| Notes |
- Great Drovers.
Dear "Non-com,'-Following the droving series with much interest, I was pleased to see mentioned two fine men whom I knew personally. They are the Fitzpatrick brothers, Bill and Jack. Both these men, before and right through the war yèars and after, were at the forefront of the states leading drovers. Squatters were constantly after their services from all parts of the State.
I have met hundreds of bushmen following their various occupations, but I have never met two men who so lookedthe part as horsemen as the Fitz brothers. Both stood 6ft. 4m. easily, and they were fine looking men with prominent features and kesh eyes Jack had a white beard and Bill a black one.
In 1919 I was jackeroo on Edaggee station, J. Morrell's property south of Carnarvon. Although working for fine people Joe Morrell was one of the pioneers with stock in the Carnarvon district-like most youths of the romantic age of 17, I longed for adventure and incidentally more money than the modest £5 a month, a jackeroo's wages in those days. Hearing that a drover was coming to lift 3,000 mixed sheep off shears for the Mullewa market, I resolved to try to join the outfit.
When they arrived witih a jingle of condamines, I breasted the camp fire and asked for a job. Bill Fitz's first question was: "Can you ride?" What an insult to a husky youth three months on a North-west station! In those days I lived for a horse. I stretched things a bit and told him I could ride anything. He briefly said: "You'll need to. Be round at six in the morning with your knot rolled." I arrived on time with my knot and a portmanteau I had brought from down south. This latter caused much amusement among the tough Knights of the Road and I was quickly told to put a label on it and send it south by boat.
I then learnt my first lesson that drovers travel very light. My next lesson followed immediately. I was helped on to a lively bay mare and after a fairly brief argument, I picked myself out of the bore drain. More laughter! However, I insisted on getting on again and with the aid of the monkey strap, "stayed put." Fitz strolled up, patted my shoulder and said. "You'll do. Keep a silent tongue and 4 leam." I drew my last station cheque for £5, and hit the road at the tail end of the mob, on my first droving adventure.
Passing Yankee Tanks, I asked a member of the outfit, who was going to Carnarvon to post a letter with my cheque in it on to my mother, register it and bring me back the receipt, which he duly did. This bit of work had a sequel, which I will relate later on, and incidentally taught me a lifelong lesson, never to trust a stranger.
The stock route was bad that year and our progress slow, but every day held interest, as it was all new to me. I remember being fascinated by the natives spearing mullet in Rocky Pool on the Gascoyne River and being reprimanded for getting back to the camp late. I also remember having lunch and setting fire to my lunch paper right near the camel outfit, which, taking fright bolted. But for my fleetness of foot, climbing up the back of the buckboard and stopping the runaways, by the look of Fitz I would have got more than a reprimand.
As Gascoyne Junction, a month out, I received no mail and thought no more of my letter then. About halfway, passing Belang Pool, where the native boys informed me "you nothing catchem bottom" our stock went down with the dreaded "pinkeye" disease and went stone blind. This delayed us and meant much sheperding, but we eventually got under way again. About this time a little lamb wa«born and i's mother died. Taking the orphan I carried it all day in my saddle bag, and caught an old ewe at night. Believe me, I thought that youngster would burst! I carried it for over a week and with the aid of the ewe's milk it thrived amazingly. I chistened it Mulga, and at my call it would leave the mob and come and have a quart pot top full of water four or five times a day.
Mulga with half a dozen other sheep, dashed after a small mob of Billabalong station sheep, and as we were pressing forward I was ordered to let him go. But I missed my little pet. Another thing stuck in my memory. A cock turkey got ringed in by the sheep and I crept behind the sheep to within two yards of him, made a dash and caught him. We duly handed him over to the cook, and dined in style that night. One of the "boys," acting "horse tailer," was ordered to get the horses extra early one morning, and he said to Fitz: "By cripes, a fella wantem fire stick to findem track this morning." Fitz's only comment was a well aimed boot, which, had it connected, would have landed the native among the horses without walking. Fitz was a man of few words but quick action.
At last, after a little over three months on the road, we reached Mullewa. The sheep arrived in excellent condition, a fine tribute to our boss. The wethers brought 28/6 at the sale next day and that speaks for itself. Fitz tallied out 3,200, so he must have showed a decent profit. The squatter was so pleased that he turned on two gallons of ale, with bread, butter'and cheese to matchto which we duly did justice.
Now for the sequel of my registered letter. On collecting my mail, I found my mother had received my registered letter, but no cheque. Realising in a flash my road mate had cashed the cheque and spent it, I immediately sought him out and asked for restitution. He refused it and I wasted no time, but started to take it out of his hide. I knew considerably more about gloves than horses and men in those days. I finished up by giving him a father of a hiding and Fitz sacked him on the spot. This modest victory made me quite a hero in the eyes of the black boys, whom he, my victim, had bullied all the way down.
I said goodbye to a fine employer in Fitz and proceeded home to Perth with the biggest wad of money on the hip I had ever earned up to that time. I also carried a lot of very valuable experience.
JUMBUCK, Gosnells.
P.S.: I have heard since that. poor old Fitz had a heart attack and died under a mulga tree some miles north of Mullewa. Jack, his brother, did most of the cattle droving in those days.
-"J.B." [9]
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- 1920
Droving
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