Finnigin to Flannigan

S. W. Gillilan

Superintindint wuz Flannigan;

Boss of the siction wuz Finnigin;

Whiniver the kyars got offen the thrack

An' muddled up things t' th' divil an' back,

Finnigin writ it to Flannigan,

Afther the wrick wuz all on agin.

That is, this Finnigin

Repoorted to Flannigan.

Whin Finnigin furst writ to Flannigan

He writ tin pages—did Finnigin.

An' he tould jist how the smash occurred—

Full minny a tajus, blunderin' wurrd

Did Finnigin write to Flannigan

Afther the cars had gone on agin.

That wuz how Finnigin

Repoorted to Flannigan.

Now Flannigan knowed more than Finnigin—

Had more idjucation—had Flannigan;

An' it wore 'm clane an' complately out

To tell what Finnigin writ about

In his writin' to Muster Flannigan.

So he writed back to Finnigin:

"Don't do sich a sin agin!

Make 'em brief, Finnigin!"

Whin Finnigin got this frum Flannigan,

He blushed rosy rid—did Finnigin;

An' he said: "I'll gamble a whole moonth's pa-ay

That it will be minny an' minny a da-ay

Befoore Sup'rintindint—that's Flannigan—

Gits a whack at this very same sin agin.

From Finnigin to Flannigan

Repoorts won't be long agin."

Wan da-ay on the siction of Finnigin,

On the road sup'rintinded by Flannigan,

A rail give way on a bit av a curve,

An' some kyears went off as they made the swerve.

"There's nobody hurted," sez Finnigin,

"But repoorts must be made to Flannigan,"

An' he winked at McGorrigan

As married a Finnigin.

He wus shantyin' thin, wuz Finnigin,

As minny a railroader's been agin,

An' the shmoky ol' lamp wuz burnin' bright

In Finnigin's shanty all that night—

Bilin' down his repoort, wuz Finnigin.

An' he writed this here: "Muster Flannigan:

Off agin, on agin,

Gone agin.—Finnigin."