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Bargery Number 327
Music (Given or Suggested) No tune given
Printer or Publisher Unknown
Author Anonymous
Earliest Date 1847
Evidence for Earliest Date The reference to bank failures suggests that the song my a date from October 1847 - See [Note 327.1]
Source of Text English Folk Dance and Song Society Vaughn Williams Memorial Library Madden Collection (London Printers 8) [VWML mfilm No.81]
Where Printed London (see Comments on the Song)
Roud Indexed but not assigned a number
Variant Set No variants found
Comments on Song Although Madden believed this song to have been printed in London, the text suggests that it was written in the north of England. There are many typographical errors but the consistent use of "toth" for 'to the', and "throw" for through etc., suggest an attempt to render a northern English. Graeme Garvey, of the Yorkshire Dialect Society says that "'toth' is "the strongest clue to it being most probably from Lancashire. 'Ith clouds' in verse 5 is the best example. It means 'in the clouds' and is still a typical feature of such places as St Helens. There is a pub there called The Bird I'th Hand which of course refers to the old saying 'a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush'."
Source Title Railway Calls
Other Imprints No other imprints found
Origin Broadside

Railway Calls

Oh have you felt distress o' trade,
Or craveing [sic] hunger yet
If not I'll tell you soon you may,
Have pockets for to let
Free_booters¹ throw this happy llnd, [sic]
Such rabid strides they take,
That Brittons [sic] freedom toth¹ foundtation [sic],
Stone they now do shake. [Note 327.4]

CHOROS [sic]
For MONEY it is all the cry,
In Country and in town,
Trade's getting worse and Banks they say,
Are Breaking up and down [Note 327.1]
Bread has got cheaper else this winter,
Would some Thousands pall¹ [Note 327.2]
Work slack, low wage, yet still the [sic] must
Keep up they[sic] Railway CALLS¹

For railways throw [sic] this country,
Of late's been all the go,
Destress [sic] ef [sic] trade aud poverty,
Came marching on all so,
The Factorys working on short time,
Two three four days thats all,
and some are stop'd but still they must,
Keep up the Railway Calls

Fresh railways now they've got in vogue,
Such lots of money take,
Tradesmen drawing them to supply [sic],
As give they BANKS a shake,
Thinking of haveing [sic] quick returns,
Such havock [sic] they have made,
They cant find money for railroads,
And carey [sic] on with trade.

Railroad throw their enew,
But still there planing [sic] more
Thousands of Houses been destroyd[sic],
With streets nnd [sic] towns galore;
The land for growing Corn and Roots,
And Vegatubles [sic] all,
Will be destroyed as well as trade,
All throw this Railway CALLS

And railways now they've got in vogue,
Some thousands will dismay,
They'l [sic] have planed [sic] in such a stile [sic],
To run a cross the sea,
A chap as went up in the air,
One day in a Baloon [sic],
Said he saw them building one ith clouds,
As nearly reach'd toth Moon.

If chance they should make one toth moon,
Believe me its no lie,
Then trade with people live-ing there,
To carry on will try,
Exchange of goods for Bread and Beef,
Go up and back home soon,
If railways the [sic] could once but scheme,
To run up un toth moon.

If Architects their cold [sic] be found,
It would be something rare,
Could build suspension_railways¹,
That would carey [sic] throw the air,
Why breakfast one might get at home,
And Dine ith Moon, ding dong,
At night arrive in China and sup,
With the great Hong Kong.

And if one did not like that rout°,
Their [sic] then might be a chance,
follow Jeney_Lindº [sic] aud [sic] hear her sing, [Note 327.3]
Or larn [sic] the Boatman_dance¹,
If not content while flying throw the air,
All in the Steamer,
Might have a squint at Boneyºs tomb,
Pasing [sic] over St_Helena°

You may think the truth I have not told,
Theirs [sic] nothing like fair play,
The money gone trade should support,
In making of railways,
If one the could be fix'd ith clouds,
And Telegraph¹ all so,
How things went on ith tother world,
We then might get to know.

 

3 across Articles in this Category: click a link

Jeames of Buckley Square

bar553: Dates ----~1845|

 A poem satirising the participation of the servant classes in railway speculation

Rail, the Rail, The

bar321: Dates 1845~1856|

An unscrupulous dealer in railway shares

Railway Footman

bar329: Dates ----~1856|

A satire mocking members of the lower classes (personified as a domestic servant) who invested in railway shares.

Railway King

bar562: Dates 1847~1849|

In praise of Thomas Hudson.

Railway Mania

bar336: Dates ----~1846|

The singer warns of the consequences of the frenzied investment in railways.

Railway Stag, the

bar560: Dates 1846~1854|

After initial success, the hero falls victim to the speculative bubble

Study Economy

bar425: Dates ----~1845|

A young man ruined by railway speculation describes how he copes with poverty

Railway Calls

bar327a: Dates 1847~----|

Laments the financial consequences of Railway Mania.

Falmouth Railway Share Broker

bar119: Dates ~|

A broker sells shares he knows to be worthless

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