Waxford Gal- Long Tom (WS) pre-1901 F. Dublin
[Excerpt from Repentance of Peshtigo Sam; from: Forest and Stream, Volume 56, p. 422 on June 1, 1901 in New York. The author of Repentance of Peshtigo Sam was Fayette Dublin, Jr. who was born in Janesville, Wisconsin, October 25, 1868. He was a student at Hobart College, 1887-'89 and a real estate agent in Mansfield, Missouri. 1888- 96.
The excerpt with ballad text appears at the bottom of this page. I'm not sure of the location of the informant but assume it's Peshtigo, Wisconsin and was collected there.
R. Matteson 2016]
"Waxford Gal" sung by Long Tom, before 1901, possibly from Peshtigo, Wisconsin as collected and arranged by Fayette Dublin, Jr. and published in Forest and Stream, Volume 56, p. 422 on June 1, 1901 in New York.
"O 'twas in the town of Eagle, O,
Where I did live and dwell;
'Twas in the town of Waxford
I owned a flour mill.
I fell in love with a Waxford gal
With a dark an' rollin' eye-ee;
I asked her for to be my wife.
Her wishes to comply-ee.
"I went into her father's house
About eight o'clock at night;
I asked her for to come an walk,
Our weddin' to app'int.
We walked an' talked along the road
Till we came to level ground.
When from a hedge I drew a stake
An' knocked this fair maid down.
"She fell upon her bended knees.
An' for mercy she did cry-ee,
Savin', 'Willie, dear, don't kill me here,
For I'm not prepared to die-ee.'
But none did I heed her pleadin',
An' I beat her all the more,
Till on the ground an' all around
Was strewn a bloody gore.
"I took her by her golden locks
An' dragged her o'er the ground,
An' threw her in the river
That ran through Waxford town,
Sayin', 'Lie there, lie there, you pretty fair maid,
Who was to be my bride;
Lie there, lie there, you Waxford gal,
To me you'll never be tied.'
"When this young man returned home
About ten o'clock at night.
His mother, bein' weary,
Woke up all in a fright,
Sayin', 'Son, O son, what have you done
To bloody your hands an' clothes?'
The answer that he gave to her
Was a bleedin' at the nose.
"He called for a candle
To light his way to bed.
Likewise a silken handkerchief
To tie his achin' head.
But tyin's an' all tanglin's,
No rest could this man find,
For the gates of hell before his eyes,
Before his eyes did shine."
___________________________________
Excerpt from "Repentance of Peshtigo Sam"
by Fayette Dublin, Jr. 1901
This is the song that Long Tom, the cruiser, sang with mournful cadence as he lay sprawled out upon his back in his bunk; some of his hearers listening with all due attention, while others soon drifted away into the land of dreams, lulled to sleep by the sound of the singer's voice.
"O 'twas in the town of Eagle, O,
Where I did live and dwell;
'Twas in the town of Waxford
I owned a flour mill.
I fell in love with a Waxford gal
With a dark an' rollin' eye-ee;
I asked her for to be my wife.
Her wishes to comply-ee.
"I went into her father's house
About eight o'clock at night;
I asked her for to come an walk,
Our weddin' to app'int.
We walked an' talked along the road
Till we came to level ground.
When from a hedge I drew a stake
An' knocked this fair maid down.
"She fell upon her bended knees.
An' for mercy she did cry-ee,
Savin', 'Willie, dear, don't kill me here,
For I'm not prepared to die-ee.'
But none did I heed her pleadin',
An' I beat her all the more,
Till on the ground an' all around
Was strewn a bloody gore.
"I took her by her golden locks
An' dragged her o'er the ground,
An' threw her in the river
That ran through Waxford town,
Sayin', 'Lie there, lie there, you pretty fair maid,
Who was to be my bride;
Lie there, lie there, you Waxford gal,
To me you'll never be tied.'
"When this young man returned home
About ten o'clock at night.
His mother, bein' weary,
Woke up all in a fright,
Sayin', 'Son, O son, what have you done
To bloody your hands an' clothes?'
The answer that he gave to her
Was a bleedin' at the nose.
"He called for a candle
To light his way to bed.
Likewise a silken handkerchief
To tie his achin' head.
But tyin's an' all tanglin's,
No rest could this man find,
For the gates of hell before his eyes,
Before his eyes did shine."
Long Tom's voice had grown drowsy and drowsier as the song progressed, and at this point died away altogether into an incipient snore. History does not tell what became of the man from Waxford town.