Heroes of the Dardanelles and other news from 100 years ago

Shire-wide news extracts from the Moruya Examiner of 22 April, provided by the Moruya & District Historical Society:

£10 REWARD – A reward of £10 will be given to any person who will supply information that will lead to the CONVICTION of the contemptible cur who threw a poisoned bait over the fence at the Sergeant’s quarters on the night of the 16th instant, which resulted in the death of my dog.  MARY L. BOND, Moruya.

DEATH – Another of Moruya’s respected residents has passed away from this Vale of Tears in the person of Mr. Joseph Eddy, who died at 3 p.m. on Sunday at his residence, Mantle Hill. Mr. Eddy was born in Cornwall, England about 78 years ago, and lured by stories of the fabulous wealth of this country came out as a youth in search of the precious metal. Ballarat, and other digging in Victoria were the first to attract our deceased friend. He afterwards went to New Zealand, returning to N.S.W. a few years later. The deceased leaves a widow (daughter of the late Mr. Richard Foreman) and a grown-up family of three sons and two daughters.

BELLRINGERS – The popular and evergreen combination of campanologians – the Lynch Family were greeted to a good house in the Mechanics’ Hall on Tuesday night. Every item rendered was highly appreciated. The exquisite selections by Messrs. Harry and W. H. Lynch on the Aluminium Organ Chimes were alone worth the admission money. The song, “Heroes of the Dardanelles,” by that well known tenor, Mr. W. A. Neilson, literally brought down the house. The immensely humorous and refined Comedian, Mr. Harry Baxter kept his audience convulsed with laughter from the time of appearance to his exit and is without question one of the brightest entertainers who ever visited the South Coast.

RECRUITS – Sergeant Forsyth-Cheffins and Capt. E. A. Marsden, A.A.M.C., arrived on Monday to examine and enrol recruits. About eight presented themselves but Messrs. H. R. McDonald of the Forest Office and E. J. Rowell, of the N.S.W. Bank, were the only two who passed the test.

NERRIGUNDAH – (From our Correspondent.) Nine of our young men are to undergo examination at Bodalla on Tuesday next by the military doctor as to their physical fitness for enlistment. They are Messrs. J. Roach, Jos Jessop, Roy Thelan, Alf Cole ( editor’s note – see picture below), D. McGill, F. Brice, Ben Mather, Jack Motby and George Thomas.

Mr. S. Lake seems to be in luck again in prospecting. On the Bumbo Spur he has opened a vein of quartz from which he has obtained some very rich specimens and has dollied out a few ounces of the precious metal.

Last week Mr. Alfred Byrne, whilst driving over the mountain had his buggy smashed up through the horse taking fright at a motor bicycle ridden by Mr. C. Fraser. Mr. Byrne had his little daughter with him and jumped out of the trap and quickly lifted the little one out of danger. The horse bolted along the road for about half a mile and got free. The animal died the next morning.

There has been some talk of the dredge changing hands. Mr. K. Hungerford of Sydney, has been down about the matter but I have not heard whether the business has been completed. Mr. Hungerford boarded at and attended the same school about 40 years ago as W. E. Guest, of Nerrigundah, and D. A. B. Pollock and M. McKeon, of Moruya.

DEUA RIVER – (From our Correspondent.) Whilst driving to church to Araluen last Sunday, the Misses Mallon, together with their brother Fred, met with an accident. It appears that they were driving a rather spirited pair of ponies, which on seeing a few bags of chaff lying by the roadside near Herbert’s Little Oaky, plunged forward towards the bank, thus tilting their buggy to one side, and simultaneously precipitating Miss Maud Mallon, the youngest daughter of Cr. Mallon, on to the road. Beyond a few abrasions to her face and one arm, Miss Mallon, the one thrown out, was none the worst for her unpleasant experience. The other two occupants of the buggy at the time the accident occurred, escaped scot free.

A speculator in mines was here last week inspecting Herbert Kimpton’s “Make-all-Rich” claim, with a view to putting a more powerful plant on the ground than that which is there at present.

Seventeen 100 years ago booklets containing articles for the years 1899 to 1915 are available ($5 ea) from the Society’s rooms. Copies of local newspapers from the 1860s to date can be viewed at the Society’s Family History Research Centre (Ph 4474 3224) situated at the rear of the Museum in Campbell St. Moruya (www.mdhs.org.au).