Pat Ritter. Books

[patritter]

'The Shearer' - Page 62:

Daylight the next morning Joe was awakened by the sound of a bell and the voice of the cook. ‘Come and get em’. Joe rubbed the sleep from his eyes, rose from his swag and combed his fingers through his hair.
‘Where can we have a wash?’ He asked his mate sleeping beside him.
‘Over at the trough.’
He picked up his shaving gear and a towel, stood up and walked to the trough. Other shearers used it but there was plenty of room for Joe to take his place.
After washing his face, shaving and combing his hair, he returned to his swag. He’d have breakfast first, and then tend to his daily ritual to make his shears in good working order before he set out for a day’s work.
Seeing the food dished up on a plate in front of him, he realised the cook was a good one. Lamb chops and onion gravy piled high on his plate with a pannikin of steaming black tea – what more could he ask? No conversation was had during their meal.
With no shearing shed, this property was different to the previous shearing sheds Joe had worked. Rough timber bearers covered by thatch roof, the length of a normal shearing shed kept the sheep cool. Shearing was done in the open. Each sheep dragged by the shearer to be shorn from underneath this bush building to a huge tarpaulin spread along the ground with room for three shearers.
TO PURCHASE 'THE SHEARER': CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/395642.

[patritter]

'The Shearer' - Page 63:

Each shearer took up their position on the tarpaulin and began to shear their sheep. After separating the fleece, a roustabout gathered the shorn fleece to be taken to a wool press where the wool presser was waiting to press the wool into bales. After the shearer completed the sheep, he let it go and ringers mustered them into a mob for driving into a paddock.
This was a simple operation, but unclean from his previous station at Kahmoo Station where he had met the love of his life – Hannah. His thoughts constantly reminded him how lucky he was to have a love like her and he wondered where she was and how she was coping. Did she return to Brisbane to continue her schooling and still be thinking of him?
Within a couple of days his strength sapped because the heat drained his body working in the midday sun. Joe didn’t want to give up; however, his thoughts were more on his fellow shearers and what could be done to improve their conditions.
After dinner one evening he sat beside the tree where he had his swag, smoked a rollie and looked at the sky to see the stars. His body was exhausted from his day’s labours. Jack Reardon lay on his swag beside Joe. ‘Beautiful night Joe,’ Jack said.
‘Beauty mate. I could sit and watch these stars all night,’ Joe responded.
‘Yeah. Good alright. How did you go today?’
‘Bloody tough mate if you ask me. We shouldn’t have to work under these conditions. Just shorn at Kahmoo Station and it was a palace compared to this hell hole,’ Joe commented.
TO PURCHASE 'THE SHEARER': CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/395642.

[patritter]

'The Shearer' - Page 64:

‘Never shorn there, only been shearing at places like this one. Don’t know any different.’
‘Mate Kahmoo Station had everything laid on for the worker,’ said Joe.
‘Ah – it doesn’t matter because this cocky isn’t going to make any changes if his life depended upon it!’
‘They should make our conditions and wages better. Wonder how we can go about improving things.’
‘I hear a fellow, name of William Spence formed a Shearer’s Union. He’s from Ballarat joined up with another union, Amalgamated Workers Union.’ Jack informed Joe.
Joe looked at Jack in amazement, ‘how do you know? Are you fair dinkum mate?’ Joe’s enthusiasm grew deep within.
‘Too right I am. They talked about it in the pub the other night and one of the shearers here knows this fellow Spence and says he’s a great bloke.’
‘I’ll be in a union if they can get the cocky to make things better for us.’ His heart filled with joy to know something was going to happen if it only started in Victoria it could move to Queensland, eventually. He’d make certain it worked.
‘Hey Jack where can I get onto this fellow Spence, how do I contact him?’ Joe wanted to know.
‘I suppose you can write to him. I’ll find out more for you from this other shearer who was telling me about him. I’d better go to sleep, Joe, because it’s going to be a big day tomorrow shearing those woollies in the sun.’ Jack rolled over in his swag and soon snored.
Joe couldn’t sleep, his mind filled with excitement to think someone down south fought for shearers to have improved wages and working conditions. A union with thousands of members would make a difference. He soon went to sleep.
TO PURCHASE 'THE SHEARER': CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/395642.

[patritter]

'The Shearer' - Page 65:

Heat beat down on each man, perspiration flowing free from their brows, and down onto the sheep they were shearing. Time for a break for morning smoko, Joe couldn’t wait to stop. His body drained of strength, but he had to keep going to finish the run.
Smoko break Jack moved next to Joe. ‘Hey Joe, I was speaking to this other shearer this morning and he’s keen to start something but wants to meet you. By the way his name is Joe Gibson, same Christian name as you.’
‘When can I meet him?’ Joe asked.
‘On our way back to shearing; he’s the shearer on the other side of you.’
‘I’ll introduce myself – thanks Jack. We’ll see what can be done.’ Joe finished his food and black tea, left the table to return to the place where he was shearing. A dark haired man, about Joe’s age, height and weight stood waiting for the bell to ring. Joe looked at the man and gave him a nod of greeting.
Ring of the bell sounded for the shearers to enter beneath the bough shed to retrieve their next sheep. Work continued for another couple of hours before lunch when Joe decided to speak with his fellow shearer about the seed developed in his mind to help all shearers with better working conditions and wages.
‘Joe is it?’ Joe Ryan said to Joe Gibson, placing his hand out to shake.
‘Yeah – pleased to meet you. Bloody tough going with this shearing. Jack mentioned you wanted to meet me. He said you could be interested in helping us shearers get better wages and work conditions,’ Joe Gibson replied.
TO PURCHASE 'THE SHEARER': CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/395642.

[patritter]

'The Shearer' - Page 66:

‘You betcha – anything to make it better than this hell hole here mate, it’s the worst place I’ve shorn.’
‘Let’s go and have some tucker and we’ll talk about it later.’ The two men walked to the dining area and sat around the table with the other shearers to have their meal. Nothing was said until after they’d finished.
‘What about we catch up later tonight and talk about what can be done?’ Joe Ryan said.
‘Okay – see you then.’
Later in the night after the sun dipped beneath the horizon, Joe Gibson came to Joe Ryan for a chat. ‘How you going Joe – got time for a chin wag?’
‘Sure have mate – pull up a log. Bloody hot one today, I’m still buggered.’
‘Yeah – hot alright, bloody awful work conditions and we shouldn’t need to work in the heat.’ Joe Gibson admitted.
‘You’re right – but what can we do about it. The bloody cocky’s got all the rights. They say jump and we say how high. Jack Reardon tells me you know this fellow Spence who started a Shearers Union,’ Joe Ryan added.
‘I’ve never met the fellow personally. The last shed I worked a fellow mentioned about Spence starting the union. I don’t want to be in a union but I want better work conditions and wages are disgraceful. We’re worked liked slaves and paid nothing for what we do.’ Joe Gibson spat.
TO PURCHASE 'THE SHEARER': CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/395642.

[patritter]

'The Shearer' - Page 67:

‘I’m willing to do something about it so how do I contact this fellow Spence to see how I start the union here in Queensland?’ Joe Ryan asked.
‘Leave it with me. My next shed is Farnham Plains. Where are you shearing next?’
‘I hadn’t planned anything. I was about to go into Eulo and ask about. They always need good shearers. Someone in the pub always knows what’s going on.’ Joe’s mind filled with thoughts of how to seek out William Spence to extend the shearers union to Queensland. He’d loved to establish it!
‘If that’s the case, when we finish here how about I go to Eulo and send a telegram to Spence asking for you to start a Shearers Union here in Queensland. You can take my place at Farnham Plains.’ Gibson said.
‘Go for your life mate – I’d be happy to go in your place. I owe you one cobber, anytime I can repay you let me know. If I can start the union here in Queensland represent the shearers it would be great.’
For the next couple of weeks the two Joes exchanged ideas of how to start a shearers union in Queensland and rules for shearers to abide by. Joe Ryan wanted clear rules, at this stage he didn’t know what regulations were created in Victoria. When they finished shearing at Tilbooroo Station, Joe Gibson went with the wagon filled with wool bales to Eulo, whilst Joe Ryan walked to Farnham Plains to shear in Gibson’s place.
TO PURCHASE 'THE SHEARER': CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/395642.

[patritter]

Thank you dub: Today's page: 'The Shearer' - Page 68:

Chapter 9

Hannah stepped down from her father’s sulky when they arrived in Stockyard Street, Cunnamulla, in front of Cobb & Co office. Since Joe left, she and her Pa hadn’t spoken much, particularly about Joe. After unloading her luggage she placed it on the footpath, wrapped her arms around her father’s neck, kissed him on the cheek and said, ‘Goodbye Pa, don’t worry about me, I’ll be right.’
‘Hope so, daughter,’ he grumbled stepped back onto the sulky and drove away without a wave goodbye.
Hannah knew what she wanted to do before she boarded the stagecoach to Roma. She made a decision to visit Ma’s Guest House and tell her about Joe. Her heart filled with joy. She picked up her luggage and dragged it into the coach office.
‘Hello, Miss Young. You’re early by a couple of days before your coach leaves,’ a voice said behind the counter.
‘I know. Will it be okay if I leave most of my luggage in your office? I want to visit a friend in Cunnamulla.’
‘Yes, of course, I’ll help you place your luggage out the back until you return; it’ll be safe there.’ The male attendant helped Hannah place most of her luggage in a storeroom. Before leaving she took a small overnight bag and her carrying bag which contained money and other personal items.
‘Thank you so much. Probably be a couple of days, I’ll be here early for the stagecoach.’ She started to depart from the coach office, turned and said to the attendant. ‘May I ask you a question before I leave?’
‘Yes, what is it?’
‘Where would I find Ma’s Guest House?’
‘Follow Stockyard Street to the next corner, turn left and you’ll see the Railway Hotel - couple of houses past the hotel is a sign Ma’s Guest House. You can’t miss it.’ Why she would want to stay at Ma Guest House when she had better places to stay?
TO PURCHASE 'THE SHEARER': CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/395642.