Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1895-11-15


Crawling with heavily -ladened bull
lock wagons across plains and never.
ending scrubs would not appear to be
an existence possessed of many
charms, and yet believe there is ne
case on record of man or woman
who, having once served his or her ap.
premiership to the trade, has ever re
turned to civilized life again.
In the Queenland Bush carrying
trade, you must understand, there are
three main arteries, the townships ol
Hughenden, Longreach and Charlie.
vile, and from each of these places
there flows continually stream oil
enormous table-topped wagons, bound
for stations in the Great West, al
more or less remote from what j,
generally supposed to make life wortl
living.
The existence of the carrier is rough
to terrible degree, and must in nc
way be confounded with that of the
respectable, jog-trot class who ply
their trade in English rural districts
Small wonder that the women grow te
be hard and rough, conserving, as they
do, with none but the sternest of the
opposite sex, and daily doing work
that would test the patience and en-
durance of the strongest man. These
are some of the folk who in reality dc
the building up of our colonies, al
though the credit goes to another
noisier, uglier and far less useful class.
But to get back to my story.
AS l have said at the beginning, she
was tall, angular and peculiarly plain,
and, in spite of the glaring incongruity
of it, it must be recorded that hel
baptismal name was Daphne. He,
husband was carrier on the Hid.
geree-K -Kalaba track, and she was al
once the brain and the mainstay of his
business.
My first acquaintance with them
occurred on the edge of Boree scrub,
dismal place, and more than hun.
dred miles removed from either OF the
above townships. They were camped
beside big water hole, and on dis.
mounting from my horse ! was intro.
duced by the carrier, with becoming
ceremony, to his wife. Great .were
the proofs Of friendship they showed
to me, and long will I cherish the
memory of that rough but hearty hos.
pitality. Next morning / went my
way, they theirs, and it was not for
nearly year that we me. again.
When next I heard of them, Daphne
was in the township hospital, recover.
ing from serious accident occasioned
by fall from the wagon; and he,
husband, an enormously built man,
with rough manner, which, by those
unskilled in such matters, might easil,
have been mistaken for insolence, hat
that very day returned with loading
from the west. By inquiring after his
wife, whose illness was aware of,
touched the right string; for his eye
lit up, his voice softened and he an
swered my questions with surprising
meekness.
"5he was getting ON WE'LL" he said
''but all the same, it was terrible slow
work"
Now, it must be known here that
although the Kalaba Hospital occupie
the best position in the township, evel
then it il, il anything, a little les
cheerful than an under takers shoy
room. Great gray plains surround i
on three sides; the township. with it
| ugly whitewashed roofs, stares at
from the fourth; and it would be i'm
possible to say which view would b
likely to have the most depressin,
effect upon an invalid. am told tha
Kalaba was only designed as a..depo
for the Great West, md console my
self with the reflection that in th
very near future the Overland Railwa
will obviate that necessity, and the
it will be scattered to the four wind
of heaven. At present it is the Decs
logue turned backward.
When my business was finished
rode up to the hospital aud left som
newspapers. Daphne being the onl
patient, I found her occupying th
best bed in the only ward. Her wir
black hair struggled in rank confusio
about the pillow, while her complex
ion harmonized, as well rs vel
tanned skin would permit, with tn
dingy whiteness OF the couuterrans