The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1931-04-17

started north with a trail herd from
Matagorda Bay, Texas. We were win
terfng the herd on the Salt Fork OF
the Arkansas river on the border OF
Kansas and Indian territory, waiting
for the spring market to open at
Wichita.
zone Of the favorite songs Of the
cowboys in those days was called
The Dying Girls Lament the story
of a girl who had been betrayed by
her lover and who lay dying in hos
pital. 1 don't remember all OF the
song but it began something like this:
As walked down by St James hOspi-
tai
st. James hospital. so early one day,
ETC., etc.
II had often amused myself by try
ing to write verse and one dull winter
day in camp, TO while away the time,
began writing a poem which could
be sung to the tune of The Dying
Girls Lament I made it a dying
ranger or cowboy instead Of a dying
girl and had the scene in Tom Sher-
mans barroom instead Of hospital.
TON Sherman was a noted char
acter in the old cattle trail days, big
strapping fellow six feet six or six
feet seven tall, who first ran a dance
hall and saloon in Great Bend in 1873
and then moved to Dodge City where
he ran the same sort of place until
some time in the SOS. All of the cow
boys who came up from Texas knew
Tom Sherman.
after l had finished the new words
I sang it to the boys in our outfit
They liked it and began singing IL. Il
became popular with the boys in other
outfits who heard it after we had
taken our herd to market in Wichita
the next spring and from that time on
I heard it sung everywhere on the
range and trail"
So "The Cowboys Lament" is an
other example of a favorite cowboy
song which was an adaptation Of an
earlier ballad. Mr.. Maynard's version.
written in 1876 and thus antedating
other versions by five and possibly
ten years, had for it's first verse the
following:
As I rode down by Tom sherman's
barroom
BY Tom Sherman's barroom so early
one day,
There 1 espied handsome young
ranger
All wrapped in white linen, as cold as
the clay.
"I see by your outfit that you're a
ranger"
The words that he said as I went rid
ing by,
Come, sit down beside me, and hear
my sad story,
I'm shot through the breast and know
I must die"
CHORUS:
Then mufrle the drums and play the
dead march;
Play the dead march as I'm carried
along;
Take me to the churchyard and lay
the sod Ger me,
I'm a young ranger and know I've
done wrong.
The version of this song. as given
reprinted, starts out:
As I walked out in the streets of
Laredo.
As I walked out in Laredo one day,
1 spied a poor cowboy wrapped up in
white linen,
Wrapped up in white linen as cold as
the clay.
20, beat the drum slowly and play
the fife lowly,
Play the Dead March as you carry me
along:
Take me to the green valley, there lay
the sod DER me,
For I'm a young cowboy and I know
I've done wrong.
see by your outfit that you are
cowboy"
These words he did say as / boldly
stepped by.
Come sit down beside me and hear
my sad story;
was shot in the breast and I know
I must die"
From which it viii be seen that In
the years in which the fame of this
poor cowboy who done wrong" has
spread the scene of his untimely de-
mise has been changed to Laredo.
Texas. But before 1t Is too late, I
want to register this footnote to his
tory and say that 1t took place In
Dodge City, Kan-I / know, because
the man who killed him Tin a soug)
told me so!
ca. 1891. Western Newspaper Unioa-D