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 Denunciation of the young is a necessary part of the hygiene of older people and greatly assists the circulation of their blood.
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+=====Rumours And Facts.=====
+Dorothy Lawry.
+Have you heard this rumour? It has been going round the Club for about three months now and the version you heard may not be much like the one I heard at the end of June. Rumours are like that.
+Said a member to me (as near as I can remember now) - "I believe the Hobart Walking Club is not feeling too friendly towards the S.B.W. these days, since Dot English burned down the Pelion hut that was their special pride and joy, and only mentioned it to them very casually just as her train was moving out from Hobart".
+Well, that did not sound like Dot English, or any other S.B.W., so I knew that it was a rumour that was getting distorted and exaggerated as rumours usually do. I wrote to Dot and asked her to let me have the facts, if any, and when she replied I told that member what had happened, and asked that the facts be passed backward along the line to whoever had started the rumour. I heard it had come from Melbourne.
+No one else having mentioned the matter in my hearing, I thought any publication of the story would be giving unnecessary publicity to the tragedy, but apparently I was wrong. At the barbecue week-end another member, who had just returned from the snow country, said: "What do you think, all the walkers in Melbourne are saying that the S.B.W. burned down the Pelion Hut!" I now find that various other people have heard "bits and pieces" about some such matter.
+Well, here is an eye-witness's story - Dot's own - and as this magazine goes to the Melbourne Clubs I hope their members as well as our own will read it. I hope,too, that everyone will make a mental note of the warnings this story contains, one for all walkers who visit strange parts and have to use huts instead of their tents, and one for the builders and owners of huts that are sometimes used by strangers. Here is the story.
+"Unfortunately it is no mere rumour but a fact concerning the Pelion Shack. Our party was in occupation the night the chimney caught fire, and I had lit the fire that night, so I hold myself responsible, but tell whoever your rumour-monger is that he's using his imagination a bit too far in saying that I told the Hobort Walking Club anything about the matter. I have not mentioned it to a soul as I was particularly anxious that the name Sydney Bushwalkers should not be brought in. I am sorry that the Hobart Walking Club have adopted Nazi reprisal tactics (if they have, but that may be part of the rumourmonger's imagination - Dorothy) and are acting in unfriendly fashion towards the Bushwalkers because of what some individual member may have done, but I suppose everyone, even bushwalkers, becomes a bit insane during wartime. You could tell them that incendiarism is not a policy of the Sydney Bushwelkers, and in indulging in such tactics I acted purely in a private capacity. But, honestly, Dorothy, do they really think I did it on purpose?
+"If you know the Pelion Shack you will know it is, or rather, was constructed entirely of a light pine, including the chimney which was wood right to floor level. The locals have habit of poking branches of wood up the chimney, resting on the bar on which the billies are hung, so to dry them off, I presume. Whether this was so in the Pelion Shack I haven't any idea, as we didn't discover this habit till visiting subsequent huts. However, it would help to explain how the fire reached the top of the chimney, as that seemed to be the part most alight when I woke to the sound of crackling about dawn. The lower part of the chimney was also alight, but not to the same extent as the top. I climbed on to the roof and a kerosene tin of water we passed up to me. I poured this over the flames and tried to beat it out while more water was being collected. Unfortunately the creek is quite a distance from the shack down a steep embankment, and by the time the next kerosene tin of water had arrived the flames were getting under way again. A third bucket of water never reeched the fire as the whole roof then caught and went up like thatch, followed by the rest of the match-wood structure, and we barely had time to throw out what properties of value we could grab when the whole place was like an inferno. We stayed there till the last ember was rendered harmless, put up a sign on the notice board to direct people to the old Pelion huts a quarter of a mile away and then passed on and reported the matter to Mr. Connell, the ranger in charge of that end of the Reserve.
+"Holding a post mortem on the occurrence it is easy enough to point out things which should and should not have been done: chimneys should be built of iron and not of pine wood, sticks should not be poked up the chimney and left there when a party a vacates a hut, trees too close to the hut should at least have their branches lopped as I discovered when I got on the roof that there as a dead branch from a nearby tree poking right into the chimney and it was well and truly alight. It is quite possible that a spark from down below could catch the dead leaves and start the trouble. Water should be more accessible, and a shovel and heap of loose earth near the huts would also help. As it was, it was impossible to scrape up even a handful of earth to throw on the flames, and trying to beat them out with a green branch was just worse than useless.
+"I left my name and address with Mr.Connell, and he will no doubt inform me of the verdict of the Park Trustes when they have held their meeting. I see no reson at all why the Sydney Bushwalkers should be brought in at all. Actually I am now a non-active member and have been away from the Club for some 18 months. This bit of information might help to pacify the Hobart Walkers.
+"One can't spend ten yeers of one's life bushwalking without a few accidents happening. Still, I think this latest accident is the worst thing that has yet happened, in its own small way as bad as the bombing destruction of Coventry, Cologne, or the Ruhr, and equally regrettable.
+"Well, that's the whole tale. I begin to feel depressed and will call it a day".
+I am sure that every bushwalker everywhere has sufficient imagination to realise how he, or she, would feel under similar circumstances; and so I am sure that everyone will sympathise deeply with Dot and her friends. At the same time, everyone, of course, will sympathise with the Tasmanian walkers in the loss of the Pelion Shack, and will realise that, though hard words may have been spoken, any real ill-feeling between two walking clubs is just a figment of the rumour-monger's imagination.
+So far as Dot's clubmates in the S.B.W. are,concerned, I know they will all agree with me that we appreciate her efforts to dissociate us from the tragedy, but are glad to know that everyone recognises her as a member of our Club rather than of any of the others to which she belongs.
 ----
-RUMU(11;.S Ft;'..C13.
-DOROTHY LAWRY.
--17e you herd this rumour? It h 1.pen going round the Club for e bout nree
-eeet'ol now and the version you he rd may not be much like the one I he:rd at the e rEnd of June. Rumours c,re like the..
-SeV. a member to me (-s ne, r es I can remeo ber now) - TI believe the Hobart a
-r-Llk1n Club is not feeling too friendly towards the these days, since Dot 2ngli_sh burned down the elion hut that ITTL.E" their s,Decial ljrideecnd joy, and only mentioned it to them very c suelly just ao her train was moving out from Hobart.
-Well, that id not soue_d 111:e Dot Anlish, or any other S.BJ. so I knew that it was a rumour thect was L;ettins distorted erld exagcerated as rumours usually rlo.
-I wrote to Dot and asked her to let me heve the facto, if any, and when she replied I told that member whet he d heypened, and e sked thet the facts be passed
-backword along the line to e:hoever had st-rted the rulaour. I herd it had come from Yelbourte.
-iO one else having elentioned tile matter in my he ering, I thought any publication of the story -rould be i,:ivince uon.:cescory publicity to the tragedy, but a,Yearently I W13 wron. 1^.Lt the barbecue week-end L.noth r member, who h,d just returned from the snow country, said: t do Tu think,all the walkers in Melbourne are saying
-thet the burned down the :elion I-hi tF I now find that various other oeonle have heard "bits and pieces" e:-Jout some such matter.
-Well, here is an eye-oitnee's story-Dot's own-and as this magazine goes to the Melbourne Clubs I ho-ea their -a: mbers es ,7e11 s our own will re:d it. I ho-oe,too, that everyone will make e: mentel note ef th ,.w :i_raings this story contains, one for all walkers who visit strooe rts a-Jed h. ve to use huts instee,d of their tente,
-and one for the builders oad owners of huts that are sometimes used by strrno_rs. Here is the. etory.
-'rUnfortun tely it is no mere rumeur but a f-ct concerning the Pelion Shack. Crur party was in occupation the ni7ht the chimney caught fire, and I had lit the fire that night,so I hold myself res2onsible,bu': tell whoever your rumour-monger is that he's using his inagintian e, bit too fel- in Pe ying that I told the Hobort Tji lking Club anything about the matter. I h-ve'not ifeontined it -Co a soul as I vc..Ls perticulerly anxious that the name Sydney Bushwalkers should not be brought in. I am sorry th t the Hobart :eIking Club heve ::do7ted Nezi re.?risal tEctics (if they heve, but th t me y be pe rt of ne ruee,urmonger's imoj n,.tion-Dorothy) oad ara Icting in unfriendly feshion toords the nucheilkero bec use of what some individual number may have done, but I su:?ose ev ryone, even bushw lkers, becomes a bit ins ne during wartime. You could tell 'them that incendirerism is not a policy of the Sydney Bushwelkre, and in i.:'dul_7;ing in such tactics I acted purely in a private caw: city. 'But, honeetly, Do-rothy, do they really think I did it on purpose?'
-If you hmow. Shack you will know it is ,or r th-r, was constructed
-entirely of e light pine, the ohiriney which was wood right to floor level.
-The locals have h-bit nf pokie:L; briacher, of wood up the chimney, resting on the
-bar on which the billies are hun..:, so to dry there off,,I :)resume. "Vhether this was so in the 2elion Sh.'ck I h Ven't any idee, ae we didn't discov r this habit till visiting subsecueut huts.' Howevr,it would hale to explain how the fire reached the top of the chimney, as that seemed to be the part most ielforeht when I woke to the eound of cn ckling about dawn. The lowr part of the chimney was also
-e licht, but not to the sale extent as the to I climbed on to the roof
-kerosene tin of water we passed up to me. I poured this nv r the floes and tried to beat it out while more water was being collected. Unfortunately the creek is
-,lu:.ee a (1jat-,nce from the B:1 ck down a -steep embankment, and by the time the ne./_
- keQ,_rno tin of water had'arrived the fle izles' were getting under way again.
--hi.' -0 bucket of water never reeched the fire as the whole roof then caught -nd
-n2 like thatch, followed:by the rest of the match-wood structure, ard we be cel_:j 1_6. time to throw out wh,-.t properties of vllue we could grab when the
-whole place was like n inferno'. Vie stayed there till the last ember WPC rendered h,rrlilese, put up a sign on th iiatice board to direct peopleto the old 1)17.7.rn huts ,7,1 quarter of a mile lway and then -,Da:',ed on and reported the matt r to tr. CoeT.,Ca, the ranger in ch-rc3e of th-.t end of the RJServee
-.,1-1,-0Ji ng a post mortem on the occurrence it is easy enough to point out things which oho aid and should not h_ve been :done: chimneys should be built of iron and not of pine wood, sticks should not be poked up the chimney and left there when a p ,rty Afe c.etes a hut, trees too close to the hut should at lest have th ir bro nches lo,pped as I discovered when I got on the roof that there as a d_ed branch from a nearby tree poking right into, the chimney and it was well and truly
-it is Quite possible thet a sp rk from down below could catch the dead leaves e nd strt the troubl!. ;later should he more excessible, and a shovel and
-heap of loose eerth ne r the huts would also help. As it was, it was impossible to scrape up even a handful of e,rth to throw on the flames, and trying to beat them out with a,green branch was just werse than useless.
-"I left my name and address with Mr.Connell, -nd he will no doubt inform me of the verdict, of the Park Trustes when they h:ve held their meeting. Isee no reson at all why the Sy2ney. Dushw,elkers should be brought in at ell. Actually I 4a now a, non-active member and have been away from the Club for some 18 months. This bit of information might hel-re to pacify the Hobart Walkers.
-. "One can't spend ten yeers of one's life bushealking without a few accidents he,ppentng. ',Still, I think this litest e ccideht is the worst thng that h:s yet ha,)pehdd, in its own small way s bed as the bombing destruction of ;Coventry, Cologne, or the Ruhr, and equZLly regrett-ble.
-"Well, that's the whole tale. I begin to feel depressed andwill call. it a day'.
-I am sure th-et every bushwliz r overywhre has sufficient imagin..bion to realise how he, or she, wOuld feel under similar circumstances; and. se I am sure that everyone vL11 sympathise deeply with Dot -md her friends. At the same time, evJryone, of course, will Isymp thisei with the Tasmanian walk,rs in the loss of the PLA_ion Shack, and will realise the t, thou zh hrd words m7..y h ve been :spoken any ree.1 betpeen, two walking clubs is just a figment of the rumour-
-s .
-:e dot's clubmates in the S.D,W, are,concurned, I know they will all
-agree with me that we a7.,erecie:te'HI,Jr efforts to, dissoci-ete us from the,treegedy,
-gl-e,d_to,knOW theteveryone recognise her e s a, member of our Club r..ether.
-,
-tl.,-iLen
-of any of the others to w4ch She belons.
 . --  ... p.
 DY THTE ASST. C,74,SLR.