Origins: The Aged Pilot Man (Twain)

Subject: ZDTStudy: The Aged Pilot Man (Twain)
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 23 Feb 03 - 09:55 PM

There doesn't seem to be a useful thread for this, so here is a new one.

The text of this poem by Mark Twain in the DT is incomplete. A full copy may be found in the text of his book, "Roughing It," which is reproduced in full at Roughing It

Click on Browsing etext, and then on Chapter 51 and scroll down to the poem.

Twain wrote the poem in Virginia City in 1863, but it wasn't published until he put out "Roughing It."

He says he based it on the song, "The Raging Canal." This probably was one of the Erie Canal songs, but certainly not "The Raging Canal" in the DT, as claimed there. Apparently there is NO 19th century text for any of the Erie Canal storm songs. If anyone knows of one, please post.

We know that a song "The Raging Canal" existed, because there are two songs in the Bodleian Library (ca. 1860) which use its tune, and two more at American Memory!

---

Let's make an unedited DTStudy out of this one. Here are the lyrics in the DT, for comparison.
-Joe Offer-


THE AGED PILOT MAN
(Mark Twain)

On the Erie Canal, it was, all on a summer's day,
I sailed forth with my parents, far away to Albany.
From out the clouds at noon that day, there came a dreadful storm,
That piled the billows high about, and filled us with alarm.

A man came rushing from a house, saying, "Snub up your boat, I pray,
Snub up your boat, snub up, alas, Snub up while yet you may."
Our captain cast one glance astern, then forward glanced he,
And said, "My wife and little ones, I never more shall see."

Said Dollinger the pilot man, in noble words, but few --
"Fear not, but lean on Dollinger, and he will fetch you through."
The boat drove on, the frightened mules, tore through the rain and wind,
And bravely still, in danger's post, the whip-boy strode behind.

"Come 'board, come 'board," the captain cried, "Nor tempt so wild a storm.
But still the raging mules advanced, and still the boy strode on.
Then said the captain to us all, "Alas, 'tis plain to me,
The greater danger is not there, but here upon the sea."

So let us strive, while life remains, to save all souls on board,
And then if die at last we must, Let....I cannot speak the word."
Said Dollinger the pilot man, tow'ring above the crew,
Fear not, but trust in Dollinger, and he will fetch you through."

"Low bridge! Low bridge!" all heads went down, the laboring bark sped on,
A mill we passed, we passed a church, hamlets, and fields of corn;
And all the world came out to see, and chased along the shore,
Crying, "Alas the gallant ship and crew, can nothing help them more?"

"Ho! lighten ship! Ho! man the pump! Ho! hostler, heave the lead!
And count ye all, both great and small, as numbered with dead!
For mariner for forty year, on Erie, boy and man,
I never yet saw such a storm, or one 't with it began!"

So overboard a keg of nails, and anvils three we threw,
Likewise four bales of gunny-sacks, two hundred pounds of glue,
Two sacks of corn, four ditto wheat, a box of books, a cow,
A violin, Lord Byron's works, a rip-saw and a sow.

A quarter three, 'tis shoaling fast, three feet large, three feet,
Three feet scant, I cried in fright, Oh is there no retreat?
Said Dollinger, the pilot man, As on the vessel flew,
"Fear not, but trust in Dollinger, and he will fetch you through.

A panic struck the bravest hearts, the boldest cheek turned pale
For plain to all, this shoaling said, a leak had burst the ditch's bed.
"Sever the tow-line. Cripple the mules. Too late, there comes a shock!
Another length, and the fated craft would have swum to the saving lock.

Then gathered together the shipwrecked crew and took one last embrace
While sorrowful tears from despairing eyes ran down each hopeless face,
But of all the children of misery there on that poor sinking frame,
But one spake words of hope and faith, and I worshipped as they came.

Said Dollinger, the pilot man, O brave heart, strong and true,
"Fear not, but trust in Dollinger, for be will fetch you through!"
Lo! scarce the words had passed his lips, the dauntless prophet say'th
When every soul about him seeth a wonder crown his faith.

For straight a farmer brought a plank, mysteriously inspired,
And laying it unto the ship, in silent awe retired,
And every sufferer stood amazed, the pilot man before,
A moment stood. Then wondering turned and speechless walked ashore.

From Roughing It, Twain
Twain wrote, "probably suggested by the old song called, "The Raging
Canal"
@parody @canal @wreck @storm
filename[ AGEDPILT
TUNE FILE: RAGCANAL
CLICK TO PLAY
RG

---

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Subject: Lyr Add: THE AGED PILOT MAN (Mark Twain)
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 07:02 AM

On the basis that cut'n'paste is to be used for lyrics, I've rescued this from the link given above. The site in question is "Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library". I have made no alterations, except to remove pictures & page numbers. Line spaces between verses are as printed, although reduced to a single line in each case. The intro paragraph is also a direct cut'n'paste.

Nigel
___________________________________________________-

I was sorry enough, for I was very proud of being connected with a literary paper -- prouder than I have ever been of anything since, perhaps. I had written some rhymes for it -- poetry I considered it -- and it was a great grief to me that the production was on the "first side" of the issue that was not completed, and hence did not see the light. But time brings its revenges -- I can put it in here; it will answer in place of a tear dropped to the memory of the lost Occidental. The idea (not the chief idea, but the vehicle that bears it) was probably suggested by the old song called "The Raging Canal," but I cannot remember now. I do remember, though, that at that time I thought my doggerel was one of the ablest poems of the age:

THE AGED PILOT MAN.

On the Erie Canal, it was,
All on a summer's day,
I sailed forth with my parents
Far away to Albany.

From out the clouds at noon that day
There came a dreadful storm,
That piled the billows high about,
And filled us with alarm.

A man came rushing from a house,
Saying, "Snub up* your boat I pray,
Snub up your boat, snub up, alas,
Snub up while yet you may."

Our captain cast one glance astern,
Then forward glanced he,
And said, "My wife and little ones
I never more shall see."

Said Dollinger the pilot man,
In noble words, but few, --
"Fear not, but lean on Dollinger,
And he will fetch you through."

The boat drove on, the frightened mules
Tore through the rain and wind,
And bravely still, in danger's post,
The whip-boy strode behind.

"Come 'board, come 'board," the captain cried,
"Nor tempt so wild a storm;"
But still the raging mules advanced,
And still the boy strode on.

Then said the captain to us all,
"Alas, 'tis plain to me,
The greater danger is not there,
But here upon the sea.

So let us strive, while life remains,
To save all souls on board,
And then if die at last we must,
Let . . . . I cannot speak the word!"

Said Dollinger the pilot man,
Tow'ring above the crew,
"Fear not, but trust in Dollinger,
And he will fetch you through."

"Low bridge! low bridge!" all heads went down,
The laboring bark sped on;
A mill we passed, we passed church,
Hamlets, and fields of corn;
And all the world came out to see,
And chased along the shore
Crying, "Alas, alas, the sheeted rain,
The wind, the tempest's roar!
Alas, the gallant ship and crew,
Can nothing help them more?"

And from our deck sad eyes looked out
Across the stormy scene:
The tossing wake of billows aft,
The bending forests green,

The chickens sheltered under carts
In lee of barn the cows,
The scurrying swine with straw in mouth,
The wild spray from our bows!

"She balances!
She wavers!
Now let her go about!
If she misses stays and broaches to,
We're all" -- then with a shout,]
"Huray! huray!
Avast! belay!
Take in more sail!
Lord, what a gale!
Ho, boy, haul taut on the hind mule's tail!"
"Ho! lighten ship! ho! man the pump!
Ho, hostler, heave the lead!

"A quarter-three! -- 'tis shoaling fast!
Three feet large! -- t-h-r-e-e feet! --
Three feet scant!" I cried in fright
"Oh, is there no retreat?"

Said Dollinger, the pilot man,
As on the vessel flew,
"Fear not, but trust in Dollinger,
And he will fetch you through."

A panic struck the bravest hearts,
The boldest cheek turned pale;
For plain to all, this shoaling said
A leak had burst the ditch's bed!
And, straight as bolt from crossbow sped,
Our ship swept on, with shoaling lead,
Before the fearful gale!

"Sever the tow-line! Cripple the mules!"
Too late! There comes a shock!
Another length, and the fated craft
Would have swum in the saving lock!

Then gathered together the shipwrecked crew
And took one last embrace,
While sorrowful tears from despairing eyes
Ran down each hopeless face;
And some did think of their little ones
Whom they never more might see,
And others of waiting wives at home,
And mothers that grieved would be.

But of all the children of misery there
On that poor sinking frame,
But one spake words of hope and faith,
And I worshipped as they came:
Said Dollinger the pilot man, --
(O brave heart, strong and true!) --
"Fear not, but trust in Dollinger,
For he will fetch you through."

Lo! scarce the words have passed his lips
The dauntless prophet say'th,
When every soul about him seeth
A wonder crown his faith!

And count ye all, both great and small,
As numbered with the dead:
For mariner for forty year,
On Erie, boy and man,
I never yet saw such a storm,
Or one't with it began!"

So overboard a keg of nails
And anvils three we threw,
Likewise four bales of gunny-sacks,
Two hundred pounds of glue,
Two sacks of corn, four ditto wheat,
A box of books, a cow,
A violin, Lord Byron's works,
A rip-saw and a sow.

A curve! a curve! the dangers grow!
"Labbord! -- stabbord! -- s-t-e-a-d-y! -- so! --
Hard-a-port, Dol! -- hellum-a-lee!
Haw the head mule! -- the aft one gee!
Luff! -- bring her to the wind!"

For straight a farmer brought a plank, --
(Mysteriously inspired) --
And laying it unto the ship,
In silent awe retired.

Then every sufferer stood amazed
That pilot man before;
A moment stood. Then wondering turned,
And speechless walked ashore.


* The customary canal technicality for "tie up."

Subject: RE: Origins: The Aged Pilot Man (Twain)
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 01:35 PM

Nigel, that was a heck of a lot of work. I was debating over it while you wend ahead and did it. I hope that there is interest enough among people using this site to justify your effort.

I would like to know what the "Raging Canal" song used by Twain was like. The one in the DT is modern, from the days of Lomax and the folksingers. It may yet be found in some old newspaper or broadsheet since it was popular in the mid-ninteenth century. Several songs used its melody; which also remains uncertain.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Aged Pilot Man (Twain)
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 01:45 PM

GuestQ: not quite the amount of work you'd think. Cut'n'paste to 'Word', make small adjustments; cut'n'paste to the 'Cat.

Apropos the tune, your first posting slightly misrepresents Twain's position. In the intro I quoted he says "The idea (not the chief idea, but the vehicle that bears it) was probably suggested by the old song called "The Raging Canal," but I cannot remember now."

So whilst 'The Raging Canal' might give us a lead as to his original metre and scansion, I don't think we can safely assume that the final poem followed it slavishly.
It would, however be interesting to know whether anyone has heard the poem set to music.

Nigel

Subject: RE: Origins: The Aged Pilot Man (Twain)
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 24 Feb 03 - 01:56 PM

A tune is given in the DT. Don't know its source.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Aged Pilot Man (Twain)
From: georgeward
Date: 25 Feb 03 - 01:30 AM

"The Raging Canal" appeared in 1844. The author is given as "P.Morris."

From Dichter & Shapiro, Handbook of Early American Sheet Music 1768 - 1889:

"Raging Canal!The   C.G.Christman, New York, 1844

"A Comic Song. Written and Sung by that Most Celebrated Comic Singer P.Morris, And dedicated to his friends in his native city, New York.
Pr. 25 cts. nett. Lith. Fleetwood.[n.art.] 6 pp., pp. 2 and 6 blank, p.4 is incorrectly numbered 3.

"Illustration: Humorous drawing of a two-masted ship being tossed by mountain high waves on the Erie Canal, of all places."

I imagine you can find it in other 19th century indexes as well.

I first encountered the song in Prof. Lionel Wyld's book,
Low Bridge! Folklore and the Erie Canal (Syracuse Univ. press 1962).
Wyld includes a facsimile of the sheet music cover in the book and (if I recall) gives as his source for it the Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society in Buffalo, NY. Apologies. I've mislaid my copy of the book. But I'm pretty sure that's the source.

I've recited "The Aged Pilot'Man"for years, and use the "Raging Canal" tune for the broadside "The Girl from Yewdall's Mill" (cf. my CD 'Oh! That Low Bridge!').

"The Raging Canal" lyric doesn't bear much resemblance to ""The Aged Pilot-Man". MT only says he based the poem on it,after all.

Hope this helps,   -George

Subject: RE: Origins: The Aged Pilot Man (Twain)
From: georgeward
Date: 25 Feb 03 - 03:01 AM

Morris's "Raging Canal" is, in fact, the one in the DT (not the "Two in the Middle" one).

And Lionel W. cites the Grosvenor Library in Buffalo, not the Historical Society, as his source.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Aged Pilot Man (Twain)
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 25 Feb 03 - 05:32 AM

Searching "raging" and "canal" at Levy brings up both "The Raging Canal" & "The Girl From Yewdall's Bridge"

Nigel

Subject: RE: Origins: The Aged Pilot Man (Twain)
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 25 Feb 03 - 02:31 PM

Only the first verse of "The Raging Canal" in the DT is the same as those written by Morris.
Georgeward, thanks for all the information. Don't know how I missed Levy; probably looked in American Memory and forgot Levy. Also unusual that the Morris song doesn't seem to be in the Forum.
I will post the P. Morris 1844 words in thread 38205, which has "Raging Canal" in its title: Raging Canal

Subject: RE: Origins: The Aged Pilot Man (Twain)
From: georgeward
Date: 25 Feb 03 - 06:18 PM

Someone needs to combine this thread with the one seeking the tune for "The Raging Canal" Tune Req: The Raging Canal . It is awkward having two going at once on essentially the same issues.

Guest Q, you are right - of course - about the DT text having only the same first verse.

What intrigues me now is that there were apparently A LOT of variants of this song in the nineteenth century. Lionel Wyld (in the aforementioned 'Low Bridge! Folklore and the Erie Canal' devotes eight pages to the song in a number of different variants and fragments. And Bill Hullfish's (the one in the DT) parallels one of Wyld's for a number of stanzas and then goes off on a different tack.

   "Different versions worked in local references with the usual abandon of folk tradition...
   " Another version, written in the diary of a canal captain, deals with Ezekial Radford, a liniment manufacturer of Weedsport....One may easily conjecture that there was a verse for ever significant stop along the towpath, and another for each of the local characters the canawling captains ran into frequently." - Wyld, p.93

    Guest Q's original question - what was "The raging Canal" that inspired Mark Twain - becomes ever more interesting. It would seem to be no certain thing that it was Morris's version.

                      -George

Subject: RE: Origins: The Aged Pilot Man (Twain)
From: GUEST,Q
Date: 25 Feb 03 - 06:38 PM

I have posted the Morris song in the thread 38205, link above. Perhaps it would be a good idea to combine, but the title becomes awkward.

It should be noted that the Erie canal runs from the vicinity of Albany west, past Utica to Oneida Lake and finally west through Rochester and on to Buffalo on Lake Erie. The Morris song is about a squall on the river stretch from NYC to Albany.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Aged Pilot Man (Twain)
From: georgeward
Date: 25 Feb 03 - 08:38 PM

Well, technically you're right GQ. And it makes the heavy seas on the sheet music cover a little more believeable. But since they'd "sighted Albany", maybe they'd made the Albany basin or the sidecut at Watervliet before the storm struck.

Or maybe P.Morris, who sounds like another wretched downstater to me, didn't know his canal geography very well.

                         - George

PS: And pity that poor knocked-down horse swimming along to keep up with the towboat.