CHAPTER XXV 



THE SUPERINTENDENT OR MANAGER ; AND 

 THE OVERSEER 



The type of manager, or superintendent (familiarly 

 abbreviated to " super ") was various and has often 

 been drawn. In the early days the runholder was his 

 own manager, and sometimes, like Brodribb, he gave 

 up his own station to manage another's. Where there 

 were two partners, one stayed at home to manage 

 the run, while the other remained in town to conduct 

 the commercial part of the business, or, if the partners 

 held two runs, he managed the second. Where the sole 

 partner was not in customary residence, as was the case, 

 for example, with Wentworth, who never truly squatted 

 on his stations, though he owned huge runs, a superin- 

 tendent or manager was employed. He was sometimes 

 of extraordinary muscular development ; gray at forty 

 (not an uncommon thing in these colonies and in the 

 liberal professions here) from hardship and exposure ; 

 a grizzly-bearded, stern-looking man, ^vith a gruff, 

 authoritative voice, and a tanned complexion. He 

 wore a cabbage-tree hat, a flannel shirt, a short tweed 

 jacket over it, and corduroy breeches, with a broad 

 belt around them instead of braces — a common practice 

 in the bush. He was a hard worker, and was wrapt 

 up in sheep. Or (if he was on a cattle-station) he was 

 great at mustering cattle, cutting out " scrubbers " 

 (cattle that had wandered away into the scrub and came 

 back to join the herds), getting in wild horses, and 

 drafting beasts in the stockyard. He handled with 



196 



