Untitled

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2715, 30 October 1871, Page 3

The Late Mr Moffatt.—“Atticus,” in the Melbourne Lecukr, says:— “ Another of tho Prince’s friends has joined the majorea. John Moffatt died on Ids return passage to Melbourne, his debilitated constitution not being able to withstand the intense heat of the bed Sea in the beginning of August. Poor Moffatt had an adventurous career. Pic worked his way from a very humble position, and became the lessee of a station in the Western district. There he prospered hi a smalj way, a -ftd Obtained ‘tjie repvftatipn of being a shrewd and industrious man. One night a wealthy squatter, on his way to Melbourne, stopped at Moffatts station. The visitor explained that his errand was to buy Hopkins Hill, thou in the market, through the temp orary embarrassments of the great firm of Dennistoun Brothers. The price and the probable profits were freely discussed; at last the stranger was shown to his room, and went to bed. Moffatt saw the chance, and no feeling of delicacy or honor prevented his taking advantage of the opportunity. He saddled bis horse,, caught the mail cart at Mount Sturgeon, and before his guest was up was fifty miles on the road to town. There was no electric telegraph in those days, and when the visitor reached Melbourne he found that Hopkins Hill had been purchased by his late host at several thousand pounds less than he was prepared to offer. From that time Moffat prospered. He bought station after station, and under the Land Act of 1862, he managed' l»y a series of successful evasions to fittin them into fpe simple for übput a third theft yaliia." His brief career in Parliament, his offer of L4OOO for Fishhook, and his hospitality to tho Luke of Edinburgh, are well known- But he never took kindly to pr sperity, and often to himself must have regretted the good old days when be was a station overseer. He had never read Beianger, but he fully realised that all the gold in tho world would not give hipi back pis joy ops youth agajn. At is tpld of Moffat that when furnishing his house he was asked whether pe would not have a library, "Ob yes I send about twfl top* Pt books." It was said by his intimate friends that he never thoroughly recovered the accident which happened to him when in company with Mr Jjatemaa, and that the persistency with

which he fought the action brought by the latter was attributable to the belief that his companion had very much exaggerated the extent of his injuries, which were nothin' like so great as those sustained by Mr Moffat.