The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1855-09-21
scwHAr A FOOL THE COOPER Isu

Speaking of the precociousness of boys in
Australia, Howitt in his late book of adven-
lures in that county, tells the story We give
below:
| A boy Of this class has often came up to our
tent here. One day he came to me, as l was
sitting on the trunk of a tree near the tent;
and resting his back against it began to talk.
| "a pretty flock Of sheep, that" said he nod
ding his head towards the flock that he was
Iwatching. "a pretty flock for a butcher at
one time-about two hundred of them'
"Yes,''I observed, "a nice little flock. What
does the butcher give you, day now, for look
ing after them?''
"The butcher give me? Why, he gives me
nothing; they belong to me and my mateo
What" said !, "a boy like you in business
Ialready?''
"Why, as to that said he, II have been in
business a good while now;'' and so he went
on to tell me his story. He was slim good
looking lad, of fourteen or fifteen. He was
Originally from London, but so long ago he did
not know from what part of it. His father, he
said, was downin Melbourne, carting water,
and as he expressed it, was always putting his
hand into his pocket, not to pull out money,
but to put it in. He himself went to the digg-
ings, and got enough to purchase horse and
cart. But he had scarcely got to work cart
ling, washing-stuff for the diggers, when the
horse was claimed as a stolen one. This said
he sickened him of horsefesh; so he so he sold
his cart, and Joined the butcher, his present
partner, in carrying stores to the diggings in a
lbullock-dray; and next in fetching cattle out
OF New South Wales. The butcher, his mate,
had station at Yass, in New South Wales; it
was there they went, about three hundred
miles, ard when they had sold their stores,
they wer going there again.
| 1t was pretty evident that amongst their
various business concerns he and his mate
kept sly grogshop; and it is very amusing to
hear him tell how they contrived to trick, what
he called, ''the fools of commissioners
:" One day. said he, ''my mate and / went
to deposit some money at the commissioners
who act as sort Of banker to the diggers-
'but the commissioner on duty would not
take it. Il hear,' said he, that you sell grog.'
tOf course said the boy, we needed it. But,
as we saw that the commissioner meant to
make a search, my mate held him in talk,
while got off as fast as | could, and sent the
Ibulloek-driyer a bottle Of rum, to amuse him
self with while he lay there. Scarcely was
he gone, when the commissioners came with a
policeman. Police said he, search this store
| hear they sell grog.' So the police began
and turned everything over in the store; and
of course found nothing. Because why; the
bullock-driyer was sitting crowne1ss' quest on
lit in the bush. Then the commissioner or
dered him to search the tent. Now, we knew
the policeman well enough, for many was the
glass of grog that we had given him to keep all
close. 'So' says he, as he passes my mate, just
in low way like, Mate says he, if you have
any in the bed, don't pull the clothes off, but
only fouzle them about pretty well. But my
mate said out right loud, so the commissioner
might hear him-'off with your clothes po-
liceman! out with the bed! dig up the floor, if
you like, and for every drop Of grog you find
on the premises, I'll give you an ounce Of gold
for it, SO they pully-hauled everything about
and found nothing. Cause why the bullock
driver had it snug in the wattle-scrub.'
This was the point that particularly tickled
the boys fancy. He seemed at one and the
same moment to see the commissioner
watching intently for keg Of rum coming to
| light, and the bullock driver, somewhere in a
thick waffle scrub, sitting what he called
crowners quest on the kegs, and amusing him
self with bottle to his o~vn cheek. And the
lad could not help laughing outright at the
double scene.
| "When the commissioner saw that there
was nothing he looked as gruff as bear at a
lStake ana ne Sdlu III IOlJy, pIOuu SoEI vi d
way, s'Well, as you can find nothing, police,
you can go'' And with that he began to walk
lin a stately fashion.
"But now it was our turn to talk, and a
lpretty talk l assure you, we made of it. 'Mr.
Commissioner we said, ut is all very well to
charge us with sly grog-selling, and come and
turn our store and tent topsy turvy; but who
is to set all these things right again, and who
lis to make us recompence for this scandal OF
respectable tradesmen ?'
"At this he looked mighty astonished, and
turned very red '0h' said he, you can soon
lput all to rights again. But my mate said,
Not So, Mr.. Commissioner. If we had sold
grog and you had found it, you would have
seized it, and fined US heavily into the bargain;
but as you have falsely accused us, we shall
expect at least to be left as good as you found
us. Pray where are we to sleep tonight, ev-
erything here being skies and sevens, and our
beds are pulled to pieces ? Where are we to
get our suppers cooked in this confusion P
IWhere are we to breakfast, ask p