John Ross- Golden (ME) c.1894 Eckstorm
[No date given, my approximation. From: Minstrelsy of Maine: Folk-songs and ballads of the Woods by Fannie Hardy Eckstorm, Mary Winslow Smyth - 1927. This is parody of "Lowlands of Holland" written by Dan H. Golden of Paisley, Scotland who came to Maine in 1865. It's about his wife and boss, John Ross.
R. Matteson 2015]
John Ross (Old Dan Golden- His Journey Out)- as sung by Dan Golden, in the late 1800s.
Now the night that I was married, oh,
And laid on marriage bed,
Up stept John Ross and Cyrus Hewes
And stood at my bed-head.
'Oh, rise, oh, rise, young married man,
And come along with me.'
'To the lonesome hills of Suncook
To swamp those trees for me.'
From the Franklin House we took the stage,
For Moosehead ?, did steer,
And I could not stop for thinking of
My charming Mary dear.
When we reached Moosehead
Our sorrows first begun;
Bold Cyrus Hewes was there,
The head leader of the men.
'Boys, tomorrow morning,
Let it be cold or warm,
A five-pound axe and your valise,
You shall start for the Grant Farm.'
Oh, when we heard our sentence
We all hung down our head;
Up stept bold Dan Golden then
And wisht that he was dead.
He says (spoken): 'I told you, if you'd go for Ross
He'd lead you a hard life;
And I wisht myself in Bangor
'Longside of my dear wife.'
Now atween Roach River and the Grant Farm
John Murphy's son played out,
And Dan Golden, like a loyal comrade,
Did see his journey out.
I says (spoken): 'Have You any matches?'
'And this night we will camp out.'
We hoofed it through, brave boys,
As you may plainly see.
If ever You see a smiling face
It was John Murphy's eldest son;
'Boys,' and says he, 'if ever I return to Bangor
A blacksmith I will be.'
Chesuncook is a lonesome Place,
I know there's snow on every tree ;
And a woe betue John Ross
For patting of my dear love and me!