“The Bigler's Crew”

Description

The Bigler sets out for Buffalo from Milwaukee. A number of minor incidents are described, and the Bigler's lack of speed sarcastically remarked upon: "[We] MIGHT have passed the whole fleet there -- IF they'd hove to and wait"

Notes

According to Julius F. Wolff, Jr., _Lake Superior Shipwrecks_, Lake Superior Port Cities Inc., Duluth, 1990, p. 42, a ship named _J. Bigler_ was lost near Marquette, Michigan in 1884, but he was unable to find many other details. I have no idea if it is the same ship, but it was on the right lakes at about the right time. - RBW

Same tune

• The Crummy Cow (File: HHH501)
• The Light on Cape May (File: Doe130)

Cross references

• cf. "The Light on Cape May" (tune, lyrics)
• cf. "The Crummy Cow" (tune)

Recordings

• Stanley Baby, "The Trip of the 'Bigler'" (on GreatLakes1)
• Sam Larner, "The Dogger Bank" (on SLarner02)

References

1. Laws D8, "The Bigler's Crew"
2. Rickaby 47, "The Bigler's Crew" (1 text)
3. Dean, pp. 19-20, "The Bigler's Crew" (1 text)
4. Warner 19, "Jump Her, Juberju" (this version rather heavily folk processed); 20, "The Bigler" (2 texts, 1 tune)
5. Creighton-Maritime, p. 141, "The Cruise of the Bigler" (1 text, 1 tune)
6. Lomax-FSUSA 46, "The Bigler" (1 text, 1 tune)
7. Sandburg, pp. 174-175, "Bigerlow" (1 short text, 1 tune)
8. Colcord, pp. 200-202, "The Cruise of the Bigler" (1 text, 1 tune)
9. Shay-SeaSongs, pp. 105-108, "The Bigler" (1 text, 1 tune)
10. Botkin-AmFolklr, pp. 843-845, "The Bigler's Crew" (1 text, 1 tune)
11. DT 611, BIGLRCRW*
12. Roud #645
13. BI, LD08