All aboard! all aboard! <br />The hissing breath of the iron steed <br />Proclaims his wish to be quickly freed; <br />And soon as the stroke from the bell we hear, <br />He springs at the touch of his engineer, <br />And a way we glide <br />O'er prairies wide, <br />Through verdant vales, <br />And mountain dales, <br />To the last great chain, <br />Which has striv'n in vain <br />With the Lightning! the Lightning! <br />the Lightning Palace Train. <br /> <br />Forgetting far Atlantic, <br />And midway scenes romantic, <br />We scale the peaks gigantic, <br />Which guard the Land of Gold: <br />Here silver rills are leaping, <br />Here lovely lakes are sleeping, <br />And snowclad granites keeping <br />Their "watch of years" untold. <br /> <br />We sing a wond'rous story, <br />No nation sang before! <br />A Continental Chorus, <br />That echoes either shore: <br />We sang it on the summit! <br />We sing it on the plain! <br />We've climbed the Grand Sierras <br />With the Lightning Palace Train, <br />With the Lighning! the Lighning! <br />the Lightning Palace Train. <br /> <br />All aboard! all aboard! <br />No toil can tire our important steed, <br />So once again will we test his speed! <br />How quick is the wish of our hearts obey'd! <br />He starts at the turn of the downward grade, <br />And again we glide <br />By torent side, <br />O'er trestl'd deeps, <br />Through tunel'd steeps, <br />While the victries wane <br />Which they sought to gain <br />With the Lightning! the Lightning! <br />the Lightning Palace Train. <br /> <br />'Neath timber'd roofs unending, <br />From winters snows defending, <br />Through canyons wild descending <br />To the City of the Plain: <br />We leave the scenes terrific, <br />We pass the fields prolific, <br />And view the broad Pacific-- <br />The Golden gated main.<br /><br />Henry Clay Work<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/crossing-the-grand-sierras/
