But still a maggot, in his head,

Told Sam he was a ninny,

To spend his life in twirling thread,
Just like a spinning Jenney.

And if he would become renown'd,

And live in song or story, 'Twas time he should be looking round For deeds of fame and glory.

'What shall I do?' quoth honest Sam, 'There is no war a-brewing;

'And duels are but dirty things,

'Scarce worth a body's doing.

'And if I would be President, 'I see I'm up a tree,

"For neither prints, nor Congress-men, 'Have nominated me.'

But still that maggot in his head

Told Sam he was a gump, For if he could do nothing else,

Most surely he could jump.

Aye, right, quoth Sam, and out he went,
And on the bridge he stood,

And down he jump'd full twenty feet,
And plung'd into the flood.

And when he safely swam to land,
He stood there like a stump,
And all the gaping crowd cried out,
'O what a glorious jump.'

New light now shone in Samuel's eyes, His heart went pit a pat;

'Go, bring a ladder here,' he cries;

'I'll jump you more than that.'

The longest ladder in the town

Against the factory was rear'd,

And Sam clomb up, and then jump'd down, And loud and long the gapers cheer'd.

Besides the maggot in his head,
Sam's ear now felt a flee;
'I'll raise some greater breezes yet;
'What's this dull town to me?'

And off he went on foot, full trot,
High hopes of fame his bosom fired,
At Paterson, in Jarsay State,

He stopt awhile, for Sam was tired;

And there he mounted for a jump,
And crowds came round to view it,
And all began to gape and stare,

And cry, ‘How dare you do it ?'

But Sam ne'er heeded what they said,
His nerves want made to quiver,
And down he jump'd some fifty feet,
And splash'd into the river.

'Hoo-rah,' the mob cried out amain,

'Hoo-rah,' from every throat was pouring,

And Echo cried, 'Hoo-rah' again,

Like a thousand lions roaring,

Sam's fame now spread both far and wide,
And brighter grew from day to day,
And wheresoe'er a crowd convened,
Patch was the lion of the play.

From shipmasts he would jump in sport,
And spring from highest factory walls;

And proclamation soon was made,

That he would leap Niagara falls.

'What for?' inquired an honest Hodge,

'Why scare to death our wives and mothers?" 'To show that some things can be done,' Quoth Sam, as well as others.'

Ten thousand people thronged the shores,
And stood there all agog,

While Sam approached those awful falls,
And leapt them like a frog.

And when they saw his neck was safe,
And he once more stood on his feet,
They set up such a deafening cheer,
Niagara's roar was fairly beat.

Patch being but a scurvy name,
They solemnly did there enact,
That he henceforward should be call'd
'Squire Samuel O'Cataract.'

And here our hero should have stopt,
And husbanded his brilliant fame;
But, ah, he took one leap too much,

And most all heroes do the same.

Napoleon's last great battle prov'd
His dreadful overthrow,

And Sam's last jump was a fearful one,
And in death it laid him low.

"Twas at the falls of Genessee,

He jump'd down six score feet and five,
And in the waters deep he sunk,
And never rose again alive.

The crowd, with fingers in their mouths,
Turn'd homeward, one by one,
And oft with sheepish looks they said,
'Poor Sam's last job is done.'