The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-06-30
AUSTRALIA.
aray and Monotonous, but Vast. Pc.
tisnt and fascinating.

tient and Fascinating.
Australia is in itself a monstrous
continent It is as large as the United
States: It's 100000 of people are scat
tered IN Q narrow fringe along the
streams ana shores OF the southern
and eastern seaboard The vast int
rior-"the dead heart OF Australia"-a
region as large as the Mississippi val
ley. is a trackless, rainless waste Of
sand and alkall. while the intervening
hills, the bush and scrub, are scantily
occupied by sheep stations and by min
ing camps The vast north of Austria
la is in part a tropical jungle, IN part
q blisterlng Sahara. The fates denied
to Australia the gift of high noun.
tains to catch the snow ann hold the
water; hence her rivers are few unc
precarlous; hence at too frequent inter.
vals the great drought comes, and the
desert spreads its smotherlng arms,
crowding man and his dependents
backward toward the sea. II is a mo
notonous country in its physical as
poets. The forests on hill. valley. rock
and swamp are all Of one pattern
eucalyptus, eucalyptus. the gray trunks
Of the gum trees Of many species--as
tar as the eye can see. Without noun
tains and streams there IS little room
FOR variety. II IS monotonous In its
Industrles-cattle sheep. horses-its
one fine art the breeding Of the per
feet Merno sheep. It is mohotonous in
its towns One story, light brown
with unpainted roof of corrugated iron
Is the description of nlne-tenths Of tho
Australian homes Corrugated iron
means clean rain water, and Australia
can afford to waste none OF H. 1t is
monotonous as TO population. The Eng
llshmen came first 10 Australia, and
they are still holding It against all
comers. The way is made rough for
and for well or ill-in many ways for
each--the ruling minority. the labor
/ vote. is starnly set on white Austria.
! Iia." with all which 1t Implies. The
history OF Australia is monotonous I,
contains the story of hard struggles
Of bitter sunerings deserved and nm
! deserved; Of lawless courage and reclS-
less bravery, but tio causes served
were individual Australians never
had common enemy and their rec.
ords show no glorious war and no up
rising Of common feeling The achieve.
ments of Australia belong to the cate
CORY OF individual deeds Of peace
With all this the color OF Australis
/ is gray; the land, the towns, the spirit
Of her people. Her literature has q
sober touch, and this difference IN
tone shows Itself In its way IA the
llfe OF the universities. Ii America.
rs ia Browning's verse, "thc flower OF
life IS red" The American student
knows that "the world Is his OYSTER
10 knows that che can get what "a
coming 10 HIM" that in proportion to
HIS talents, his training, his sobriety
and persistency Of purpose viii be hii
success IN any affair he undertakes.
But though Australia may be gray
and monotonous she IS vast, patient
fascinating The mightiness Of IA,
land 10 be conquered, the huge roonh
ness Of the continent the ylstas Of IN
ture national greatness an these grow
on one, and Qll these find their reheI
IN the student life and IN the rising
literature Of the commonwealth Thai
Australia win be the birihplaee OF
great men IN the future no one can
doubt Their coming VIII not be due
to the lopsided political administration
aor 70 state ownership nor to the cod
ding Of the laborer. but 10 the persist
ence Of her lne old English stock un
der man makiag and man Inspiring
->-iltlonE. David Starr Jordan In AD
An oversight.
II want 20 pay this bili" be said a
the hotel bar ''bui 4 think you have
made slisbt error here n my favor
I've been reading over the extras, ane
cannot 1nd that you have charge,
anything for telling me you thought 4
might rain"