STUD RAM PAYS A VISIT -

I have been reading a fascinating book titled "That's not rubbish, that's our possessions" by Zelma Bates / Clayton. The book is full of personal insights and great little stories. One of my favourites involves a certain uncle Garden:

He was driving a mixed freight train and on board was a very valuable stud ram that had been purchased from South Australia.

It was a particularly hot day and the train had stopped for some reason so the fireman walked down to check on the ram and ensure it was ok in the heat.

The ram appeared to be distressed so the fireman decided to give it a drink of water. As he opened the gate to put a bucket of water inside the railway car the ram took one look at the open gate and jumped straight out.

The ram bolted over the road and over a fence to join a large flock of sheep in a farmer's paddock.

Uncle Garden and the fireman took off in pursuit and after some time, cornered the sheep against the fence line of the paddock. Grabbing a ram they manhandled it back to the train and got it back on board.

The ram was left in a siding for the new owner to come and collect but when he did all hell broke loose. The farmer claimed that the mob in South Australia had tried to put one over on him but they claimed the correct ram had been placed on the train.

After a week of questioning everyone involved with the transport of the ram, all indications pointed to uncle Garden and the fireman.

The fireman eventually admitted to the ram's escape and the police and stock agents went to the farm concerned and retrieved the correct ram. The farmer claimed he had not noticed a strange ram in his flock but uncle Garden reckoned that any ewes that had lambs that could be tied back to the dates the prize ram was on the property, would be given special attention. He said he often wondered how many prize lambs eventuated from the kind-heartedness of a railway fireman when a ram from the best stud in South Australia paid a visit to that flock.

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