THE THIRST FOR GOLD.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2432, 1 December 1892, Page 4

THE THIRST FOR GOLD.

Adelaide, Nov. 21. Some curious particulars have come to hand relating to au old German couple, both above eighty years of age, of Norwood, who have just been separated for all time. The other day the woman being seized with a serious illness, the husband Showed signs of being bereft of his senses, and the neighbours were called in. The couple would not hear of the expense of medical advice, and the old woman died, and her widower has been removed to the lunatic asylum. Their property is known to amount to many thousands of pounds. It is said that the woman, wheso ;:g- was eighty-two, wore from the time of her arrival in the colony upwards of forty years ago, the same hat, the only one she had. which she brought from Germany. The couple are not known to have purchased apparel of ai y kind during nearly half a century of residence in South Australia. Arriving in the colony in 1810, bringing some £SOO or £6OO with them, they started a private money lending business, chiefly amongst farmers, the woman being apparently the active party in the transactions. Bhe travelled the country for scores of miles on foot to save carriage fares, often sleeping under the lee of a fence in preference to entering a house. In this way the old lady, even when four score years of age, attended country land sales, and advanced money on mortgage to her fellow countrymen. This business throve so well that at the time of her decease she alleged that their fortune ■mounted to £70,000. Her agents are doubtful of this, but assert that it cannot amount to less than half that sum. Strauge to say, in spite of all this wretchedness and miserliness, the old couple among the farmers to whom they lent money earned a most commendable character for generosity in times of distress. The lady had been known to remit one-half of the interest due, and owing to such actions she had many devoted friends among her clients. The misery and wretchedness of the surroundings of the old folks exceeded description. They had no relative:- in the colony, their heirs being in Germany, one being a very high official personage. That parsimony seemed to be inherent in tho family is evidenced by the fact that a few years ago

upon the death of their only daughter she,' was found to have starved herself to death. The old folks were never known to purchase any firewood. The woman used any wood and paper she could pick; up, and so careful was she with her fire; that she would place the sticks with such preision so that no portion of the flame would escape from the vessel placed upon, the fire. Other such tales of the parsimonious old couple are told, one being, that they refrained from using the deep drainage from fear of beingcharged extra for the water. Complaints of the insanitary condition of the place from the neighbours were frequent.