The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-10-06
SELECT STORY.
KILLING AN OLD MAN.
A TALE OF THE oPHIR GOLD FIELDS.

1t was shortly after the opening of
the great Exhibition CT 1851 that ! set
sail from England for the gold fields of
New South Wales, with heart brim-
full of hope and expectation, and pock-
cts, boxes an, portmanteaus made of
sufficiently capacious dimensions to
hold any amount of the precious metal
(when found in addition to my some
what scanty wardrobe.
Well do remember the packing of
that black leather portmanteau, and
the swallow-tailed dressed coat that my
mother would insist upon putting in,
although having presentiment that
such articles of apparel were not
"comme il faut' at the gold fields, l
vigorously resisted the measure. | also
remember the many dozen pairs of
warm socks that had been manufact-
ured with sisterly affection and gray
worsted by the five girls-from Julia
the eldest, aged 10, down to Susan the
youngest, just turned 0. Finally, l
have distinct memory Of how my
maiden aunt, on the strength of her
sixteen stone weight, jumped upon the
aforesaid portmanteau and performed
IA kind of war dance thereon, SO as to
enable Tom the groom and Mary the
housemaid to strap and lock il and
how, after many tears being shed by
my father and mother, my brothers and
sisters, and my maiden aunt in partic-
ular, l was whisked away to the rail
way station in order to catch the 9:45
A. NJ, train for London.
will not dwell on the voyage out,
because it was very much like other
voyages. Suffice it to say that in just
100 days we arrived at Sydney, the
capital Of New South Wales, and here
discovered that the favorite gold field
of the day was at Ophir, near Bathurst,
l45 miles up the country. Here some
Tremendous finds had lately been made
and people had been turning up mug
gets like an Irishman shovels up pota-
toes.
When | look back at the splendid
yields Of the Ophir gold fields in those
days, / cannot help circulating: 90 fer
such times at Ophir to come Offer
again"
In due time, after fortnight's weary
journey in an OK cart, which also con,
tanned my cradle, my pick and shovel,
my tent and other camp requisites, as
well as my personal luggage, arrived
at the gold fields, having picked up
more strange oaths on that short jour
ney than | had heard during the whole
portion of my previous life.
Drivers say that bullocks will not go
without lot of swearing, and | Ger
tainly believe that, after they have
become accustomed to it, they will not
bulge an inch for any gentler language.
| will tell you a very good yarn bear
ing on the point.
There was once a back country squat
ter who married religious wife from
the nearest township, forty five miles
distant, and on one or two days later
he sent down his largest wagon and
ox-team to convey his fair bride and
her bag and baggage to his station.
"Now, Tom" said he to the team
ster, 'the mistress is very particular ;
so, for the life of you, you mustn't let
an oath out Of your mouth all the way
home. If you don't once offend her
ears with your usual bad language, I'll
give you five sovereigns on your re-
turn
The man readily promised compli-
ance with the. desire, and promptly set
out on his journey He got to the
township all right, for he threw his col
onial curses right and left with his
usual volubility, and the beasts under
stood the language only too well. On
the return journey, however, when the
newly-made wife was on board, the
case was very different. In vain Tom
halloed at the top of his voice, The
language he now addressed to them
might have been Hindustani or San
scrit for aught they knew to the con
trary, and when night came on they
had only accomplished nine miles since
the morning.
The next day it was just as bad, and
at length they came to hill, up which
they would not go. "Crack ! crack =
went the whip, and Toms voice was
used with Steutor-like effect, but still
all was of no service the oxen were
obdurate.
AT last Tom, seeing that moral per
suasion was useless, approached the
lady, cap in hand, and humbly asked;
"Please, ma'am, will you give IN,
leave to swear at them there oxen fol
they will never move till | do"
Seeing the necessity of the case, the
lady at last consented. The effect wa,
magical addressed in the broad yer