HOBO NICKEL "SET" - CASEY JONES - WALLACE SANDERS
Come all you rounders that want to hear The story of a brave engineer.
Casey Jones was the rounder's name,
On a six eight wheeler, boys, he won his fame.
Casey Jones mounted to his cabin,
Casey Jones with his orders in his hand
Casey Jones mounted to his cabin,
And he took his farewell trip to that promised land.
Shortly after midnight on April 30, 1900, the "Cannonball" left Memphis, Tennessee with Jonathan Luther "Casey" Jones at the throttle. Trying to make up time in the run from Memphis to Canton, Mississippi, Jones has run through a stop signal when a freight train came into view crossing the tracks in front of the "Cannonball". Realizing that a crash was inevitable, Jones ordered his fireman to jump clear just before the "Cannonball" rammed into four cars of the freight train. Jones was killed in the crash.
The early 1900s were a period of expansion for railroads across the country and train wrecks were almost a daily event. The brief account of the crash of the "Cannonball" that appeared in the Memphis Commercial Appeal mentioned the engineer's death, but it was not considered a major news story.
The tale of the ill-fated "Cannonball" would have ended on that April night in 1900 if not for a friend of Jones' and the popularity of Vaudeville. Wallace Sanders, an African American engine wiper in Water Valley and a friend of Jones was deeply moved by the engineer's death and composed "The Ballad of Casey Jones" as a tribute to his friend.
IN MY OWN TRIBUTE TO CASEY JONES and WALLACE SANDERS, I HAVE CARVED THE "LIKENESS" OF EACH OF THEM ON BUFFALO NICKELS.
"Casey" is signed on the reverse with my G hanging J and is numbered with a 5. "Wallace" is signed and numbered 5A. The Wallace nickel has been "toned". It is not as dark as the scan makes it appear. (I apologize for the poor scan quality. I don't think my equipment is as good as it needs to be.)
Bid what you think they are worth, and I hope you enjoy owning them as much as I have enjoyed carving them.
I will provide the bid winner with a signed "clean" printout of this page to go along with this set. Someday it may add to their value!
Thank You for bidding and I want you all to know--
Member OHNS