CHAPTER III.

“Work boys, work, and be contented.”

Ha, its all varry weel for the poit to sing that, but if he hed a railway at stake he wud happen alter his tune, an espeshully if he wur an eye-witness nah, for th’ storm wur ragin at heyest, and the folks wur waiting wi’ pashent expectashun to knaw whether they wur bahn to be at an end or not, for th’ flooid wur coming dahn thicker an’ faster, and there look’d to be monny a hundred mile o’ watter in the valley. Hasumivver they muster’d all t’ energy they cud, for they wur determined to knaw th’ warst, so they went to see if they could find th’ oud weather gazer at hed proffesied th’ flooid; and after a good deal o’ runnin abaht, they fan him peepin thru summat at shap of a tunnel. Sum sed he wur lookin at th’ mooin, others sed he wor looking into futurity, hasumivver they asked him to come dahn an’ look at the railway, and tell em whether th’ flooid wur bahn to tak it away or not, but th’ saucy oud hound refused at first, for he said at he wur flaid at sum on em wodn’t be able to stand th’ shock if he tell’d em th’ warst, so th’ oud lad sed

If my advice yoh want, poor things, An cannut do withaht it, Go arm yor seln to th’ teeth, he sed, An’ doant be long abaht it; Both rakes an’ powls an’ props an’ ropes Yo cannot get ta sooin, An’ take the Cowinheeader’s plan When they discuver’d the mooin, Doant gape abaht, but when yor arm’d Take each a diffrent rowt; And let yor cry be ivvery man, Th’ poor railway’s up the spout.

It wurnt long afore they gat arm’d—sum wi clothes props, muk forks, ropes, and so on, and there wor some competition yo mind, for they wur all trying which could mak best movement so as they could immortalise their names it history of Haworth, for there wur one Joe Hobb, a handloom weaver, browt his slay boards, and as he wor going dahn th’ hill he did mak some manœvures, an’ talk abaht fugal men it army when they throw their guns up into th’ air and catches em again, they wur nowt to Joe, for he span his slay boards up an’ dahn just like a shuttlecock. But wal all this wur going on the storm began to abate, and th’ water seem’d to get less, but still they kept at it. Wal at last a chap at they call Dave Twirler shahted aht he saw summat, and they look’t way at he pointed, and there behold it wur won o’th’ ribs o’th’ railway sticking up (here a dead silence tuk place which lasted for abaht three hours) for nobody durst open their mahths, flaid a’th’ wind wud mak th’ current stronger, and sum at wimen held their tungs to that pain and misery wal their stockings fell dahn ower their clog tops; but hasumever th’ silence wur broken by a Haworth Parish chap at they call Bob Gimlet, he happened to be there and he said nah lads, look down th’ valley for I think I see th’ skeleton at onny rate, and Bob wur reight for it wur as plain to be seen as an elephant in a shop window.

And this wur a fact this wur th’ railway they saw, And at th’ first sight o’ th’ spectre they all stood in awe, For it wur smashed all i’ pieces ashamed to be seen As tho’ it hed passed thro’ a sausidge masheen; Wi horror some fainted, while others took fits, Aud these at cud stand it wur piking up t’bits.

But after a while when they all becum calm, They gathered together like bees in a swarm, Resolvd to pick up all fragments and th’ wood, And splice ’em together as weel as they cud, Hasumever thay started a putting it streyt, And wi’ spelking and braying they soon made it reight.

Six months nah elapsed and th’ gert job wur done, And th’ next thing to argue wur wen it sud run, So they sent Joe a-Stirks arahnd wi’ his bell, And gave him strict orders at he wur to tell, At th’ inspector hed been and examined it thro’, And cum to th’ conclushun et th’ railway wud do.

So to wark wi a vengance, the bellman set to, To warn up a meeting to meet a’th’ Black Bull, It wud dun yo all good to hear Joey shaht, For they heard him distinctly for miles all abaht, And i’ less ner ten minits, they flockt in so fast, While Jonny Broth horses they couldn’t get past.

So they fram’d on wi’ th’ meeting an’ th’ chairman spak first, And tell’d ’em at th’ railway wur finish’d at last; And declared at th’ inspector hed passed when he com, Both viaducts and bridges as sahnd as a plum; As for sinkin agean they wud do nowt et sort, For they sailed thro’ the arches i’ Marriner’s boat.

So he hoped i’ this meeting they all wud agree, And settle when th’ oppening o’ th’ railway sud be. He thout for his part tho’ he nobbut wur won, At first day o’ April wur fittest to run, Wen a voice sed, sit dahn or I’ll pelt thee wi’ spooils, Duz ta think at wur bahn to be April fooils?

Then up on to th’ platform jump’d Red Dicky Brook, Along wi’ his uncle Black Tom at Dyke Nook, Determined to sattle and bring things arahnd, As th’ railway wur finished both proper and sahnd; So they pitched on a day—this wur April the fourth. To oppen th’ grand railway fra Lunden to Haworth.

It wur carried as usual, bi’ th’ showing o’ hands, Amidst grate rejoicing and playing o’ bands, Both oud men and wimen hed a smile on their face, For all wur dead certain this wur bahn to tak place, So they fled to their homes like bees to a hive, Impashent and anshus for th’ day to arrive.

Hasumever th’ day com at wur menshun’d before, And folk wur all flocking fra mahntan and th’ moor, And little they thout when they set off that morn, Anuther disaster would laff ’em to scorn; For Joe Stirk wur sent out to tell ’em to stop, For poor Haworth Railway hed gotten i’ pop.

Nah this wur a damper and th’ biggest i’ th’ lot, And th’ folks they declared this wur a Keighley plot, But one Jack o’ Ludges sed he’d stop ’em their prate, He’d learn ’em i’ Keighley to insinuate, They’st hev no excurshuns for nout but their lip, And Shipley and Bradford should hev the first trip.

He sed he’d been quiet, but he’d nah interfere, He’d wauk up to Derby and tell em up there, Hah they hed been skitted, sin first they begun, And nah when this wur finished they wurnt to run; But hah he went on I never did hear, But won thing I’m certain he must a been there.

For th’ tenth day of April bills wur put aht, That th’ railway wud oppen withaht any daht, And a famous excurshun fra Bradford wod run, And call at all stashuns wi’ th’ excepshun o’ won; For nowt aht o’ Keighley to Haworth sud ride, For that day all th’ luggage wur left o’ won side.

Scarce Keighley crookt-legg’d ens heard o’ the news, And wur just bahn to give ’em the gratest abuse, When a order cum aht fra sum unknawn source, That Keighley crookt-legg’d ens cud go up of course, They thowt it wur best, and wud cause the least bother, For wun sud be welcum as weel as anuther.

Hasumever their hopes hes not been i’ vain, For the day’s arrived and yonder’s the train, And thahsands o’ folks is flocking to th’ spot, The gent fra his hall, the peasant fra his cot, For all are determined as th’ weather is fine, To hev an’ excurshun up th’ Worth Valley Line.

They land up i’ Haworth, and sports et is seen, Wur nivver yet equalled it reign o’ the Queen, Such processhuns wi music yo ne’er saw the like, They wur bands fra all nashuns excepting Black Dyke, And Sham o’ Blue Bills sed he’d kick up a shine, For nah they hed oppen’d the Worth Valley Line.

There wur Jim o’th’ Damems, and Will o’ th’ Gooise Coit, And the lads at wur in that puddin exploit, There wur Ned dahn fra Oakworth, and Ike fra Loin Ends, Along wi their aristocratical friends, They repair’d to Black Bull, of sahnd puddin to dine, That day at they oppen’d the Worth Valley Line.

I’ all nooks and corners and chimla tops, Wur floating gert banners wi’ mighty big props, And stamp’d on each flag i’ figures so nice, Sum an’ inscripshun and sum a device; But th’ nicest i’th’ lump at swung on a band, Wur welcum to Haworth fra ivvery land.

Yor welcum, yor welcum, all men upon earth, Yor welcum to the valley of Worth, Fra th’ Humber to th’ Mersey, fra th’ Thames dahn to th’ Tyne, Yor welcum to travel the Worth Valley Line.