Well, they give him his orders at Monroe, Virginia, sayin?: "Steve, you're way behind time.
This is not thirtyeight; this is old Ninety Seven. You must put her into Spencer on time."
Ten they turned around and said to his black greasy fireman:
"Hey, shovel on a little more coal;
And when we cross that White Oak Mountain, watch old Ninety Seven roll."

It's a mighty rough road from Lynchburg to Danville a line on a three mile grade.
It was on that grade that he lost his air breakes, See what a jump he made.
He was goin? down the grade, makin? ninety miles an hour, his whistle broke into a scream.
He was found in the wreck, with his hand on the throttle, a scalded to death by the steam.

Then a telegram come to Washington Station, and this is how it read:
"Oh, that brave engineer that ran old Ninety Seven, he?s a lying in old Danville dead."

So now all you ladies you better take a warning from this time on and learn:
Never speak harsh words to your true lovin? husband; he may leave you and never return.
Poor Boy!

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