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Blue Mountain Rhymes, Grave and Gay
by R. Ogilvie Rodger,
published by Quin & Rodger, Tapanui 1914, p. 30
Reminiscent of 24th May, 1885
Yes, thirty years save one have gone
Since four of us we trod
To see the place where brother John
Was found with shattered head.
'Twas thus I did fulfil a vow,
when first I of it heard;
I said I'd climb that mountain's brow,
Some day, if I were spared.
I was the invalid of the lot,
The others' swung along;
I rode until quite bogged I got,
But brother James was strong.
He said "Come mount upon my back,
And I will take you there."
I found him better than the hack-
He went up like a hare.
And eerie feeling I'd to face,
When first I saw the cairn,
That with a flax bush marked the place
Amongst the mountain fern.
Thou said thou were out of the rut,
And would not feel at home
Until thou saw Black Gully hut,
And Mountain Blue to roam.
But little either of us thought
Thou went then to thy doom,
Here by an accidental shot
Thou passed in misty gloom.
With none to hear thy dying yell,
Or hold thee by the hand,
Save faithful dogs that watched thee well-
They knew thee for a friend.
Coincident it is that I
Should also meet my fate,
On Brooksdale, too, though not so high,
'Twas near the north road gate.
And where are now the other three
That went up strong and hale?
Alas, I'm all that's left, you see,
Alone to tell the tale.
James Tulloch was the first to go;
He caught consumption's scourge.
He lingered on, for death came slow,
At last there came his dirge.
And brother James, he was the next;
More rapid was his end.
A few short weeks, and all was fixed,
Save to the grave to wend.
And brother Harry was the last-
Insidious, slow, but sure
His trouble came; we knew from first
For him there was no cure.
And I, the invalid's, all that's left
Of those who climbed that day;
In looking back, I feel bereft, this 24th of May.
John "Jack" Rodger was employed on Brooksdale as Game Keeper and was an experienced hunter with his team of Cocker Spaniel dogs, imported by Cargill and Anderson of Teviot Station. His job included containing the rabbit numbers that were eating out pastures and having been employed on Brooksdale for seven years; he lived in a hut near Black Gully. His preferred gun was a double-barrelled muzzle-loader, even though he owned a breech-loader. The danger in using his choice, was ramming home the first barrel while the second was loaded. The habit of using a ramrod while pointing the gun towards the loader was hazardous to say the least, and thus, this is how he met his death.
Archibald Revie was still manager of herds and flocks. Together with Archie Revie, Rodger arranged the first public coursing match for the area on April 27th 1880. Hares had been imported for sport, as had pheasants and other birds that Rodger was paid to protect. Poisoned grain laid for rabbits in winter unfortunately killed the bird life and was not used to a great extent. Men gathered on the Brooksdale Road between the homestead and granary for the days coursing. Much to everyone's surprise Rodger did not turn up when Kelty had expected him to take charge of the dogs for the day. A search was held for him to be found 24 hours later at the head of Black Gully. On the summit where his body lay surrounded by faithful dogs his brothers James, Alexander, and Henry together with James Tulloch and other friends, constructed a cairn that stands as the only one of its kind in West Otago. The view on a fine day is magnificent and well worth the walk, as the eye can see as far south as the Bluff and Stewart Island. Robert wrote the poem in memory of that day.
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