The Farmington Canal Song

Oh! Captain Dick's a gay old bird
Yes, he is, upon my word!
But that ain't no excuse
For his whiskers to be filled with terbaccer juice!

Click Webster never went to school
But he can drive any orn'ry mule.
He chaws terbaccer, he drinks rum
He can make a canal-boat hum!

The boat ties up at Whitin's dock
Two, three times a week, 'bout four o'clock,
Out comes Adney and old Eb too,
Gub FIomer, Bela, and the rest of the crew.

They pull and haul and cuss and swear,
Unload the cargo and then repair
To the store to licker up and smoke,
Tell tall stories, swap lies, and joke !

From Folk Songs of Old New England, Linscott
From Henry A. Castle, CT
note: The Farmington Canal connected New Haven, Connecticut and
Northampton, Mass. It was in use from 1828 to 1848. Captain
Dick Norton was the skipper. According to Mr. Castle, there
was no set tune. Ms. Linscott set it to "The Rout", or the
English "Girls and Boys Come Out to Play" RG

RG