New-York tribune., 1922-03-19
The ''Piizen Sarpint" Ballad
E.legy of the Young Man of Wilbraham Who Was
Bitten by Rattlesnake
To the Editor Of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: In response to tho request Of
V. Z. B. Fuller for the complete ver-
sion Of the "Springhcld Mountain
Song" submit the following extract,
copied from "The History OF Will
| braham, Massachusetts," and prepared
in connection with the celebration Of
the 150th anniversary Of tho incorpora-
tion of the town (June Is, 1913, by
Chaunccy E. Peck). pages 70 to 81:
"The Town Record contained the ac-
count of the sad tragedy of the death
of Lieut.. Mirrick's son, as follows:
"'No. 81. Timothy Mirrick, the son
of 1t. Thomas and Mary Mirricl1 was
bit by ratel snake on August the 7th
1761, and died within about two or
three ours, ho being 20 years two
months and three days old and vary
near the point Of marridg.'
"The place where this young man
lived is now tho most southerly part of
town, on the main street. The meadow
where he was moving when bitten is
off to the southwest. some seventy to
ninety rods from the homo of Mr..
Ethelbert Bliss, and the tragic spot can
be plainly seen from tho Sessions
homestead, about half a milo further
south.
"The summer Of 1851 was very dry
and it was supposed that the serpent
had come down from 'RattIesnake
Peak on the mountain, where there
were known to be a few, to the meadow,
in search Of water. The day following
the tragedy the snake WAS found coiled
up near the seythc of young Timothy,
and was killed. A poem was written
of the sad event. which has had q wide
circulation.
In the Stebbins History it is called
the great Elegy of the Mountains.
There are many versions Of this old
ballad:
ELEGY OF THE YOUNG MAN BITTEN
BY A RATTLEsNAKE
On Sprnsheld Inountains there did dwell
llkeiy youth who was knowno full wei!
n likely youth nigh twenty ono
One friday morning he did go
in to the rnedow and did moe
round or two then he did fcal
Il pisn sarpent a his heal
Whom he received his dedIy wond
ne . "a dropt si his s!the pon the ground
Gt, Gnd strate for home was his Intent
CaIng aloude still as he went
tho all around his voys vase hered
I,ts ~
they thot 1t vase some workmcn call
and there poor Timothy alone must fall
so soon his Carful father went
to seak his son discomfort
and there his onley eon tie found
oed as a ston pom the ground
And there he lay down sopos. 70 rest
Tth VII both both his Is hands 4 Acrost his brest
Ana there poor man he slept bis last
hia father vteude his track with gre.t
Where ho had ran across the corn
uneven tracks where he did go
did apear to stagger to and frov
The seventh Of August eixty-on.
this fatal axsdent was done
Let this g. warning be to ali
to DO Prepared when God does call
This poem was read al banquet in
Springfield in May, 1885, and printed
in "The Springfield Republican" June
6, 1886. 1T was again printed on No
vember %, 1911, with an article by Miss
E. o. Beebc, descriptive OF tho event
and the acenes surrounding it. This
last insertion brought six more letters
to the Republican," ono each from
Salem, Mass; Greeley, Col; West Suf-
field, Conn.s Bridgeport, Conn, Green
field, Mass, and Virginia City, New.
The letter from Nevada is especially in
teresting, as it was written by the
great grcat-grandson OF brother Of
George Washington, and is az follows:
THAT Springfield Mountain song
got down into old Virginia. It used to
be sung to me by the negroes when
wee child. They used q sort of
whining refrain that pas most otrlAine
and amusing. This is what remember
OF it:
One dreadful day JOHN went away
ror & 10 help his father make The hay,
" heh 1ust ae tho horn blow for the noon
pitsnous earpient' hit him on tins fssi
WIN rigdum aki skinny drigduIn rowe
lCnorua repeated eeveral timee
Then Mollie, his sweetheart, came
along and found John dying, and this
lS what she ID supposed TO have said:
6h. o.. lohni on. John! Why, did you 80
10 0o"n to the meadow for to NOW?
Sn, Nol!le dear. ! thought you llnowed
1t ~ao fathers hay and must be moved
About 1850 the following version war
sung at an Old Folks' Concert. u wau
sung az colo. and all the troupe Joined
III ths chorus:
On Springfield Mountain thsre did dwell
"A hlce young rnan---1 knew hin, wsils
Sing Tu-ri-lu ri i-tu-ri-lay,
Sing Tu-ri-lu ri-tu-ri.lay
On Monday morning he did 60