The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #97813   Message #1932671
Posted By: Q (Frank Staplin)
10-Jan-07 - 04:59 PM
Thread Name: Origin: Alabama Bound & Don't You Leave Me Here
Subject: RE: origin and lyr: Alabama Bound
The 'Stacker Lee' steamboat was a Lee Line boat from 1902 (1906?)-1916, when it was wrecked or dismantled.
The Lee Line consolidated in 1924 with the Delta Line, becoming Valley Line Steamers under Capt. Peters Lee, Mgr., and Captain Jeff Hicks, President.
Stacker Lee, a Captain in 1882 of the first 'James Lee,' which was in operation 1879-1894(?), seems to have been a son of the first James Lee, founder of the Line, along with James Lee Jr. A grandson was Robert E. Lee.
Oliver Lee's scrambled 'history' and his fanciful attempt to relate 'Stagolee' the badman to the Lee Company is purely speculative.

This coonjine song seems to relate to the steamboat 'Stacker Lee,' thus must be dated to 1902 at the earliest. The other boat mentioned, Sal Teller, is the 'City of Saltillo,' in service ca. 1905 and later.

Sal Teller leave St. Looey
Wid her lights tu'n down
And you'll know by dat
She's Alabama bound.

Alabama bound!
She's Alabama bound!
You'll know by dat
She's Alabama bound!

Doan you leave me here!
Doan you leave me here!
Ef you's gwine away and ain comin' back
Leave a dime for beer!
Leave a dime for beer!
Brother if yu gwine away
Leave a dime fer beer!

I ask de mate
Ter sell me some gin;
Says, I pay you, mister,
When de Stack comes in
When de Stack comes in
When de Stack comes in.
Says, I pay you mister,
When de Stack comes in.

Another little gem from this Manuscript-

Reason I likes the Lee Line trade,
Sleep all night wid de chambermaid,
She gimmie some pie and she gimmie some cake,
An' I gi' her all de money dat I ever make.

American Memory. "Coonjine in Manhattan" (1939?), Federal Writers Project. Some of this, I think, posted in thread 41618.

Some of the information on the Lee Line from RiverboatDave's and the Wooldridge list but also some sources I can't remember.
http://www.riverboatdaves.com/addresses.html
Boats