{
 "id": "james-mcintyre/father-ranney-the-cheese-pioneer",
 "title": "Father Ranney, the Cheese Pioneer",
 "ordinal": null,
 "subtitle": null,
 "poet": "James McIntyre",
 "poet_slug": "james-mcintyre",
 "language": "en",
 "book": "Musings on the Banks of Canadian Thames",
 "book_slug": "musings-on-the-banks-of-canadian-thames",
 "book_kind": "volume",
 "sequence": null,
 "container": null,
 "epigraph": null,
 "first_published": {
  "year": 1884,
  "venue": "Musings on the Banks of Canadian Thames (1884)",
  "note": "First located printing is this volume; an earlier periodical printing has not been established.",
  "uncertain": false,
  "sources": [
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_09542"
  ]
 },
 "source": {
  "kind": "standard-ebooks",
  "repo": "standardebooks/james-mcintyre_poetry",
  "file": "poetry.xhtml",
  "upstream": [
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_09542",
   "https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36068",
   "https://archive.org/details/cihm_11791"
  ],
  "rights": "public domain (SE dedication; underlying text pre-1931)"
 },
 "verification": {
  "level": "structural-only",
  "last_checked": "2026-08-20"
 },
 "stats": {
  "n_lines": 70,
  "n_stanzas": 14,
  "n_parts": 0,
  "longest_line_chars": 42,
  "max_indent": 1
 },
 "site_ready": true,
 "parts": [],
 "stanzas": [
  [
   {
    "text": "When Father Ranney left the States,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "In Canada to try the fates,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He settled down in Dereham,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Then no dairyman lived near him;",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "He was the first there to squeeze",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "His cows’ milk into good cheese,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And at each Provincial show",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "His famed cheese was all the go.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Then long life to Father Ranney",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "May he wealth and honour gain aye.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "He always took the first prize",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Both for quality and size,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But many of his neighbors",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Now profit by his labors,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And the ladies dress in silk",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "From the proceeds of the milk,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "But those who buy their butter,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "How dear it is, they mutter.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Then long life to Father Ranney,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "May he his health retain aye.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The farmers can not be beat,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "They have both cheese and their wheat,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Though now their greatest care is",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "For to watch o’er their dairies,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "They carefully fill their mows",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With provender for their cows,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And they thus enrich the soil",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "With much profit for their toil.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "We will sing this refrain aye,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Long life to Father Ranney.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "The motto “union is strength”",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Is carried out at length,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "In the most compact array",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "At every cheese factory,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "You’ll see without going far as",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "There is one kept by Harris,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The factory of Ingersoll,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Just out at the first toll.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "May he never suffer pain aye,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "The Father of cheesemen Ranney.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Or you may go all the way",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "To see one kept by Galloway,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And out in the Norwiches",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Dairymen are making riches,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And honor has been won",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "By Harvey Farrington,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "The same path is trodden",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "By folks about Culloden.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "May his strength never wane aye,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "The great dairyman Ranney.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And of late we saw some",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Very good cheese from Lawson,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "All around Mt. Elgin",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Dairymen have well done,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And out in East Nissouri",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "They make some scores a day,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "From Jarvis and Elliott",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Some good cheese are bought.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "And we will all remain aye,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "Indebted to Father Ranney.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "Now we close this glorious theme,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "This song of curds and rich cream,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "You can buy your hoops and screws,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And all supplies for dairy use,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Milk cans and vats, all things like these,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "In Ingersoll great mart for cheese,",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "Here buyers all do congregate",
    "indent": 0
   },
   {
    "text": "And pay for cheese the highest rate.",
    "indent": 0
   }
  ],
  [
   {
    "text": "So we call on you again aye,",
    "indent": 1
   },
   {
    "text": "To honor Father Ranney.",
    "indent": 1
   }
  ]
 ]
}