mzawf.org • View topic - Pat Ritter. Books
Login

  • Advertisement

Pat Ritter. Books


An extraordinary writer
:read ENJOY READING THE PAGE PER DAY

  • Author
    Message

Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Wed Mar 18, 2015 9:37 pm

'Click Go The Shears':

Joe stretched to stand, bent his head and shuffled across to the rear gate of the cage. He stepped down instant blood flowed through his body in relief from sitting for the past couple of hours. ‘Could I have a piss?’
‘Somewhere away from the camp. I’ll make a fire and boil the billy.’
Joe shuffled his feet to stand behind a mulga tree to relieve himself afterward returned to the camp site. ‘Want a hand?’ He asked.
‘No – used to doing everything by myself. Because of what you did I was transferred to Cunnamulla? I liked Eulo; they wanted me to identify you, and transferred me. I suppose I should thank you.’
‘Sorry about that. You enjoyed working at Eulo.’ Joe muttered not wanting to get into conversation because the old saying: loose lips sink ships.
‘Ah, I don’t mind the move too much, a lot more work and good to work with an offsider for a change. You caused quite a ruckus doing what you did. What made you go on strike?’
Joe could share this information because his knowledge why the strike came about, he held full knowledge of each event. ‘I wanted to improve working conditions and wages for my fellow shearers’, he told Constable Fitzgerald.
‘Unfortunately you never succeeded. Now look what happened. You’re off to face justice for what you did. I kinda like you Joe and what you did is against the law by taking the law into your own hands. At times I’d love to say something about our work conditions and wages, but honestly mate I’d never in my wildest dreams ever incite my fellow officers to go on strike like you did.’
TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK PLEASE CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/497192.
User avatar
patritter
mzawfer
mzawfer
 
Posts: 3522
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2011 10:45 pm
Location: Brooloo - Queensland - Australia
Has thanked: 0 time
Have thanks: 1855 times

Advertisement

Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Thu Mar 19, 2015 9:53 pm

'Click Go The Shears':

Joe fell silent sipping his tea and eating a scone, ‘what’s done is done and nothing I can do will change. I’ll serve my time and see where I go after I get out of prison. Hey, you were right, these scones are good. Can I have another?’ Joe’s face broke into a smile when handed another scone.
After they broke camp Joe climbed into the cage and sat behind Constable Fitzgerald. ‘At least you’ll be on the train from Charleville to Rockhampton.’ Constable Fitzgerald shouted over his shoulder. Midday was fast approaching. ‘Got your hat on Joe, starting to get hot.’
Joe pulled his hat tighter around his skull, ‘yeah, I’m right, can’t be too far from here?’ Joe wondered.
‘Almost at Wyandra, about half way, we’ll be in Charleville by late afternoon. They rode along in silence. ‘We’ll pull up on the other side of Wyandra so you can stretch your legs.’
‘Sounds good to me,’ Joe answered.
After leaving Wyandra Constable Fitzgerald stopped his horse under the shade of a huge gum tree and stepped down to unlock the cage. ‘We’ll have a break and some lunch. I’ll let the horse loose while we have something to eat.’
TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK PLEASE CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/497192.
User avatar
patritter
mzawfer
mzawfer
 
Posts: 3522
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2011 10:45 pm
Location: Brooloo - Queensland - Australia
Has thanked: 0 time
Have thanks: 1855 times

Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Fri Mar 20, 2015 10:14 pm

'Click Go The Shears':

Joe stepped down from the wagon. ‘I’ll make a fire to boil the billy,’ Joe gathered kindling to make a fire. ‘Have you a match to start the fire. Can't rub two sticks together with these things on?’ He asked Constable Fitzgerald who took a match from his trouser pocket, struck it on the side of his pants and ignited the kindling. ‘Where do I get water?’ Joe asked.
‘I’ll get it, you take a seat on the log over there and I’ll fetch some sandwiches.’
Joe shuffled to a nearby log and sat watching Constable Fitzgerald prepare their lunch. Hope he doesn’t ask too many more questions, I don’t think he’s caught on yet about changing places but if he does, I don’t know what will happen. Joe pondered.
‘What happens if you bump into Billy Wells in prison?’ Constable Fitzgerald asked.
‘Never thought about seeing him again,’ Joe answered, a crease formed on his brow.
‘I bet he doesn’t forget the night at Eulo you almost killed him when he wore the necklace and ring he’d stolen from Hannah.’
Joe thought back to the night and remembered what happened. He was there and saw everything. ‘Hope I don’t go to the same prison as he’s in. I don’t know what happened after you arrested him.’
‘He faced court and pleaded ‘guilty’. I was there at the court hearing, the judge gave him twenty years imprisonment. He still thinks the police murdered his brother. I think they sent him to St Helena Island Prison. It’s supposed to be one of the toughest prisons.’
TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK PLEASE CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/497192.
User avatar
patritter
mzawfer
mzawfer
 
Posts: 3522
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2011 10:45 pm
Location: Brooloo - Queensland - Australia
Has thanked: 0 time
Have thanks: 1855 times

Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Sat Mar 21, 2015 8:56 pm

'Click Go The Shears':

Hope they send me to another prison, Joe pondered and fell silent.
‘We’ll have a rest for an hour.’ Constable Fitzgerald lowered his hat, ‘you won’t try and escape, will you?’
‘No.’ Joe slid to the ground and lay his head against a log closed his eyes and thoughts ricocheted through his mind seeing Billy Wells in prison. If it happens, it happens. I’ll deal with it whenever, these were his final thoughts until he heard Constable Fitzgerald’s voice say they were on their way.
As the sun dipped over the horizon they arrived at Charleville Police Station. After Constable Fitzgerald released Joe from the cage he escorted him to the front desk. ‘Prisoner Ryan for transportation to Rockhampton’, Constable Fitzgerald told the desk sergeant who appeared to be half asleep.
‘Right, Ryan you say, where’s he going?’
‘To Rockhampton Sergeant,’ Constable Fitzgerald answered in an authoritative voice.
‘Can’t see anything about him. Have you a warrant?’
Constable Fitzgerald handed over papers which included the arrest warrant. The desk sergeant scanned the papers, ‘thank you constable. We’ll take care of him from here.’
TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK PLEASE CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/497192.
User avatar
patritter
mzawfer
mzawfer
 
Posts: 3522
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2011 10:45 pm
Location: Brooloo - Queensland - Australia
Has thanked: 0 time
Have thanks: 1855 times

Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Sun Mar 22, 2015 10:12 pm

'Click Go The Shears':

‘Be seeing you Joe, maybe see you again some other time. Keep out of trouble.’ Constable Fitzgerald shook hands with Joe and left the police station.
The desk sergeant entered details into a charge book. ‘Have you any property to declare?’
Joe shook his head.
‘Constable Thomas,’ the desk sergeant shouted. ‘Can you take this prisoner to the cells.’
Joe accompanied the young constable to a cell block who unlocked the door. ‘Here’s your accommodation. I’ll take these shackles off to make you more comfortable.’
Soon after the leggings and shackles removed Joe felt a relief to be free to walk. He entered the cell similar to the one in Cunnamulla. The cell door locked. A stretcher against the far wall beckoned him.
Settling on the stretcher his mind filled with one question, ‘why did I take the place of Joe Ryan?’ Most of his life he considered his upbringing good resulted by loving parents who always pointed him in the right direction. His love for his mother and father went deeper than the normal love for a parent. Memory of his mother slaving over a hot stove, baking bread, preparing meals, washing in a copper in the heat of day, reflected her work ethics. His thoughts went to a city born child, lived in Brisbane, and always wanted to travel west to be a shearer. Since his childhood memories, his deepest desire to become a shearer took over all other thoughts.
TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK PLEASE CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/497192.
User avatar
patritter
mzawfer
mzawfer
 
Posts: 3522
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2011 10:45 pm
Location: Brooloo - Queensland - Australia
Has thanked: 0 time
Have thanks: 1855 times

Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Mon Mar 23, 2015 10:18 pm

'Click Go The Shears':

Aged twenty-one years old he left his family home walked west carrying his swag living and working wherever he could until he reached Cunnamulla to work in the shearing industry. His escape from his parents. They would never have wanted their son to be a shearer. Living far from home at times lonely.
On his twenty-third birthday he met Joe Ryan whilst shearing on Tilbooroo Station outside of Eulo through another shearer, Jack Reardon. First time he met Joe Ryan his admiration and desire to help his fellow shearers stood out in his memory. Joe certainly displayed fire in his belly, enthusiasm in his voice and needed all the help he could get. I honestly thought I was helping Joe with his mission to improve better working conditions and wages. How did I know what was going to happen later and lead me to landing in prison. His memory returned to the moment.
To prove he wanted to go ahead with his plans Joe took his place at Farnham Plains whilst he tried to contact William Spence, the mastermind behind ‘The Australian Shearers Union’. A fortnight later Joe joined him at the Eulo Queen when he informed Joe about what happened at ‘Wellshot Station’. Then a stranger walked into the bar and Joe introduced us. When the stranger went to shake his hand Joe identified a ring and necklace he’d given to his girl Hannah.
Joe went off his brain, punched the stranger and knocked him to the floor. He kept punching him until Constable Fitzgerald walked into the bar and pulled Joe off. Joe and the constable took the stranger to the police station.
TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK PLEASE CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/497192.
User avatar
patritter
mzawfer
mzawfer
 
Posts: 3522
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2011 10:45 pm
Location: Brooloo - Queensland - Australia
Has thanked: 0 time
Have thanks: 1855 times

Re: Pat Ritter. Books

Postby patritter » Tue Mar 24, 2015 10:35 pm

'Click Go The Shears':

Afterwards when Joe re-entered the bar everyone cheered and became the moment the penny dropped to help him with his mission. His bravery and courage to do what he did for his girl. Then when he returned after Christmas and he told Joe about the meeting in New South Wales when William Spence would be the guest speaker Joe’s face lite up like a Christmas tree. Joe rode his horse to Bourke to attend the conference.
Thinking back on the journey he had with Joe, his decision not to join the Queensland Shearers Union, the right one because had he joined he would’ve been camped on the banks of the Warrego River on the outskirts of Cunnamulla when the shearers went on strike for five months.
Instead Joe worked on different properties because he had a ‘Freedom of Contract’ which enabled employment of non union shearers. A rough time because union shearers couldn’t obtain work on any property whilst the non-union shearers had all of the contracts to shear sheep. Thinking back now I should never have gone to Joe’s camp to warn him about the police coming to arrest him. Instead I should’ve cleared out. He appeared a beaten man, long beard, unwashed and clothes he’d lived in for weeks. That moment I decided to take his place so he and Hannah could ‘get on with their lives’. What a foolish act . It’s too late now just take the punishment and accept what my future holds.
TO PURCHASE THIS BOOK PLEASE CLICK ONTO THIS LINK: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/497192.
User avatar
patritter
mzawfer
mzawfer
 
Posts: 3522
Joined: Tue Dec 13, 2011 10:45 pm
Location: Brooloo - Queensland - Australia
Has thanked: 0 time
Have thanks: 1855 times

PreviousNext

Return to The Author, Pat Ritter



cron