Re: NNG ... aka Essex JUNCTION Steam Train . . . ??

BEAUTIFUL Photos, Warren -

Is the Essex in the railway's name perhaps the (in)famous Essex JUNCTION, subject of the following poem dating from the earliest days of travel by rail?

The Lay of the Lost Traveler
        By the Honorable Edward J. Phelps

"With saddened face and battered hat
"And eye that told of black despair,
"On wooden bench the traveler sat,
"Cursing the fate that brought him there.
"Nine hours," he cried, "we've lingered here,
"With thought intent on distant homes,
"Waiting for the elusive train,
"Which, always coming, never comes;
"Till, weary, worn, distressed, forlorn,
"And paralyzed in every function,
"I hope in hell their souls may dwell
"Who first invented Essex Junction!"

"I've traveled east; I've traveled west
"Over mountains, valley, plain, and river;
"'Midst whirlwind's wrath and tempest's blast,
"Through railroad's crash and steamboat's shiver;
"And faith and courage faltered not,
"Nor strength gave way, nor hope was shaken,
"Until I reached this dismal spot:
"Of man accursed, of God forsaken!
"Where strange, new forms of misery
"Assail men's souls without compunction,
"And I hope in hell his soul may dwell
"Who first invented Essex Junction!"

"Here Boston waits for Ogdensburgh,
"And Ogdensburgh for Montreal,
"And late New York tarrieth,
"And Saratoga hindereth all!
"From far Atlantic's wave-swept bays,
"To Mississippi's turbid tide,
"All accidents, mishaps, delays,
"Are gathered here and multiplied;
"Oh, fellow men, avoid this stop
"As you would plague or Peter Fink shun!
"And I hope in hell his soul may dwell
"Who first invented Essex Junction!"

"And long and late conductors tell
"Of trains delayed or late or slow,
"Till e'en the engine's bell
"Takes up the cry, `No go! No go!'
"Oh, let me from this hole depart,
"By any route, so't be a lone one!
"He cried with madness in his heart,
"And jumped aboard a train: the wrong one.
"And as he vanished in the smoke
"He shouted with redoubled unction,
"And I hope in hell his soul may dwell
"Who first invented Essex Junction!"

Any idea who the shunnable 'Peter Fink' is?  Maybe one of the earliest members of the Tea Party, or - almost as bad - a traitorous Tory??   In any event, since this is the only part of the poem which may cause confusion to a modern-day reader not familiar with the political history of the era, I humbly suggest editing the tenth line of the third verse to reference something perhaps more universally recognized as undesirable:

"As you would plague or Water'd Drink shun!"

{Added at 1:58 pm} Actually, the following variation rhymes even better:

"As you would plague or An Old Drunk shun!" *

- El Greengo Curmudgeoño de los Locos Viejos y Verdes
aka  Der DünkelOlivGrünDampfKesselMantelLiebHaber

* Especially if said drunk is wobbling down the main street of Virginia City, Nevada, on a cold winter's night after the sidewalks have been rolled up following the 8:00 pm curfew, warbling 'The Ballad of Festus Frothjaw' loudly and off-key . . .    



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 12/13/2016 12:22PM by Russo Loco.