Sugar in the Hold

This was a loading song for late nineteenth century steamships on the Mississippi River.  There have been several ships named the J. M. White, one of which was launched in 1876. It was a powerful boat, and the most advanced steamship in the New Orleans service.  Much of her loading technology was steam-powered.  She proved expensive to run and pushed the owner, Capt. John W. Tobin, towards bankruptcy.   She burned at the Blue Store landing in 1888, with the loss of 28 lives.


Sugar in the Hold

 
I wish I was in Mobile Bay, screwing cotton all of the day
But I'm stowing sugar in the hold below,
Below, below, below
 
    Hey, ho, below, below
    Stowing sugar in the hold below
    Hey, ho, below, below
    Stowing sugar in the hold below
 
The J.M. White, she's a new boat
Stem to stern she's mighty fine
Beat any boat on the New Orleans line
Stowing sugar in the hold below
 
The engineer shouts through his trumpet
"Tell the mate we got bad news.
Can't get steam for the fire in the flue"
Stowing sugar in the hold below
 
The captain's on the quarter deck
Scratchin' 'way at his old neck
And he cries out, "Heave the larboard lead"
Stowing sugar in the hold below