The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1901-06-13

Hearty Welcome.
The peculiar sociological conditions
under which Australia has grown up
into a great and vigorous young COM
monwealth have brought about some I'M
usual results. Not the least Of these is
the total absence of anything like the
tramp, as we know him here, in the
large cities like Sydney, Melbourne and
Adelaide. The ne'er- do-well and the
perennial idler, thanks to a form of pa
ternalism that has reached its limit in
the southern hemisphere, find in the
large centers Of population no necessity
to beg either for food, recreation or
shelter. The free lunch counter has
reached mammoth proportions, the art
galleries, public parks, libraries, gar
dens and museums bar none who behave
themselves, though they may be in rags,
and every city has public and private
shelters for the homeless whose doors
swing inward easily.
But "out in the brush" that generic
phrase that covers a description OF the
whole vast acreage extending through
the eastern half of the continent, there
are none OF these things. The country
is widely diversified in character, with
sheep runs, great wheat farms, vine
yards, enormous stretches of malice
scrub and gum trees, and desert cover
ed with salt marshes and brackish lakes,
This is the domain of the sundowner,
the tramp is not a tramp, a recognized
institution, but not a recognized evil
The sundowner, so called because he
would never dream of making his APP
pearaHce at a farm or bush hut until
within a few minutes Of the time the
sun sinks beneath the horizon, exists
by reason Of the kindly, generous ma
ture of the people he travels among.
No Australian rancher would turn dog
away from his door hungry and the
wanderer, with the bite blanket strap
ped to his back and the Billy can in
his hand, knows that he is sure of good
food, warn-hearted greeting and a
comfortable shelter till morning AT sun
up he is off again on his days jaunt,
with a Goodbye, and a good luck to
you, mate ringing in his ears
Shall put out the dogs yet, Hen
ry?" l heard woman say to her hus-
band one evening.
No" answered the rancher, there
may be a sundowner or two along yet.
Let's wait BIT wife
The wanderer is as much an institu-
ton OFT in the bush as the sun himself,
and is about as regular in his habits.
If he ever wants to stop at a place a
few days and work for his grub" and
fair wages, he is welcome, for labor is
often at a premium among the cattle
ranges and sheep runs. But, If he
doesn't care to work, the greeting he
gets is none the less warm, and there IS
whole heap Of human kindness wrap
ped up in the bundle of food they thrust
into his hand when he leaves again on
his days trudge. The utter loneliness
OF many pioneer ranchers makes the
sight of new face a genuine pleasure,
but the sundoWner never wears out his
welcome He may be able to sing new
song that was the rage a few months
before in the Melbourne music halls or
to tell the latest news about the crops
down South or the discovery of new
gold fields in the West But whether
he comes with all or none of these things
he is never made to feel like an in
truder.
1t is a poor sundowner indeed who
cannot play merry tune On his hosts
coacertina, the universal instrument out
in the bush, and in this and other ways
he tries. as best he can, to make pay
ment for the hospitality shown him. His
pleasant bearded face, good spirits and
generally quick wit often make him the
only element OF humor that ever comes
in contact with these desolate farm
houses He never steals, is clearly in
his habits and, stranger still, is very
seldom a drunkard He shuns the cities,
or, if he ever visits them, has money in
his pocket and lives we'll while there.
The sundowner ambles up to the
ranch house gate and as he comes into
sight gives a CHEEKY "coo-ey'" The boss
steps ont Of the door,
Coed evenin', matey I've come clos
ter thirty miles since mornin'."
Hard trampin', s'pose. Drop yer
pack in the barn and come on in
His majesty, the vagrant, asks for
towel, gets it and goes down to the creek
or maybe the cement water hole for
plunge. In ten minutes he is back at
the house, where he takes his place
among the men and eats hearty meal
of damper, boiled potatoes, beans, and,
if the fates are lucky jam or fresh
meat
His increase in numbers has not yet
become so great as to make him a prob
lem. When it does, no doubt it will be
settled by progressive Australia in the
way she has settled questions of much
more serious moment-John r. Rathom
in the Chicago RccOrdHerdld.