TALES FROM THE LAND OF LIGNITE, GOLD, AND BARREN HILLS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2272, 16 September 1897, Page 50

TALES FROM THE LAND OF LIGNITE, GOLD, AND BARREN HILLS.

«. Br T. Bend.

[All Rights Reserved.] V.— THE LAST SPREE OP PRINCETON THE HATTER. I would rather be druuk than aw«k». — Chinese Poet. When I first knew Princeton 1 he was employed as rac3 caretaker on the Excelsior Company's headrace at Wai-rsgronga. What he had previously been doing was known wholly to none except himself. Being of a morose and reticent nature, he made very few friends ; yet those he did make always spoke well of him, and excused his temper on the strength of a etory, which went to show that it had been soured, partly by adversity, but chiefly through the untimely death of a girl of whom he was passionately fond. It was said that Princeton when well, to do in Victoria had become engaged to a very fascinating young lady who lived up Gippsland way. The date of their wedding wai fixed, and he was on hia way to marry her, when she unfortnnately got a sudden and severe attack of fever. Hearing of this on the journey, he rode night and day till he reached her bedside, arriving only in time for her to breathe her last in bis arms. How far this may have been true none of his friends could say. Anyhow, one thing was certain — Princeton could when he chose to be sociable converse on topics that were out of the reach of the majoiity of his fellows, and this fact gained credence for the statement that adversity had something to do with the taciturnity that was mostly habitual with him. For a man of solitary habits, race caretak-> ing in the locality of the Excelsior Company's headrace was a jgb that was eminently suitable ; but for one at all sociably inclined, be his ignorance ever so dense, it was almost maddeniDg. Most of Princaton's predecessors quickiy found this out, and were glad to leave the billet for another, even if worse paid. Amoog the minority who stayed any length of time one became insane ; the others, being perhaps better qualified by Nature for the job, left it mentally unimpaired, but none expressed a dee ire to go back to it again. , The osretaker'rf hat on the Excelsior race was situated on the slope of a lofty hill overlooking a gorge between it and another directly opposite. Not a solitary habitation lay within miles of the hut, and the outlook from it was one desolate monotony of barren brown mountain slope and scrub-covered guUy- ; Excepting the man who brought up provisions to the caretaker about once a fortnight, no one ever called at the hut, so its loneliness would have satisfied even the most solitary of hermite. To enable him to carry out its daily inspection the race- man had to provide himself with a horse, as the race covered a distance of about 14 miles ; and besides looking after it during the day his duty often involved a journey at night, particularly in stormy weather, aloDg its irregular and occasionally precipitous course to repair a break. A false step in the dark on such an occasion would perhaps be sufficient to scad him tumbling head over heels down the mountain Bide into eternity. Notwithstanding its solitude and other disadvantages, Princeton put in a good long spell on tha Excelsior without once taking a trip into the township that lay far away and invisible below it. 'Tis true he had books packed up to him from time to time along with bis tucker, and they, no doubt, had helped him to forget his surroundiogs ; but there is a breaking strain ! to every rope, and so with a man's endurance. Princeton's breaking strain was reached at last, and when that happened he rode into the township and began a Bpree which lasted a fortnight, and ended in an attack of delirium tremens. It is said that drink revea's the real nature of a man. If such is the case, then Princ ;ton's real nature must have been excessively sociable, for, after his first few nips, he grew eager to converse with and " shout " for everyone he met — so much bo that by a good many he soon got to be looked on as an insufferable nuisance, while, on the other band, the few " dry idlers " and veteran loafers of tbe town considered him a 1 God-send, and made the most of his generosity. He bought fruit and confectionery for all the children he came across, and, during the sarly days oE his spree, was quite a hero in the estimation of the youngsters. After a while, however, his drunkenness became so objectionable tbat no one, even amoDg the children, would go near him; and then the hotelkeepers refused to lodge him, so he shifted his quarters to one of the loose boxes of a livery stable in the town. The owner, happening to find him lying diunk therein, gave him into the custody of the only constable of the locality, who took him into the presence of the local J.E. The latter fined him as heavily as possible, and cautioned him to clear out, threatening to ir.flict a heavier punishment if he again appeared before him. After that he took to wandering round the surroundiDg hills, only coming stealthily into the township after dark to replenish hie supply of whisky, and sleeping under ledges of rock or any other slight protection the hills afforded. What he had to eat while living thus was a mystery — he seemed to live solely upon liquor ; but so he continued to exist until the fortnight was within a day or two of ite close, when he returned to the town, and, to all appearances, began to sober up. When the last day of the fortnight arrived he looked decent enough, though he was extremely shaky, and glanced at one with a worried, inattentive expression. Towards the after-

noon he walked briskly to where his horse > was paddocked, saddled it, and rode off ab a gallop in the direction of Wills Creek — a township some 10 miles distant from the one he was leaving. A horseman who afterwards met him told that Princetonbad galloped past him, with wild, blazing eyes, minus his hat, and looking altogether like a raving lunatic. When Princeton reached Wills Greek he dismounted in front of a hotel there, went inside, and called for drinks for himself, the landlord, and a stranger who stood lounging at the bar. They, had these drinks, and Princeton was making a movement to leave when the stranger suggested another. This he at first refused, bat on being pressed repeatedly accepted. He raised .the glass to his lipF, but instead of drinking its contents, he, suddenly uttering a vicious oath, threw itssavagely atsomeimaginaryobject, and rushed out of the doorway. Thence he ran swiftly across the road towards a hillock owning a clump of stunted manuka, in addition to the usual tussock and matagauri — the hotelkeeper and stranger following in pnrsnit. When he reached the manuka clump he stopped, tore up the largest of its bushes, and began laying into a smaller one with it in an extremely vigoronp, though, very' ludicrous manner, shouting at the same time, " I'll murder you, you brate I"' " Ugh, you ngly scoundrel, you'll boss me, will you 1 " and other violent expressions. - . "What's the matter, old man ? "-asked the publican, on coming up to him, in a pacifying tone. " ' . " See that ugly little scoundrel of d dwarf there, with the tremendously big head ? " said Princeton, pointing to the bush he had just stopped beating;. " Yes," said the publican, thinking to humour him and get him away all the easier. " What has he done to you ? " Then Princeton told how the imaginary dwarf had followed him around Wai-ngronga into one of its hotels, and had perched himsslf on tl c bar counter, leering at him and tellirg him to take only certain drinks, regardless as to whether Princeton relished them or not. Feeling poweiless to disobey the dwarf, and not caring for this sort of tyranny, he decided to try and give him the slip. It was with this intention that be stole away from the hotel and saddled his horse ; but he had only just sprung into the saddle when the dwarf. came running up after him, telling him to hold on — that he intended accompanying him. At this Prir.ce ton set off at a gallop, but the dwarf increased his' pace, and gaining on him seized the stirrup and ran alongside. On the. way Pfinoeton'B hat fell off,, but ha wouldn't stop to recover it for fear, of giving the dwarf time to get his breath ; yet despil c this, and his further efforts to knock him up by galloping the harder, the latter kept the pace easily until they reached Wills CrBek, where Princeton, feeling thirsty after his hard riding, decided to stop ana get a drink. As be was dismounting the dwart cautioned, him to have one glass only," threatening .to make it warm, for him if he took any niore ; so, fearing the anger of his self-constituted master, he made up his mind to do as he was bidden. However, he afterwards found if so hard to resist the invitation of the s'ranger that he changed his miud, and was jast going to partake of the second nobbier^ when the dwarf put on a terrible look and made, a jump at him. Simultaneously he threw the glass at the head of the latter, but the dwarf ducked quickly and escaped his aim. Then laughing at him ironically, he ran from the hotel, telling Princeton to follow. Princeton followed with a yell of rage, and ran on as far as the bushes where the dwarf, pulling up, begun to poke fan at him and vex his spirit beyond control. " I was just laying into him," said Princeton to the publican, " when you came up ; but no matter how hard I hit, it didn'c seem to take any effect." " Look at him now, grinning like a baboon. By h " " Don't take any notice of him, old man," said the hotelkeeper, taking Princeton by the arm. " Dome along now, there's a good fellow, and we'll try and induce him to leave you alone." He and the stranger then walked, with Princeton between them, along to a hut in the vicinity cf the hotel, in which was a wooden bunk containing a couple of chaff bsga in lieu of a maftress. They motioned Princeton to a seat on these, but instead of takirg it, he began huddling himself tip. in a coruer of the hut, alternately cursing his enemy and pleading with bis companions to protect him from him. By-and-bye the landlord left him and got a neighbour to take his place, furnishing the latter with a small supply of grog, which he and the stranger afterwards administered in medicinal doses to their patient, while trying to pacify him and get him off to sleep. It was almost dawn when they accomplished this. Once cS, he slept soundly till late in the evening. After waking, he complained very little about the dwarf, and, thank* to a constitution hardened by rough life as well as by the bracing atmosphere of a mountain climate, was not long in reenperating entirely, though- for perhaps a week after sobering up he was exceedingly gloomy' and irritable. Princeton did not return to the Excelsior race, however. He took a job at a cHim somewhat nearer to civilisation, where a number of men were employed who most'y lived iv huts .adjacent to the workings. While there, as was his habit, he kept pretty much to himself, and for a good six months neither left the claim nor tasted a solitary glass of grog. Notwithstanding his abstinence he hadn't turned teetotaller ; men like him seldom do. They have their sprees periodically only — though not at any fired periods — and do not often go out of the way in search of liquor during the intervals. .But, just as the darkening of a cloud- heralds the approach of a storm, so dceB a fretfulness of temper proclaim the coming of the spree-time of the periodical dipsomaniac. > As the cloud grows larger and darker, so, too, increanes his longing, till finally some trivial excuse will furnish a pretext for knocking off work, and th«n away goes the I

worshipper of Bacchus to pay homage to hid god. , ■ ; ■ Princeton's excuse, when his next spreetims arrived, was absolutely childish, and prevented him from again obtaining employment at the mine aforesaid; so he lubaaquently turned '•' batter"— that is,, solitary miner — but pf that I will speak later* on. After throwing np his billet he departed to a neighbouring town which only boasted one hotel. The landlord of this — who was also storekeeper, baker, gold buyer, financier, chemist, insurance, commission, and general agent as well— being a teetotaller, and strictly averse to drunkenness • on his" premises, adopted an original method for keeping bis customers sober. Should one of them appear to be nipping out of reason he immediately began to pat him on an allowance of so matiy glasses a day, according' to wha^t he considered would be the drinker's capacity. It' was a. common thing, therefore, to see men rolling up 'at various intervals during the day for their respective doses ; and no matter how hard they begged and prayed for more, he never departed from the rule he had laid down as to the number of " nips " that any of them was to get. Oo account of this discipline, Princeton'? second last spree was a very tame affair, but the regime he had been subjected to enabled him to end his holiday in even better health than when he began it. All the claims being now fall handed, excepting that of his late employer^ who refused, to re-employ him, Princeton considered that there were only two courses left open to him to follow. One was to take up bia swag and tramp it in search of work, th« other to j^> prospecting around the neighbourhood. Electing to do the latter, he was lucky enough to strike payable ground after very little trouble, bat it haDpened to.be situated in an uninhabited fiat that was almost as lonely as the head of the Excelsior race. Nevertheless he pegged off a claim, and with the aid of a small creek near by, which gave him a supply of water sufficient for ordinary ground ilnicing, he worked a. paddock inexpensively for results that; ' proved even beyond his expectation*. It was with a light step, therefore, that Princeton repaired to Wai-ngronga to sell bis gold, though not, however, with the slightest intention of getting on the spree at the time; but as be was returning home ha fell in with a crony, and these twain mast: Deeds show their friendship for each other by getting gloriously drunk" together. For three consecutive days afterwards Priuceton kept drinking like a fish, for, being as the lion whose appetite has been aroused by. a taste of blood, he whb unable |to knock off until satiated. He was yet far from' satisfied, however; but his friends began to fear that, if allowed to continue, he | might get another, and perhaps woree, attack I of the " horrors," so in order to avert tuch a calamity they took out a prohibition order against bim. . • Finding after this had been done that he , could get'rio more drink at any ofthe hotels, ha racked his brains to think of a substitute that might- give him satisfaction. Methylated spiritß, he decided, would do this for him, so he bought a pint, of that ardent * liquid and .went into a but to demolish it on the quiet. AJjttje while later he was found lying on his back groaning with pain — the empty spirit bottle lying at bia elbow. ' Nothing daunted at this mfchap, when the paia bad left) him he went off to procure a further quantity of the spirit*, but bis request was refused on account of the result of his first purchase getting quickly noised abroad. Tdus he found himself again compelled to resort to another expedient, and in lieu- oC methylated spirits- asked for varnitb. This, however, being also refused, he sought 1o bribe his friends to bring bim something in the way of grog from the hotels or elsewhere on the sly. Hist-fforts in this direction proving fruitless he made several attempts to induce th« publicans to disregard the order and give hint the wherewithal to mollify his cravings ; but although. the way he begged of them, even far into the night — sometimes pleading, sometimes cajoling, sometimes cursing', sometimes crying out that he would die if long allowed to go unsatisfied, — was often pitiful and heartrending, they all remained obdurate, and. he was lorced again to fall back on his own resources, or go without his panacea. So he simply did what lots. o£ other drunkennnen had done before him when all else failed— turned thief. After watching till he found an opportunity' to get into a bar. unobserved, he stole on ,tiptoe behind the counter, took a bottle of whisky from on© of the shelves, and made off with the bottle undsr his coat. Then fearing ta linger in "the township, afr.er stealing the> whisky he departed hurriedly for his claim. Between the claim and a road pasßing a considerable distance below it- a long irregular " tailings " channel, of goodly width, wound its torbuouscourse towards. the river, into which its debris was discharged. It was necessary for Piicceton, after leaving the road, to cross this channel, and to enable him to do bo be bad made a temporary bridge ; but being now made drunk on .the stolen whisky, he forgot all about the existence of the bridge, and assayed to jump the channel. Two days later he was found lying dead in it, his nose partly eaten" off and one of his eyes gone. A rat was seen running off at the approach of his discoverers, and this little incident is remembered as well in Wai-ngronga as any other circumstance in connection with the last sprees of Princeton the " hatter."

— Master : "Do you understand the meaning of the terms capital and labour?" Small Boy : " Yes, air ; I know what it is. If a boy toboggans down a hill, that's capital. If another boy pulls the sledge up, that's labour."

Walter Bentley — you all know Walter — waa at his highest-one nighb in King Henry VIII at the Wellington Oper* House : Farewell, a long farewell, to all my greatness ! ThU is the state of man ; to-day be puts forth The tender leaves .of hope 1 : to-morrow blossoms And bears bi3 blushing honours thick upon him ; The third day comes a frost, a killing frost—— Voice from the gods (mimicking Walter) : "Then try Woojds's Great Peppebmint Gvex I " 16 brought down the hous*.