The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1921-02-23
THE BELDINc, MICHIGAN. BANNER-NEws

The following was written by City
Treasurer, John B. Essex and is re-
called from memory as he and other
lumberjacks sang it As years ago
Mr.. Essex in his younger days work
ed for many years in the pine woods
and was known by the name of
Cant Hook-Jack".
Come all you jovile fellows,
I'll sing to you asong;
It's aH about the pine woods boys,
And how they get along.
They're a jovile set of fellows,
So merry and so fine,
Who spend the winter pleasantly,
In cutting down the pine.
Oh, some will leave their homes
and friends,
And those that they love dear;
Into the. lonesome pine woods,
Thin pathway they will steer,
Into the lonesome pine woods,
All winter to remain,
Awaiting for the springtime
To return again.
Oh, spring time will come
And glad will be the day,
Some will return to their homes
and friends,
While others will wander far
away.
1t takes farmers and sailors,
Likewise mechanics too,
And all sorts Of tradesmen
To form a lumber crew.
The choppers and the sawyers,
They lay the timber low.
The skidders and the swampcrs,
They haul it too and fro.
Next come the leaders.
Before the break of day;
It's hurry load up your bobs my
boys,
To the river haste away.
Noon time will roll around
The foreman loudly screams
Lay down your tolls my boys
Well haste to pork and beans.
Arriving at the shanty
The splashing will begin,
The rafting of the water pail
The banging of the tins.
Come, hurry up, Ned
Tom, Dick or Joe
Or you'll have to take the pail
And for some water go.
In the middle of the splashing,
The cook for dinner will cry,
You ought TO see the boys all run
For fear they'd lose their pie.
Dinner being over,
They'll to the shanty go,
Load up their pipe and smoke
Till everything is blue.
It's time for the woods my boys,
Tie foreman he will say.
They all gather up their hats ano
caps
Out to the woods they haste away
They all go out with cheerful
hearts,
And we'll contented minds,
For the winter winds do not blow
cold
Among those moving pines.
It's loudly the saws,
And axes they do sing
Until the sun goes down
Hurrah my boys to the shanty We
are bound. 2t
Arriving at theshaity
/ With cold and wet feet
Pull off your boots and jacks my
boys
4 For supper we must eat.
4 The cook cries out, supper
/ They all arise and go
/ For it isn't the style of one of the
boys
To lose his hash, you know.
At nine O'Clock or there about,
They to their hunks do climb
To dream away the lonesome hour:
While working in the pine.
! At four in the morning,
The foreman loudly shouts
! Roll out there you teamsters
! It's time you were out.
The transfers get up,
In a wild and frightful way
| One says I've lost my jacks
And my socks have gone astray.
The rest of them get up
Their boots and jacks can't find
| They lay it to the transfers
And curse them till they're blind.
One says I've lost my sox
Idon't know what to do
Another one says, I've lost my toe
rags
And I am ruines too.
If any of the boys acquainted
Should happen to be there
They would kill themselves
laughing
At the boys wild career.
They will laugh and sing and
dance
To pass away the time
For a jovelier crew you never
knew
Than shanty boys in pine.
Spring time has come
And business it will thrive.
Two hundred able bodied men
Are wanted on the drive.
With jam pixies and peevies
II