Come daan fra Lockertaan lads bi thi’ railway;
Come wi’ yor wives, yor dowters, an’ relatives,
Shout, lads, shout for the Worth Valley Railway.
Railway, railway.
Cum an’ hear Oufield mak his oration,
Yo’ll say in yor conshunce he spack it rait fairly,
He’ll say ’at poor Haworth never yet hed fairashun,
But he’ll speak of the thing that will flurish it rarely.
Railway, &c.
Saw ye Ike Ouden wi’ his mehogany wheelbarrow,
Cum dig the furst sod wi’ his spade o’ silver,
He wheel’d it daan th’ plank as strayt as a arrow,
An’ tipt it as weel as a navvy or delver.
Railway, &c.
Saw yo the church so anshunt in history,
Read yo the Latin words high in the steeple,
Hear yo the sounds that arose from the belfry,
It seem’d to be shaating along wi’ the people.
Railway, &c.
Th’ Railway wur i’ iverybody’s maath, wat wi singin’ an’ shaatin’, them ’at cud do northur wisper’d in one anuther’s ears – Railway. But gettin’ to whear th’ ceremuny wur to tak place, th’ proceshun halted an’ formed itseln into a raand ring, an’ cheers wur geen wi’ shakin’ hats an’ handkerchiefs, which lasted wal thair showders an’ arms warked wal they’d hardly strength to shut thair maaths an’ don thair hats on. But hasumever they managed to get reight agean, an’ then a parson call’d Ned Oufield gat up an’ made th’ following narashun —
Fellow countrymen an’ citizens o’ Haworth, it gives me gurt plezzure to see such a gurt event as this tak place i’th’ city o’ Haworth, namely, diggin’ th’ first sod o’ wat’s call’d Grand Trunk Line between Keighla an’ your native element, an’ reight pleased I am to offishiate as chairman on this occashun. Prehaps sum on you maint naw wat I mean wi’ yer native element; but I mean yer oud mountain side, ha naw yo like yer forefathers, yo love it dearly tho yer ancestors wur nowt but barbarians in th’ fourth and fifth centries, yet thay wur th’first to embrace christianity, which thay did in th’ year 600 be th’ Latin inscripshuns on th’ church steeple (loud cheers). And although yo been behind wi’ yor Railway, ye been up i’ different arts an’ sciences. Wot nashun my friends can boast of a majishun like yor owd Jack K-? (Loud Cheers). He wor a credit to yo’ all, an yo’ wur sadly indetted to him; he proffesied twenty year sin ’at this event wod cum to pass (a voice – ha wish he wur alive he sud be contractor), an’ if h’ed been livin’ to this day its a hundred to one but th’ Railwaw wud hev been made to sum weere else ner Keighla, for ha feel convinced et Keighla is not worthy of amalgamashun wi’ a rispectable city like Haworth. (Hear, hear.) For look wat insulting langwidj they’ve used to yo at different times. (Groans.) First, they sed yo mucked church to mak it grow bigger. Then yo walk’d raand taans post office at Keighla an’ thout it wur th’ cemetery, an’ to mak up for th’ lot, they call us wild craturs an’ mock wur pleasant dialect, wich is better English ner thairs. (Groans, which lasted for ten minits.) Yes, my fella citizens, yo’ve hed to put up wi’ a deal o’ slang fra theas uncultivated rascals. (We have.) An’ wats wur case nur all, you’ve hed to wauk, wet and dry, thro’ thick an’ thin, i’ all sorts o’ weather, to Keighla, wen you’ve wanted to go on th’ continent or to London. But soin yo can wauk slap to th’ train in a jiffey. (Loud cheers.) Mr. Oufield then thenkt his fella taansmen an’ wimen an’ ended his speech wi’ expressin’ his delight in th’ loyalty o’th’ people for th’ railway, an’ as th’ time wur fast waxin’ he begg’d leave to sit daan, which he did i’th’ midst o’ laad enthusiastic shaatin’.
This bein’ done, an’ iverybody gotten thair maaths shut agean, Ike Ouden gat up an’ made a speech, an a grand en it wur yo mind, for if th’ arkangel ’ad dropt strayt daan fra heven an’ let o’th top o’th platform, it cudn’t a suited th’ foak better, for he began as follows: —
Fella citizens an’ taansmen o’ Haworth, wen I see before me so many smilin’ faces an’ so many distingwisht citizens, I awn I felt a pang as to my unfitness for appearin’ afore yo on this occashun; but yor cummittee wor so urgent in thair appeal to me that I wur certainly induced to akcept th’ honor o diggin’ th’ first sod o’th’ Grand Trunk Railway, which will be th’ gratest blessin’ ’at iver will be i’ Haworth. But yet it’s nut for me to say wat is kalkulated or unkalkulated for th’ people o’ Haworth to do i’ th’ 19th centry, yet I may ventur to say ’at this glorious moovement na baan to tak place will shortly prove th’ greatest blessin’ iver witness in ’t city o’ Haworth (Loud applause). Look at th’ export an’ import of th’ city, an’ compare th’ spaven’d horse an’ cart wi’ th’ puffin willyhams an’ all th’ fine carriages. Look at th’ difference between wen it tuk a week to go to Liverpool an’ a month to London in a oud coach, an’ hev to mak wur wills afore we went. (Enthusiastic cheering.) Yes, my friends, we stood good chance o’ bein’ robb’d an’ plundered if net summat war. Besides, wat an immense diff’rence it will mak to Haworth, wen shoo can export her awn manufacturs to all th’ civilised an’ uncivilised world, an’ by means o’ steam find thair way into rejuns niver trod but bi feet o’ wild craturs an’ beasts o’ prey. But to makt story short ah mean to say it will be a grate comfort an’ a blessing to both th’ lame an’ lazey, an’ speshally to th’ latter. But as th’ time wur gettin’ on fastish, as it ollus does wen thare’s owt to be done, so Mr. Ouden finisht his speech as follows: —
Put yor shoulders to work an’ ne’er be danted,
Think yer behint an’ there’s no time to dally,
For na is the time yor assistance is wanted
I’ makkin yor railway along the Worth Valley.
Th’ Spring-head Band then played sum o’ thair favorite tunes, ‘Oud Rosen the bow,’ ‘Jessey’s Pig,’ an’ ended wi’ ‘God save th’ Queen,’ an’ all departed to thair homes wi’ smiling faces.