TWO LUCKY NAVVIES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8643, 2 December 1889, Page 2

TWO LUCKY NAVVIES.

Tue Melbourne Cup of 1889 has been lost and won. You wiJl have heard as much before, writes a correspondent to a contemporary, "Though Bravo did not cany much of the general public's money, he was heavily backed notwithstandidg. At one time 100 to 1 was freely laid ; one bookmaker plunging to the extent of £20,000 against him. When the Ballarut horse shortened in price this disciple of Benzon had to turn round and back him for all he could get. Two blear-eyed, undersized navvies, toiling away at borne railway construction work two thousand miles up in the northern territory, drew Bnvo in Sydney Tattarsal's sweep, the amount of which, I believe, is £50,000. They then lived with but one object, which was to get down to Melbourne to see the Cup run. They traversed the intervening distance \. ith an incredible amount of harhship. Besides using such luxurious means oi locomotion as steamers, railways, coaches, and saddle-horses, they tramped hundreds o± weary miles across the desert wastes of the northern part of the continent, sustained by the hope of what j lay before them. Not that they entertained any strong hope of winning the sweep, their idea being that in Melbourne they could manage to lay oii' so as to make certain of a cool thousand between them. I saw these two men both just before and immediately after the race. It was remarkable what a change those few minutes made both in their appearance and spirits. They had, apparently, remained on the hill outside till shortly before the Cup horses walked to the starting post, when, finding they had just sufficient money to obtain entrance to the stand enclosure, they rushed down to the saddling paddock at the last moment, and almost implored some of the bookmakers to help them lay off some of their immense stake. But the inetallicians were too busy concluding final wagers with more likely looking clients, and would have nothing to do with them. I shall not soon forget the look of despair on the men's faces as they sat down to watch a race, the result of: wliich meant either that they were rich beyond the dreams of avarice, or that thenweary toilsome journey and long months of anxious hope had been in vain. They almost collapsed when Bravo dashed in an easywinner, and later on they were behaving like excited children, telling everyone who would listen to them of their wonderful fortune and the trials which had preceded it. What £25,000 (if the amount is not overstated) will do for the two railway navvies it would be hard to say; but supposing they do not' lose the sweep ticket, or have it stolen from them during a drunken spree before they can claim their reward, the possession o£ such a sum of money will probably prove their ruin, for they appeared unfavourable specimens of a not at any time particularly favourable class. Needless to say they left the course a little bit elevated, though in this particular they were hardly to be distinguished from many who had not met with similar good fortune.