ailwaw wud hev been made to sum weere
else ner Keighla, for ha feel convinced et Keighla is not worthy of
amalgamashun wi' a rispectable city like Haworth. (Hear, hear.) For
look wat insulting langwidj they've used to yo at different times.
(Groans.) First, they sed yo mucked church to mak it grow bigger. Then
yo walk'd raand taans post office at Keighla an' thout it wur th'
cemetery, an' to mak up for th' lot, they call us wild craturs an' mock
wur pleasant dialect, wich is better English ner thairs. (Groans, which
lasted for ten minits.) Yes, my fella citizens, yo've hed to put up wi'
a deal o' slang fra theas uncultivated rascals. (We have.) An' wats wur
case nur all, you've hed to wauk, wet and dry, thro' thick an' thin, i'
all sorts o' weather, to Keighla, wen you've wanted to go on th'
continent or to London. But soin yo can wauk slap to th' train in a
jiffey. (Loud cheers.) Mr. Oufield then thenkt his fella taansmen an'
wimen an' ended his speech wi' expressin' his delight in th' loyalty
o'th' people for th' railway, an' as th' time wur fast waxin' he begg'd
leave to sit daan, which he did i'th' midst o' laad enthusiastic
shaatin'.

This bein' done, an' iverybody gotten thair maaths shut agean, Ike Ouden
gat up an' made a speech, an a grand en it wur yo mind, for if th'
arkangel 'ad dropt strayt daan fra heven an' let o'th top o'th platform,
it cudn't a suited th' foak better, for he began as follows:--

Fella citizens an' taansmen o' Haworth, wen I see before me so many
smilin' faces an' so many distingwisht citizens, I awn I felt a pang as
to my unfitness for appearin' afore yo on this occashun; but yor
cummittee wor so urgent in thair appeal to me that I wur certainly
induced to akcept th' honor o diggin' th' first sod o'th' Grand Trunk
Railway, which will be th' gratest blessin' 'at iver will be i' Haworth.
But yet it's nut for me to say wat is kalkulated or unkalkulated for th'
people o' Haworth to do i' th' 19th centry, yet I may ventur to say 'at
this glorious moovement na baan to tak place will shortly prove th'
greatest blessin' iver witness in 't city o' Haworth (Loud applause).
Look at th' export an' import of th' city, an' compare th' spaven'd horse
an' cart wi' th' puffin willyhams an' all th' fine carriages. Look at
th' difference between wen it tuk a week to go to Liverpool an' a month
to London in a oud coach, an' hev to mak wur wills afore we went.
(Enthusiastic cheering.) Yes, my f