Letters relating to Oliver 'Trooper Bluegum' Hogue, 1915-1927 - Part 4

[*over*]
Dear Farmer
Have you seen these 
lines in Australia. They are real
fine. I got a nice letter from
Will Ogilvie last week.
He is doing remount work
for the War Office.
Am nearly well. Back
to Egypt in a fortnight.
Please remember me kindly to
all he boys. My first book
"Love letters of an Anzac" will be
out in a week. Bluegum will
follow when it arrives.
Good luck
Oliver H

THE  AUSTRALIAN
("The bravest thing God ever made"- A British Officer’s Opinion)
The skies that arched his land were blue,
His bush-born winds were warm and sweet,
And yet from earliest hours he knew
The tides of victory and defeat;
From fierce floods thundering at his birth,
From red droughts ravening while he played,
He learned to fear no foes on earth -
"The bravest thing God ever made "
The bugles of the Motherland
Rang ceaselessly across the sea,
To call him and his lean brown band
To shape Imperial destiny;
He went by youth's grave purpose willed
The goal unknown, the cost unweighed,
The promise of his blood fulfilled -
"The bravest thing God ever made "
We know- it is our deathless pride
The splendour of his first Fierce blow,
How reckless, glorious, undenied,
He stormed those steel lined cliffs we know;
And none who saw him scale the height
Behind his reeking bayonet-blade
Would rob him of his title-right -
"The bravest thing God ever made "
Bravest, where half a world of men
Are brave beyond all earth’s rewards,
So stoutly none shall charge again,
Till the last breaking of the swords;
Wounded or hale, won home from war
Or yonder by the Lone Pine laid
Give him his due for evermore -
"The bravest thing God ever made "
W.H.O.
Will Ogilvie
Punch
 

2 — 2 — 16.
Dear Farmer:
I was very pleased
indeed to get your last letter with
its enclosure "Shell Green" I don't
know how I can repay you
for all your kindness & work
during the past six months. The
Bluegum MSS came duly to hand
& I am just adding a couple of
final chapters before pushing it
off to the publishers.
I am nearly well, have reported
myself fit for duty & am expecting
soon to return to Egypt. . . .
I received a copy of the Sydney Mail
last week with your very kind defence
 

of 'Bluegum' for his "atrocities" error . . . We all fell
[[out]] in there . . . Curious. the whole of the first batch
of wounded Australian & English told the same
tales, yet there was no truth in it at all . . . 
many thanks . . . 
You will be pleased to hear that "Love Letters of
an Anzac" will be of days. I finished
the proofs 10 days ago & signed the agreement yesty.

I hope it goes big. It should sell here & in
Egypt where the bulk of the Australians are.. In
sunny NSW there should be a big sale & if
should pave the way nicely for Trooper Bluegum.
I dont think I would have published it had
 

3
I thought that A & R
would have refused it. I
think they could have made a
big hit with it.. Now by
the time it xxxxxxxxxxthe
arrives the Gallipoli interest
will have cooled down a lot.
However, T.B. is sure of a
warm reception in Aust.
After the Whitefriars Dinner
at which I managed to get a
fairly successful speech off my
chest - Dad may have said yarn -
I have had several interviews with
editors & agents & could churn
out a lot of stuff very profitably.
But I want to see Bluegum
 

4
safe before I quit, so Ive only
promised to do a few sketches.
However I've got my foot into Fleet St
& will be able to place stuff there later on
if I feel that way . . . . .
Good luck & many many thanks.
Kindest regards to the boys.
Yrs
Oliver H
I sent all the Peninsular Press & Dinkum Oils I had out to
you & have none here so Cannot include them.
O.H.
 

Egypt
12.6.16.
My dear Whyte.~
Ive got an idea. The
dullest of us get inspirations at
times . . Ive been thinking of having
a book published in Australia. It
is to be called "Anzacs and Arabs"..
It is not to be a serious story
like "Trooper Bluegum", but a lighter
thing - more humorous depicting
nothing but the lighter side of war. Ive had
several men artists in view as
collaborators, but have hit on
Stuart Allen as the most likely.
he is really fine at drawing horses
& has a very pretty idea of
humour. I intend to churn
out a series of articles, not
 

2
too many, just enough to
provide an hour or so's reading
matter for the book . .Then
I want a series of sketches
of the Anzacs , the Arabs, the
Gyppies & the Turks. For
this purpose I have asked Allan
to borrow (if he may) that book
I sent you (illustrated) about
Egypt & the one I sent the
pater. they will give him all
the ground work he needs to
build upon. The Anzac he
can get anywhere. . Also he
will be able to get plenty of
Light Horse Skeletons. I will
send on to you some suggestions
jokes, jests & etc to build
the jok illustrations upon.
 

3
Im wondering if I am trespassing
too much on your kindness
in asking you to edit the
volume, & get the stuff together.
I'm sending you your copies of the
[[mirage]] . . There are a few
little verses in it by
Bluegum that will do for
reproduction in the book.
I really think such a book depicting
the lighter side of War, & the
devil may care attitude of the
Australian towards war &
the world in general will
be just what the people are
looking for. They are tired of
serious stuff. I think it
would be fine if we could have
it on the market by November
 

4
to catch the Xmas trade. It
would be just the Kind of Gift
book that Everybody would rush.
Will you see Stuart Allen &
talk it over with him. Ive
asked him to cable me if he
is willing to take it on. Ill
get bust straight away. . . . .
Now here is another and a
rather different scheme. From letters
Ive received I believe the Love Letters of
An Anzac idea has appealed to
the Sydney folk. It kind of brings
the Women folk close to the
boys theyve Sent away . .  So the
idea has suggested itself to me
that some Sydney paper would
like the idea of publishing a
series of "Anzac Love Letters" by