Folk & Traditional Song Lyrics www.traditionalmusic.co.uk Henry K Sawyer 
Henry K Sawyer 
It was on last Sunday morning of June the eighth day When Henry K. Sawyer from home went away When Henry K. Sawyer, a man of renown Took a seat on the tender to ride to Oldtown. 
'Twas down near Stillwater they ran off the track The wood on the tender struck him in the back The engine capsized and sad to relate Which placed this poor man in a horrible state. 
The weight of the engine confin-ed him down While steam and hot water gave him his death wound In this situation thirty minutes he lay Till at length they released him by digging away. 
And when they survived him, brought tears to their eyes His shrieks met the air, his poor groans met the skies He cries, "God have mercy and suffer my life And suffer me once more to see my dear wife." 
A car then was taken from the rear of the train And on this same car, the poor sufferer was lain Six men took the car and they ran it for their life And he did once more work and converse with his wife. 
They ran it six miles in three-fourths of an hour Until they were released by the strength of horsepower But when they arrived at the depot they saw His poor distressed wife standing in agony. 
There was many there collected to see his sad face Which pain would have relieved but it was then too late He was taken from the car, carried into a room And in a short time the poor man met his doom. 
This happened at seven, he expired at noon In the morning no one thought of his dying so soon He turned to his wife, saying, "Jane, I must die." With a calm resignation, he bade her goodbye. 
'Twas twelve years or better, he had worked on this track He never was known once a duty to lack 
Now think of his widow and on her distress And make her a present and God will you bless. 
DT #757 Laws G5 Incident happened on June 8, 1848 near Bangor, Maine. Sawyer worked for Bangor and Piscataquis Canal & Railroad Co. From Flanders, Ballard, Brown, and Barry, New Green Mountain Songster collected from Orlon Merrill. Printed in newspapers in 1932 and 1933. SOF oct96