Stoep Stories No 21
Wednesday, 21st May 2014
"VERNEUKERY
STOEP STORIES - TALES FROM THE KAROO
Published by the Graaff-Reinet Heritage Society
In the 1860 the relationship between wool farmers and merchants was ruinous to commercial prosperity. At one time in Graaff – Reinet no two scales registered the same weight. Legend has it that in Port Elizabeth the chief wool export merchants routinely deducted several hundred pounds of weight from the bales. The farmers were equally guilty of “verneuking” bales were often partly filled with cow dung and stones to increase the weight. This harmed considerably the conscientious farmer and eventually contributed to the decline in the demand for Cape wool on the London market. JDP.
