The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

JUMBO LYNCH

EVEN WHEN HE WAS A SMALL BOY, JUMBO WAS A POWERFUL MAN. AT THE AGE
O' TWELVE HE WAS DRIVIN' TEAM ON THE OLD WELLAND CANAL, PULLIN'
SCHOONERS FORRARDS AN' BACKARDS 'TWEEN PORT COLBORNE AN' PORT
DELHOUSIE.
ONE DAY HIS TEAM WAS PULLIN' A BIG SCHOONER INTO A HEAVY NOR' WIND.
THE TOW LINE PARTED UNDER THE STRAIN AN' THE TEAM PLUNGED FORRARD,
BREAKING THER FRONT LEGS ON THE HARD TOWPATH.
JUMBO PEELED THE HARNESS OFF THE HOSSES, GRABBED EACH ONE BY THE
EARS AN' WHIRLED 'EM AROUND HIS HEAD TILL HE HAD WRUNG THER NECKS,
JES LIKE YOU'D WRING THE NECK OF A CHICKEN. THEN WITH A NAG
THROWED OVER EACH SHOULDER, JUMBO TROTTED OFF DOWN THE TOWPATH TO
THA GLUE FACT'RY MOR'N FOUR MILES BACK AN' SOLD HIS HOSSES FOR A
DOLLAR A HEAD. THEN HE COME RUNNIN' BACK, GRABBED THE PARTED TOW
LINE, CAST A KNOB ONTO THE END OF IT AN' TOOK OFF UP THE CANAL
TOWIN' THE SCHOONER WITH ONE HAND.
THE CAPT'N TOLD EVERYBODY HOW JUMBO MADE THAT RUN IN TWO HOURS,
LESS TIME THEN ANY TEAM O' HOSSES!

Submitter comment: JUMBO LYNCH IS TO LAKES' SAILORS WHAT PAUL BUNYAN IS TO LUMBERJACKS

Where learned: NOT GIVEN

Date learned: NOT GIVEN