‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the pits
Not a crew man was stirring, no nitro cars were making hits
The rods and pistons were hung in their holsters with care,
In hopes that St. Garlits soon would be there;
Capps and Force were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of header flames danced in their heads;
And Alexis DeJoria in her ‘kerchief, and Del Worsham in his cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap,
When out on the strip there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the tower I flew like a flash,
flipped on the lights and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the freshly prepped track
Gave the luster of mid-day and hit my eyes with a smack,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature old digger, powered by eight tiny Hemis, oh dear!
With a little old driver, so quick like a starlet,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Garlits
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
“Now, Grippo! Now, Wickam! Now, Rourke and Chiluk !
On, Byrd! On, Liggett! On, Garrison and Nutting!”
To the starting line tree! To the top end of the strip!
We must leave the line hard, we have quite a trip!”
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With a blown Hemi on nitro, and St. Garlits too.
And then, in a twinkling, I smelled on the roof
A snoot full of nitro, it was the last bit of proof!
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Garlits came with a bound.
He was dressed all in black, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of parts he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes — how they twinkled! his demeanor so merry!
His headers were hot, they glowed like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a chassis pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He was short and stout, a right intimidating old elf,
And I stood at attention when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And rebuilt a blower; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his slingshot, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they launched off, with the ferocity of a missile.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night.”
Not a crew man was stirring, no nitro cars were making hits
The rods and pistons were hung in their holsters with care,
In hopes that St. Garlits soon would be there;
Capps and Force were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of header flames danced in their heads;
And Alexis DeJoria in her ‘kerchief, and Del Worsham in his cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap,
When out on the strip there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the tower I flew like a flash,
flipped on the lights and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the freshly prepped track
Gave the luster of mid-day and hit my eyes with a smack,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature old digger, powered by eight tiny Hemis, oh dear!
With a little old driver, so quick like a starlet,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Garlits
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
“Now, Grippo! Now, Wickam! Now, Rourke and Chiluk !
On, Byrd! On, Liggett! On, Garrison and Nutting!”
To the starting line tree! To the top end of the strip!
We must leave the line hard, we have quite a trip!”
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With a blown Hemi on nitro, and St. Garlits too.
And then, in a twinkling, I smelled on the roof
A snoot full of nitro, it was the last bit of proof!
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Garlits came with a bound.
He was dressed all in black, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of parts he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes — how they twinkled! his demeanor so merry!
His headers were hot, they glowed like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a chassis pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He was short and stout, a right intimidating old elf,
And I stood at attention when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And rebuilt a blower; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his slingshot, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they launched off, with the ferocity of a missile.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night.”
