Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-09-06
THE CROSSINGS AT RICHMOND.


THE CROSSINGS AT RICHMOND.
There was printed one day in very good
verse,
How the Trustees Of Richmond won an
autoist's curse:
And. whether they rode in a grand lin
CUISINE.
Or ratified along in a common machine
Whatever might be the style of their car
Or whether they came from near. or
affair."
All drivers should give the town wide
berth,
While touring about this part of the
earth,
On account of the crossings at Rich
mond.
And it told they were tossed up, and
shook up. and jounced.
And around in their "autos." uncomfort-
ably bounced.
And said that they cried
AS around they were SHE'D,
MAY they be all everlastingly bumped,
May they be all eternally thumped.
And may their cars forever be dumped.
Who planned those crossings at Rich
mond.
Then it told how from Canada came a
big truck.
And how on those crossings the thing
run "amuck;"
How, "cumbrous and heavy and hard was
it's load
Yet safely carried DER long miles of
road"
But one part of the tale they left quite
unsaid,
That IL mentioned perhaps might a bet
ter light shed.
How that skillful French driver was 60
ing like-well
What careful observer might term as
''pell-mell''
| When he struck the crossing at Rich
mond.
There's big sign that stands at each
end Of the street.
With, Speed limit-ten miles," printed
plainly and neat.
And II you exceed
The fixed rate of speed.
MAY you be all everlastingly bumped,
May you be all eternally thumped.
And around in your cars forever be
jumped
While scorching the crossings at Rich
mond.'
Now. in our small village. where Bridge
street crosses Main
Was a bit of a gutter, the waste water to
drain,
That was made of cement by some for
mer trustees.
Before autos were as plenty as new
swarming bees.
The streets at right angles make a dan
gerous place,
While most auto tourists never slacken
their pace,
And we've no paid policeman or vigilant
cop
To give them the signal to "slow up" or
STOP"
At the worst Of the crossings at Rich
| mond.
Said some of the old ones. Let it be as
It's
Twill make ev'ry old auto attend to
its biz
And those who won't heed
The limit for speed.
| May they be all everlastingly bumped.
May they be all eternally thumped,
And around in their cars forever be
jumped
Should they "scorch" DER the crossings
at Richmond
But now I'll explain; Oh! poetical woman
For fear you may class us-at Richmond
inhuman;
We've fixed UP those crossings that to
you were appealing
| And you'll find now in Richmond quite
tolerable wheeling:
We've school-house which cost twenty
five thousand dollars,
| That comfortably shelters some three
hundred scholars:
An underwear plant whose machinery
whirls
| To give easy employment to a hundred
fine girls
Right here in the village of Richmond.
So we ask for the sake of pedestrians
lives.
For the safety of girls. and children and
wives,
That your autos 60 slower
If not. we'll implore
May the scorcher be eternally thumped.
| May they be all everlastingly dumped,
And we don't care a darn II their old cars
are bumped.
| II they squirt" DER the crossings at
Richmond"
We've snoothed up the crossings and the
streets are quite level.
But that's no excuse to drive like
The autos must run and it's good that
they must.
We welcome them gladly. and we've
swallowed their dust;
we've oiled down the streets SO to sit on
our porches
But we've got our eyes peeled for the
teller" that scorches:
We've nice cozy homes. and a modern
hotel.
Some up-to-date stores that are really
quite swell,
And the name Of the place is Richmond.
you'll hnd that the town is sure on the
map,
In spite Of those crossings that led you
to rap,
And we simply will say,
when coming this way