Recorder (Port Pirie, SA : 1919 - 1954), Saturday 22 October 1932, page 3


Sympathy Expresed For Mr. Lance Goode in the

Loss of His Mother—Capt. George Benton in Pirie; Stories Told By Him About the Glenogle and Egremont Castle—Messrs. Robert Cotton, H. L. C. Cotton and J. E. Dickie Were Passengers on the Moonta This Week—Recollections of Port Pirie Published at the Same Time as the Silver Jubilee of St. Paul's Church.

[Written expressly for "The Recorder'" by

S. W. Osborne]

MUCH sympathy has been ex-

pressed for Mr. A. H. L. Goode regarding the loss of his mother (widow of Mr. H. A. Goode), who passed away at her residence, Hyde Park, on Monday.

Had she lived until Thursday she would have been 87 years of age.

The deceased lady (nee Jones), who was highly respected and esteemed by a wide circle of friends, came of a well-known Worcestershire (Eng.) family.

It is a remarkable fact that five sisters of that family married three brothers and a cousin, the husbands being Messrs. H. A., W., and B. P. Goode (the three members of the old firm of H. A. & W. Goode, Port Pirie), and their cousin, Mr. Matthew Goode (of the wholesale firm of Matthew Goode & Co., Adelaide). The latter after the death of his first wife married her sister.

* * *

Keeping the Boss in Good

Humor

REFERENCES to the recent pur-

chase by Rigby Limited of a

valuable city site {reminded me .of a. [ story which used to be told in Ade

I laide about: the late founder of. the Ifirm at the jtiffie, not long before his | death, when he was easing down somewhat* as regards business;, ties.

j.The yarn is, I have good reason <to

believe, well authenticated.

He used to visit the factory in !the forenoon and generally discover something on which he could hang a text for a ,lecture on the sin . .of wastefulness. Then, well satisfied; at having discharged this solemn duty,

he would "retire for what Sir -Walter Scott in many of his works referred to as "his mornihg,: (in modern par lance a "spot" or "a quick, one").

' One smart employe-a student of psycholigy that fellow "must'have been -noticed two- things. The -first was that the most elective of his-sermons seemed to be inspired'by finding long ends of string on the floor, and, sec ondly, that; after deUveringjhis homily, Mr. Rigby always {remained in the best of humor for the.re^t of the day.

At his suggestion a few long pieces of twine "Hvere regularly cut off an3 planted on his probable path through, the premises. The story runs'. that after the idea, in the brain 'Svave of that bright young workman r had been acted on the old chap's' existence &as greatly' brightened . and undoubtedly prolonged.

- *- *- «

Long Trip Up the River

CAPT. George Benton, now here in

the capacity of a visitor, had

formerly a long experience of our harbor, river, and gulf conditions.

The presence in the port recently

of the steamer Glenardle led to his giving the company some reminis-cences about the Glenogle, which

visited Port Pirie in 1897.

Entertaining too,were his refer-

ences to the Egremont Castle, which he remembers as the vessel that in

his period here took the longest time to get up the river-more than a week.

This steamer had no fewer than five groundings. during this brief trip, which was started without a pilot. After the fourth grounding those in charge-there were two captains aboard, one representing the owners and the other the charterers-came to the conclusion that it would be just as well, perhaps, to seek such assist-

ance.

Consequently Capt. Murdoch's ser-vices were enlisted, and he got the Egremont Castle off the eastern bank only to see it immediately go hard aground on the opposite one.

. After bucketing and battering about

the channel in the most erratic man-

ner possible, however, this perverse steamer, once it got into harbor, just

floated into its berth without the

slightest effort on the part of its navi-

gators.

* * *

{Two Masters Aboard Led to

j Trouble -

ipWO masters on board generally led _ *. trouble, andithe-JHfcst recent local example of this dual command in which were concerned that well known and highly "qualified seaman Capt. Wilkinson and his confrere on the steamer Bombala-the latter re

presenting her new Greek owners proved no exception to the rule.

In that case, however, it was the presence on board of f two young women; who; had - been brought- round; pn the bo^t from Sydnejv that caused the friction rather tjtari any disputes about navigation^ -and--.-"affected' the discipline of the ship.*

rTherexwere some renlrfritable para graphs printed about the Bombala on \ that" occasion;-but theserwere not-.half '-as sensational-jasr theyi nugfit- ^haye [ me by Cap't. ^Wilkinson TnmselFbeen 'published. , , f,* ~ "--J* .7

II had been commissioriedfto secure

the photographs of the rather- -good

looking- Jady^ passeng^rVcbut jas 'they

both had \to face* wrathful^ 'Husbands on their return to the -Mother State they naturally- had-little desiriB to'ha.T? their likenesses, featured* in^.the -pic" toriilvpress!- : -

I "spent . some. time . JafeWiewing Capt. Wilkinson, the most humorous mariner I ever 'Struck, and he wa

willing, even eager, that I should get : the complete* story, but he imposed

one condition.- ' - This - was that the report: of his 'recital-should be accom panied "by the announcement "Capt. Wilkinson deeply regrets that the lady passengers are leaving . the ves

sel!" \ ,

He explained that he was" a single ' man, was well kntSty?£fi to -longshore

folk all round 'Australrai (Jqiiite^ true)., and the tale would, he felt stjre;" afford much amusement tqgffissfriciids?-. (also an undoubted fact)/"*' 1' ;

He was-disgusted at'the1 action of the Greek captain, who on. arrival, at Port Pirie- had informed the police of the presence of the young women on

board.

: The police-had. visited the vessel, and he had expected, he told vme, to see the- enraged husbands, -following

them over the side!

. When these latter did :not appear he said he had experienced great relief^'but "this feeling' rapidly " changed into one of enmity toivard the Greek .ca plain'for putting the show away. .

, He retaliated by placing" on watch two of the most burly members of the crew to prevent the - latter leaving the \vessel I.

* ?????.. * . *

Capt. Wilkinson Interviewed:

*PHE next 1 morning I interviewed

Capt. Wilkinson oir-board, and found him pacing the cabin."" On my entrance he thus dramatically ad dressed me: "My ' firemen are all drunk, God bless them. The chief en

gineer has had a row with: the; second ] engineer; that willj not cause me: any i loss of sleep. The ladies left the ship !

at 7 o'clock this morning; that is a j

.rea1"tragedyl!\ r

Just after my arrival a cablegram was handed to him, and as soonV as he'(had read it he passed it on to me.

The message consisted vof an appeal, to him to do all possible to maintain 'a'micable- relations"with the Greek captain.

"How can anyone maintain amic able, arrangements with a like that?" he indignantly enquired. "Any-, how, I still have *him* as ?a*~ prisoner on board," he grimly added.

It may also be mentioned incident ally that he had got out of the Greek" captain the sum of £30 with which to pay the expenses of the ladies' trip back home! - ' ' ' "

Subsequently the second captain was released, and, after staying" at one of the local hotels, he left for Ade laide with (the intention of sailing for ^Greece on one i: of the passenger

steamers.

' The unexpurgated but unwritten 'story of' the »Bombala's trip from the Eastern States to Port Pirie provided yet another proof of the contention that truth is often stranger than fic

tion.

,Capt. Wilkinson delivered the" ves sel to its \ new owner, a well-to-do 'Greek' lady,'but his considered' opin ion, often expressed while in port here, to the effect that the Bombala was absolutely unfitted for the pur pose for which it had been purchased -the passenger ^service-was shortly

afterward substantiated ^y its foun-_ dering with a' big " cnSwd on board, most of _ them losing their lives. I

j Well-known Visitors

" AMONG'' the passengers on the

motor ship Moonta on, Monday were three well-known gentlemen -Messrs. -.Robert Cotton, H. L^C., *' Cotton, ',abdr J. Ejt-jbieJfie-^yho

newe'd ^acquaintance witfe* many *-oFd ' friends here: ~ .j;,

5 When I first knew,' -Mr. Robert s Cotton he .was njanager of Jamestown

branch-of the KstJoftaloBfthk; ^posU tion'he§he!d for about 20 years. Af tetward^he went to Western Austra-, lia^-~,being first associated -with * the Fremantle branch and later being ap pointed sub-manager at Perth.

Subsequently he . held -the -^position o£ London m&Jiagerf ^nd . during: his

term' there negotiated the purchase of the ifine building in which the home" .business- of the . bank is now being conducted - '

Hisi first^wifes was, a sister of Mr. M-. &. Warre$~ and~ mother of' Mr. Leslie Cotton, who was with him on the., Moontk. The latter started his career in Port Pirie branch of the National Bank, but many year's ago resigned from that service and went ! in. for a general agency, business at Broken Hill, "which he is still con ducting. A

| Mr. J. C. McDougall, the present manager of the local National Bank,

<vas the visitors' pilot in^a 'compre

hensive tour of Port Pine, and- Mr. I Cotton; sen., was' very much Impressed I with the many improvements to the I town effected since he was^ Iast^here.

It may be mentioned incidentally that his friends were also; impressed with thefwonderfully alert,and active man-: ner in,, which he. carries himself in spite of his 80 years.""

. - ,Mr. Dickiej the well-known chief of

| the Adelaide ^'and - suburban fire j fighting' force, - fs a. 'more frequent I visitor to Port Pirie, where he always ' meets many friends and. has an.- en

1 joyable time."

| Starting in -the London Fire Brl igade' service under the famous Capt,

iShaw, he. became, about 30-years.ago, the officer, in charge of Port Pirie Fife. Brigade,

.. His ability .and experience have since deservedly' carried him to the top< of" the", tree, and he now is in command of about-200 men; ^ ?

I That Adelaide at the "present time possesses a firefightin'g equipment commensurate with its;., size and im .partance is due .entirely*to his lefforts.

- . * >_ - *

Churchwardens' Ancient

Duties

N some recollections of . Port Pirie? . published at the time as the silver jubilee . (1924) of ihe present St. Paul's Church, the foundation stone of which was laid on August .19, 1899. Dean Young wrote':

"The Sunday school had a roll oi 150 scholars. The Superintendent was Mr.. M.. L> .Warren,- .. -j. who--performed his duties admirably. There was cer

. tainly no unnecessary talking or bad

behavior when he was, present. I" am sure those who knOw him will appre ciate that statement. He as also a, churchwarden.

History relates thai in the olden days the churchwardens of country parishes, after- the congregations had z , well settled down to their religious

exercises, werewont to fare forth for the purpose of visiting : the village inns to round., up - defaulters from church attendance.

They . carried wands of office;- and with these they tapped on the heads of all discovered in these places of public entertainment, driving them t>ff to divine service.

It was unkindly alleged 'by mali

cious-gossips of the- period thatr when; no customers "were to--be seen in the alehouses these officials - themselves often - fotmd the time- and inclination for "a quick one''!

There are no local records of the

old custom being observed here,. but ifftKis had been the case no one who knows Mr. Monty-Warren could ever imagine him thus' taking advantage of ? such an opportunity.