Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1906-10-17
Casex,s Table d,Hote.

when the skies wuz fair nd blue,
When the money flowed like like, md
the folks wuz brave nd true!
| When the nights wuz crisp nd balmy, nd
the camp wuz all astir,
With the joints all throwed wide open
md no sheriff to demur!
| Oh, them times on Red Hoss Mountain
in the Rockies fur away
| There's no SIGH place nor times like them
as 1 kin find to-day!
| What though the camp hez busted? /
seem to see it still
A-lyin', like it loved it, on that big md
warty hill;
And feel a sort of yearnin' nd chokin'
in my throat
| When l think of Red Hoss Mountain md
of Casey's tabble doteI
| Wal, yes; it's true 1 struck it rich, but
that don't cut show
| When one is old nd feeble md it's nigh
his time to go;
| The money that he's got in bonds or
carries to invest
| Don't fgger with codger who has lived
a life out West;
Us old chaps like to set around, away
from folks nd noise,
| Nd think about the sights we seen and
things we done when boys;
The which is why love to set nd think
of them old days
When all us Western fellers got the Col
orado craze
And that is why l love to set around all
day md gloat
On thoughts of Red Hoss Mountain nd
of Casey's Table dote.
| This Casey wuz an Irishman-you'd know
it by his name
| And by the facial features appertainin'
to the same.
He'd lived in many places nd had done
thousand things,
From the noble art of actin to the work
Of dealin' kings,
| But, somehow, hadn't caught on; so,
driftin' with the rest,
He drifted for fortune to the undevel-
oped West,
And he come to Red Hoss Mountain when
the little camp wuz new,
When the money flowed like likker, md
the folks wuz brave nd true;
And, havin been a stewart on a Missis-
sippi boat,
He opened up a caffy nd he run tabble
dote.
There wuz half dozen tables altogether
in the place,
And the tax you had to pay upon your
vittles wuz a case;
| The boardin' houses in the camp protested
'twuz a shame
/ To patronize a robber, which this Casey
| wuz the same!
| They said a case was robbery to tax for
airy meal;
But Casey tended strictly to his biz, md
let 'em squeal;
| And presently the boardin' houses all be-
! gan to bust,
| While Casey kept on sawin' wood md
| layin in the dust;
| And oncet a trav'lin' editor from Denver
City wrote
A piece back TO his paper, putin Casey's
tabble dote.
A tabble dote is different from orderin'
| aller cart;
In one case you git all there Is, in fOther
only part!
And Casey's tabble dote began in French
as all begin
And Casey's ended with the same, which
is to say, with vim;
But in between wuz every kind of reptile,
bird, md beast,
The same like you can git in high-toned
restaurants down east;
| Nd windin' up wuz cake or pie, with
coffee denny tass,
| Or, sometimes, foatin' Ireland in a sooth-
in kind of sass
That left a sort of pleasant ticklin' in a
feller's throat,
nd made him banker after more Of
Casey's table dote.
| The very recollection of them puddin's
nd them pies
Brings a yearnin' to my buzzum nd the
water to my eyes;
| ND seems like cookin' nowadays amt
what it used to be
| In camp on Red Hoss Mountain in that
year of '63;
| But. maybe, it is better, nd, maybe, I'm
to blame
I'd like to be alvin in the mountains
lest the same
I'd like to live that life again when skies
wuz fair nd blue,
When things wuz run wide open md men
wuz brave md true;
When brawny arms the finty ribs of Red
Hoss Mountain smote
For wherewithal to pay the price of
Casey's table dote.
And YOU, o cherished brother, a-sleepin'
way out West,
With Red Hoss Mountain huggin' you
close to its lovin' breast
Oh, do you dream in your last sleep of
how we used to do,
Of how we worked our little claims to-
gether, me nd you?
WHY. when 1 saw you last smile wuz
restin' on your face,
Like you wuz glad to sleep forever in
that lonely place;
And so you wuz, md I'd be, too, if I wuz
sleepin' so.
But, bein' how brothers love amt for