DTStudy: The Private Still (Gauger)

Subject: DTStudy: The Private Still (Gauger)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 15 Mar 21 - 03:45 PM

I thought our version in the Digital Tradition was truncated, so we needed to do some work on this one. [turns out it was truncated by an ad, and there was just one tiny difference from the version printed on pp. 55-56 of San Henry's Songs of the People. I cleaned up the punctuation and spacing a bit.]

https://mudcat.org/@displaysong.cfm?SongID=6848

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THE PRIVATE STILL (THE GAUGER) [DT Lyrics] A gauger once in Dublin town, the time that I was there He fancied that a private still was being wrought somewhere. He met me out one morning, perhaps he fancied that I knew "Oh never mind," he said "Pat, how do you do ?" cho:With my fol-ol-dtha-di-do, fol-ol-dtha-dee. "I'm pretty well," your honour," but allow me for to say I don't know you at all, at all." Said he " Perhaps you may. I'm going to find a something out, assist me if you will, Here's fifty pounds if you can tell where there's a private still." "Give me the fifty pounds," said I, " i' faith I surely can. I'll keep my word, you may depend as I'm an Irishman." The fifty pounds he then paid down, I pocketed the fee. "Now button up your coat," I said, "and come along with me.' Along the road we quickly walked for miles full half a score, When by his gait 'twas evident his feet were getting sore. "How far have we to go?," says he, "for I am getting tired." "Let's hire a jaunting car," says I, so then a car we hired. As soon as we were on the car, said he, "Now tell me, Pat, Where is that blessed private still? Don't take me for a flat.' "A flat," your honour, "no, said I, but hear me if you will, And I at once will let you know where there's a private still." "In half a minute, now," says I, "the barrack's close at hand And if you look right through the gate you see and hear the band. And when the band's done playing, you will see the soldiers drill." "Oh, never mind the soldiers, Pat, but where's the private still?" "In just a second now, " said I, "I'll point him out to you. See? There he is. That fat old chap standing between them two." "What's that you say?" says he. Says I, " My brother Bill; They won't make him a corporal, so he's a private still!" The gauger swore and tore his hair to get his money back. But I jumped onto the car myself and bolted in a crack. And as he walked along the road, though sore against his will, The people shout "Exciseman, have you got the private still?"

THE PRIVATE STILL (THE GAUGER'S SONG) [DT Corrected] A gauger once in Dublin town, the time that I was there, He fancied that a private still was being wrought somewhere. He met me out one morning, perhaps he fancied that I knew "Oh never mind," he said, "Pat, how do you do?" CHORUS: With my fol-ol-dtha-di-do, fol-ol-dtha-dee. "I'm pretty well," your honour, "but allow me for to say I don't know you at all, at all." Said he, "Perhaps you may. I'm going to find a something out, assist me if you will, Here's fifty pounds if you can tell where there's a private still." "Give me the fifty pounds," said I, "i' faith I surely can, I'll keep my word, you may depend as I'm an Irishman." The fifty pounds he then paid down, I pocketed the fee. "Now button up your coat," I said, "and come along with me." Along the road we quickly walked for miles full half a score, When by his gait 'twas evident his feet were getting sore. "How far have we to go?," says he, "for I am getting tired." "Let's hire a jaunting car," says I, so then a car we hired. As soon as we were on the car, said he, "Now tell me, Pat, Where is that blessed private still? Don't take me for a flat." "A flat," your honour, no," said I, but hear me if you will, And I at once will let you know where there's a private still." "In half a minute, now," says I, "the barrack's close at hand And if you look right through the gate you'll see and hear the band. And when the band's done playing, you will see the soldiers drill." "Oh, never mind the soldiers, Pat, but where's the private still?" "In just a second now," said I, "I'll point him out to you. See? There he is. That fat old chap standing between them two." "What's that you say?" says he. Says I, "My brother Bill; They won't make him a corporal, so he's a private still!" The gauger swore and tore his hair to get his money back. But I jumped onto the car myself and bolted in a crack. And as he walked along the road, though sore against his will, The people shout "Exciseman, have you got the private still?"

From Songs of the People, Henry
Collected from Daniel Moore, 1885
@Irish @tax @moonshine
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And here's the Traditional Ballad Index Study:

Private Still, The (The Gauger's Song)

DESCRIPTION: A guager believes a private (illegal) still can be found near Dublin. He asks Pat's aid, offering fifty pounds. Pat promises to lead him there. After a long trip, they see Pat's soldier brother: "They won't make him a corporal, so he's a private still"
AUTHOR: unknown
EARLIEST DATE: before 1879 (broadside, LOCSinging sb30417b)
KEYWORDS: money drink soldier trick humorous
FOUND IN: Ireland
REFERENCES (6 citations):
Henry/Huntingdon/Herrmann-SamHenrysSongsOfThePeople H103, pp. 55-56, "The Private Still" (1 text, 1 tune)
Morton-FolksongsSungInUlster 46, "The Gauger's Song" (1 text, 1 tune)
Morton/Maguire-ComeDayGoDayGodSendSunday 22, pp. 51-52,112,165-166, "The Gauger's Song" (1 text, 1 tune)
O'Conor-OldTimeSongsAndBalladOfIreland, p. 60, "A Private Still" (1 text)
Wolf-AmericanSongSheets, #1936, p. 130, "A Private till" (1 reference)
DT, PRVTSTIL*
Roud #2342
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Firth c.14(272), "The Private Still" ("An exciseman once in Dublin at the time that I was there"), H. Disley (London), 1860-1883; also 2806 b.11(41), 2806 c.16(279), Firth b.26(131), Firth c.20(100), Harding B 11(3991), "The Private Still"
LOCSinging, sb30417b, "A Private Still," H. De Marsan (New York), 1864-1878
NOTES [68 words]: Morton-FolksongsSungInUlster: "A 'Gauger' was a member of the Revenue Police, who until their disbandment in the mid 1850s, had been charged with the suppression of illicit distillation - poteen making." - BS
Broadside LOCSinging sb30417b: H. De Marsan dating per Studying Nineteenth-Century Popular Song by Paul Charosh in American Music, Winter 1997, Vol 15.4, Table 1, available at FindArticles site. - BS
Last updated in version 3.5
File: HHH103

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Subject: RE: DTStudy: The Private Still (Gauger)
From: Reinhard
Date: 15 Mar 21 - 04:19 PM

Why truncated? The given source, Sam Henry's Songs of the People, has just these eight verses and they seem to have been faithfully reproduced here.

But several broadsides at Broadside Ballads Online indeed have ten verses.

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Not really truncated - I found out later my computer got hung up on an ad. Still, we should research the song. -Joe-

Subject: RE: DTStudy: The Private Still (Gauger)
From: GUEST,#
Date: 15 Mar 21 - 05:26 PM

http://gestsongs.com/18/private.htm

One with a few differences from the GEST site.

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The Private Still (Mick Casey)
(The Gauger's Song)

An exciseman in Dublin,
when I lived over there,
Fancied that a private still
was being worked somewhere;
He came in one morning
and fancied that I knew,
But never mind that, says he,
"Mick, how do you do?"

"Oh, I'm very well, your honor,
but allow me for to say,
I don't know you at all," says I,
"But be that as it may!"
"I'm trying to find something out,
assist me if you will,
Here's fifty pounds if you will tell me
where there's a private still."

"Give me the fifty pounds," says I,
"Upon my word I can,
And I'll keep me word, the devil-a-lie,
as I'm an Irishman."
The fifty pounds he did lay down,
I pocketed the fee,
"Now sir, button up your coat
and straightway follow me."

As I was walking up the street,
a-talking all the while,
He little thought I'd take him
a-thunderin' many a mile;
He said, "Tell me how much further, Mick.
I'm getting very tired."
I said, "Now let us have a car."
And a jaunting car we hired.

When we got in the car
he says, "Come tell me Mick,
Where is that blessed private still?
Don't take me for a flak."
"A flak, your honor, no, sir!
But hear me if you will,
And I at once will tell you, sir,
where there's a private still.

"My brother is a soldier
in the army he do dwell."
"Oh, the devil take your brother," says he,
"Where is that private still?"
" Oh, yonder is the barracks,
and now it's close at hand,
And when we get up to the gate
we'll see and hear the band.

"And when the band stops playing,
we'll see the soldiers drill."
"To blazes with the soldiers," says he,
"Where is that private still?"
"Half a minute more," says I,
"I'll point him out to you,
There he is, old boy," says I,
"Standing between them two."

"Who in the blazes do you mean?" says he,
Says I, "Me brother Bill;
They wouldn't make him a corporal,
So he's a private still."

When the exciseman heard this,
he wanted his money back,
But I jumped in the car myself
and off was in a crack;
As he walked along the street,
so much against his will,
The people shouted, "Exciseman!
Did you find the private still?"

####.... Author unknown. Variant of a 19th-century British broadside ballad, The Private Still, published by H Disley (London) sometime between 1860 and 1883, and archived at the Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads, shelfmark: Firth c.14(272) ....####

The above variant is from a recitation by Michael (Mick) Casey [1840-1895] of Black Island, Bonavista Bay, NL, published for the 1980 Merasheen Reunion in Placentia Bay, NL, by Loyola Pomroy and Bill Wilson.

A variant was also collected by Sam Henry [1878-1952] and published as #H103 on pp.55-56, in Sam Henry's Songs Of The People, edited, transcribed, and annotated by E Gale Huntingdon [1901-1993]; revised with additions and indices by Lani Herrmann (University of Georgia Press, Athens, GA, 1990).

From the glossary of Classic Whiskey:
Gauger - old name given to an exciseman whose job was to assist in the prevention of illicit distillation, notably poteen, in Ireland.