Australian Town and Country Journal (Sydney, NSW : 1870 - 1919), Saturday 9 August 1873, page 7


GUNDAGAI.

August 5.

The crowning climax of misfortune has befallen the Great Southern G. M. Co., in the complete wreck of their splendid crushing machinery and plant. On Saturday night we were visited by a heavy storm of ruin, which was incessant for tho greater part of the night, and during the night the lamentable onBualty happened to the company's works. Tile dam filled and bunt, carrying everything before it, undermining the foundations ot the inaohiuerv, and completely overthrowing the result of so many mouths labour and expenditure. The cost of the machinery was L4500,. and tho oompany have expended in wages &c, about L2500. Operations had been suspended for some few weeks, but it was expected that they would soon commence work again. I suppose it is doubtful now if they will resume. The destruction of this plant ÍB a serious loss to all the miners in the Ineighbourhood, as numbers were awaiting ttieir commencing to crush for the public Tho plant was considered the most perfect In the oolony. It WUB

much wanted just where it was erected, and would have had I all the crushing from the many extensive workings around I Johnston's Hill and Bongongalong Creek. It will be pos

sible to recover the greater part of the maohinory, but it will i doubtless be much damaged, and the labour expended on its erection is utterly lost. The shareholders of the Great

Southern have had their full share of hope deferred. [

Jessop's machine will be ready to start this week, if nothing as yet unforseeu prevents,

Sereral instances have occurred here of stone crushed at ' some machines disappointing expectations, and portions of the same stone (not picked) sent as a test to Wilson's machine, 'Adelong, giving a much better rate. In one case a quantity of stone gave a return of about 3¿ dwts to the ton ; six tons of the same sent to Wilson's realised at the rate of 10 dwts. Another case where the result here was (3 dwts, two tons at Wilson's gave a rate of 15 dwts. The Chilliau mill

is used at Wilson's, and no doubt has something to do ! with it.

Sr. Lanigan, the Roman Catholic Bishop of this diocese, : has made a pastoral visit to Gundagai, and was met by u : large escort of horsemen on his way here from Tumut on

Thursday last. He was entertained at a dinner on Thursday | evening at Bengarralong, tho residence of J, M'Evoy, Esq., ! where his lordship resided during his stay in this quarter. , An address W«B presented, and I am told that in reply his

lordship was most emphatic in hi» remarks on tho want of , religious earnestness on the part of tho members of the Catholic body-here more especially-with reference to the closing of the Catholic school. A confirmation service was held on Sunday, in the Catholic Church. The Bishop administered ths pledge to abstain from intoxicating liquors till the age of twenty-one, to the younger communicants. Some others considerably over that age manifested a willingness to take the pledge for the same period.

Other places may boast of sensations, but Gundagai has started a sensation on its own account which must make oven the bunyip hido Its diminished head. Our sensation is nothing less than that most venerable and even aristocratic of all old curiosities, a veritable ghost. Our ghost, for we say our, with an air of proprietorship bus established the evidence of its existence by appearing to two distinct persons. Corroborative evidence is necessary in ghost cases, and in this case it is forthcoming. A Airs. Moroney on Jones's Creek 1B most favoured by his ghostahip's company. He appeared nearly every night to her till she left and he also unceremoniously visited a man named Carey living near. Mrs. Moroney declines conversation with her visitor, but cannot forbear gazing upon him. She has left the house she was living in from sheer fear, and it was materially telling upon her health. The rest of the family have also cleared out. The lady has seen ber clergymon, and also the Bishop, with reference to it, but nothing will shake her assertion. His gbostship was most inhospitably treated on his only visit to Mr. Carey, and he would be a very thickskinned ghost to repeat the visit, for Carey struck him with a shovel, which, ho states, bounced off as though it struck indiarubber. However he was nota ghost of dull apprehension, for he took the hint and retreated through the doorway, wherepou Carey was churlish enough to set the dogs on him, which insult addod to attempted injury, seems to have affected the ghost, more than being personally assaulted with the shovel. He is said to be aglioac anout 4 feet high, dressed ina grey tweed suit, when he condescends to appear all in one piece, which is quite asuperfluous matter witli him, as sometimes only the upper part of his body, or whatever you call lt, ls to bo seen. He has a red beard, and anyone who has missed a stray ghost may know him from this description. As the place he appears in is situated among the reef-,, it has been suggested that if property treated and skillfully drawn out, he might vouchsafe soma information which would nava a good deal of prospecting. Possibly some of tile deep shafts are invading his domain, or interfering with his comfort in some way. Whatever explanation may be given, thora is no doubt tho affair is oreating a sensation hero, and is profoundly believed in by many. Those who state that they have seen him are apparently suue, aud are looked upon au enslble people.