GOLDFIELDS CELEBRITIES.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 358, 14 January 1876, Page 3

GOLDFIELDS CELEBRITIES.

MB. T. L. SHEPHERD. Mr. Shepherd is reported to have been born in London. He first came into notice in Melbourne in 1853, immediately before the decision of the great sporting events of that year. He was next heard of in Swanston-street, Melbourne, where he remained a few months, and also for a short time in a solicitor's office in Queen's ? Street. In 1853 he turned up at Sandhurst, 100 miles from Melbourne, and again was found in a solicitor's office. Finally he drifted back to Melbourne, and for a short time was employed by Mr. E. ff. Ward, now Registrar in Dunedin. In 1803 Mr. Shepherd came to Dunedin. He co .Id not be there a short time Without being brought into notice. This Wonderful itch for notoriety —hardly intentional, and yet intensely individual—is One of the most remnrkabie of Mr. Shepherds public attributes. We find a comparatively joungman —a waif from one office to another, with no profession, nnd as then no standing - could not rest a few mbnths in Dunedin without being brought into public notoriety. The 'Evening Star ' Of the day contained several letters relative to Mr. Shepherd, the import of which is now buried in oblivion, while nothing but the fact remains -a fact too characteristic of the man to be omitted in a sketch of his career. Suddenly leaving Dunedin, he set, up in Queenstown as clerk to Mr. W. W. Wilson, solicitor. In 1867 he stood for a sent in the Otago Provincial Council, Goldfields District. The district then was a combined one, returning three members. At the contest there were seven candidates—Messrs. J. C. Brown M.H.I?. (1), John Mouat (2), T. rL. Shepherd (3), Fuller, M'lnt/l'e, .Nicholson, and Charles O'Neil (late M.H.R. for the Thames). The first three were . elected—Fuller being only a few votes bef hind Mr. Shepherd. In the last general election of 1871 he came out for the Lakes district in the House of Representatives, but was easily beaten by that astute politician, Mr. Charles Haughton. Immediately after his defeat he was nominated for the Dunstan, together* with Messrs. Mervyn (late M.H.R. for Mount Ida), Frazer (of Earnscleugh Station), and Hughes. In this contest he was successful. At the same time he retained his seat in the Provincial Council until the dissolution in 1873, when he was easily beaten by Mr. Haz'ett, M.P.C., who now is the suspended member. It would not be easy to m n asure Mr. Shepherd's intellectual abilities with accu racy. We are more inclined to think that his temporary success may be attributed rather to the possession of mental and physical peculiarities than ot special ability—peculiarities which have been at the same time the final cause of his political collapse, at a time when he should at least have had his foot on the bottom step of the ladder to success. Mr. Shepherd's powers as a speaker have considerably developed, yet neither his style nor his manner can be said to be good, or of much weight in a representative House. His speaking is at the first bland ; then it is clumsily sarcastic, strongly suggestive of an elephant attempting the tight rope; and it always culminates into the sledge hammer style, leavened with a most often- * sive assumption of personal infallibility of judgment. It always appears to be of far higher importance to him to prove that he has been right in any ]ire delivered statement cr act than to win a cause on its merits, or by making the best use of the collective support and argument of those who have also advocated it. Mr. Shepherd has always identified himself qs a mining representative, and has honestly attempted to master the difficulties of mining taxation and mining legislation which have existed on the Goldfields. At the same time the fadl is only too patent that what he has honestly advocated has suffered more from his advocacy than from any other cause ; and if anything were wanting to point the truth of our statement, we need only refer to the Act Amendment Act of 1875, which he prides himself as having begot. A more disastrous Act to goldmining was probably never placed on our Statute Book. Mr. SI tephcrd's weakness for personal display and di tinction have always exposed him to the ready wit of the Wellington caricaturists. Probably one of the best things of the sort was put in circulation last year. Mr. Shepherd ira< depicted at the billiard table, cue in hand, when lie suddenly hears that his Goldfields Bill —the pride of his eye —had been ruthlessly slain in his absence. In tin's respect Mr. Shepherd, as a useful member for the Province, has been unfortunate, for ridicule is the surest underminer of political influence. Mr. Shepherd has not sought a scat this yf-ar. It is understood that he will receive some office as soon as the elections are completed. It is reported his own wish is to sit on the Magisterial bench, if possible on the Goldfields. Whether this .. A;? 8 true or not we do not know. Certainly i -so one would grudge Mr. Shepherd such provision as would enable him to maintain himself independently, but we hardly think he is fitted for the multifarious duties of a Goldfields Warden. Julius.