

Transcribed from the 1902 (10th edition) by David Price, email
ccx074@pglaf.org.  Many thanks to Local Studies, Bradford Central
Library, for allowing their copy of the pamphlet to be transcribed.

                        [Picture: Pamphlet cover]

TENTH EDITION.

                      [Picture: Decorative divider]





                              Th' HISTORY o'
                             HAWORTH RAILWAY
                                 FRA' TH'
                          BEGINNIN' TO TH' END,
                          WI' AN ACKAANT O' TH'
                            OPPNIN' SERRIMONY.


                                  --o--

                         Bi Bill o'th' Hoylus End.

                   [Picture: Decorative image of a cow]

    On hearing this, the Haworth foalk
    Began to think it wor no joak,
    An' wisht' at greedy kaa ma' choak,
    'At swallowed th' plan o'th railway.

                             PRICE ONE PENNY.

                                * * * * *

                                KEIGHLEY:

           BILLOWS & CO., PRINTERS & BOOKBINDERS, 16, HIGH ST.

                                   1902
                            Telephone No. 224




PREFACE TO THE TENTH EDITION.


The Author of this well-known, amusing, and celebrated pamphlet was born
on the 22nd March, 1836, at a place midway between Keighley and Haworth,
called Hoylus End in a simple cottage near the Whins Delf, at the
terminus of the quaint old hamlet known as Hermit Hole, in the Parish of
Bingley.  He began early in life to write songs and uncouth rhymes, and
even as a boy He wrote satires so caustic that they are remembered even
to the present day.

However, the Haworth Railway cropped up, and this found him ample food
for his pen; and as this is the Tenth Edition of the work it is clear
that it is still in popular favour.




Th' History o' Haworth Railway,
FRA' TH' BEGINNING TO TH' END.


                      [Picture: Decorative divider]



CHAPTER I.


Before I commence mi short history o' Haworth Railway, it might be as
weel to say a word or two abaat Haworth itseln.  It's a city at's little
nawn, if onny, in th' history o' Ingland, tho thare's no daat but it's as
oud as Methuslam, if net ouder, yet wi' being built so far aat o' th'
latitude o' civilised nashuns, nobody's scarcely nawn owt abaat it wal
lately.  Th' faanders of it is sed to be people fra th' Eastern
countries, for they tuk fearful after em in Haworth i'th line
o'soothsayers, magishuns, an' istralegers; but whether they cum fra th'
East or th' West, thay luk oud fasun'd enuff.  Nah th' city is situated
in a vary romantic part o' Yorkshur, an' within two or three miles o'th
boundary mark for th' next county.  Sum foak sez it wur th' last place
'at wur made, but it's a mistak, for it looks oud fashun'd enuff to be
th' first 'at wur made.  Gurt travellers sez it resembles th' cities o'
Rome an' Edinburgh, for thare's a deal a up-hills afore yo can get tut
top on't; but i' landing yo'd be struck wi wonder an' amazement--wat wi
th' tall biggens, monnements, dooms, hampitheaters, and so on, for
instance Church, or rather th' Cathedrall, is a famous biggen, an' stands
majestekely o'th top o' th' hill.  It hez been sed at it wur Olever
Cramwell that wur struck wi' th' appearance o'th' Church an th' city,
alltagether, wal he a mack a consented to have it th' hed-quarters for
th' army an' navy.

Th' faander o'th' Church is sed to be one Wang be Wang, one o'th' Empros
o' China as com ower in a balloon an browt wi' him all his relations but
his grandmuther.  Th' natives at that toime wur a mack a wild; but i'
mixing up wi' th' balloonites thay soin becum civilized and bigd th'
Church at's studden fra that toime to nah, wi'th' exepshun o' one end,
destroyed at sum toime, sum sez it wur be war.  Some sez West End an th'
Saath End wur destroyed, but its a mack a settled on by th' wiseuns it
wur witchcraft; but be it as it may, Haworth an th' foak a' together is
as toff as paps, an hez stud aat weel, an no daht but it wod a flerished
before Lundun, Parris, or Jerusalem, for centries back, if they hed a
Railway, but after nearly all Grate Britten an' France had been furnished
wi' a railway, th' people i' Haworth began to feel uneazy an' felt
inclined no longer to wauk several miles to get to a stashun if they wur
baan off like.  An' besides, they thout it were high time to begin an'
mak sum progress i' th' world, like their naburs i' th' valley.  So they
ajetated fer a line daan th' valley as far as Keighla, an' after abaat a
hundred meettings they gat an Akt past for it i' Parliament.  So at last
a Cummittee wur formed, an' they met one neet o' purpose ta decide wen it
wod be th' moast convenient for 'em ta dig th' first sod ta commemorate
an' start th' gurt event.  An' a bonny rumpus thur wur, yo' mind, for yo'
ma' think ha it wur conducted when thay wur threapin' wi' one another
like a lot a oud wimen at a parish pump, wen it sud be.  One sed it mud
tak place at rush-buren, another sed next muck-spreadin' toime, a third
sed it mud be dug et gert wind day it memmery o' oud Jack K---  Well,
noan et proposishuns wud do fur the lot, and there wur such opposishun
wal it omust hung on a thre'ad whether th' railway went on or net, wal at
last an oud farmer, one o'th' committee men, wi' a voice as hoarse as a
farm yard dog, bawls aat, "I propoase Pancake Tuesday."  So after a
little more noise it wur propoased an' seconded et Grand Trunk Railway
between th' respective taans of Keighla an' Haworth sud be commemorated
wi' diggin' th' furst sod 'o Pancake Tuesday i'th' year o' our Lord 1864;
an' bi th' show o' hands i'th' usual way it wur carried bi one, and that
wur Ginger Jabus, an' th' tother cud a liked to a bowt him ower, but
Jabus wornt to be bowt that time, for he hed his heart an' sowl i'th'
muvment, an he went abaat singing--

   Come all ye lads o' high renown
   'At wishes well your native town,
   Rowl up an' put your money down
         And let us hev a Railway.

   Wi' Keighla foak we are behind,
   An's hed to wauk agin wur mind;
   But soin th' crookt-legg'd ens thay will find
         We'll keep em wi' a Railway.

Well, hasumever, public notice wur made nawn, bi th' bellman crying it
all ower th' tawn, which he did to such a pitch wal he'd summat to do to
keep his hat fra flying off, but he managed to do it at last to a nicety,
for th' news spread like sparks aat of a bakehouse chimla; an' wen th'
day come they flockt in fra all parts, sum o'th crookt-legg'd ens fra
Keighla com, Lockertown and th' Owertown foak com, and oud bachelors fra
Stanbury and all parts at continent o' Haworth; foak craaded in on all
sides, even th' oud men an' wimen fra Wicken Crag an' th' Flappeters, an'
strappin' foak they are yo mind, sum as fat as pigs, wi' heeads as red as
carrits, an' nimble as a india-rubber bouncer taw; an' wat wur th' best
on't it happened to be a fine day; or if it hed been made accordin' to
orders it cudent a been finer.  Shops wur all closed, an' everybody, oud
an' young hed a haliday aat o'th' doors, for they were all flade o'
missin' th' Grand Proceshun, which formed itseln at th' top o' Wuthren,
when it wur messured it turned aat to be two miles six inches long--it
moved as follows:--


                             ORDER O'TH' PROCESHUN.


  Th' Spring heead Band wi' thair hat bruads turned up so as they mud se
                             thair way clear,

 Lord o'th' Manor i' full uniform a fut back bearin' th' Coat of Arms for
   Haworth a gert wild cratur wi' two tails on, one o' th' authur end.

Th' Members o'th' Corporashun one abreast, singin' "a nuttin' we will go,
                               brave boys."

                         Big Drums an' Triangles.

    A Mahogany Wheelbarro' an' a silver spade on a cart trail'd bi six
          donkeys, an' garded bi ten lazy policemen _all sober_.

                        A pair o' crakt bag-pipes.

   Th' Contractor in a sedan carried bi two waggoners i' white smocks.

 All th' young maidens fra fowerteen to thirty-nine, six abreast drest i'
                    sky blue, an' singin' throo combs.

                   Twenty oud wimen nittin' stockings.

 Twenty navvies i' thair shirt sleeves wheelin' barrows wi work tools in.

       Taan skavengers wi' shouldered besums decorated wi' ribbons.

 Bellman an' Pinder arm i'arm drest i' full uniform, an' th' latter na an
                then bawlin' aat waats baan to tak place.

 All scholars in th' female line lakin' at duck under water kit, an' th'
       males lakin' a frog-loup, an jumpin' o' one another's backs.

       Taan chimla sweeps mounted o' donkeys wi' thair face white.

 All th' furiners fra th' continent o' Haworth, and crookt legg'd en fra
                           Keighla followed up.

 Bulk o'th' inhabitants waukin' one abreast, wi' hats off an' singin' as
                                follows:--

   Gather fra Stanbury lads wi' yor carrot heds,
   Come daan fra Lockertaan lads bi