4-406 (Original)

File contents

<source><g=m><o=i><age=26><status=3><abode=09><p=wau><r=prw><tt=pc><4-406>
I am trying hard to borrow enough money to make my place sheep-proof and get sheep. If I fail I will sell out and go to South Africa. I am sick of working off the place for wages. One can just earn enough to keep the place without ever being able to stock it. I can earn at the lowest estimation £200 per year from my place, had I it stocked. It would carry 450 ewes and I would make this, and more, out of the increase and wool, besides what I could grow in the way of fruit and corn and potatoes, etc. For security I have the place itself worth £500 which I have refused from two people. [104] I can get money but at 8% which is too high. I am trying for 6 or 5 if I can get it. 
If I had the farm so that I could make a living off it I could get a wife and things wouldn't be quite so lonely. Fancy seeing people only when you ride from 3 to 9 miles for I am separated from the Wright's by a roaring river and in any case it is only Geoff I care to keep acquaintanced with. 
I nearly lost my foal which is rather a valuable animal through poison not long ago but I roped it and bled it and it is all right now. This is the wettest winter in the memory of man [...] 
The Colonies, as you doubtless are aware, have all Federated which means among other things that there will be no inter-colonial duty on anything so that farmers and especially fruit growers will suffer. Instead of 10d., 1s. 0d. and 1s.6d. per lb. it will (fruit) be 2d. and up to 4d. as they can send fruit from the older colonies cheaper than we can grow it. The benefits we derive in WA will be chiefly of the sentimental order, one Nation, one Flag and one destiny etc. We are getting along very nicely and could have held our own with any of them in another 10 years but it will cripple a lot of young industries on which thousands have been spent. 
Stock are dearer in the colonies than ever they have been before, meat 8d. a lb. in Adelaide and up to 1s. 1d. here in Perth. I have never since heard from Lewis. My fruit trees are just starting to sprout out some being in blossom (plums and peaches) and I expect one or two on each tree will set. 
The constant hard living and hard work is making me stiff already. A man here of 30 is to all appearance as old as a man of 45 in the old country. Somehow one gets careless of cooking and often when one comes home wet and tired at night one hasn't got heart to cook an edible supper and just has some bread and butter (if he has butter) and goes to bed. 
<\4-406><\g=m><\o=i><\age=26><\status=3><\abode=09><\p=wau><\r=prw><\tt=pc>