Ye Kelloe folks, list to my rhyme,
I will not dwell much on your time,
For all that I have got to say,
Belongs to Fifty score a day.

At two o'clock a.m. (sometimes before).
You hear a knocking at your door;
Get up my lads, and gan away,
And let's have Fifty score to-day.

Full well you know old Jackey's shout,
For he for years has gone about,
Knocking and shouting in this way,
Trying for Fifty score a day.

Each hewer from his bed must rise,
Put on his claes and rub his eyes,
Then to the colliery haste away,
To work for Fifty score a day.

Sometimes a man lays down his head,
And sleeps too long upon his bed;
But lads, this cannot be the way,
To get the Fifty score a day.

Into your places you must tramp,
With picks and drills and davy-lamps;
Some with jumpers, candle and clay,
Go in for Fifty score a day.

At half-past five the lads come down,
Some, perhaps, not quite so soon,
To put and drive the coals away.
And get the Fifty score a day.

At six o'clock the pit hangs on,
Horses and ponies then must run,
And engines must be put away,
For Fifty score we want today.

When Anty Cowley comes out-bye,
The shaft lads unto him will cry,
"Hang on the rope and rap away,
And let's have Fifty score to-day."

A shout is heard along the plane,
"Ahoy! What's up?" The sets amain;
Tell Harrison to come straight away,
Or we'll not get Fifty score to-day.

Perhaps a long set, with a thump
Has gone slap bang into the sump,
Which causes one and all to say,
"We'll not get Fifty score to-day."

If you step into Fenwick's engine,
You'll find him grumbling on and whinging,
"One set at once - let's have fair play,
Then we'll get Fifty score a day."

Where's Geordie Wharrior? Here he comes,
To guide the rope along the drums;
He carries a pinch, for that's the way,
He helps the Fifty score a day.

Another boy, called Joseph Raine,
He at the rapper must remain:
Should he not rap, they soon will say,
"He hinders Fifty score a day."

Some other boys among the rest,
Must at the station do their best
To couple and send the sets away,
To get us Fifty score a day.

There's little boys the doors to keep,
Sometimes they're o'ercome by sleep:
"Come waken up" some one will say,
"And help for Fifty score a day."

Then there's some boys to grease the tubs,
Sometimes they give just single rubs,
And then the set halts on the way,
And hinders Fifty score a day.

There's Billy Atchison and his mate,
They widen the way, if it be straight;
We find them up the Alma way,
Trying for Fifty score a day.

The deputies, they are very kind,
The men and boys they have to mind;
"Gan on my hinnies, put away,
And let's have Fifty score a day."

There's Tommy Marr and Billy Hall,
They're ready waiting for a call;
Travelling about from way to way,
Trying for Fifty score a day.

Our viewer Mr Wood comes down,
If things are wrong, he'll be there soon,
And have them right and under way,
To get the Fifty score a day.

Then we have men to work the waste,
And many dangers they have faced;
But they are helping in this way,
To get the Fifty score a day.

Altho' the waste is very large,
Yet, Willie Laidler has the charge,
And Tommy helps him so they say,
To get the Fifty score a day.

There's Matt and Pete at the great fire,
They tease it up until they tire,
The wind then blows along the way,
They help for Fifty score a day.

The shifters they go down at night,
To timber the ways and keep all right,
They put and stow and clear away,
And help for Fifty score a day.

The deputies stop to draw the chocks,
Sometimes they find them fast as rocks;
But soon or late they must give way,
For we want Fifty score a day.

Where's Billy Brown? Oh! Here he comes,
To grease the rollers, sheaves and drums;
And if he once should stop away,
He'd hinder Fifty score a day.

The horsekeepers I must not forget,
They twice a day go down the pit,
To give the beasts their corn and hay,
To get the Fifty score a day.

Sometimes when things are going well,
A story someone comes to tell,
"The harvey cage is off the way,"
This hinders Fifty score a day.

One day, I knew not what was the matter,
At the harvey side, I heard a clatter,
The plates in the cage had given way,
We didn't get Fifty score that day.

Misfortunes often will occur,
Sometimes a joint begins to roar;
For Robert Bullock, send away,
For fear of Fifty score a day.

There's Bridges and Wilson, Campbell and Barry,
They run the tubs about in a hurry;
The coals slide down the screens away,
That comes from the Fifty score a day.

In the south-side engine, there I view
Tommy Ross and Hedley too,
With Billy Bolam, too, they say,
And all for Fifty score a day.

Five men to keep the boilers right,
Three through the day and two at night;
"Keep up the steam," the brakesmen say,
"And let's have Fifty score a day."

The weighmen, also, do their share,
For every day they must be there,
To weigh the coals that comes away,
And count the Fifty score a day.

There's Charlie on the screens, I spy,
A tub's laid out, he lays it by,
Threepence is off a man that way,
While trying for Fifty score a day.

But Fisher, as he walks about,
Has heard the boy the number shout,
Then goes to see the tub fair play,
And helps for Fifty score a day.

Screenmen and underkeepers, too,
Have each their share of work to do,
They screen and send the coals away,
That's got by Fifty score a day.

Some boys on to the trucks are sent,
To pick our brasses, stones and splint;
And here we all must join and say,
They help for Fifty score a day.

But I have not yet got them all,
Some boys there are who put the small,
They push the tubs along the way,
To get the Fifty score a day.

Jack Sanderson, likewise his mate,
I hope they will not lie too late,
To bring the trucks up the railway,
To get us Fifty score a day.

James Wharrior, at the bottom of the bank,
One day he had a broken crank;
They mended it and gat away,
To get us Fifty score a day.

There's Coxon and Golightly, too,
Difficulties they help us through;
"Their plans are all drawn right," they say,
"To get us Fifty score a day."

There's Laverick at the gangway end,
He's stationed there the tubs to mend,
That have got broken on the way,
While carrying Fifty score a day.

Blacksmiths and joiners at command,
At work they go, both heart and hand;
The buzzer's gone, so work away,
And let's have Fifty score to-day.

The masons we must not pass by,
Should wall give way, for them we cry;
Hindmarch must come without delay,
And help for Fifty score a day.

There's Mick and Tom, I have gone past,
But here they are, they come at last,
They sharp the picks in their good way,
To hew the Fifty score a day.

The lampmen, too, must have their turn,
They trim the lamps to make them burn;
Were they not there with truth I say,
We would'nt get Fifty score a day.

There's Barrett, too, I must not pass,
For he's the man that makes the gas;
And if it does not burn up well,
To Fifty score, we bid farewell.

At five o'clock the pit will stop,
And then the work is counted up;
And Robert Humble, perhaps will say,
"We have'nt got Fifty score to-day."

And now, kind friends, my rhyme is done,
(Perhaps you think its not too soon),
But just before you go away,
Another word I wish to say,
About this Fifty score a day.

Unlearned tho' my rhyme appears,
Throughout the piece one fact is clear,
In matters either great or small,
We each require the aid of ALL.

And if we each on each depend,
While on this earth our time we spend
Should not our rule and motto be,
To live in love and unity?

Far from us, then be jars and strife,
Let peace and concord mark our life;
And let us all now join and say,
Hurrah! For Fifty score a day.