New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-08-27
The History Of the Horse.Car Epic.

iiugles were accommodated to the measure.
The regular patrons of the Fourth avenue
line heard something new almost every day.
But it was not until the twenty Of
September, 1875, that the first poem ap.
peared in print. Two gentlemen connected
with the New York press, Mr. Bromley of
the Tribune, and Mr.. Brooks Of the Times.
town having the whole car to themselves.
Brooks was doing. Bromley's attention
was riveted to the notice, which always had
q strange fascination tor him. At length he
started up with-''It's poetry, by George!
Brook! it's poetryw Brooks, somewhat
startled by the abruptness of the outburst,
hastily inquired, whats poetry! What
are you talking abOutV Bromley, as if
fearful of losing his discovery, pointed to
the card, and without taking his eyes off it
read. with the omission of but single word,
thus:
The conduc' OF, when he receives fare,
Will punch in the presence of the psssipjare,
blue trip slip for an eight cent fare, etc.
Brooks mumbled it over in sleepy way
and said, CHATS sov" and tried to look
away and forget it. He could not. He
was caught by the strange fascination.
Both gentlemen read it and re-read it, and
kept on reading and repeating it till they
reached PrintinghOuse square, and they
both said it haunted them the whole night
long. The next night, when they entered
the car, they were overpowered by the
same fascination. They hummed it and
'jingled it, and kept it going. 1t kept time
with the rattle OF the cars; it made perfect
accord with the hoof-beats Of the horses
At length Brooks was inspired, and burst
forth with the additional line that made
the song complete. So then it ran:
The conductor when he receives q fare
in ho ,,a of HOW lava
blue trip sip for an eight cent fare;
A buff trip slip for six cent fare;
pink trip 81 for three cent fare;
All in the presence of the passinjare.
Both then felt that the poem was COM
plete and ready to be set to music, perhaps
fitted into an opera. 1t was shortly intro
duced as hymn in the editorial rooms of
the Tribune, and Mr.. Wykoff. the scientific
editor, assisted by MIR. Moses P. Handy,
then Of the Tribune staff. added to them
the following chorus, which, it will be OBJ
served, has the characteristic merits of the
original verse, and Of this school of metrical
composition:
Punch. boys, punch with care!
Punch in the presence OF the passlnjaTe,
blue trip slip for An eight-ceDt fare;
A buff trip slip for six cent fare;
pink trip sll p for q three cent fare;
Ali in the presence OF the passiDjare.
Then the hymn and chorus were sung to-
gether, and the work pronounced perfect
by good judges of both poetry ana music
It was not intended to give the poem to
the public; but one night it was taken
down in shorthand from the lips of the
choir, and the next day printed On an inside
page of the Tribune. The contagion thus
appeared and spread rapidly. The Boston,
Philadelphia and Chicago papers took il up.
On the first of November the New York
Sun added the following
He must ring the be VII . modest air;
And bow 70 The ge,tlemanly drivar,
Ard And say, Beg pardon, excuse ne r., sar,
Then the driver will turn with q t. rrible glare,
And shout at the wretched lassi9jare.
"a blank OF q place to Stop this air."
And clsmmy and cold grows the passipjare,
And wits like blightod cucumbair.
TIL en- mark Twain" took it up in the At
lanh c, calling it his Literary Nightmare
and added the following refrain:
Punch, BIZ others punch with care;
Punch in the prese nee of the passinjsre.
The effect of Marks article was to arouse
the universe. Doctors, lawyers. preachers,
every body got it. Even the tradespeople
took hold Of the jingle, and an umbrella
m anu facturer came out with
When you want an umbrellair,
Silk. or cotton. alpacair,
Go tor one called Guanacar,
GuanAcO, or Guanacair,
Be the VT ather foul OF fair,
GuanacC's the umblel]air.
Ablack silk shade for a five dollar,
brown silk shade for an eight dollar,
A blue silk thade for q ten dollar,
Ali in the form Of GuaBacair.
Skip, clip, jump right their,
All who want an umbreilair.
Now the disease has taken q political
form, and
Vote, brothers, vote with caire,
Vote for the brave old govern aire,
Vote for hayes and Bill Wheelaire,
Is resounding through the land. And from
pre- So Mt indications the end is not yet.