When
Justice Becomes Loud-Voiced And Likely To Pass Into Vengeance, They Talk
Of Giving A Little As Charity.
XXXII.
THE STORY OF AN EVICTION.
On the 20th of May I received a whisper of an eviction that was to
occur up in the neighborhood of the Ox Mountains. Great opposition was
expected, and therefore a large force of police was to be there. I
procured a car, and in company with the local editor went to see. The
landlord of this property is an absentee; the agent - a Mr. Irwin - lived
in a pleasant residence which we passed on our way. We noticed that it
was sheepshearing time at his place, and many sheep were in the act of
losing their winter covering.
After we left Ballina behind, and followed in the wake of the police for
some time, we seemed to have got into the "stony streak." Such land!
Small fields - pocket handkerchiefs of fields - the stones gathered off
them built into perfect ramparts around them! I enquired of one
gentleman what was the rent exacted for this land so weighted down with
stones - for in addition to the high, broad fences surrounding the little
fields some of them had cairns of stones built up in the middle of them.
He said thirty shillings an acre ($7.50); asked another who said fifteen
($3.75). I fancy one would need to see the office receipts to know
correctly.
There is little cultivation in this part of the country.
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