"The Winter of '73" by Larry Gorman

It being early in September in eighteen seventy-three,
‘Twas the day I left my native isle and came to Miramichi;
I hired the day I landed for to work in Snowball’s mill,
A large three-story building at the foot of Sawdust Hill.

I worked away for three long weeks with a discontented will,
But I soon made my acquaintance with the folks of Sawdust Hill;
On the tenth day of November when the mill it did shut down,
Which caused a general scatter and the men go walking ‘round.
I heard of those who wanted men, and it put me in good cheer,
And I packed my kennebecker and for Indiantown did steer.

When I arrived at Indiantown being quite fatigued from tramp,
I fell in with two portage teams bound for McCullam camp;
They said that I might ride with them, that’s if I did desire,
And that if I would come along, they thought I would get hired.

Oh I rode with Willy Derringham, a verse for him I’ll make;
He drove a team of ro-uns [i.e. roans] that he brought from the Grand Lake.
The horse he weighed twelve hundred pounds, a noble beast to haul,
And the mare she was a beauty, although she was but small.

Now I being at my journey’s end, and hungry, tired, and cold,
The face of Billy O’Brien was the first I did behold;
And so glad was I to see him, and I asked who was the boss;
He pointed to a little man whose name was Charlie Cross.

So I hired the next morning and concluded for to stop;
Along with Joseph Fullyerton they sent me for to chop.
Charlie Cross and Guy McCullam they both cruised the woods all round,
And thought they might do better down in MacIneary’s Ground.

So we all packed up quite early and that place we did forsake,
And moved out to another camp situated by a lake;
Along with Archie Woodworth there, a silly young gaw-gaw,
They placed me on the landing for to haul a cross-cut saw.

There was one big Island man along among the rest,
Two feet across the shoulders, in proportion ‘round the breast;
He was very big but not awful cute, Jim Whelan was his name;
On the second of March he cut his foot and he marched off downstream.
He took with him five pound of gum [i.e. spruce gum] their favors for to gain
But all the thanks he got for it, they said that he was green.
He blowed the roost upon me and he said I’d made a song,
And proved me out a traiteer [i.e. traitor] for which many the man was hung.

Now we being there and set to work, good lumber which we found.
The spruce they stood in bunches, they were handsome, stout, and sound;
But Guy not yet being satisfied, at Charlie Cross did say,
And he says, “We must forsake this place, there’s no use for two-sleighs.”

It being on our way a-going out past Barney Taylor’s camp,
I fell in with Patrick McLaughlin and I hired for to swamp;
For to work for Patrick McLaughlin, ‘tis very hard they say,
For there’s only three men to a team and they drive ten turns a day.

So now the crowd has all gone out and I’m left to watch the camp,
And the martins and the lucifees [i.e. loup-cervier] go skipping o’er the swamp;
The cruel winter is over and thank God I’m still alive,
And if the weather proves favorable I mean to stay up and drive.

So now to conclude and finish as my ballad I must end,
I hope I have said nothing wrong to those shantyboys offend;
When those logs are in the Southwest Boom I hope youse all to see;
Some will go to Andy Conners’ and have a glorious spree.

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The above is a c/p from

https://umaine.edu/folklife/wp-content/uploads/sites/312/2010/08/LarryGormanPanels.pdf