ROMANCE OF A MINE.

Colonist, Volume LV, Issue 13654, 20 February 1913, Page 3

ROMANCE OF A MINE.

The announcement just made that the 'modern- pictures just collected by the late Mr George McCulloch^ are to be sold next year draws attention one of, the nijost remarkable romances on record. Mr McCulloch died in London in 1907, a millionaire,- leaving a magnificent collection of paintings. About sixty-eight j'ears ago ho arrived in Australia as a lad from Glasgow with £5 in his pocket. In September 1883

he was manager of the Mount Gipps sheep station, near Broken Hill, in the far west of N.S. W-. Charles Rasp, a ; boundary . rider/ galloped'tip--.to the

homestead1 on 6 night hi: a. state of excitement with the news that he had •discovered -an enormous deposit of "tin." MoCulloch and'six men employod on the station-{subscribed £70 each and applied for a mineral lease of seven forty-acre block©. These, to-day comprise the Broken Hill silver mine proper. After assaying for tin without success they decided to prospect for silver, and several of tlie original holders were disappointed, and with-

drew

According. to an anecdote which is believed to be founded on fact, Mr. McCulloch, sitting one night in a tinj* bush shanty shortly after tho discovery of the mine, played a game of r.chrei with a companion. His stake was ono-half of.his interest in tho mine itficlf—a fourteenth share—and he lost it.! Six 3'cars later that shave was worth no less a sum than £1,250,000.

Two of tho original -one-seventh shar&s in the mine-wore deposed of for less than £100 each, and were after--wards worth £2,500,000 each. ' .

Tenders wore invited for .the supply, of "necessaries" to the prison at Riom, Franco, including claret, white wine, fruit prosoirt'-s, mixed confectionery, and cream »/hcosa.

A-mirso m Florida has. outraged the feelings of the "Four Hundred" and the nrillioraircs of America by spanking a- million dollar baby; The object of her attention was a scion of the wealthy M'Lean family, and after "getting her own back on tho kid," .•is she put it, the nurse;left withoutwaiting for dismissal. -She said that the baby had been a demon.