The first toast is:—
'Here's to old Vulcan, as bold as a lion,
A large shop and no iron,
A big hearth and no coal,
And a large pair of bellowses fall of holes.'
Then follows the song, 'Here's to the Jolly Blacksmith.'
The next toast is:—
'True hearts and sound bottoms,
Checked shirts and leather aprons.'
This is followed by a song:—
'Tubal Cain our ancient father
Sought the earth for iron and ore.
More precious than the glittering gold,
Be it ever so great a store.'[1]
The chairman rising, says, 'Gentlemen, I invite you to drink with me the toast of the evening, 'To the memory of 'Old Clem' and prosperity to all his descendants.''"
These customs have been observed by the Brighton Railway Company's smiths in recent years in celebrating the memory of 'Old Clem'; but lately the dinner has been transferred to Jan. 25th (the birthday of the poet Robert Burns) "out of compliment to their foreman, an Ayrshire man, whose birthday also occurs on that day."
Another toast used on these occasions is, "May the face of a bright hammer and anvil never rust for the want of a job."
A London smith says: "A supper is held at the White Horse, Castle Street, London (the latest in 1883), and one of the farriers is dressed in a new apron with gilt tags. The anvil is not now fired. There is a special drink at this supper, which is compounded of gin, eggs, ginger spices, &c. 'Old Clem' was the first man who ever shod a horse."
Mr. E. Packham (Messrs. Packham and Son), Brighton, writes as follows:—"About sixty years ago, when I was a child, I was present at one of the annual celebrations of the feast which was then held in our smiths' shop in Church Street (now the Foundry), the place used
- ↑ The writer has not yet succeeded in obtaining the complete words of this song.
