STRANGE OCCUPATIONS

Chronicle (Levin), 15 August 1946, Page 2

STRANGE OCCUPATIONS

Prubably oue of thc ntraugcst jobs in Auntralia is licld by a nian who told a i'crtli Court rcccutly tbat hc was a "shark-lin classiJicr. " Tlicre wero two kinds of shark lins, lic said, 011c gclatinous and thc other lnoaty; Ihe lirsl was worth up to K>s a pouiul and thc other aboul Is 9d. A strange occupation — but thcrc are many otliers iu Auslralia just as odd. Ilcre is a list of what sonie citizcns, wrotc in thc occupation spaee of the last census car.d: . Bayoifcl hardcncr, capitalist, . carput bea.ter, eoral dcalcr, crossing sweepcr, curled-hair workcf, cxccutioncr, l'ofgcr. Utlicrs wrotc: "(iaol iiunatc, gcnllcman, green hand, literateur, inccr-schauni-jiipe iiuikcr, niutton bird catclicr, paupcr, [lisciculturist, prostitutc, quack doctor, ratentchcr, scabbard makcr, scavenger, snakc cliarnicr, spruikcr. ' ' A nian who descrilmd himsclf us a "eool minor'' was closcr to the trutli than the paintcr who dcseribcd himsclf as a "cynic artist." Vensus takcrs on oue occasiou found a nian ,aslcc]i iu a hollow log. Awakcned, hc said lic was a grazior, at thc niomcnt uncinjiloycd. Thc solcnin business of cciisus taking is often cnlivcncd by tlic odd, revealing answcrs. For cxamplc, a widow of 73 iillcd in her occupation as "stuilying liuniaii naturc. " Alorc ill-nutured was thc hcad of Ihe housc who lilled in his mother-iii-law 's eard with "sits in her chair and smokes all day. '' This was only out doue by the husband wlio, instead of setting down ''domcstie dulies" for his wife, put "lives on me. ' ' There was a touch of huinoiir in the instance of a man who dcscribed hiinself as "a jack of all tradcs, inasler of none," and tho patlios in the enlry

of ihe widow of ().-), "baltling il oul thc bcsl way I can"; and tragcdy in thc case oi" the old wonian who wrotc for her occupat ion, ''takos washing, " and for her son 's, "takcs (its. " It is reported that sonic years ago thrcc women in Darlinglnirst (Xew South Wab'Si, with possibly uioro truth than lniniour, dcscribed themselves as " gohl-diggers " ; an unworidly census otbcer classilied theni under "niining pursuits undcfuied. ' '