Page:Banking Under Difficulties- Or Life On The Goldfields Of Victoria, New South Wales And New Zealand (1888).pdf/172

Rh gold is cleared from all impurities. I may explain to the entirely uninitiated, that this only applies to alluvial gold; for that found in reefs, another and much more elaborate process is necessary. The copper scoop must of course be thoroughly dry; and so damp was the climate of the West Coast that I had frequently to carry about with me a small stove, over which the scoops were placed.

A banker again is not usually the sort of man upon whom one would expect practical jokes to be played. The digger, however, reverences no one, as will be seen by the following little incident:—

Enter into the bank a digger.

“I say, Mister, how do you sell crinolines?”

“What do you mean?” was my reply.

“Well, old man, you needn’t be so scotty; only when a fellow sees a crinoline hanging over the door he naturally thinks they’re for sale.”

I rushed out, and sure enough, exposed to the gaze of an admiring crowd, was a prodigious crinoline that had been quietly hung over the door by my neighbour, Mr. B., a large storekeeper. There was nothing for it but to join in the laugh, and endeavour to repay the joke, which I did—with interest—by misplacing some of his price tickets on his goods, and sending an irascible digger to purchase the cheap goods.

“Let’s have four pair of them moleskins, same as you have ticketed up outside.”

The trousers—whose ticket I had altered from 12s. to 4s.—were made up into a neat parcel, and 16s. duly deposited for payment.

“Some mistake, sir,” said B.; “these moles are 12s. a pair.”

“Then what the sanguinary sheol are those you have outside marked 4s.! Another dodge, I suppose; you don’t Jew me, old man; let’s see them as is ticketed,”

B. of course explains he has none at that price, and when, after a rather heated discussion, he is dragged outside to see, he protests it’s a mistake, &c. But this his customer wontwon’t [sic] see, and makes such a row that he is eventually allowed to go away with-his cheap purchase. Next day I remarked to B. that “I heard he was selling moleskins cheaper than I could afford to sell crinolines.”

When a big, or in fact any account is now opened, we all know that there is some small business-like work done. The signature is taken leisurely, and the whole transaction is methodically completed.

One day, walking along the beach, I met Mr. K., of the well-known firm of K Brothers.

“Just the man I wanted to see. You’re Mr. Preshaw, aren’t you.”

“Yes,” I replied.