The Ovens and Murray Advertiser:
February 24, 1855

CATCHING A HAT. - There are few moments in a man’s existence when he experiences so much ludicrous distress, or meets with so little commiseration, as when he is in pursuit of his own hat. A vast deal coolness and a peculiar degree of judgement are requisite in catching a hat. A man must not be precipitate, or he runs over it; he must not rush into the opposite extreme, or he loses it altogether. The best way is to keep gently up with the object of pursuit, to be wary and cautious, to watch your opportunity well, get gradually before it, then make a rapid dive – seize it by the crown, and stick it firmly on your head, - smile pleasantly all the time, as if you thought it as good a joke as anybody else.