Song of the Gumfield

DESCRIPTION: "In the slighted, blighted North where the giant kauris grow" people earn a living "in the trade of digging gum." New chum, "scum," even doctor and lawyer turn to gum-digging. In the end, "the bottom's gone forever from the trade of digging gum"
AUTHOR: William Sachell (writing as Saml. Cliall White) (according to Bailey/Roth-ShantiesByTheWay-NZ)
EARLIEST DATE: 1896 (Sydney Bulletin, according to Bailey/Roth-ShantiesByTheWay-NZ); collected 1957
KEYWORDS: worker hardtimes
FOUND IN:
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Bailey/Roth-ShantiesByTheWay-NZ, pp. 127-128, "Song of the Gumfield" (1 text)
Colquhoun-NZ-Folksongs-SongOfAYoungCountry, p. 38, "Trade of Kauri Gum (1 text, 1 modern tune) (p. 22 in the 1972 edition)
NOTES [16 words]: For background on the digging of kauri gum, see the notes to "The Old-Time Kauri Bushmen." - RBW
Last updated in version 5.0
File: BaRo127

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