AN EVENTFUL CAREER.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXVII, Issue 10661, 2 June 1913, Page 3

AN EVENTFUL CAREER.

"Last week a cable message was published from Sydney stating that a fortune has been inherited by OaDtain Harry Cox, an ex-rnariuer on "the New South Wales coast, from his brother, Colonel Cox, of Dublin. 3 The Post's Sydney correspondent writes: —The amount of the estate is said to be £1,400,000, and Captain Cox will share this equally with an only sister, now residing in America. Their brother, Colonel Cox, died last year at the age of 80, and the Australian heir is himself 74 years old. There is considerable romance in Captain Cox's change of fortune. When he received the news he was living in a two-roomed weatherboard cottage on some sheep property, near Bungendere, in the southern part of this State, and was looking after the sheep for the owner. How quietly he is taking his sudden accession to wealth is indicated by the fact that he and his family, who left by the steamer Roon for London on Wednesday, travelled second class. He learned of the inheritance in a peculiar manner. The solicitors entrusted ] with the task of locating him.fsent a cablegram to him at Sydney, New South Wales. The department endeavoured to deliver the. Ofihle to several "unlucky" Coxes, and eventually the Cox, of Bungendere, was tried. The captain was fortunate enough to be the "man wanted," and on opening the cable merely said in the coolest and calmest way imaginable: "Suppose I had better go and get this money, though it can't bring us more happiness. We've got good health and enough to live fairly comfortably on now, and what more do we want?!" But his wife was of a different opinion, and it I was not long before she, with the i ready co-operation of her relatives, had made all arrangements for their departure. When the father of the I brothers Cox died over 80 years ago, Ihe left the estate to Colonel. Qox., S and a sum of. £IOO,OOO to t'flQ younger I ("!nlr- ■» w XUti- ' divert MS I oi onei oox ~ ~en he u x - iZ j £IOO,OOO, Captain Cox was a young I captain in the British army. He rej signed, and after " a world's trip J decided to take to sea. Ho comI meuced to invest in ships, and had an idea of building up a large commercial fleet. Bad luck, however, dogged him, and he lost his fortune, j He followed the sea for some years, | and then retired to run a small store ! iu the North Sydney district. C:sp-tfc-in Cox was of a very cheerful dis- | posi'vV'ou, and when asked once > "However did you lose £IOO,OOO like j thafc v " answered gaily "Like many another fool. I had £IOO,OOO, and thought I would make two hundred ] thousand of it." A quaint story is | printed in one of the papers to the j effect that the captain also expects to share in the "#reat fortune" left by J Field-Marshal Viscount Wolseley, of j whom he was a nephew, and that be | will succeed to the title of the gal- | lant soldier. As a matter of fact, 1 Lord Wolseley never possessed, and I consequently did not leave a fortune, and he occupied a suite in Hampton Court Palace, which is set apart for those who have rendered distinguished service to their country. The title is secured "by special remainder" to his daughter.