THE STORY OF JULIUS VOGEL'S LIFE.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2084, 8 September 1875, Page 2

THE STORY OF JULIUS VOGEL'S LIFE.

In the year 1833, Julius Vogel was bora in. London. Early left an orphan, he was brought up by his grandfather, a retired West India merchant. Under his care, young Julius received a liberal education, and, we have every reason to believe, proved an apt scholar. His education being finished, he was placed in the office of a Stock-Exchange broker, which situation he held for some time. About that period the startling news arrived in Europe of the gold discoveries in Australia, which filled his mind with dreams of future wealth and power, but none of them, perhaps, so brilliant as the reality has been. He was determined to emigrate to Victoria, but neithpr foolishly nor hurriedly. Qa the contrary, before leaving* he passed through a course of study of metallurgy and practical assaying, at the German street School of Mines, thus wisely preparing himself for a life of usefulness in tho land of gold. Having formed a partnership with Mr A. S. Grant, he sailed, in company with that gentleman, for Melbourne, where they arrived in the latter end of 18c$. They pqrainenced business in Binder's. Lalqe with considerable success, and had for their chief customers the Bank of Australasia.

He continued in this business for nearly two years, when he ventured on a speculation which turned outmost unfortunate. For some time previously the weather had been very bad, rendering the roads almost impassable, so that carriage rose i;o £80 per ton. Mr Vogel saw, or thought ho saw, a chance of improving his position, and forwarded a quantity of flour to the diggings. But the weather suddenly changed, the roads became dry, the price of flour came down, and so did Mr Vogel's prospects. Shortly afterwards he left Melbourne for the goldfields. There he formed another partnership with an old friend, a Dr Gagen, and wont into the drug business. In this line his time was not fully occupied, and as it was not his nature to be idle, he commenced writing leading articles for the Maryborough Advertiser. He had now found a field on which his powerful intellect could act —in fact, a field congenial to his nature; and the marked ability he displayed in those articles soon drew attention to the paper, which took its rank as a loading provincial journal. It is almost needless j lo say that Mr Vogel received a high rej muneration during his connection wit^jf that paper. The Ingle wood rush having broken out, Mr Vogel started a drug store there, in co-partnership with Mr White, who managed the business; and at the same^ime he founded a paper—the Inglewood Advertiser —which at once secured a good circulation. No doubt many of the twenty thousand people then at the Ingle wood rush, and who are now in New Zealand, will remember the remarkable talent displayed in the leading columns of this journal. Its editor became very popular, and as he had a turn for figures, he was always consulted when a new company was projected by the mining speculators of Back Creek, Tarnagulla, or Inglewood. He made money, ! but he sever learned the art of keeping it. He was always liberal with it, and generous to a fault. He was fond of speculation, sanguine, and although often betrayed by those in whom he trusted, he was always 'apparently cheerful under reverses, but slow to forget an insult or an injury. The outward manifestation of brain in the frontal region is not by any means large, but the faculties in the central portion—such as self-esteem, ap* probativeness, firmness, ideality, <fee. —are well developed, and have a controlling influence. . ■•.-..■'

In politics he was neither radical nor conservative, but took a moderate path between the* two extremes. He offered himself as a candidate at Inglewood for the Victorian Assembly, but, notwithstanding his popularity and acknowledged qualifications, he was defeated, and through allying, himself with the squatting interest. So much for Mr Vogel's career in Victoria, which was neither " obscure " nor dishonorable. ; '•„ ■ ■ :

When the goldfields were discovered in New Zeal and j he, with many others, left Inglewood and came to Otago.' We never heard of his intention to " open a tobacco* nist's- shop in Dunedin," which, even if he had, we do not think would have been a very heinous crime. This we do know however, that on his arrival here, Mr Lambert engaged him to write leaders for the Colonist, which he did with his usual ability. At that time Mr'.Cutten was editor of the Otago Witness, andwasalso Commissioner _of Grown Lands. Business increasing rapidly at the Land Office, Me Cutten found himself unable to discharge: both duties, and so resigned bin post aa editor into the hanUs of Mr: Vrigel. No sooner was Mr Vogel installed in office than he suggested to the manager, Mm Daniel Campbell, the necessity of publishing a daily paper—the result being the establishment of the Daily Times. The ability with which he conducted that paper is acknowledged by friends and foes, and amongst the rest by the Timaru Herald-

The remainder of his public life is known to us all. How he "bored" the Provincial Council—how he persevered in. speaking, when there was no disposition to hear him —how he struggled against open and secret enemies, and how he, overcame them all. How he left Duaedin with the sympathy of a few friends, who knew, their man and had faith in him. How, by his supreme intellect and force of character, he either set aside the so-. called great men of New Zealaud, or bent them to his will. True, he has still many enemies; but the heart of New Zealand is sound, and the late honors heaped upon hinj in JDunedin and elsewhere, during his last visit to Otago, show that, as a whole, the people are neither blind to his merits nor ungrateful for the services which he has rendered to them.

Indeed, there is something touching in, the thought of a poor Jewish boy coming to these, lands some twenty years ago, without friends or interest; and who, by his own unaided merit, has risen to the highest post in the colony; and who for a time has returned to the the city of .his birth, to receive from the hands of Royalty the award of honor so justly won. In conclusion, we will safely prophesy that when his detractors have sunk into their unknown g?*ves> '■' unhoqored^pq unsung,'* the "name of Sir Julius JWpl will stand foremost amongst the benemo tors of New Zealand.—Otago Witness.

Juvenile Paper otf the Ostrich.— A Arab chief was lying a sleep on <Jsy wen he was woke up by foe.lins.anje thiflg in his. trousers pockits.. He saw it was a ostrich, and lay still to see wqt it wud.e do. First it took out his peg top and laid it on one side. Then it took out his kite string, which was wound on a stick., a.nd, put it with the top. Then all his marbles vras took out, and laid away too. Then some cotton reels, and some pieces of cole, and two slate pencils, and a lump of chok, and a bras button, and some tony, and a tack hammer, and a handfic of nails, and a oyster shel, and a rubber bol, and a I steel pen, which it piled u^ to one sidej and the last thing it', foun was a jacknife with 32 blade.B. When it had got everything it could fine in the chief's pockets, it went and stood over the pile, and et one thing after a other till it had everything but the jacknife,, wen it see the chief a setfcin up a watchin it. So it took the japknife *nd turned it over and over, and tasted it, and put it down, and picked^ it up agin, and at the last brot it to the chief and laid it down a little way of, and stood .back and looked wishful. Then the chief, he said, " Oh, I see how it is ; you don't like to eat such a nice mossel as that with out you git the flavour of it; you want it peeled." so the chief he opened all tho blades of the knife and laid it down, $nd then the ostrich- eqrne up and'swatte.r.e4 it, and smiled and licked its bil, like it said' wot'a delishous knife! And the chief felt almoce as if he cud taste it hisself.