I noticed several more. Eventually, their owners came up for air clutching computer cables. Though not the centre of administrative power, it was the site of great labour. Coal fields supplied the state with energy and railroad stock was first shipped up the Bremer river from England to supply the huge workshop. In comparison to the epic struggle of the railways, the labour involved in laying the tracks of this information network seems largely invisible.
Local history repeats itself.
First as labour and then as recreation. One of the highlighted events is the Silver Spike Contest, where participants practice the age old craft of hammering down sleepers. A sign of the times was evident in the classic woodchop contest, when the commentator sought audience patience at the poor performances, explaining that the soft boxwoods normally used for these events is now unavailable. I'd sought a typical pub on a Friday night to glean impressions about the state of the land and taste the lamb. The prospect of chops and three veg seemed welcome relief.