well they gave him his orders at monroe virginia saying steve you re way behind time this is not 38 but it s old 97 you must put her into spencer on time well he turned around and said to his fireman shovel in a little more coal and when we cross this big white mountain we ll watch old 97 roll it s a mighty rough road from lynchburg to danville and a line on a three mile grade it s on that grade that he lost his airbrakes you see what a jump he made they were goin down the grade makin 90 mile an hour when 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 the telegram come to washington city and this is how it read the brave engineer that run old 97 he s a laying in old danville dead now all you ladies we take a warning from this time now and learn never speak harsh words to your true loving husband