Pat Ritter. Books

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Thank you mzawf for your kind thanks. Here is the page for today: 'The Shearer' - Page 65:

‘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.
‘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.
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'The Shearer' - Page 66:

‘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.
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'The Shearer' - Page 67:

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?’
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'The Shearer' - Page 68:

‘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?
‘Thank you.’ Hannah left the office and followed the attendant’s directions to finally arrive at the address showing a sign: ‘Ma’s Guest House’ in front of a house. She walked to the front door and knocked.
‘Comin - hold your horses!’ Ma opened the front door and before her stood a beautiful female, ‘can I help you – do I know you?’ Ma asked.
‘No, I’m Hannah Young, a friend of Joe Ryan, the shearer. He told me he lives here when he’s in town.’ She said nervously.
‘Well, don’t stand there - come inside. If you’re a friend of Joe, you’re a friend of mine.’ They entered Ma’s home. A strong aroma of freshly cooked baking snaked its way toward Hannah’s nostrils.
‘Is that fresh baked bread I can smell?’ Hannah asked.
‘Yes, I bake daily. Would you like a cuppa and a trick slice with jam?’ Asked Ma.
‘Oh yes, please.’ Hannah replied excitedly. Her mouth watered with the thought of fresh cooked bread and jam.
‘Take a seat and I’ll make us a cuppa and you can tell me how much of a friend you are with my Joe.’ Ma sliced a couple of thick pieces of freshly cooked bread, spread a heavy layer of butter and thick layer of strawberry jam. ‘How do you have your tea, dear?’ Ma asked, as she prepared the cuppa.
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'The Shearer' - Page 69:

‘With milk please, straight from the pot, thank you.’ Hannah replied in a soft sweet voice as she laid her overnight bag on the floor beside her. She felt comfortable in Ma’s presence and the warmth from the stove gave a cosy feeling. She relaxed for the first time since Joe left her father’s property. Ma filled a china cup with tea from the tea pot covered by a crocheted cover to retain the heat. ‘Thank you,’ Hannah replied when Ma placed two thick pieces of freshly baked bread and jam on a plate in front of her.
‘Now tell me how you are a friend of Joe’s. I’m eager to know how he has kept this secret from me,’ Ma inquired.
‘We met at my father’s property about three weeks ago where he was shearing. I know I love him and I know he loves me. Joe gave me his ring to show he loves me here, I wear it on this necklace around my neck.’ Hannah removed the necklace and handed the ring to Ma. ‘My father doesn’t want him back or for me to see Joe again.’ Tears welled in Hannah’s eyes.
Ma held the ring and identified it to be Joe’s with the initials JR embroidered on the face. ‘Your father owns Kahmoo Station?’ She asked, concerned. Why her father being a grazier wouldn’t want Joe to mix with Hannah, fancy a shearer mixing blood with her daughter, poor Hannah! ‘It’s Joe’s ring alright. He must be fair dinkum because he wouldn’t hand this ring to anyone.’
‘Joe loves me and I will always treasure this ring and wear it with pride and love for him. My grandfather established the family property after he settled in the district almost forty years ago. He and Nan lived in a tent whilst Grandfather built the homestead and shearing shed with his bare hands. Grandfather eventually handed down the property to Pa and now lives in Brisbane. I’m afraid Pa doesn’t like me mixing with the hired help but I don’t care because I love Joe and he loves me.’ Hannah explained wiped her eyes with a handkerchief.
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'The Shearer' - Page 70:

‘Tell me how you fell in love with my Joe?’ Joe left her only three weeks ago and didn’t mention anything about a woman named Hannah.
‘He arrived to shear the sheep at my father’s property a few weeks back. I was home on holidays and decided to help Pa with the shearing. One morning I rode my horse to the shearing shed, saw this fellow seated on the back steps of the shearing quarters. I can’t explain why it was love at first sight I suppose. His wavy hair, bright eyes – I don’t know, this feeling came over me, a warm feeling of love, I guess. I dismounted and walked up to him. He introduced himself as Joe Ryan. Then my father bellowed at me and I left him standing at the bottom of the steps’.
‘You’ve only known Joe a few weeks?’ Ma asked, frowning.
‘Yes, we’ve already declared our love for one another. The night before Joe left to go to the next property, he told me he loved me. He said to write and leave mail at your house. I wanted to meet you because Joe spoke fondly of you. I can see why he treats you as though you’re his mother.’ Hannah explained.
‘Joe holds a huge part of my heart. I pray for him each night to keep him safe. He’s been living here for a couple of years and comes and goes when he’s away shearing.’ Ma took a sip of her tea.
Hannah swallowed a piece of bread ‘This is lovely, thank you. I love fresh cooked bread. I was wondering if by chance I could spend this time with you to get to know you better before I head to Roma in the next couple of days? I won’t be a burden, I promise.’
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'The Shearer' - Page 71:

‘The only room I have available is Joe’s. I keep it clean and tidy for when he returns so you are welcome to stay in his room?’
‘Yes please. Nothing would suit me more,’ Hannah replied cheerfully. Ma wanted Hannah to stay for a couple of days to get to know her better also and not often had she another woman’s company.
‘Well, that’s that then, you’ll stay in Joe’s room. Did you hear about Bluey Simpson?’ Ma asked.
‘No – he left with Joe to go to the next property to shear. What happened? Did anything happen to Joe?’
‘Timmy Gall who works at the hospital came to cut firewood for me the other day. He told me the policeman from Eulo bought in a shearer named Bluey Simpson who’d been bitten by a snake. The story goes Joe was with him when they were crossing Moonjaree Creek in the flood and a mulga snake bit Bluey on the neck. Bluey died almost instantly.’
‘Joe was there you say?’ Hannah looked directly at Ma, shocked.
‘So the story goes and I got it from the horse’s mouth. Timmy works at the hospital and helped unload Bluey from the buggy to the morgue. It’s not gossip, but you know what gossip is like in this town - you’ve only got to sneeze at the top of town and by the time the story reaches down here the person died of influenza and the whole bloody town races to the doctor thinking its an epidemic.’ Ma scoffed and both ed.
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