From the Bush: Bowyang is Candid

Publication: Melbourne Herald
Date: 04 April 1923

dere frend

wel i ope yous got back to
town safe after spendin yer
little olyday with us up ere.
i wish yous cud ave staid
longer than a cupler days becos
ther was a lotter things i was
ichin to tell yer but i never got a
chanct.
mine i aint slingin orf at yer
abowt torkin to mutch or an-
nythink like that becos owever
umbel me lot in life opes i nos
me manners. but you musent
think that becos us peepil in the
bush is good lisners we dont
want to get a word in egways
sumtimes.
them lekshers was reel inter-
estin wot you give us on the
need of sity parks, an over
crowdin tranes, an the roodnes
of tram kinduckters or the bad
infooens of movin pitchers. it
was al reel entertainin but to tel
you the ones trooth i was
ankshus to ave a bit of a wurd
with you abowt rottin rodes an
pertater blite an 1 thing an
nuther but i dident seam to git
no chanct. but i aint slingin orf
or nothink like that.
you an me as been good
frends now for a fare number of
yeers an i no that we alwiz
takes wot wun anuther sez in
good part an the sprit in wich
it is ment. plane tork between
frends is alwiz the best i sez if
yous want to remane frends.
cander pays in the long run as
the sayin is.
so i no yous ull take it in good
part an not rekin ime slingin orf
when i points out 1 or 2 littel
brakes yous made when yous
was up ere.
frinstans when yure misses
sez to bil smith that e wurked is
bullicks so ard that e never
seemed to ave time to milk the
pore things ther was no need
fer er to go sower just becos bil
larfed. i no bils got a narsty sor-
ter larf but it cums frum is art
an ort to be took in the same
sprit as it is ment an thats
kinely like.

i aint sayin nothin abowt
yous ixpectin ot barths evry
mornin becos i spose its jist a
abit yous git like drinkin an
terback. if we ad knowed sity
peepil needed washin so mutch
weed ave put on a cupler
karaseen tins of warter for
yous. but when yure missus
starts inquirin fer servyets at
the diner table she dedent orter
ave looked down er nose when
we giv er a ankerchef. it was a
clean ankerchef annyway. an
this ouse dont run to servyets or
finger boles eether an you got to
tak us as you find us. but dont
you go thinkin ime slingin orf
cos ime not.
the lars thing i want to say
candid an between frends is
that you musent git thinkin us
blokes wot lives in the bush
never gits no noos of anythink
less than 6 munce old.

we opes to be able to pay yous
a visit in town in a few weeks
and ave a reel good yarn about
rodes an crops an bush fires an
bullicks an things. ime sure
you will injoy our stay as we in-
dige yours if not moar.
we are orl rite ere ixcep
things is very dry.

yours truly
Ben Bowyang

p.s. the missis wants to no wud
you kinely inkwire the price of
½ doz ard warin servyets.
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