Lyr Req: Rescue from the Moose River Gold Mine

Subject: Lyr Req: Moose River Gold Mine
From: Beer
Date: 10 Apr 03 - 11:00 PM

Song from Nova Scotia. A disaster which took place I beleive in 1939. Heard the song a few times but would love to get all the lyrics.

Away down in old Nova Scotia,
Moose River it seems is the name.
Three Canadians on Easter Sunday,
To a tumbling gold mine they Came.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Moose River Gold Mine
From: Beer
Date: 10 Apr 03 - 11:30 PM

George from Chebucto! You must know this one?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Moose River Gold Mine
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 10 Apr 03 - 11:52 PM

Well, this is Dale from Arkansas, and I have heard Rescue From The Moose River Gold Mine by Norman Blake, who got it from Wilf Carter, usually called Montana Slim in the U. S. Wilf recorded it in 1936 according to what I have found. I have it on Blake's CD, but no way can I get to it until the weekend. Before then, George or someone else will likely have beaten me to it ~~ which is OK!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Moose River Gold Mine
From: Beer
Date: 11 Apr 03 - 08:56 AM

Thanks Dale. Wilf Carter is a great place to start looking.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Moose River Gold Mine
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 11 Apr 03 - 04:03 PM

I can't find the lyrics but a good friend of mine has them for sure.
He may be playin at the Blues Mills Ceilidh tonight. If I see him I'll ask him to get them for me, but it may be a week or so before I see him again. He isn't on the net but he has every song that Wilf Carter ever sang.
      Sandy

Subject: Lyr Add: RESCUE FROM THE MOOSE RIVER GOLD MINE
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 12 Apr 03 - 06:57 PM

Lyrics copied from http://www.rootsweb.com/~nsmusquo/lower_musquodoboit/elderbank.txt

THE RESCUE FROM THE MOOSE RIVER GOLD MINE
(Carter/McLeod)

Way down in old Nova Scotia,
Moose River it seems is the name,
Three Canadians on an Easter Sunday
To the tumbled down gold mine they came.

They descended the mine for inspection
Never dreaming fate trailed them close by,
With a crash that gave them no warning
Entombed in that mine there to die.

Brave men from all over the country
Volunteered to give up their lives.
They slaved with unceasing efforts
It seemed that death they defied.

Long days and nights they had labored,
Turned back when great cave-ins fell,
While far below patiently waiting
Three men were in one living hell.

Many times turned back in the rescue,
Fate seemed always blocking their way.
With a prayer on their lips they worked onwards:
"We must win. We must win, pray we may."

On Sunday, they got the first message
From the men prisoned far, far below:
"Can you help us?" they heard the men calling.
"Our sufferings does God only know."

Next message filled all hearts with sorrow:
They heard them say, "One pal is gone.
We are trying our best to hold on, boys.
Do your best. Don't make it too long."

At last, the great strain it was broken.
A miner out of breath brought the news:
"We have won the great fight," he was calling.
"At last, we have dug our way through."

That great fight against the dark angel,
It is won fighting hard all the way,
Till tragedy came with the rescue
From the tomb of those terrible days.

Now, friends, this story is ending
With hardships of many a day,
But this rescue will go down in history
Of the gold mine down Moose River way.

[This song appears on disk 3 of the 8-disk Wilf Carter compilation "Cowboy Songs," Bear Family CD 15939, 1997. It was also recorded by Bob King on "Songs That Tell a Story," 1993; and by Norman Blake on "Chattanooga Sugar Babe," 1998.]