THE LAST OF A FAMOUS MINE.

Te Aroha News, Volume XII, Issue 1749, 10 July 1895, Page 2

THE LAST OF A FAMOUS MINE.

' A PATHETIC SEQUEL. The Great Extended Hustler’s Tribute Company (writes the Bendigo Correspondent of the Age on the 10 th instant), whose names was once of world-wide fame, closed the last page in its' hook of history yesterday. Thin company held the southern portion of the Great Extended Hustler’s Company’s lease on the tribute, and first came into existence in 1871. The mine soon jumped into sensational prominence, as in the closing mouths of the same year they opened up the rich reef which the Company had been* working at 450 and 500 feet, and in November and December of that year 1107 tons of stone gave no less than 1 1,1070zs of gold, which gave £38,000 in dividends. In January, 1872 even more sensational yeilds followed, and cakes of 23990 z, 3Co2ozs, and 39000z3 • followed each other. The company paid in a comparatively brief period £194,000 in dividends. Later on the company’s career became more chequered, with only occasional glimpses of prosperity. Lately owing to nonsuccess in prospecting and to the joint facts that, it was merely a tribute, and only obtained an extension under stria-.

gent conditions providing for sinking and pumping, shareholders began to drop out until at last there were only 4000 £ live ’ shares left. In these circumstances, and with creditors pressing , the directors appealed to the parent company to take over the assets, and this was done ...Though the mine will he worked as usual, the disappear- ! ence of the once famons * Pumps'-jam matter for general regret. ' The first day on which the company no longer existed 1 was marked by a sensational tragedy, which in a measure is connected with the events referred to. For some years the mining manager of the Tribute has -been Mr John Armstrong, brothei-in-law of Mr Thomas Weekly, manager of the Great Extended Hustler’s Company. Severally ear s ago Mr'Weekly went;to LidffiPyfch^ manage a large English-owned company at the Mysore goldtMdsijSfand among a number of Bbndigo miners ,;he took with him was Armstrong. "T It is believed the latter sunstroke there, as some time, after he showed symptoms of mental abberration, and Avasi^.ra time confined to a .lunatic asylum. Of late years jnothing more than an occasional peculiarity had been observed. But latterly the troubles of the company 61. which ,he had been manhgerjnade 'N keen impression on hia. mind, and he appeared anxious and depressed. Yesterday, however, when.Mr Weekly told him that the negotiations between the parent the tribute had been satisfact<ny;h#;Baid a load had been taken and when further informed : that he was to continue iu his positiqn .as..manager of the plant, tributerSj- -he was quite pleased. "* He went down, to the office yesterday afterfiooA.and got the money to pay the which he did. In the excitement . feelings he appears to have taken some liquor. He retired as usual, and rose this morning at 6 o’clock to .go to work. Mrs Armstrong, while preparing his breakfast, noticed tliat he was very gloomy, and asked him the reason of the change from the previous day, and he replied, ‘ I cannot face the mine; I got drunk last night, lost the wages book, and spent the men’s money.’ His wife said, * You have "enough money in your pocket to .pay them ; don’t let tha# Ittouble yam’ • To this he again re-joined-that he could not face the mine. 'He then went to a drawer and took ’(out something and left the house, say- ■■• ling he -was going to an outhouse. As fhe did not return, one of his sons went out to look for him, aud found him in the stable, with his throat cut from ear to ear. Mr Weekly was then called, and Armstrong was still alive, but died before a doctor came. Investigations showed that he had, as a matter of fact, paid all the men, and that the wages book was all right. The uncertainty of the company’s 'position of late appears to have troubled him, together with some anxiety with regard to liabilities for explosives supplied to sub-tributers. An inquest was held, aud a verdict ,of suicide while of unsound mind was returned.