An Irish Heart As Big As Your Body

So Dead beat has been thinking about Casey Jones recently. And why wouldn't he having been riding the rails these last few weeks?

Old D.B. remembers talking to CJ's wife some time back: "My husband's real name was John Luther Jones," she told him. "He was a loveable lad - 6 feet 4 1/2 inches in height, darkhaired and gray-eyed. Always he was in good humor and his Irish heart was as big as his body."

Come all you rounders that want to hear

The story of a brave engineer.

Casey Jones was the rounder's name,

On a six eight wheeler, boys, he won his fame.

Casey Jones mounted to his cabin,

Casey Jones with his orders in his hand

Casey Jones mounted to his cabin,

And he took his farewell trip to that promised land.

The caller call Casey at half past four,

He kissed his wife at the station door,

He mounted to the cabin with the orders in his hand,

And he took his farewell trip to that promised land.

When he pulled up that Reno hill,

He whistled for the crossing with an awful shrill;

The switchman knew by the engine's moan

That the man at the throttle was Casey Jones.

He looked at his water and his water was low;

He looked at his watch and his watch was slow;

He turned to his fireman and this is what he said,

"Boy, we're going to reach Frisco, but we'll all be dead."

"So turn on your water and shovel in your coal,

Stick you head out the window, watch those drivers roll;

I'll drive her till she leaves the rail,

For I'm eight hours late by that Western Mail.

When he was within six miles of the place,

There number four stared him straight in the face.

He turned to his fireman, said "Jim you'd better jump,

For there're two locomotives that are going to bump.

Casey said just before he died,"There're two more roads I would like to ride."

The fireman said, "Which ones can they be?"

"Oh the Northern Pacific and the Santa Fe."

Mrs. Jones sat at her bed a-sighing

Just to hear the news that her Casey was dying.

"Hush up children, and quit your crying',

For you've got another poppa on the Salt Lake Line."