Shoofly, The

DESCRIPTION: The singer sees an old woman lamenting, "Ochone! sure I'm nearly distracted! For it's down by the Shoofly they cut a bad vein...." With all the local mines closed, she and her family are in debt and out of work. She can only hope conditions improve
AUTHOR: Felix O'Hare
EARLIEST DATE: 1938 (Korson-MinstrelsOfTheMinePatch); reportedly written 1871
KEYWORDS: hardtimes mining
HISTORICAL REFERENCES:
1871 - Closing of the mine at Valley Furnace (in the Schuylkill Valley). The Shoofly colliery closed at about the same time.
FOUND IN: US(MA)
REFERENCES (3 citations):
Korson-PennsylvaniaSongsAndLegends, pp. 380-382, "The Shoofly" (1 text, 1 tune)
Korson-MinstrelsOfTheMinePatch, pp. 27-28, "The Shoofly" (1 text, 1 tune)
Scott-TheBalladOfAmerica, pp. 276-278, "The Shoofly" (1 text, 1 tune)
Roud #7720
File: SBoA276

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