Sam Stone was a man
who lived off the land,
somewhere up north,
Kootenay Lake.

Now his size was huge
and his hands were too,
but his thinkin’ were
not too great.

Sam came for the gold,
by canoe, I’m told,
and he lived somewhere
up by Gerard.

He staked him a claim,
and he thunk on a name,
while a pickin’ and
diggin’ real hard.

Sam named it “Perdue’
and he hadn’t a clue
‘bout what was gold
or galena.

He dug, and he picked,
and he shovelled Perdue
till the summer return
of the steamer.

Then he bagged up his ore,
and headed to shore,
to bargain a ride
on the Moyie.

He’d head into town
to buy a new gown
for the love of his life
Lizzy Boyer.

When the steamer pulled out,
to an uproarious shout
from the folks a destined
for Kaslo;

There, over the stern,
in the paddlewheel’s churn,
was Sam in his
birch bark canoe.

The Steward came round
to Sam and he frowned,
as he shouted out
over the wake.

“Yer ore is not gold.
It’s worthless I’m told,
so, I’m turnin’ ya loose
in the lake”.

Then he hauled up Sam's line,
and he cut it quite fine,
with a knife that he
kept in his hat.

Now Sam, mortified,
looked up to the skies
and wailed, “What do ya know
‘bout that”!

Sam and his ore
started paddlin’ to shore’
‘cuz them waves was gettin’
real high.

But before he hit shore
the cold wind a roared,
and a lightening bolt
sizzled the sky.

The thunder that crashed,
tore a hole in his craft,
and the lake water
in came a gushin’.

Then Sam and his sacks,
filled by breakin’ his back,
to the lake bottom
all went a rushin’.

Before they went down,
Sam hollered out load,
“Dear Lizzy
I’ll never be home”!

Then they slipped ‘neath the waves
to the submerged caves,
where they let out
a final moan.

Now when boatin’ to town,
or fishin’ around,
keep yer eyes peeled
on them shores.

For Sam can be found,
a searchin’ around
for them bags
of worthless ore.