English poem
St. Boniface Fire Brigade
by Kate Simpson Hayes (1856–1945)
W'en you come wes' from de oder place An' you want sometings for see; Jus' come an' see St. Boniface An' I show you sometings, me:-- Dar's de Mission Church dat W'ittier sing---- "Turrets twain," wher' de peoples prayed; But dar's sometings we got better still---- Da's St. Boniface Fire Brigade!
Da's a g-rea-t Brigade;--has mans tree, four---- Married mans wit be-eg fam-i-lee; Champeau, Dorien, petite Lafleur, An' Jean Perriault (da's ME). Us mans we work like h--ll all day Wit de saw, de hammer an' de spade, But by gar, w'en de fire-bell she goes "ring," Da's de t'am we don't was 'fraid.
You hear dat ting 'bout d' beeg oil-house; Tree hundre' bar'ls cotch de fire? De smoke, mon Dieu! wit de flame go hup To de top of de be-eg church-spire;-- Lafleur's femme, she take de fit hon de floor---- Ma femme, she scre-ee-ch, "Saint Marie!" Hevery one yell--dat place look like he--ll, Ontil Dorien, Champeau, an' ME----
We fill hup de tank in de Red Rivaire---- Sacre! how de mans per--s--pire; De peoples go cra--ss--y; Winnipeg despaire; An' de bells dey ring, "F-i-r-e!--F-i-r-e." W'at you t'ink happens? You nevaire don't guess---- Notings like dat happens sence;-- De horse runs away--de hose it go burs'---- But we save de dog-poun' fence!
You hear w'at 'appens once in de place? W'en d' King's son he come Wes', All d' womans dress hup, wash d' baby face; An' d' mans put hon he's bes'. Winni-peg bow down t' George d' Prince;-- Put d' soldier-mans hon parade; But de Prince, he sick of d' whole dam' show, Hask: "WHER' ST. BONIFACE FIRE BRIGADE?"
Y--as, an' w'en d' heartquake shake Frisco, "Hend of d' worl'!" some sa-aid; I send telegraff (cos' me tree dollaire), "You like have my Fire Brigade?" Hon d' las' Election, in d' Town-Hall Laurier sp'ik; He sa--aid:-- "Gentilhomme! if--you--want--put--dat--bad--Tory--hout, Get St. Boniface Fire BRIGADE!"