When I left the States for Gold

When I left the states for gold, 
Everything I had I sold: 
A stove, a bed, and a fat old sow, 
Sixteen chickens, and a cow. 

Refrain: 
Oh, leave, ye miners, leave; 
Take my advice, kill off the lice, 
Or go up into the mountains. 
Oh, no, we've lots of dust, 
Going to the city to get on a bust. 

Off I started, Yankee-like, 
And I such fell in with a lot from Pike. 
It first was 'Back, ges!' then 'Whoa! haw!' 
A 'right smart chance' from Arkansas. 

On the Platto we couldn't agree 
Because I had this diarrhoe; 
We had a split-up, and I made a break, 
With one old mule for the Great Salt Lake. 

The Mormon girls were fat as hogs,
The chief production, cats and dogs. 
Some had ten wives, others none; 
Thirty-six had Brigham Young.