GREENFIELD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19001, 25 October 1923, Page 5

GREENFIELD.

AS IT WAS FOUND IN THE MID-FIFTIES. AND AS IT WAS LEFT IN 1905. (Written for the Otago Daily Times.) By An Old Pioneer. Y. In 1878, rabbits introduced themselves, and the extent to which they increased in a very short time was amazing. All sorts of devices were tried in the effort to check this wretched scourge. Trapping, ferretting, poisoning, dogs, guns, stoats, weasels—all these methods were adopted, but still the rabbits seemed to hold their own and they very materially reduced the carrying capacity for sheep. As many as 16 rabbiters were employed, each of them being assigned a block. A price was paid for fullgrowns, another for hnlfgrowns, and another for suckers, but it was soon seen that very few suckers were being brought in. From this it was quite apparent that the rabbiters were letting them grotf. Thereupon, a now edict went forth; ‘Now all you fellows will get a change of blocks every three months.” Then the suckers began to come in all right. The .next thing was that rabbiters desired to know the blocks to which they would go next. Presumably they desired to make arrangements with the men who would be vacating these blocks, “Oh,” they learned, ‘‘you will lie told the day before you have to shift." Needless to say, this being so, they snapped up everything in the way of rabbit life on the block they were on. The skins, after being dried on lines, were tied up in bundles, in each of which there wore supposed to be a dozen, and the bundles were counted to enable the men to got their tallies. The suspicion arose, however, that all might not be correct, and accordingly a count was made. A few bundles were opened from each man’s pack and counted, and sure enough there were nearly as many tens as twelves in a bundle. After this the bundles were locked up on delivery, and every man’s bundle was counted. The effect of this was that the men soon came to have the dozen in each bundle. The day on which the bundle came in was the last of the month, and they were counted on the first day of next month, on which day the rabbiters got their cheques. There were only three months in the year, when the fur was good, and it was only in these months that the skins paid their way. Upon the whole the necessity for rabbiting meant a dead loss of £6OO per annum to the station. On one occasion, when the tally was made up, the station had paid for 214.000 skins of all sorts, including those of suckers, which were burnt; and yet I have heard some people say that the rabbits were the best things brought into the country. The management of Greenfield did not think so —not by a very long way. In 1897, the boundaries, extending for miles, were wire-netted with rabbit-proof netting, at a very great expense. This chocked the inroads of the rabbits from adjoining neighbours. There were 200 miles of fencing on the estate, and 200 gates, mostly, iron. The fencing consisted principally of iron standards and Wooden posts, and, although well erected, it took a good deal of looking after, .is also did the gate posts, which got many a bump from drays with bad drivers.

There was always a cook and baker at the Homestead, where there were a brick oven, range, and requisites of the very best, and (here also was a cook at each of the two of these out-camps. The bread, mutton. vegetables, and other supplies were carted out to these camps twice a week, as well as apples when they wore in season. Bread being the staff of life, the main thing in this connection was to have a good baker. If a good one was prooured every inducement was offered to him to stay—rises in wages were granted to him and he was allowed to have all the waste fat to render down and self for himself. If. however, a spoiler came—poisoner, as some used to term the class—who wasted flour and gave dissatisfaction to all who wore dependent upon his cooking, then it wa-s “Quick march, and get out of this, short, sharp, and lively.’’ Often these orders of dismissal had to go forth, but in the main Greenfield was lucky in getting good tradesmen. Not only, however, had each tradesman to be up to his business, but he had also to be “boss’’ of his own show, for there are always growlers anywhere and everywhere you go, either by sea or land. There was once a sailor who asked the captain of a vesssel if there was any chance for him of a berth as an A.B. “Well.” asked the captain, “are you a good hand!” “Reckon so, skip.” “Well,” asked the skipper, “can you show me three ends of a rope?” “That I can, sir, easily.” Showing Jack a nice, new coil of rope, the captain said, “If you can show me three ends of that rope, I’ll ship you.” Unfurling both ends, he said, twirling one, “There’s one end, ain’t it, skip? And here's another, ain’t it?” “True,” said the master, “but where’s the third one?” Lifting the coil of rope up and throwing it into the sea, the sailor said, “That’s the third end. skip.” Needlesrito say ho was shipped as a very competent A.B. This is by the way, however. As the Irishman said, it's a poor soul that never rejoices— or, again, there was the Irish soldier who always had a growl on hand and was asked, “Now, Flaherty, what’s the growl now?” “Av ye plaza, sorr, they’re trying to cheat me out of the thick of the coffee, sorr.” On one occasion, at shearing time, too, there was very great discontentment among the shearers, rouseabouts, shepherds, etc., on account of the presence of a bad cook. One after another cook came up, who had been engaged in Dunedin, but each one was worse than his predecessor, and things were “just anyhow.” Two cooks were kept on, with still a horrible muddle, when one evening a swagger came along and asked if there w«os any chance of a job for a cook and baker. On being told there was and every chance if he really was a cook and baker, ho said, “That’s my trade, sir.’* “Then you can take charge here in the morning.” When morning came the “sub.” met this man having a walk and a smoke. “Are you not going to start,” he asked, “ns you promised?” “Oh, yes,” he said, “I’m quite ready to start when the kitchen is empty.” “Why,” ho was told, “I thought I would just let them help you to get a start in.” “Won’t do me, sir’; I must have the kitchen to myself before I start.” Then the other two were ordered to relinquish their work, this being at 8 a.m., just after breakfast, and “Cockney Bob” then took command. What a change at dinner-time—a well-cooked dinner, and the place spick and span, and that night a beautiful batch of bread was laid out from the brick oven, with buns to follow, unequalled anywhere, evoking great praise from all hands. This man saved his wages, and more,, not only by his avoidance of waste, but also by keeping the hands satisfied and content. He was absolutely one of the very best men I have met in that capacity. Ho stayed on for some years, with intervals now and again for his periodical sprees, at which he was quite as proficient as at his trade in the cookshop. Another case I -may mention, which bears some similarity to this last, relates to soms, years later. Things in the kitchen were going anything but well, after repeated trials of cooks, and there was a great deal of confusion. Along the road came a swagger, a rough-looking tyke he was, who, when he met the “sub..” asked if the “boss” was around. “Well.” said the sub.. “I’m acting for him.” “Then tell me.” said the swagger, “is there anv chance of a job as cook and baker?” “There is, if you really are n cook and baker,”—which his apnearanco certainly did not suggest. “That I am,” he promptly replied, “Well,” said the sub., “Til tell you what: I’ll ship you for the job at"— the wages being named —“on these conditions, that you give a trial of your abilities for one month, and if you are not satisfactory you will omit, but if you are satisfactory you will have to retain the post for 18 months.” “All right, sir.” the nrMi answered. “I’ll take it on.” On the following morning the sub. ushered him in to the kitchen, telling the “slushy.” who had' been professing to do duty, that this man was in charge now. Knowing ho could not fro from bad to worse, he chanced n change of any sort, and all at once “Bbishy” got a week’s notice to “hit the track ” “Fav, mate ” said “filushv.” “do you think .this is a fair go?” “What?” said the sub., “Terms of your engagement are a week's notice on either side, and you’ve got it from me now, but remember vou are second in command now; this man is cantain of the kitchen, and von have to do bis commands.” “Very well. I’ve done mv best to please.” “Well, I don’t think all hands, or any of them, would like to see your worst if what you have shown us is your best as you say,” Being asked his name, the now man replied, “Pat. M'Bheric from Cork. Ireland,” “Oh.” s-id the sub., “your nationality was very discernable. but that’s neither here nor there; your work is what’s wanted.”