Thread Name: Oldest publication(ca1910) of Wabash Cannonball
Subject: RE: Oldest publication(ca1910) of Wabash Cannon
Thanks for the info, folks. The reason I'm digging into this is that I think I have a bit of insight that gives a clue about something the song once meant that has been lost along the way. Just for the record; I'm inclined to be a "combiner" of lyrical versions. If there's a song I do- that later on I find a verse I really like, I'll just add it in. But back to the W.C. Here's my concept. If you go back far enough, they didn't have freight OR passenger trains. They just had trains. And, the very most high-class means of land travel was by train in PRIVATE cars built by the Pullman Co. or other companies. So, the passage "Runs a train of doozy lay-offs, well known etc., The "'boes' accomodation" could be a double entendre with "beaux accomodation" so that the Pullman of the rich man becomes the boxcar of the hobo. Either one can be laid off anywhere there are tracks. THUS the ubiquitous nature of the train in any version you hear. Think about it.