"I'M STILL IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING."

Otago Witness, Issue 2672, 31 May 1905, Page 75

"I'M STILL IN THE LAND OF THE LIVING."

Dear Dot, — Many and various have been my experiences since my la,st letter to the page. I shall start by taking you back to one Sunday about a month after New Year. The Sunday morning was fine and clear, and about 9 o'clock I was off on my way to Clyde. Going at about 12 miles an hour I got to Clyde in nice time, and proceeded to hunt up a friend whom I had gone in to visit. I have already described the road to Springvale, and shall give you a description of it from Springvale to Clyde. From the former place there is a long hill to climb, and when the top is reached there is a. stretch of undulating country for about four miles and a-half, covered with sorrel and a yellow flow-er like convolvulus. The roads are fine and hard, but a bit dusty in the hollows. Just before Clyde cornea in sight there is a long steep hill to descend, at the foot of which one can see the Dunstan Hospital and the outskirts of Clyde. Another half-mile brings one to Clyde proper, and a pretty little place it is. Afte rdinner I had. a stroll round, inspecting the various spots of interest. I saw three dredges — viz., the New Vincent, the Unity, and the Matau, but I did not see any of them working. The Clyde bridge is a picturesque piece of architecture, and, taken from the far side of the river, makes a nice little photograph. The post office is a substantial little building, and reminds me of the Albany Street P.O. in Dunedin. The Council Chambers are well built, and are a credit to the architect from whose plans they were erected. The Dunstan Hospital is a fine big brick building, with extensive grounds and nice lawns and trees around it. I saw it only from the gate, so I do not have a fair chance of describing it. Anyone who takes the Dunedin Hospital as a style of what a hospital should look like from the outside could never mistake the Dunstan one. The chapel is a cosy-looking little structure with a red tile roof, and, along with the Presbyterian Church, gives the centre of the township a very fair set off. The hotels, too, would do credit to a township of double the size, and if the reports I hear are true, as I have not the Blightest doubt they are, they ar« very well managed. The private houses are all well kept, with nice gardens in front and trees to set them off. One in particular took my fancy. My friend lived in it, and I say without prejudice it is the prettiest place I have seen up here. A big grape vine hangs from the verandah roof and along around the big bay window to one side. In front of the house is a big piece of ground, with red clover in abundance, almost up to one's knees. A hose is playing continually on it, and is shifted about at various times of the_ day by the- mistress of the house. A nioe little bed of flowers just in front of the verandah makes the picture complete. I think, now, I have Clyde fairly well described to you, so I shall touch on other things.

This letter would have been written sooner, only various things kept me rather busy, the XJrincipal one being Otago's great winter industry, rabbit exporting. I got a position as driver of a collecting cart on tiio Ophir dia-

trict, and started niy duties about the end of March. I used to make a start off on my .ound about 7 in ihe morning my work conof examining and picking up^ the good rabbits from the trappers in the district and bringing them back to Omakau, where they were hung on rails, in a scrim shed, to be trucked for Cattleyards next morning. To give you an idea of my day's work, I send a little ditty I made up one mornino; in the hills. It is as follows: — — Lines Descriptive of My Day's Experiences on a Collecting Cart. — I'm living in country, miles away from town amusements. No more I have the picnics, nor Debating Club of yore ; I've to give up loafing, and to set to work in earnest, For I'm up among the bunnies, and my warcry's "Blood and fur!" I am driving of a rabbit cart, a one-horse 'bus it is, My seat it is a hard one, for the cushion's worn away. I am picking up the rabbits; I am classing and rejecting, And, begobs, I think I'm getting better at the game each day. At 5 o'clock each morning I get up out of bed, And go to feed my neddy at the cart; I go and have my breakfast, then I yoke him up, And by 7 we have made a decent start. We cut down through the township, across the river-bed, And up among the hills at lightning speed, Pick up six hundred rabbits, come back to get them off, Then home again to have another feed. By jingo! we're good feeders, my big black horse and I, What we- eat would keep a- dozen of our size . But, all the same, we need it; for the work we have to do The feeding could not well be otherwise. When we've polished off our dinners, we're away again like smoke, To gather up two hundred rabbits more ; Wo go round among the trappers, we sling the bunnies on, And back again to get them off at 4. When at last the cart's unloaded our long; day's work is done, I put my neddy in the paddock for the night, I march into the kitchen, at the table I down, And put another big meal out of sight. Each day's work it is the same, no matter how you take it, Saturday's a holiday, but Sunday's like the rest. You may class me ns a heathen, you may look at me with scorn, But of all th" wori- I've " '~-1 it'<= " best. Till about the beginning of May my daily total average was some 800, and then it got down to 300 or 400. On the 15th May I went my round for the last time, and brought in 61, the least I ever had for a day. That afternoon I packed up "bluey" and drove my cart in to Alexandra, where I expected to get about a fortnight's more work. On the Tuesday one of the drivers went into Clyde with a load of timber, and boss and I went with him. We went up the Earnscleugh Flat, and as the morning was nioe and bright, we had a tiptop drive. Up along the flat, past the cemetery and the racecourse, we went. On one side of us lay the Molyneux and on the other a long, low range of hills. On past the Perseveranoe Foundry and the three dredges of the same name, on along the bank of the Molyneux till we came to what is called Muttontown Gully. Here the brake must be put on. How this gully got the name I was not able to learn. About a mile more and we were in Clyde. We took the timber off, had dinner, and went away back to Alexandra. That night I had to help to load the waggon which takes the Alexandra rabbits from the depot there to Omakau. This waggon leaves Alexandra at about 10 p.m., and, travelling all night, reaches Omakau at about 4.30 in the morning. Here two men are waiting to start loading them on to trucks along with the Omakau rabbits, to go off with the goods train at 9 o'clock. There are two brothers who take turn about with their waggons from Alexandra to Omakau, one going down one night and the other one the next. I wa.3 In Alexandra from the Monday night till the Friday night. I had a very good time, nothing much to do, and heaps of time to do it in. The boss and I left about s 'o'clock, and, driving in,- got -to Omakau at 7.30. Since I came back from Alexandra I have not had much to do, and I am in hopes of getting down to the winter show. I hope there are a very large number of country L.F. in Dunedin, and that the winter group and subsequent social will long continue to be annual events. With kind regards to all D L.F., not forgetting Dot and the editor, — Yours truly, INDIAN CHIEF.