DEATH OF MR. JOHN WINTER.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VIII, Issue 2154, 22 September 1875, Page 3

DEATH OF MR. JOHN WINTER.

We liavo to-day to record the death on Monday of Mr John Winter, lalo of Bonshaw, and still later of Lauderdale, just off the Eaglan Eoad, on tho wostcrn border of tho city of Ballnrat. Tho deceased, who died at. tho ago of 72 years, was in his usual health up to tho very moment of his. death,, so to speak, On Sunday ho drove, with Mrs Winter, to Ballarat, and attended Divino Service in St. Andrew's Kirk, and on Monday forenoon, in spite, of tho snowfall and severo cold, ho was out and about his grounds at Lauderdale. Ho was called indoors' by his son, and took his seat in an easy chair, lifted tho nowspaper to read, and then fell asleep. For sonio limo tho sleep appeared to bo natural, but after some time, as he did not awake, Dr Whitcombo was sent for, and soon after tho doctor's arrival death ensued. The deceased was a self-mado man, and ono of our oldest colonists, it being over a, quarter of a century ago sinco ho took up country about Ballarat, and settled at Bonshaw, where he buried 'his first wife, by whom ho had four sons and ono daughter. Tho daughter married a miner, and resides noar Ballarat; the sons have stations of their own, whoro tbey reside now. By his second marriage the_ deceased had two sons, who, with their mother, survive. Tho deceased was kcon-vritted in business matters, was proverbially tight-fisted, aad died very ricli. It is calculated that if ho had retained an interest in all his runs, his incomo must have been not less than £10,000 or £50,000 a-year. As showing his native shrewdness, wo may remark that he onco totd a gentlemen connected with this office that when he landed in this country with his first wife it was a hot summer day, with a dust-storm blowing, and everything looked very unpromising to tho eye of a new arrival. Ho went to a boarding-houso in Melbourne, whero ho left his wife for a time to survey the town. Ho returned in high spirits, and when questioned by his wife he said he had been looking about him, and having visited tho butchers' shops, ho had seen some of the finest mutton and beef he ever saw; " and," added he, " it can -no bo a puir country if it can feed sheep and cattle like these." His subsequent adventures justiGed bis early conclusions, though ho did not then foresee that he would be able to sell gold as well as beef and mutton and wool to great advantage. Some eight or ten years ago ho sold his Bonshaw pre-emption to tho Bonshaw Gold Mining Company for £20,000, and a few years later tho ground belonging now (o Winter's Freehold Company brought him £50,000 more, tho payment being made at tho. requisition of tho deceased in sovereigns. In theso relations Mr Winter- ■ has' been closoly

—"" identified with our mining industry, Although tho deceased was hot conspicuous for liberality, ho was not inaccessible to claims for monotary assislauoc, aud on many occasions ho has responded to appeals in aid of our local charitios. Ho also came not long since to tho help of tho Winter's Freehold Company, with an absoluto gift of £1,000 in aid of tho company's explorations of tho freehold, of whiok tho company had bocomo tho purchasers. Ho was a steady , supporter of tho Church and School of St. Androw, and will bo missed as ouo of their constant frionds. Tho "deceased was a nntivo of Lauder, in, Berwickshire, and landed in Viotoria several years beforo tho gold discovery.—Star.