LIFE OUT WEST.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 3014, 7 November 1891, Page 5 (Supplement)

LIFE OUT WEST.

A SQUATTEtt'S STOUY. A sQrATTEK from out west appeared before the Land Court this morning to apply for a reduction to the rent of his holding, He told the court that the homontoad whs 104 miles from Wilcannia and 916 milos from Sydney. His area of land was C+,ooo acres, he went to oxplain that no man could possibily make a living with less area. The land would only carry something like one sheep to every 10 acroa, and the average rainfall per annum was only, uin., or in gome expectionally wet years an inch or bo more. That would not have been eo bad wore the fall oxtended over tho whole year at the rate of half an inch a month, but'.tho evil came in in tho fact that a heavy full occurred in.January, flnd for tho remaining 11 mouths of tho year the sun waq hardly over clouded. After uncaring, the wool had to bo carted down to Wilcannia with bullock drays be« fore there was any chanco of it being got away to market. From Wilcannia it wan, of course, taken down to town by river steamers. The land was not good, being of a light Handy nature, :uid, said the unfortunate holder, the man who would go out to the country from choico must either want to get out of roach of his fellowraan or else bo a stark, staring, raving lunatic. For hia part, he was looking forward to the joyful time when ho would be able to return to some place that'poseeeflsd at least a semblance of civilisation. To add farther to his troubles, he had made a dam, and when no s«oner had he finished it, the officers of the Surrey Department came along and surveyed a stack road right through the dani. To have a bath during the greater dart of the year was a wild intoxicating luxury, and the water used for washing the hands and faces whs boarded morning after morning, until at last, when it got to look very like liquid mud it was reluctantly thrown away. The nearest house to this cheerful home was over 30 miles away. The court, after this, began to think that the man who got wealthy out there was deserving of his luccoss and honoured old age.