Mr. Connell Tells a Story

Now, I will diverge here a little [unclear: fr] subject, and tell you a story [unclear: about] diggers. As you have asked [unclear: about] digging. (Laughter and applause.) know, gentlemen, that I [unclear: committed] at the Opera House to the [unclear: statement] is a most unfortunate fact [unclear: that] able number of old colonials have way to drink. (Laughter.) [unclear: Now] men, that is a statement which is [unclear: ab] true. (Cries of "No.") Wait a [unclear: lit] say with sorrow that it is a fact, [unclear: be] speak of my own class. [unclear: (Interr] Now, I will tell you a story [unclear: about] diggers, but you must not make [unclear: a] (Derisive calls of "Hush, [unclear: hush.")] was going to Waiwera on Saturday spell, and I reached a point on [unclear: the] where I thought I would enter a [unclear: ho] get tea. That was at the [unclear: Wade.] into a public-house there. (Loud [unclear: la] and cries of "Oh, oh!") I say again, [unclear: men], I went into the public-[unclear: house.] newed laughter.) They were going me into a nice little parlour in [unclear: the] where there were muslin curtains mahogany table. It was very [unclear: co] seeing two men in a room by [unclear: themsel] tea on the table, I said, "[unclear: No] going in here." The men were two diggers,; (A voice : "Old [unclear: colonials?] page 7 [unclear: They] were both old colonials. They had been [unclear: soldiers]. One of them was what I call [unclear: ree]-quarter seas over, the other was not [unclear: ite] so bad. (Laughter.) We entered [unclear: conversation] and managed to shake [unclear: n] well together. I said to the one who [unclear: furthest] gone, "Look here, you are a [unclear: tty] kind of fellow to be like this now. [unclear: are] an old colonial. (Yells of [unclear: ghter].) It is drink that is keeping [unclear: a] poor man. Why should not man like you who has been so long [unclear: e-for] they had told me that they had [unclear: th] been about 30 years in the colony—be comfortable position by this time? Why [unclear: it] that after making so much money you [unclear: ve] not got a good farm instead of sitting [unclear: e] in a hotel under the influence of [unclear: or?"] "Well," he says, "that's a fact. Remember coming down here one day with 7 10s in my pocket and leaving again in out [unclear: ut] a week £4 in debt." I said, "Yes, that the way they do. You had better join the [unclear: Ribbon]." He said he would not, [unclear: cause] he could keep from the drink if he [unclear: ed] I said, "Well, you had better like [unclear: "] I also told them that I had got into [unclear: ow] at the Opera House, because I said [unclear: t] if old colonials got out of work it was [unclear: tly] always through drink. (Cries of "No" and "Yes.") Listen, and I will tell [unclear: what] the two gumdiggers said-and [unclear: y] were both old colonials "Well," they [unclear: said], "that's a fact." (Cries of "Oh" [unclear: laughter].) That is just what they said. [unclear: therefore], much as I respect the old [unclear: ial]—and I am one myself—I say that a [unclear: at] number of these old colonial hands [unclear: not] had the same educational [unclear: advan-] and have 'not had the same moral [unclear: ning] in the form that you young colonials [unclear: e] and the consequence is that a large [unclear: ber] have developed drinking habits and [unclear: her] things rendering them not so good as [unclear: young] colonials.