"Man oh man, I vos free!"

Barrett Crumen "Russian Jack"
1878 - 1968

The statue is a gift to the Masterton community by the Masterton Licensing Trust to mark its 50th anniversary in 1997. The selection of Russian Jack portrays a slice of New Zealand's social history. A colourful bygone era that was steeped in hard living.

Swaggers were a familiar sight on New Zealand roads in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. While some were in search of freedom and were decidedly work-shy, others were looking for employment and as such played an important part when farms relied on the traveling workforce to boost numbers at busy times.

When his ship, the Star of Canada, was wrecked on the Gisborne coast in 1912, Barrett Crumen set off on foot for Wellington. Somewhere in the Wairarapa, the magic of the road captivated him and he spent the next 53 years of his life as a "swaggie".

Born in Latvia, and retaining a strong accent throughout his life, Russian Jack as he came to be called, established a regular beat between Wairarapa, Manawatu and Rangitikei. He became a familiar figure on the roadsides, while his bivouacs dotted the countryside.

Picking up work, food and occasional lodgings wherever he could, he was described by some of the farmers he visited as extremely honest, never taking anything without working for it. He traveled equipped with a strong walking stick, a kerosene tin billy and two huge sugar bags crammed with blankets, towels, clothing, food and tins of dripping which he rubbed on his chest and neck against ailments.

To keep out the cold he wore layers of brown paper or newspaper under increasingly patched clothes and even under his hat. He had the odd habit of stuffing his ears with brown paper wads soaked in mutton fat to protect against the cold and to "keep the bugs out".

His most treasured possession was a pipe, which he would briefly puff on, before putting it out by ramming a cork into it. He always carried two stones with him and would place them firmly in the toes of his boots at night to retain their shape. Russian Jack endlessly repaired his boots with nails, cardboard and tyre rubber.

It was frostbite in his toes which finally took the old swagger from the road in 1965, when he was admitted to Pahiatua Hospital. He was transferred to the Buchanan Ward at Greytown Hospital where he spent three years.

Russian Jack died in September 1968, aged 90, and was given a respectful funeral and buried in Greytown Cemetery, paid for with the proceeds of a pension he had never claimed.

"O spread thy covering wings around till all our wanderings cease,
and at our Father's loved abode our souls arrive in peace".

Information taken from  Masterton District Council.

Russian Jack Statue is sited near the Masterton Library, set against a grey sky today with heavy showers.

Thanks for all the lovely comments the last few days, I've struggled with commenting while away but will catch up when I return home. The second part of Daughter A's interview went well and she is now through to the physcometric testing which will probably be next week - interviews are all so involved these days.

A very late blip tonight, time to turn the light out.

Happy Wednesday blippers :)