PERSONALS PLUS ...TROVE TUESDAY 14 MAY 2019

PERSONALS PLUS

One of the most interesting sections in newspapers can often be the Personals... They can come under various headings, sometimes Personals, sometimes under variations of Gossip Corner, Jottings, Local News, About Town...or whatever seems right for the time.

Whatever the name, there is a wealth of information included and some very personal stories, and some that make you shake your head in disbelief... here is just a small selection from the year of 1884. Please click to enlarge...

West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Tuesday 8 April 1884, page 3

National Library of Australia  http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2990960

Did you notice?

Death of John Fleay, arrived on the Drummond 41 years ago..

A man named Dixon cut the throats of four...

Queensland Figaro (Brisbane, Qld. : 1883 - 1885), Saturday 11 October 1884, page 19

National Library of Australia      http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article83675122

Did you notice?

The Superintendent of Victorian police in 1884 was Leopald Kabut.

Edward Manning was a coach driver for Cobb and Co.

CONVERSATIONS???

Shoalhaven Telegraph (NSW : 1881 - 1937), Thursday 25 December 1884, page 2

National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article127951251

Did you notice?

2nd prize in the spelling contest went to Miss C. Shannon .. wonder what happened to her... Mr. D.L. Dymock of Jamberoo delivered a lecture on"Jottings by the way".. wonder if he was related to the Dymock book store family..

Tasmanian News (Hobart, Tas. : 1883 - 1911), Thursday 14 February 1884, page 2

National Library of Australia       http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article162307053

Did you notice ?

It was Joseph Fetham who pleaded not guilty to depositing night soil in Barrack Street. Poor Mr. Fraser lost all his stock in trade, as well as 14 one pound notes.. did you see how.

Leader (Melbourne, Vic. : 1862 - 1918, 1935), Saturday 26 July 1884, page 26

National Library of Australia   http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article197967264

Did you notice?

Poor Mrs. Johnson, why was she sent to prison because of her son.

Whispers...

12 Jan 1884 - MISCELLANEOUS.

Northern Territory Times and Gazette (Darwin, NT : 1873 - 1927), Saturday 12 January 1884, page 3

Mr. Carr-Boyd, writing to the Argus, denies the accuracy of Mr. O'Donnell's assertions that the exploring party under his command were not lost.

Mr. Anthony Hordern has written from London to the effect that if he is successful in his negotiations for the construction of the railways in Western Australia he will found a university in Perth.

It was but a few weeks back that we (Leader, 15th December) heard of the death by drowning of Martin Weiberg, the robber of the 5000 sovs. from the strong room of a steamer. His empty boat has been found somewhere off the coast and his death consequently assumed. The farce was followed up by Mrs. Weiberg shortly afterwards advertising her application for letters of administration to the supposed deceased. It now appears that Weiberg has really gone away by the Sorata, and has doubtlessly taken with him the bulk of those 5000 sovs., (sovereigns) of which the police have failed to recover more than one fifth up to this time.

A too willing witness (says the Maryborough Chronicle) may seriously embarrass a whole Court of justice. Such a case occurred recently on the local police court. An excited female who literally filled the witness-box, told a moving tale of assault and battery. She had been pushed backwards and fell in a sitting posture on some splintery firewood. An adequate description of her wounds became difficult, so she volunteered a noble sacrifice of modesty in the cause of justice, and requested the Bench to personally inspect the seat of injury. Suiting the action to the word, she was on the eve of administering a severe shock to the Court, when the Bench quickly assured her that her bare word would do this time.

The advocates of temperance are once more upon the war path with the rally cry oflocal option. Meetings have been held in Melbourne, Ballarat, Sandhurst and other inland centres of population, and in South Australia the publicans and teetotallers have agreed to meet on the public platform and fight the question out to its legitimate limits. This is a very sensible mode of procedure. Each party believes itself in the right, and, like free and independent Britons, they agree to apply to the issue the tests of truth and argument. The optionists maintain that the majority should rule, that anything tending to lessen the evils of drink is for the general weal, and that it becomes all good citizens to assist them in the movement. The anti-optionists, on the other hand, contend that the abolition of publichouses will not necessarily eliminate the bibulous propensities of the population ; that experience has proved the system a failure wherever it has been tried, and that it amounts to gross interference with the liberty of the subject to dic-tate what he shall eat, what he shall drink, or the wherewithal he shall be clothed. The speeches delivered in Adelaide pro and con. have been excellent in their way, although very little has been added thereby to the stock arguments upon the question. A good hit was, however, made by one of the speakers on the anti-option side, who, quoting some appropriate verses, said-

God gave the generous grape to cheer both great and small ;

But little fools will drink too much, and great ones none at all.

A. chimney-sweeper's life has its "sport side. He is deeply interested in sweeps tales!

Did you notice?

Martin Weiberg hardly benefited from those sovereigns ..

Yorke's Peninsula Advertiser (SA : 1878 - 1922), Friday 14 March 1884, page 4

National Library of Australia. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article216318182

No doubt you saw  "beware of men named Rice!"

NOW WE KNOW!

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