THE BATTLE OF THE CANS Fought in 1904

By Peter Rielly

October 1 1 , 1956

"lhe lobster claws and tails were picked And vacuum sealed in cans

Then packed in slatted shipping crates And loaded onto vans.

The horses pranced and whinnied loud As they danced on their way —

From Cable Head down from the shore To old St. Peters Bay.

The drivers sat aside their loads In glee and cheerful mind With valued cargo for the mart Thru contracts they had signed.

The factory workers on the shore

And the men who braved the breeze To trap the lobsters in their beds

Beneath the pounding seas.

All felt the pride of duty served In work they did perform

To glean the crawlers from the deep In hazards of the storms.

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The precious cargo reached the Bay Unto the bridges end

Where drivers met to “smile” awhile To rest and “elbow bend.”

The day passed in fast retreat As time sped on its way

Before they left the “Easy Speak” To go across the Bay.

When half way o‘er the wooden bridge

That causeway's to the train. They stopped their teams and bellowed out

Their challenge in refrain.

Get down and fight — you so and so As brothers sometimes do: Instead — they jumped upon Their crates And at each other threw.

The lobster cans they carried down From Cable Head that day —

Went bouncing off each other‘s head And floated in the Bay.