1 82 iRiMno IRccoUcctions an^ Unit Stories 



I have no doubt some people will quote ' Blair 

 Athol,' ' Doncaster,' ' Bendigo,' 'Merry Hampton,' 

 and ' Common,' but they were exceptions. 



In mentioning a name just now, I was reminded 

 of a good story the late Mr. Saxon used to be very 

 fond of telling about himself. He was a self-made 

 man, and used at one time to work in a coal-mine. 

 One day, some time after he had left off working 

 below ground (having been very fortunate betting, 

 and started a stud of horses in conjunction with his 

 friend, Mr. James Barber), he met an old pal in 

 Manchester who had worked by the side of him for 

 a very long time in former days, and who had not 

 seen him for years. His friend came up, shook 

 hands with him, and said : 



"Joe, what pit is thou working in now ?" 

 Joe made answer, and told him he had "done 

 working in pits, and that he had a much better 

 game," at the same time inviting him to have a drink. 

 This over, Saxon, seeing his old pal's clothes were 

 rather shabby, took him to the nearest shop, and stood 

 him a new suit of fustian. The pitman then said : 

 "Joe, clogs are rather bad." 



So he stood him a new pair of clogs. After look- 

 ing himself up and down, he hardly seemed satisfied, 

 but turned round and said : 



