Historical Tumut Stories
By
"WOMBAT"
ISSUE 14
IN the early part of my narrative I mentioned Mr Henry Hoad, of " Rose Farm," Bombowlee, as being in his day the best breeder of draught stock Tumut has had.
I will now introduce to my readers the breeder in the best blood stock line, in the person of Mr Chas Edwin Guy, father of Messrs G B Guy (Brungle) and Chas Guy (Blowering). Mr Guy, sr., a gentleman by birth, was a native of Tasmania, and in the early fifties went to try his luck at the Bendigo diggings and did fairly well.
In 1857 he essayed to come to Tumut, and his belongings were brought over by team driven by Mr J Hartshorn (of Blowering).
He leased land on Tumut Plains and went in for farming and horse racing, running Billy Morgan, Electricity, and Archer, all good goers. He bred Fisherboy. and First Love, and also raced Drummer Girl, by The Drummer, which he bought from Andrew Towns.
He was a true and consistent sport, and resolutely set his face against any "hanky panky" business. After remaining on Tumut Plains for about four years, he went to Brungle and, selecting there, sold out to a man named Nixon and purchased the property owned by Mr G B Guy and Mrs F Guy. At Brungle he devoted himself to mixed farming, stock rearing, horse breeding and racing. During his 24 years residence at Brungle he invested in blood stallions and breeding. The first sire he introduced was Louis Napoleon, then Angler, Wynstay, Bylong, Livingstone and Grosvenor. The first of the progeny he raced at Brungle was old Josephine, by Louis Nepoleon. He had also of his own breeding Beeswing, Brongewing and Lap- wing by Rioter); Young Josephine (by Wyn- stay) and Empress (by Angler). Beeswing won about 19 matches out of 20. Mr Guy's main aim was the improvement of his blood stock, and in this particular he was eminently successful, being ably supported by his worthy sons, George, Chas and Frederick.
He took a keen interest in racing, was true as steel to his many friends, and as a citizen and a man was worthy of emulation. But, alas ! like many of our early pioneers, "the race was not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong."
His old comrades were Messrs E G Brown, Robt Dear, Harry Butler, M M'Namara, Charlie Baker, Levi and N Mandelson and numerous others sportingly inclined, who were eyewitnesses of many a hard-fought battle he waged on the turf.
In 1855 his life's dream ended. Driving out in his buggy and pair of fiery horses, he was thrown from the trap at Ryan's Creek, and there remained for some time in an unconscious state. He was brought in to town to Mr T Dodd's place (then near Dr Mason's present dairy) and after three weeks' patient lingering he passed away beyond the portals of Time. As Shakespeare said:
He was a man, take him for all in all;
I shall not look upon his like again.
Mr John Corry, of Wynyard street, Tumut, came out from his native land, Ireland, in 1862, and, entering the employ of Mr Shankey Moore, near Greendale, worked there for three months.
Leaving that situation, he came to Tumut and worked for Mr Michael Quilty, licensee of a wooden building known as the Tumut Inn, on the site of the commodious structure owned by Mr P Cruise and carried on under the sign of the Globe Hotel, in Russell-street. For about 15 months he continued with Mr Quilty, but getting like many others 'in his day, an attack of "gold fever," shifted to try his luck on the Goobragandra or Little River, at that time famous for its yield of the precious metal. He spent nearly two years in alluvial workings (it was all box-sluicing in those days;, but he was only partially successful, so he turned his attention to quartz-mining on the famed Lacmalac Reef. This reef was claimed to have been discovered by two men, one named Lynch the other Fitzgerald; but the latter was given the credit of it. It happened this wise:- Fitzgerald was on foot and crossing the little creek near the deserted shaft went down on his knees to get a drink and noticed an apparent band of gold in the quartz under the stream. The news of the discovery soon spread, the property was seoured and returns of gold as high as, 20oz to the ton were won by the Reefer Battery at Adelong. As a consequence, numbers were attracted to the locality and claims were pegged off far and wide. The original property eventually fell into the hands of a company, which erected a battery there, but so managed was it that it fell into disrepute, and to-day lies abandoned. But it is undoubtedly a true fissure vein and it would not be surprising to see it worked to good advantage. It was this reef that Mr Corry, in company with Messrs Thos. Keefe, Martin Mulqueeny, the late P Denny (Adelong), John Beale sr., W Hargreaves and W Har- greaves jr turned their attention for about 18 months with indifferent results. " High jinks" were carried on there and a lot of money was spent. There were two hotels on the ground, one conducted by Mr Michael Malone (brother of Messrs E, F, T and P Malone, of Tumut plains) and the other by a man named Smith from Adelong. About 15 years ago the famed Wallace, of Melbourne, in treaty with the late Mr Thomas Nestor agreed to put on a 20-head stamper battery, but the ground not being applied for another party secured it and asked £500 to clear out. This was enough for Wallace, who refused to do anything further in the transaction.. Later Mr Nestor and a man named Chadwick (long since dead) took up the property and worked it for a considerable time, but the country was so hard and the water so troublesome that they eventually gave up the venture. This in passing. The subject of our history, after 18 months quartz-mining, then went into the employ of Mr W B Smith, of - lara, and remained with him for 0 years. [His brother, the late Mr P Corry, had seen there three years previously]. He next came to Mr John Givney's, near the Brungle Bridge, and worked there about 8 years.
Thence he entered the employ of Mr Archie Stuckey, remaining with him for about 7 years. Being of steady, sober and industrious habits, he persevered and amassed a moderate capital, and about 17 years ago settled in Tumut, purchasing the very desirable town property known, as Ivy Cottage from Mr John Taylor and he and his brother entered into partnership. They put it into order, reconstructed the building and fences and until very recently carried on a capital vegetable garden. The partnership being severed by the death of his brother, Mr Corry leased the garden, retaining the residence and grazing land, and lives in comfortable retirement. (To be continued)
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