24B. Joe Bowers- Nestor (WV) 1926
24B- JOE BOWERS
Communicated by Mrs. Margaret Nestor, 0ceana, Wyoming County, 1926. Collected by Miss Grace Hurst.
My name it is Joe Bowers, I've got a brother Ike,
r cane fron old Missouri, just all the way from pike;
r | 11 te}l you why r left thsre and why r came to roam,
And leave ny poor old manmy, so far away fron home.
I used to oourt a ga1 thar, l:er nam was Sall1. BLack,
r axed her if shetd marry nre, she saict it was a whaok,
says she to rtrr'rJoe Bowers, before w hitch for rlfe,
You ought to get a ltttle home to keep your little wife.rf
"0h Sally, dearest Sal1y, oh Sally, for your sake,
rf lr go to callfornla and trl' to ralse a stake.'r
says she to tner "Joe Bowersr )orr are the rnan to win,
Eerer s a kiss to bind the bargair:rtf and she hove a cozen in.
I[hen r got into that countryr r hadnrt nary reds
r had such wolfish feetings r wished nryserf nost doad,
But the thoughts of rry SaIIy soon made ttren feelinr s git,
-and whlspered hopos to Bowers, r wish r had r em yit.
at length r went to miningr put in my biggest licks,
14ent down upon tho bouldersr just like a ihousand bricks,
r worked both late and oarry, in rainl in sun, in snovr,
r nras working for ny sarly, ttwas alr the san6 to Joe.
at length r got a l"ettor t'rom nay dear brother rke,
rt came fron ord llissouri, alr the way fronr pike,
rt brought to me the darndest new6 that ever you did hear,
My heart ls alnost bursting, so pray excuse this tear.
rt said that sal was false to lnr her love for me had fled"
Shetd got marrled to a butchor and the buteherts haiy was red,
And more than tha"b the Letter "qs,i,d, !.tf e enotrgh t* mlk* me swear,
That sally had a baby and ttre baby had red hain.
Now when r rve tolct you everything about this sad affai.r,
t Bout Sally rnarrying a butcher, that butcher vrith red hairo
But whether rtnras a boy or gar chiSd the letter nover said,
rt onry said the babyt s halr was inclinscl to be red.
Laws 814. See NC II 607.