THE FIZZER.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCIV, Issue 14453, 27 May 1911, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE FIZZER.

A STORY 01? LOCAL INTEREST, [Tho Fizzer" of this story was born in Ceraldino, and leaves two sisters 'u Chnstcliuruh and teveral relatives m South Canterbury. Tlio o.rcumstan:''s ot his death are narrated in a i einote.J The Fizzer was due at sundown, and for The Fizzer to be due meant that The Fizzer would arrive; and by 0 o'clock we had ail got cricks in our ueeks, with trying to go about as usual, and yot keej> an expectant eye on the north track. Tho Fizzer is unliko every typo of man excepting a bush mailman. Hard, sinewy, dauntless, and enduring, no travels day nfter day and mouth after month, practically alone —"one me Pat Malone," lie calls it —with or without a black boy, according to circumstances and five trips out ot his yearly eight, throwing dice with death along Ilia dry stages, and yet at all times as merry as a grig, and as chirrupy as a young grasshopper. With a light-hearted "So long, ihaps," he sots out from the Katherino on . his 1000-mile ride, and with » cheery "What ho, chaps! Here we are =gamt" rides in again within five weeks with journey behind him. A thousand miles on horseback, "on pie Pat Malone," into tho Australian interior and out again, travelling twice over three long dry stages and several shorter ones, and keeping strictly within the Government time limit,"/would bo a lifo ■experience t<v the men who set tliat limit—if it wasn't a death experience. "Like to see one of 'em doing it 'emselvcs," says Tho Fizzer, Vet never a day late, and rarely an hour, he does it eight times a vear, with ti "So long, chapa,"'and a "Hero wo are again." The Fizzer was due at sundown,'and at sundown a puff of dust rose on the track;.and as a cry of "'Mail oh!" went up a.ll around the homestead, The Fizay rode out of the dust.. "Hullo! What ho, boys," he snouted in welcome, and the next moment wo' were in the midst of his clattering team of pack-horses. For five minutes everything was in ooufusian; horse hells and hobbles jingling and clanging, harness rattling, aB horses shook themselves free and packbags, swags, and saddles came to tho ground with loud creaking flops. Every one was lending, a hand, and The Fizzer, moving in' and out among the lior.ws, shouted a medley of news and ■instructions and welcome

"News? Stacks of it!" he shouted. Thv Fizzer always shouted. "The gay time we had at "the Katherine! Here, steadv with tbat pacltbag. It's breakables! How's the raisin"market? Eh, lads," with many chuckles. "Sore back here, fetch along the balsam. What ho, Ch-2on!" as Ckeon appsared and greeted hira as an old friend'. "Heard you wore here. You're the boy for my money—you bally ass! Keep 'em bacic fi-om the water there." Tbi* Inst was for the black boy. It took discrimination to fit The Fizzer's remarks op to the right person. Then, as a packbag dropped at the Maluka's feet, he added —"That's tho station lot, boss. Full bags, Missus! Two on 'em. You will be doing the disappearing trick in half a mo'."

In "half a mo'." the seals were broken and the lnail matter shalcei? out on the ground. A cascade of papers, magazines and books, with -i lat, firm little packet of letters among them; 40 letters in all—3o of them falling to my lot—3o fat, bursting envelopes, and in another "balf mn'" "we had all slipped _ away in different directions—each with our precious mail matter — doing the "disappearing ( trick" even to The- Fizzer's satisfaction. Tho Fizzer smiled amiably after the retreating figures, and than went t.i be'entertained by Cheon. He expected nothing else. He provided feasts all along the route, and was prepared to stand aside while the bush folk feasted. Perhaps in the silence that fell over the bush homes, after his mailbags were opened, his own heart slipped away to dear ones, who were waiting somewhere for news of The Fizzer. After a full hour's silence the last written sheet was laid down, and I fouud the Jfaluka watcln'nn- and smiling

•'Enjoyed your trip south, little .in >" lie said, and I came back to the bush with a. start,' to find the supper dead cold. But then supper came ..very night, and The Fizsser once in 42 At the first sound of voices Chuon bustled in. "New-fellow tea, 1 think," he said, and bustled out again with tir* teapot (Cheon bad bad "many years' experience of hush raaildavs) and in a fen- minutes the unpalatable, supper was taken away, and cold roast beef and tomatoes stood in its place After supoer, as wo went for our evening stroll, we stayed for a little while where the men were lounging, an 1 after a general interchange of news Jjio Jfcizzors turn came. _- : >Jcws!'' Pie had said be, had stacks or it, and he now bubbled over with V - ,T, h ° ''. ors ? ' tcn,ns v "ore "iust behind, ami tno Maes almost at the iront gate. The Sanguine Scot o 0'" course ho was all. right: always was, out reckoned hultjci-pmicliijig" wasn't nil it was cracked up to be "thought lus trouble-; were over when ho t-ot out of tlie ,-:in(]y country, l„,t hadn't reckoned on the Mark foil Hats "Would not be surprised if he t,;ok to punching something «].■-,■> besides Inil'-opks before he's through with it," The Fizwr shouted roaring with delight at the recollection of the Sanguine Sent in a tight place. On and on be w-iit with his news, and for two hours afterwards as we sat choiring the end of our mad matte-, we could hear him laughing and shouting and "chincking." At daybreak he was at it a>»nin, shouting among his horses, as lie culled his team of "done-uos" and soon after breakfast ra at tlie head of ' tlie south track with all aboard "So long, chaps," he ealied. "See yon again half-past *!ev:n four week=" and by "half-past 11 four weeks" he would have carried his precious frebdifc oi letters to the yearning, wai+intr m»n and women hidden away in the'lifart o! Australia, and he nut again I,'ulmi with inside letters for the outside world. '• P

At all seasons or the year he calls the first 'juu miles of his'trip a "k.a's •jam j." "Water sumewJioi« nearly c\ery day, antt a decent camp mcc nights.-' Aim, although lie spanks of the next 150 as uemg a "bit our duriiv the dry," he tac-es its 75-mUcs dry stage s.tting lcowiy m the .-xadille uitn the same cheery :'So bug, chaps/ five .inks to - g . a t a pace up >_ a drink, and then that 75 miles of dry with any "temperature they can spare Irani otnor parts," and not one orop ol water m all its length for the hors- , Straight on top of that, w.th the samj ho.ses and the same temp.ratme, a. rTtf iv i n;les ' mul,s dr °i'P=d at .New Castle Waters and another run of 50 into Powell's Creek, dry or otherwise according to circumstances "Takes a bit of fizzing \ 0 „ et ... tn + li~ 1 C , foCU into t.te J on ell before the fourth sundown" 1 he F.zzer says- for, forgetting that le-ivUm + ' n ° ( c!lnil t- of horsel, and leaving no time tor a "spell" after the - m !f dr >'. —the time limit for Ihat mile" ,f'l " l "• etnuitr - v "-l'">-o four , ■'", Jl "'"' , 13 Rood travelling on roads, has been feed at tin o° a,„l ; '«'■ days. "Four, they .-all it " ■ ; ays lhe F.zzer, "forgettin,, I ~„■, leave the water till mid-dav. Takes a bit. ot tizzmrr all rirdit" : and ; o t ir

Powell's Crook no one hai Jet discovered ■vvluillwr 'J'ho Fizzer ccuius al. sundown, or the sun jjoeu tio'.vii when The luKsur comes.

'•A bit <.!!'/' lie calls tliat stage, with a schoolboy shrug of hii shoulders; hut at Kenimi-'o springs ! AI miles father on the -buuldors set, square, and the man cimcs to the wirl'jw*. The dicothrowing b[,gin,s there, and the stakes nil, high—a, loan's hio aga.nst a man's judgment.

Seme, pcoplo speak of Tho Fizzer's luck, una say ho'il pull through, if any one ean. It is !uca, perhaps—lint not, in the sense, tlijiy mean—to have the keen judgment to know to an" ounce ivJiat a horso has left in hiin, judgment to know when to stop and when to "0 on—for that is left to The Razor's discretion; and with that judgment the dauntless courage to go on with, and win through every task attempted. ike Fizzer changes horses at lteuners .Springs for th e "down trip"; and as his keen eyes run over tho mob h.'s voice ran« out their verdict iike an auctioneer's hammer. "He's fit So is he Cut that one out. That foil's Al • Ihe chestnut's done. So is the brown. I'; " sI L tX l at marc - Tllfi "lack's too tat No hesitntinn ; horso nfter horse rejected or approved, until the team is complete; and then driving them heore him he faces the Open Downs—tho U)k;ii Downs, wftere the last mailman perished: and only the men who know the Downs in the dry know what he faces.

I'or five trips out of the eight 130 miles of sun-baked, crab-holed, practically trackless plains, no sign of human habitation anywhere, cracks that would swallow a man— "hardly .enough wood to bod a quart pot," The Fizzer says, and a sun temperature hovering about lbOtlog. (there is no shade temperature on the Downs); sliadeless. trackless, sun-baked, crab-holed plains, and the Fizzor s team a moving speck in the £. ."? , oE au immensity that, never diminishing and never changing, moves onward with the team; an' immensity of quivering heat and glare, with that one tmy living speck in its centre, and in all that 130 miles one drink for the horses at the end of the first 80. I'hat is the Open Downs

I'i/z shouts The Fizzer. "That's where the real fizzing gets done, and nobody that hasn't tried it knows what

the afternoon then, unpacking his tairh Jf-1 I°"} lor a TOll and » P''<*, wliile ] le boils a quart pot" (Tho Fizzer carries a canteen, for himself); "spells" trivet ,11°., "iTv P 3^ B u P. a e^ n and J U '!!' '"« ht > loping to tho vague ;,'; Vi l a busbman'a instinct, "do'M,Koif,er x u , lilea bEfore daylight; unpacks for another sn-ell, pities the to feed "may -dose a bit with one r i;n^ ked ' and . «»» Packing 'up li.ncnes 'em along all day, and into The v- ' Cm a dn,,k nt tho well there" "•ell is old and out of ,-eri-i r nnfV i r«B on account of it loakin" a brt°" V., .trough, stuffed with mud Jo,,"e " I bv the resourceful Fizzer. Truly the Government is careful- for tb, J fot V of drink'tWtK h °T B so «>S» for a tfcVl ~ j* lo P OOI, brute s have +.> be tied up, and -watererd one at a ►W W '' t]i thiS ttat it tatai TI, T* il '° llS i an<l Wt the - "H»,i J ],l ?«s"s "luck." •* J-teal fino old water, too," Tl.nWnr t M'Blit spoil niy nalate for "T f « ft . *' I cany enough for the nhole trip from Hennpr's " Tin! FiL"" ?"T hav t left d< " e P linl * on J.h* Fzzjrs face, they have left nono in his heart. Yet at that well tfe SfeTthrowmg on iust t ,, e We _* a - ce ■ 3r "ybe The Fizzer feels a "bit '-tnoe>lor lus -perishing horses 90ft below the surface; or ';tU: llf?s ?n 01 the old windlass, and everything ,: e . f&" ! ° Fi T7 '•"K«'"tA«inst a mnulile, and death p'avW with ImuM d ce. And every lettw The m'Wic iw'+f PMt that IrelJ =*"» the" pnniK; just twopence =,v'il !lt i ll ! 3 , wel1 ' an *«-*iSht's n d-d .v to fa TO the tightest pinch of ii 7 I ,J - Wh -7 hcre *»* wn with' ougK. hard, blistering, scorching, "goTl,; "'n' ,Vo '" nnd i a <h4 horses. _ Jhe old programme all over again. llr ho,-,e ,T| m °r- e ' a " otllcr S P° U fol ' spoil ior bimselO, and then the last "■il™!! .' ''l- r!,n , into Anthonv's l-afcoon. "punchir." tho noor be gK ar» „ S o^? "K«P '«» point all ncht, r i: e-Fizzer says; "and if w )U Jhouki hapreu. to h 5 at Anthony's" on the .:.ay I r , a lw ;>„,,.<, y „, can vQur v.-arcn for 11 m tbn morning when"von' oSf* mo coming along." I have hoard somewhere of tho Prido »f Hiirnws. Sixteen days is the time limit ior. those 500 miles and vet The I'.Kzer in expected because The Fizzer is '-lik': and to a man who loves his -ir,;-iv?33 no praise could ho sweetEr than .hat. ~ erhaps one of the brinhtest tlKTiishts for The Fizzer, as he "pun'■lies ».!ong those dosoliite Downs, is t-i ■ Icnowkdge that a little before II o clock in the mornim; Anthony's w'l! come out, and, standing with 'shade.' eyes, will look through Ilje quivering heat, away in the Downs for that tiny rnov.ng sp oo l c . v\T ]]en Fizzer .-^ late there, death will have won at the dice-throwing. I suppose he got a salary. No one over troubled to ask. He was expected ami he came, and in our selfishness wo or! not concern ourselves beyond that. —l'rom "We of the Never Never," hv Mr- Aeneas Gunn.

[Hie Denuty-Postmaster-Genera! ;,t Adelaide received a telegram on Mie nUi instant that "The. Fizzor" (Mr. Henry V. Peckham) and three othir '.uropenns ]i:ul been drown-d at Campbell's Spr.ngs, Victoria River distp-t, Aorthern Territory. He had last toe. contract that he had for twenty years lev running the mails 320 miles between the ICatherine Diver and Powell's Creek at the end of last rear, end ha,.' entered into a fresh c ntract for L'S* miles between the Katherine . :.d \ irtona.River. He left Victoria Don-is' station (as telegraphed by Mr Townsend, the oivncrt on his usual dav, but .111 getting to the crossing of the river round it. too high to 'cross, so iie wait.-d, and tried next dav. with fatal re-nits. His little black 'boy was the onh nerson near at the time. From wll at 1 can gather from him, tlicv out all the pack-horses in, and tried to drive across on tlieir riding horses. Two horses with packs on crossed, and two other horses with their packs got back on the same side Peckham and his horse parted, and both were swent downstream. Tlie boy trot across and unpacked the two that had crossed, swam back, and unoackixl the other two. then looked foPeckhani. but eonl.-l not find him. .so came on to A ictoria Downs Stat'on T and several blacks went .1 .wn tVs moraine- The natives round Pe.-kham's riding horse drowned w'th snddl™ and bridle on. ah.iut a mile bc-low the ero-'a-

ing. Oi; the following morning the body was recovered floating on the hide of the river, .some distance from tho crowing. Tho native boy stales Peckliarn told him to wive the mails. '•Can n.it be helped if I. drown," were, his last words to 1].,, I,„y.j