sum Ipvesenteb to flu Georgetown* Institute, bn MRS. ANGAS, SFN ;in, 190G. JOHN HOWARD ANGAS PIONEER, PASTORALIST, POLITICIAN, AND PHILANTHROPIST. BY H. T. BURGESS, LL.D. ^btlnibt : VARDON & PRITCHARD GRESHAM STREET. 1905. Stack Annex A5SLB& CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 5 An I'nusual Form Special C'harac-tei i.-t ies A Placid Li!.- Four Departments Lite and Times Australia's Pioneers Pastoralists Politicians and Philanthro- pists The Point of View Permanent Memorials Sources of Information The Author's Aim. PART I. THE PIONEER 1. PAKENTAGE - 15 "The Son of His Father" Interlaced Lives- The Founder of South Australia The Angas Family A Godly Home Religion a Keynote Household Influences G. F. Angas in Business His Schemes of Philanthropy His Interest in South Australia Selection c;i Colo- nists Involved in S.A. Affairs Emigration. 2. EARLY LIFE - 29 Birth and Childhood Ilford and Button The First "Mount" Cheltenham and Dawlish School Life Its Seriousness A Stiff Exam. Effect of Training on Character. 3. OUTWARD BOUND - 37 An F.conomic Clerk Dark Times "Very well, Sir'' Getting Heady Learning German and Land Survey- ing Proof of Ability Paddington Sunday-school An Interesting Letter Embarkation. 4. ROUGHING IT 45 A Five Months' Voyage St. lago Fremantle Up the Swan Strange Quarters Arrival in S.A. Stormy Times Improving Prospects Mineral Discoveries "Plenty to Do" Mr. Jury's Death Straitened Cir- cumstances Tarrawatta The Valley House Hough Travelling Working Day and Ni^lit The SuMainin^ Impulse Profitable Ventures Camping On' l-'rencli, and Sisters Colonial Prosperity The .New Constitution Arrival ot Mr. G. F. Angas A Royal Jteception. 16G3110 PAGE 5. COLLINGROVE - 6 1 Changed Duties Increasing Demands A Wave of Pro- sperity Opening up the Country Departure for Eng- land Marriage Founding a Home Collingrove Early Experiences Pressure of Business Death of Mrs. G. F. Angas Another Visit to England Death of Mr. G. F. Augas Preparing His Biography and History of South Australia The Angas Mausoleum Filial Piety Entertaining Royalty. 6. PUBLIC LIFE 79 The Father's Position Interlaced Lives A Competent Suc- cessor Individuality Interest in Practical Subjects A Sense of Justice Self-Exacting Surveying with a Broken Leg Treatment of Animals and Blacks "Way of Bargaining A Feeling of Trusteeship Personal Activity Methodical Habits Dotting an "i" Regard for Public Morality Concern for the Young A Remarkable Testimony All-round Usefulness. PART II. THE PASTORALJST 1. THE INDUSTRY 97 Its Promoters Value of Products Pioneering Attractions to Enterprise Drawbacks Meeting Natural Condi- tions Improving Stock Public Benefits Mr. Angas a Prominent Example His Courage Sense of Duty- Personal Interests Sustaining Impulse, "Ich Dien" Two Testimonials Augmentation of Natural Wealth. 2. THE INDIVIDUAL 106 A Natural Disposition Opportunities for its Development Connection with Transactions of the S.A. Company The "Comet" Strain and Pedigree The Beginning of a Career First Partnership Judicious Selection of Stock Enlargement of Operations The Faculty of Control Personal Supervision Physical Energy A Good Employer. 3. THE STOCK 116 Experimenting Horses, the Clydesdale No "Fancy Varieties Cattle The Shorthorn Herd Boldness in Securing Progenitors A Bit of Self-Revelation Tin- Finest Herd in the World Herefords, and their Attractiveness Sheep, the Merinos - "Hercules," price 1,150 guineas The Lincolns Swine, Unattractive but Profitable A Press Compliment Ostriches Dairy- Farming, &c. Donkeys A Poetic Summary. 4. THE PROPERTIES 127 Large Areas a Necessity Collingrove and Tarrawatta Mount Remarkable and Neighborhood Transfer to a Company A Vexatious Lawsuit A Triumphant Vindi- cation Hill River Charming Scenery An Avenue Five Miles Long A Thirty-mile Wall The Point Sturt Estate A Natural Stud Farm Kingsfora and other Freeholds Northern Leaseholds Artesian Water in the Wilderness Private Ownership a Public Trust, 5. THE PRIZES 138 Agricultural Societies Educative Exhibition* Healthy Rivalry Object Lessons A Phenomenal Record A Prolonged Series Australia's Pastoral Wealth-* Value and Annual Return. PART III. THK POUTICIAN- 1. THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, 1872-4 143 Pre-Parliamentary Influences Abstention from Active Political Lite first Requisition, Ibo8 \N iiy Declined Its Testimony Political Conditions Protection and Land Reform Strangways' Act Dissolution lianvi, Sessions Another Dissolution A Triple Requisition The Electoral Campaign .first AddressImpressions Produced by Speeches Head of the Poll A Personal Indication Partisanship in Parliament Practical Efforts Land Bill Aliens Act Amendment Bill Port Darwin Telegraph Agricultural Settlement The Queen's Plate Session of 1873 Meagre Record Nor- thern Territory Muddling River Murray Immigra- tion Education Transcontinental Railway Session of 1874 Railway Extension Murray Trade. 2. THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, 1875-6 162 Political Life Unattractive Another Case of Duty A Flattering Requisition Second Electoral Campaign Sidelights on Speech-making Meeting Opposition Head of the Poll Again Congratulations and Com- ments A Popular Ovation An Important Session Adelaide to Melbourne Railway The Boucaut Policy its Discussion Boucaut Ministry Obstruction in the Council Effect on Public Opinion Special Session The Policy Again Another Aspect Ministerial Changes Mr. Augas's Retirement Press Comments on His Services Their Permanent Value. 3. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, 1887-94 177 An Important Position An Influential Requisition An Orderly Campaign Critical Period Public Disasters Gleams of Prosperity The Jubilee of South Australia Faith in the Country Practical Suggestions Breadth and Fairness The Jubilee Exhibition Work of the Session Irrigation Settlements Railway Reform A Level Landscape Duty, not Ambition. PART IV. THE PHILANTHROPIST i. GOVERNING PRINCIPLES - 186 A Philanthropist Making Money Using it Wisely A Difficult Problem Principles in Operation Conscience and Duty Spontaneous Generosity The Useful, not the Sentimental Personal Activity Devotion of Time A Capable Organiser Not for Applause "Searching Out" Private Beneficence Specimen Cases. Churches and Sunday Schools - 195 Their Moral Value Assistance to Hundreds Collingrove Sustaining Religious Ordinances on Stations Congre- gregational Jubilee Fund Twentieth Century Fund S.A. Sunday-school Union Sunday-school Libraries. PAGE British and Foreign Bible Society - 199 Belief in the Bible Hereditary Interest First President of the S.A. Auxiliary Contributions to Funds Circu- lating the Scriptures Third Contingent Jubilee Tes- tament A Frustrated Purpose. 2. MISSIONS The London Missionary Society 203 An Interesting Story feupplied by Rev. J. King Home Atmosphere The "Duke of York ' Captain Morgan His Journal Scope of the Society Air. Angas and New Guinea Reasons for Special Interest An Annual 500 The Angas Inland Mission The Angas Indus- trial Mission Growing Concern Mr. Geil's Testimony li nder-Currents of interest "10,000 for New Guinea" The Last Interview A Personal Apprecia- tion. Other Foreign Missions 214 3. PHILANTHROPIC INSTITUTIONS Dr. Barnardo's Homes - 218 The National Waifs' Association Lit, Great Results Ex- ceptional Interest Dr. Baruardo's btatement Mrs. Johnson Introduces Her Brother His Intelligent Observation A Series of Gifts, totalling 4-i,2iti ine Spirit of the Donor Not Perfunctory Assistance to Mr. Mayer Spontaneous and Considerate Stimulat- ing Liberality in Others Bettering PromiM-> Anticipating eipecial Needs A .background of .Local Trouble Thoughtiuliiess in Action Sick Children and the A.C.H. Personal Impressions The John Howard Augas Cottage Homes at ilford Opened by Princess Henry of Battenburg. British and Foreign Seamen's Society - 231 An Extraordinary Position "Commodore" Angas 1'oun- der of the Society btory of William Howard Augas Work of George i-'ife An Illustrious Quartette jttange of Usefulness Place in Public Esteem Direct Personal Interest Circulating Literature The Mr. and Mrs. d . H. Angas Room. The Bushmen's Club 236 An Experiment in Social Reform The Bush Missionary Society Agencies of the Churches "William," a Pic- turesque Personality His Simple Life His iNeed of a Club Interests Mr. Augas Tr.e First Practical atep Result of Six Months' i'oor The First Meeting, and Resolutions Prospectus of the Committee Opposition Further Proof of Approval "William's" Great Itinerary The Place Selected The Club Opened Premises Extended Further Enlargrneut A Ten Years' Retrospect Other Institutions Changed Con- ditions Thirty Years Service Death of William Hugo. PACK Inebriates' Retreat, Hope Lodge, Angas College 248 William Hugo's Advocacy Mr. Anga-'s Sympathy \vitli Temperance Reform His Connection with tin- > \ Alliance Interest in the "Retreat" Charge of tti- Bill in Parliament Generous Financial Assistance Chequered History Transfer to Rev. \V. L. Morton, as Hope Lodge Mr. Morton and Mr. Angus A Libt-ral Arrangement Training Missionary Students 1,000 for a Ladies' Home Whinham College Utilised for Lady Students Name altered to "Angas College" Further Developments "Consumptive Home'' Project Summary of Training Work. The Children's Hospital 259 The High-water-mark of Charity The Initiation of the Project Identification with it of Mr. and Mrs. Angas A Life Governor Impulse to Contributors Varied Services Convalescent Home -Angas Buildings Their Completeness and Cost --Foundation Stone Lord Kin- tore The Opening Further Kxten-ions Last Vi:-it Total Contributions. 7,572 Portraits in Oils o! Mr. and Mrs. Angas Summary of Usefulm-s-. The Convalescent Home - 268 "The Children's Friend" Beginning and Growth The Angas Wing Its Original Purpose Its Permanent Usefulness The Home for Incurables - 271 Commendable Purpose The "Best Friend" Persistence in Generosity Transfer of Salary as Legislator Personal Inspection Gift of Room The Angas Wing. Institutions for the Blind, Deaf and Dumb - 274 Provision for the Afflicted A Group of Worthies Sepa- rate Organizations Their Sequence and Relation Mr. Angas and the Brighton Committee The Deaf and Dumb Mission Proposal for a Farm Gift of the Parafield Property Opening of the Home Success of the "Angas Home" and Farm Royal Institution for Blind An Industrial School Promises more than Ful- filled "His Big Heart." Hindmarsh Town Mission - 283 A Needy Field Initial Arrangements by Mr. G. F. Angas Adopted and Modified by Mr. J. H. Angas Personal Contributions in all 4,000 An Impulse to Local Efforts The Annual Meeting A Pathetic Resolution "A Rich Man with Dignity of Heart." Other Local Organisations - 287 A Liberal Constitution Practical Work Sustained Assistance. 4. EDUCATIONAL The Adelaide University - 294 Value of Utilitarian Education -- Proposal to Found Engineering Scholarship Press Comments Interest in Natural Science Offer to Endow Chair of Chemistry- Appreciative Acceptance. The School of Mines 298 Department of Wool-classing Erection and Equipment of Room Roseworthy Agricultural College Medals and Students. CLOSING YEARS 301 Vigorous Old Age Extensive Travelling Its Curtailment A Lingering Illness A Quiet Evening Time The Eightieth Birthday The Last Illness, and Death Newspaper Biographies Funeral Arrangements A Remarkahle Gathering An Impressive Address "Earth to Earth." LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. John Howard Angas - - Frontispiece "Tarrawatta " (1874) facing page 45 The Angas Vault 68 Collingrove 76 First Prize Hill River Merino Ewe too Mount Remarkable Station Homestead 108 Group of Prize Clydesdale Mares 116 Group of Prize Shorthorn Cattle in Lake at Point Sturt 124 Champion Lincoln Ram, "Sovereign" 132 "Hill River" House 140 Group of Show Cattle 148 Hereford Bull, "Magician" 156 Collingrove Church 196 J. H. Angas on "Mac" 301 INTRODUCTION. An Unusual Form Special Characteristics A Placid Life Four Departments Life and Times Australia's Pioneers Pastoralists Politicians and Philanthropists The Point of View Permanent Memorials Sources of Information The Author's Aim. This biography has been cast into a somewhat unusual form. As a rule the memoir of an in- dividual traces the life-history of its subject, from the cradle to the grave, on a chronological basis. In most instances this is no doubt the most con- venient plan both for the writer and the reader, the sequence of events being thus maintained in their natural order, but in this case there seemed to be good reasons for departing from it, and adopting the course that has been followed. The life of John Howard Angas had characteristics of its own. The active portion of it covered more than three-score years of strenuous exertion, great success, and distinguished usefulness. Yet through- out this long period, though it could scarcely be described as uneventful, it was not rich in striking or picturesque incidents. After the departure from England took place there was no distinct " solution of continuity." The sphere entered upon in South Australia, and the duties undertaken, were occupied and discharged to the end of the chapter. The first principles were also the last, and all that came between was in the nature of ap- plication, development, and ramification. Hence 6 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. there resulted a certain degree of similarity in the proceedings of successive years, scarcely amounting to sameness, but presenting little variety excepting in secondary details. To journalise such a life, with commensurate completeness, would involve much repetition, and risk the probability of monotony throughout. Looking at the life of Mr. Angas one is impressed by its spaciousness and fulness. There is attractive- ness in the scene, and some of its features elicit warm admiration, but there are no mysterious heights or depths, strong lights or dark shadows, and hence its interest cannot be made to depend upon the romantic. To vary the figure, the biographer studying the character of the stream which he is endeavouring to trace, notes its generally placid aspect, and realises its value to the community, but observes that its course is unbroken by rushing rapids or sparkling waterfalls. Like the Murray when in flood, though successive vistas may interest and charm, each bend and turn bears a close re- semblance to what has gone before. To write a mere log-book of the journey would be unsatisfac- tory, and fail to present a comprehensive and instructive review. Notwithstanding the even and quiet life he lived, it is undeniable that Mr. Angas played a great part in the history of South Australia. By his deeds he inscribed his name indelibly upon its annals. It is at least doubtful if the influence he wielded was -equalled by that of any other colonist, and the in- fluence ran in three distinct and well-marked chan- nels. As a pieneer he encountered extraordinary INTRODUCTION. 7 difficulties with indomitable energy, and utilised what proved to be splendid opportunities, with ex- ceptional devotion and skill. As a pastor alist he made his fortune and helped many other people to make theirs, aided largely to increase the value of the public estate, and greatly augmented the wealth- producing power of Australian flocks and herds. As a philanthropist he set a shining example, and left behind him enduring monuments of a most sub- stantial character which will for ever benefit those who have the strongest claims, because theirs is the deepest need. To these aspects of Mr. Angas's life-work may be added a fourth, for he was also a politician in the best sense of the term, inasmuch as he undertook political work at the request of his fellow citizens in order to serve the public interest. Though he never became the leader of a party, he wielded great influence \vhile in Parliament. His biography would be utterly incomplete if his activity and usefulness as a legislator were left out of sight. These salient characteristics dictated the divisions that were selected, and the course that has been pursued. The purpose of this work is not merely to preserve a record of Mr. Angas's doings and a sketch of his character, but in association therewith some account of the land and times he lived in, and of the move- ments in which he took part. He was closely identified with current affairs, actively concerned in the development of the country, and a most generous patron of many of its beneficent enterprises. Cir- cumstances modified his career, and the course he pursued left a deep and permanent impression upon 8 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. the community. It was important, therefore, to keep this object in view. To have detached him from his surroundings, painting his figure without its proper background, would have been ineffective as well as inartistic, for the background itself is essentially a part of the picture. Hence it has been found not only desirable but necessary to include some information which in a memoir pure and simple it would have been at least permissible to omit. It is claimed, however, that nothing foreign to the subject is introduced. The rouping of subjects covers a wide area and com- prises some that are seldom brought into such close relation, but it is neither artificial nor arbitrary. It is, indeed, so natural as to be practically a matter of course, and is thus a tribute to the many sidedness and far-reaching influences of Mr. Angas's life. Some little overlapping was an inevitable result of the arrangement that has been adopted, because the several departments ran together in point of time. The pioneer was also the pastoralist, and the pastoralist a politician. Reiteration, however, has been avoided as far as possible, and this object has been facilitated by the separate treatment of the concurrent streams which, though chronologically blended, were in other respects largely independent of each other. Each aspect of the life of Mr. Angas has its in- dividual interest. Australia has good reason to be proud of, and thankful to, its pioneers. As a class they were men of high courage and patient resolution . The difficulties they encountered were often ex- ceedingly formidable, and the hardships they had to INTRODUCTION 9 endure were not the less severe because they were commonplace. There was ordinarily nothing romantic or inspiring in their task of subduing the wilderness, but they prosecuted it with a cheerful determination that bordered on the heroic. They left a magnificent heritage to succeeding generations. The changes that have been effected within the compass of a single lifetime are so marvellous as to render it difficult to realise the condition in which their work was done. They found a country without roads, bridges, or dwellings, destitute of the ordinary means of communication, and in which both pro- duction and trade were non-existent. It is well that records of their enterprise and energy should be preserved. It is probable that in future ages the work of such men as John Howard Angas will be appraised more highly than now. The chief primary producers of national wealth are the pastoralist, the husbandman, and the miner, and of these three the pastoralist is naturally first. To him an unpeopled country opens its arms and issues its invitation. Under favorable circum- stances the self-multiplying power of his flocks and herds is a guarantee of profitable results, but the circumstances are not always favorable. Envious comments are often made concerning the cattle- barons and shepherd-kings of Australia by those who are only partially informed. It is unknown, or forgotten, how largely they have contributed to the general prosperity, and the extent to which other industries have been benefitted is scarcely perceived. The pastoral products of Australia were mainly instrumental in building up its enormous trade, and 10 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. the development of these resources is worthy of recognition. In this department John Howard Angas took a conspicuous place of exceptional use- fulness. To the student of sociology the evolution of South Australia must be an interesting study. In the matter of Government it began badly, for there was divided authority, and consequently the machinery did not work well. When the community outgrew its initial difficulties and became numerically strong enough, it obtained a constitution embodying the principle of self-Government, and since then has legislated for itself. Happily for its interests it has not developed a class of professional politicians,, and has been able to find public-spirited men to take their share in managing its concerns. Of these Mr. Angas was one, and his Parliamentary career, though something like an interlude in two parts, was suffi- ciently important and suggestive to justify the separate treatment it has received. The reader will observe that the points at which Mr. Angas directly touched South Australian Legislation were of more than ordinary historic interest. He was a member of the House of Assembly when the great forward movement took place in which Sir James Penn Boucaut figured most prominently. He was elected to the Legislative Council in the Jubilee year, which in another way was an epoch in the annals of the State. No community can justly claim a high place among civilised peoples in which the standard of philanthropy is low. Altruism is both a test and an evidence of character, easily applied, and of INTRODUCTION 1 J infallible accuracy. These are mere truisms, but not the less important on that account. They in- dicate the place which the truly philanthropic spirit occupies as a social and moral factor, and the in- fluence exercised by its operation. Australia almost everywhere is rich in its religious, charitable, and educational organizations, and in this respect South Australia stands well among its sister States. With relatively large means at command, there has been correspondingly liberal provision, and the result has often elicited high commendation from impartial observers. Among those to whom this is specially attributable John Howard Angas took high rank. A few of his contemporaries consecrated larger amounts in single contributions than any of his in- dividual gifts, but no one poured out so wide and fertilising a stream of benefactions for such a lengthened period. Many of the institutions in which he was deeply interested are the glory of the land, and, therefore, some account of their establish- ment, extent, and success has been incorporated in the plan of the work. Had the object been merely to eulogise Mr. Angas's generosity a schedule of his gifts would have been sufficient, but to him any such representation would have been distasteful in the extreme. The character and value of the agencies which he helped to render efficient, even more than the largeness of his donations, testify to the substantial benefit of the philanthropic work he did. With regard to these agencies and the connection of Mr. Angas with them, it is important to observe that the materials brought together have been gathered from their own records and representatives. 12 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. Very few items indeed, and those of a most meagre and fragmentary character, were obtained either from Mr. Angas himself, those who were intimately connected with him, or the accounts in his office. It was perceived at an early period in the work of preparation that the best view of a philanthropist was that of recipients and co-workers, and not that of the donor of varied gifts. Hence communication was opened with them, and little effort made to elicit information from him, or his household. The response was so copious in some cases that the chief difficulties have been in the way of selection and compression. It is obvious that, although this part of the work bulks largely in proportion, the cause is in the sub- ject itself. Mr. Angas probably could not, and -certainly would not, have told the story of his doings with the fulness that is set forth, but justice to his memory requires that it should be told. As the years roll by the memory of the part which Mr. Angas took in opening up the country may merge with that of other pioneers. Inevitable changes will pass over the estate he built up, and other pastoralists may emulate his fame. The record of his Parliamentary work will, in succeeding generations, well nigh pass into oblivion. All these will fade in their brightness as they recede into the background, but the institutions which bear the name of Angas will shine with increasing lustre and tell of their founder to generations yet unborn. Should everything else about him disappear from sight, honour will still be paid to John Howard Angas as Australia's greatest philanthropist, and it INTRODUCTION. 13 is fitting that the justification for the title should be presented in sufficient completeness of detail. The task of the biographer has been rendered more difficult because Mr. Angas left very little of a literary character that could be utilised. Methodical in his account-keeping, he was brief and business- like in his correspondence, so that no copious ex- tracts from letters or journals were available. It may be that incidentally certain advantages have followed. The biography is, therefore, not in any sense an auto-biography. Information has been obtained from a great variety of sources, collated, compared, and dealt with according to an entirely independent judgment. Hence the portraiture, whether it be deemed life-like or otherwise, is not that of the man as he appeared to himself, but as he was seen by other eyes. Thus a concensus of impressions should be the result of the process, probably truer to life on the whole than the image projected upon or perceived by any individual mind. The writer has had before him as his ideal of the purpose of a biography, not the eulogy of the sub- ject, but a faithful account of what he was, and what he did. Concerning a man like Mr. Angas such questions as the following may arise. He held a prominent place among the makers of South Aus- tralia How came he to occupy that position, and in what manner did he discharge its responsibilities ? He won a high reputation as a successful man of business How far was it justified, what were his methods of procedure, and what the cause of his prosperity ? Having amassed much wealth, what use did he make of it, and to what extent may he be 14 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. regarded as a public benefactor ? The prominent features of such a career are public property and fairly well-known, but what of personal character, underlying motives, governing principles, and dominant aims ? To such enquiries as these the following pages are intended to supply an answer. PART I. THE PIONEER. I. PARENTAGE. "The Son of His Father "Interlaced Lives The Founder of South Australia The Angas Family A Godly Home Religion a Keynote- Household Influences -G. F. Angas in Business His Scheme of Philan- throphy His Interest in South Australia Selection of Colonists Involved in S.A. Affairs Emigration. The parentage of John Howard Angas may be said to have determined both his character and his career. In an exceptional sense he was the " son of his father." His whole life illustrated the influences of heredity and association carried to a high degree of development. Though these potent forces did not prevent the growth of a distinct individuality, working together they produced much more than physical, mental, and moral resemblance. Filial devotion was the strongest and most enduring sentiment by which Mr. Angas was governed. It exercised commanding authority over him during his boyhood and youth, and compelled him to place himself at his father's disposal, when called upon to do so, without hesitation or demur. Thus it deter- mined the sphere of his activities, during a long series of years, with the maximum of fidelity and zeal. Having deservedly obtained entire confidence, John Howard Angas was entrusted with weighty responsibilities at a crisis in the family fortunes 16 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. while he was still young, and in rescuing them from threatened collapse he laid the foundations of his own. When relieved in some measure from the duties of the agency he had discharged so well, by the arrival on the scene of action of his father and principal, his executive capacity and confidential relations continued, not only in business affairs, but in religious and philanthropic enterprises also. Thus for half a century the two lives were interlaced, and considerably more than thirty years afer his first landing in South Australia, John Howard Angas habitually subordinated, if he did not entirely efface himself, where the interests of his father were con- cerned. It follows that the necessity under which a bio- grapher is usually laid of giving some account of the ancestry of his subject is more than usually im- perative in this instance, because the one life dove- tailed, so to speak, into that of the other. The son inherited sound principles from the father and re- ceived impulse and direction, while the father re- ceived from the son besides filial reverence and efficient service, the fruits of executive ability. Both were engaged in the same general enterprise, and the connection was mutually beneficial, con- tributing largely to their joint success and the pros- perity of the country in which they made their home. In the " History of South Australia," by Mr. Edwin Hodder, there occurs the following para- graph : " Honours are divided among the claimants to be founder of South Australia. Edward Gibbon Wakefield was the first to set forth the principles of PARENTAGE. 17 the new form of colonization ; Mr. Gouger, the Secretary of the S.A. Association, took up the idea and worked it into practical shape ; Colonel Torrens brought experience and influence to bear to make the scheme popular, and insure its acceptance by the Government ; while Mr. George Fife Angas made the working of the Act of Parliament possible." This summary of the part sustained by each of the four gentlemen named as " founders," in the initial stages of their joint enterprise, is fairly descriptive and accurate, so far as it goes, but Mr. Angas did very much more for South Australia than to " make the working of the Act of Parliament possible." He was, indeed, the solitary member of the group of large-minded men with whom he was associated wha not only formulated the colonization scheme, super- intended its launching, and piloted it through stormy waters ; but courageously linked its fortunes with his own, and maintained an active connection with it to the close of his life. Several other gentlemen who are not named by Mr. Hodder might be designated founders of South Australia if the term were understood to include all who were identified with the colonization project, and who assisted to carry it into effect. They constituted a company of able and earnest men to whom pecuniary gain was by no means the primary object, but who combined philanthropy with business, social science with statesmanship, and commercial enterprise with a sincere desire to benefit their fellowmen. Many of them then were or afterwards became famous, but to particularise in- dividuals would be invidious, and in regard to the 18 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. special object of their association, George Fife Angas was easily chief. His devotion to the project, resourcefulness, and tenacity saved it from abandon- ment and carried it to a successful issue. At the crisis of its fate he rescued it from shipwreck by forming the South Australian Company in order to comply with the conditions of the Act of Parliament, and as Chairman of the Company he unstintingly employed his time, energy, and capital to execute its purposes. It is interesting to trace what may be called the under plot of a useful life as to follow that of a drama, and the enquiry may lead the biographer back into .a remote period. Following up the stream of John Howard Angas' s history it is found to have its ex- planation as well as source in that of his father, which began in 1789. At that time many members of the Angas family were settled in the North of England, being principally graziers and agricul- culturists, and Caleb, the grandfather of John Howard Angas, was established at Newcastle-on- Tyne as a ship owner and carriage builder. The family or clan was of Scottish origin and descent as its name indicates, being originally spelt " Angus." Its southern movement across the border was due to religious persecution, and this had, as usual, the effect of intensifying adhesion to the principles for which suffering and exile had been endured. The family traditions were sacredly cherished and acted upon in the household of the Newcastle ship- builder. Caleb Angas was strongly imbued with puritan ideals ; in business he was sagacious and upright, in private life exemplary, and ecclesiasti- PARENTAGE. 19 cally a nonconformist to the backbone. As he prospered in worldly circumstances he increased his benefactions to charitable and religious agencies. Ministers of the Gospel of various denominations were frequent guests under his hospitable roof. Morning and evening worship was a regular family institution, and the entire household attended public services twice or thrice on Sundays, the intervals of the day being spent in reading the Bible or some religious book. These observances were not merely formal and conventional, and they did not interfere with the diligent attention to worldly duties that is a condition of success. The concern founded by old Caleb Angas grew and prospered, and under the title of Angas and Company the " Co." including four of his sons its operations became still more extended. George Fife Angas was the seventh child and youngest son of his father. The character of the household was established before he became a mem- ber of it, and the atmosphere in which he was brought up, acting upon a naturally grave and serious tem- perament, largely accounted for the moral earnest- ness by which he was distinguished in such a re- markable degree, and which reappeared in the character of his son. Religion was, in fact, both the keynote of his character and the explanation of his career, but it was religion of a highly specialised type. There was in it nothing whatever of the perfunctory and artificial, little of the sentimental or emotional, and very much of the altruistic and practical. It was ardent and self-denying rather than jubilant or 20 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. ecstatic. It sustained his confidence in times of trial, gave him a working assurance in the over- ruling of Providence, and impelled him both to seek opportunities for being useful in the world, and to make the most of them when they came. Duty and devotion were the driving forces which com- pelled him to undertake, and enabled him to execute, schemes for benefitting his fellowmen in different parts of the world, which involved severe toil and heavy responsibility, but the dynamo was his conception of his obligation to God. At the age of fifteen George Angas had left both his boyhood (if he ever had any), and his youth, behind him. Declining to study for the law, he became apprenticed to his father for a term of years to learn the trade of coachbuilding, applied himself with such thoroughness that he was said to have acquired the efficiency of seven years in three, and after two more years' experience, one of which was spent in London, became overseer of his father's factory. It was characteristic and prophetic that during this stage he launched the first of numberless philanthropic enterprises by organising in the in- terests of his fellow-workmen ' The Benevolent Society of Coachmakers in Newcastle " which as a flourishing benefit society still survives. Mr. Angas was married when in his 23rd year to Miss Rosetta French, a lady who proved a help-meet for him throughout the vicissitudes of his after life. She shared in the strong religious convictions of her husband, and left him free to attend to the cares of an increasing business by looking diligently to the wavs of her household. PARENTAGE. 21 The union thus entered into continued for nearly 55 years when it was broken by death, and there can be no doubt that the simplicity of Mrs. Angas's tastes, together with her disinclination to pro- digality and display, facilitated the employment by her husband of so large a portion of his wealth in philanthropic and charitable purposes. Seven children were born of the marriage, in whom the characteristics of both parents are to be traced. Business ability was derived from the father, but the artistic temperament which was manifested most conspicuously in the remarkable skill of George French Angas with pen, pencil, and brush, and in a lesser degree in John Howard, came from the mother. There were no postcards or telegrams in those days. Communication was slower, more infrequent, and highly expensive. Even postage stamps and envelopes were not known. Accordingly letters were veritable epistles, carefully written, and copious in detail. A budget of correspondence between various members of the Angas family lies before me as I write. Some of George French's letters are works of art, the penmanship being as fine as copper- plate, and the crossing as exact as a geometrical design. Mrs. Angas's are gossipy and affectionate. They tell of domestic affairs, how the birds and other pets were getting on, the state of the garden, &c., with here and there earnest reference to the moral and spiritual welfare of the children as the supreme object of desire. Such were some of the formative influences which bore fruit in after years. ^ During the twelve years immediately ensuing after his marriage, George Fife Angas was really, though '22 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. unconsciously, preparing for the great work of his life, which also became, that of his second son, with whom this history is chiefly concerned. The busi- ness at Newcastle was growing and its management falling more fully into his hands. The shipping department was also increasing, bringing with it closer relations with foreign people and distant lands. It was a time of great personal activity on his part, involving the development of capability for dealing with large affairs, and also included the sustaining of weighty responsibilities, which had the same effect. Thus the trade with Honduras brought Mr. Angas into contact with one phase of the slavery question, and therefore into communication with such men as Zachery Macaulay and Wilberforce, whose work on behalf of negro emancipation can never be for- gotten. For twelve years he fought the battles of Indians who were illegally held in bondage, con- tending against difficulties that might have daunted a less resolute man, and at length had the satisfac- tion of seeing his labors crowned with success. In this connection it is proper to notice, as indicating Mr. Angas's prescience and breadth of view, that he gave much time and thought to the cutting of a waterway through the Isthmus of Panama. He suggested and advocated the route through Lake Nicaragua, and regretted that he was unable to enter into the project because of the pressure of his o\\n affairs. It is strange that from 75 to 80 years after- wards the project should be so seriously entertained as to have been apparently on the point of accom- plishment. And it is equally remarkable that what PARENTAGE. 23 appears to have most strongly commended it to Mr. Angas was the fact that " it would give facility of dispatch to missionaries and the circulation of the Word of God." The Sunday-school movement was in its infancy in the early part of the 19th century, but recognised by thoughtful observers to be full of promise. George Fife Angas threw himself into it with great enthusiasm, and among other things was instru- mental in founding the Newcastle union of which he was Secretary and afterwards President. To his passion for the religious education of the young may be traced the strong personal interest in the same object which John Howard Angas displayed from early life. Maritime interests, of course, made George Fife Angas familiar with seafaring men, and to such a man nothing more was required in order to render him solicitous for their welfare. He became a Com- missioner to investigate their case, a missionary on their behalf, an active helper in schemes to promote their well-being, and the founder of others especi- ally the great British and Foreign Sailors' Society the operations and benefits of which are world wide. A removal to London became necessary in 1824 for business reasons which involved other arrangements that need not be entered into here. The point to be noted is that thus the way was prepared for changes little anticipated at the time. Mr. Angas had been established in the great city about eight years, and was gradually becoming detached from his concerns in the North of England, when the pro- ject of founding a colonial settlement under new 24 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. principles on the southern coast of Australia was first mooted. Being a prosperous merchant in the world's metropolis, the subject naturally came before his attention. Enquiry into the proposals enlisted his sympathy, and their general character not only appealed to his imagination, but aroused his enthusiasm. He joined in the undertaking as a duty laid upon his conscience, and very soon it became the great business of his life. Step by step George Fife Angas was led on by ways that were usually mysterious and often dark, to the performance of a work, such as is given to few men to accomplish. When the South Australian Act was passed he was appointed one of the Board of Commissioners whose duty was to give it effect. Then came the deadlock which led to the formation of the South Australian Company as a way out of the difficulty, of which he became the Chairman and executive head. Besides employing his resources, he had influence enough to engage the active con- currence of others, and his shipping interests enabled him to push things forward. All the while he had little if any thought of gain to be derived, but very much of good to be done. It followed that both as Commissioner and Chair- man Mr. Angas was able to impress his views on his associates, and they were very definite. He not only cherished high moral and intellectual ideals, but did his utmost to promote their attainment. He was instrumental in sending out missionaries for the aborigines, insisted on special facilities for educating the young, and strenuously contended for religious freedom and equality. Mindful of the fact that the PARENTAGE. 25 agents of the right stamp are necessary to render effective any agencies, however well devised, he devoted much time and special pains to secure them, with results that have never been adequately told. It is well known that among the early South Aus- tralian colonists there was a large proportion of earnest, conscientious, and superior men and women, whose character leavened the whole, and the effect of whose life and example has not yet passed away. What is not so well known is the fact that this was largely due to the personal care exercised by George Fife Angas in making such appointments as were under his control, and exercising careful supervision over both the agents and emigrants that were sent out. By means of a voluminous correspondence with Governors and other officials, he kept the aims and objects to which he attached so much importance constantly in the foreground, but the good effect of Mr. Angas's enlightened and assiduous care for the moral tone of the community in which he took such an intense interest never has been, and probably never can, be disclosed. One illustration of it that has not heretofore been published may suffice as a suggestion of how the anxiety of George Fife Angas in this direction worked out. The Company was prepared to begin practical action by sending out emigrants months before the Commissioners were ready, and dispatched the John Pirie on February 22, 1836, and the Duke of York two days afterwards. The John Pirie met with a severe storm and had to put back, so that the Duke of York was the first vessel with S.A. colonists on board to arrive at the projected settlement. Its 26 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. commander was Captain Morgan, a warm-hearted Methodist of the old-fashioned fervent type, and there was on board a manager of the Company, Mr. Samuel Stephens, whose father was at one time President of the British Wesleyan Conference. Captain Morgan kept an elaborate diary which served him for a bosom companion, and ultimately passed into the archives of the London Missionary Society, where it was discovered many years after- wards. It tells of the moral discipline that was preserved throughout the voyage, and the regularity with which religious observances were kept up. In this book Captain Morgan recorded the first sight of Cape Borda, and how the land-fall was celebrated the same evening by a prayer meeting. During that night he walked the deck under the silent stars, the subject of overflowing emotions which he sought to describe. He cast anchor the next morning, and went ashore with a small party, whose first act was to hold a religious service, in which the Captain took part. Though this was less sensational it is as sug- gestive in its way as the embarkation and landing of the Pilgrim Fathers, which have been so worthily celebrated by painting and in song. That the presence of such men on the scene was not accidental is evident from a passage in the diary of George Fife Angas which reads thus : r< I am now deeply engaged in the outfit of the three ships, and in the onerous duty of appointing captains, officers, and crews. As far as is in my power in the appoint- ment of officers, managers, and men for the company I have sought out and engaged those who fear God, and when I could not do this I took the next best I PARENTAGE. 27 could find." The indebtedness of South Australia to the personnel of those whom Mr. Angas thus diligently selected, and to him for their selection, is manifestly much greater than is generally known. The opening which the new colony afforded for emigrants of a certain type, and the use Mr. Angas sought to make of it, were the first links in a lengthy chain which in a most singular way led him through deep waters, but eventually both secured him an ample fortune, and determined the residence of him- self and family under the Southern Cross. He be- came deeply interested in the case of a large number of German Protestants who were subjected to reli- gious persecution, and he sought to assist their emigration to South Australia as settlers. Besides the anxieties thus incurred, extending over some years, he made successive advances of money which involved him in financial embarrassment. In con- nection with this business he sent out his confidential clerk, Mr. Flaxman, who was familiar with the language. Flaxman became infected with the land fever, bought largely on his employer's account, and incurred unauthorised responsibilities which his principal could not repudiate, but which brought him to the verge of ruin. It was this transaction which led to Mr. John Howard Angas being sent out to South Australia as his father's agent and representative. For a time things on both sides of the world looked exceedingly dark and gloomy, but eventually a turn in the affairs of the colony took place. The pluck and devotion of the son pulled the father through, and secured for him what in time became a princely fortune. 28 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. As the interests of George Fife Angas in South Australia became more absorbing, he gradually relinquished those with which he had been occupied in England. The state of his health demanded a thorough change of both scene and occupation. Various influences converged to render the removal of himself and the remainder of his family to the new country desirable. When the new constitution was framed and the Act of Parliament had passed, he felt that his last work for the colony on that side of the world was done, and he left England in 1850, reaching Adelaide on January 15th of the following year. Within a few days of landing he made a kind of triumphal entry into Angaston, and settled at Lindsay House, where he lived for twenty-eight years until his death on May 15th, 1879. II. EARLY LIFE. Birth and Childhood Ilford and Hutton The First " Mount "- Cheltenham and Dawlish School Life -Its Seriousness A Stiff Exam. Effect of Training on Character. It was on the 5th of October, 1823, at Newcastle- j on-Tyne, that John Howard Angas first saw the light. He was the second son and fifth child of his parents, to whom another son and daughter were afterwards born. While he was still an infant the family removed to London in order to facilitate the business arrangements of his father, and their home was established at Ilford, in Essex. The custom of boarding out children who needed the benefit of country air was common at the time, and when he was four or five years of age John Howard was placed in charge of a Mrs. Palmer at a village named Hutton. His earliest recollections were of this home, and of the elderly couple with whom he lived, whose kindness he never forgot. He gave the name of Hutton to one of his farms, which was held and cultivated with care and interest long afterwards in close contiguity to the Collingrove Estate. Details are somewhat meagre, but the child seems to have made the most of such opportunities as came in his way to show the interest in animals which distinguished him in after years, and made him so successful as a pastoralist. Though there was no horse or pony, and not even a donkey for the future stock holder to experiment upon, he managed to find a steed for himself, nevertheless. What is 30 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. more, he showed his appreciation of how such a friend should be treated, and there is a tradition that he washed, groomed, and generally cared for his " mount " in a way to which animals whose manifest destiny is bacon are not generally accus- tomed, in return for which it tractably accepted an unfamiliar role, and earned a good reputation as a trotter. That Mr. Angas's parents were satisfied with the care and attention which their son received from the Palmers was shown by their sending their youngest child some time afterwards to live in the same home. The termination of this part of John Howard's boyish experiences, however, was very melancholy. Only a day or two after the brother and sister returned to the parental roof, the little girl was seized with croup, and expired within a few hours. More than seventy years afterwards the recollection of this affliction was to Mr. Angas a vivid and painful memory. During the school going period of Mr. Angas's life several removals of the family residence took place. After leaving Ilford his parents spent a year at Cheltenham in Gloucestershire. A beautiful home was then established at Dawlish, in Devonshire, but after about six years its inconvenient distance from the metropolis caused it to be given up with great regret, and the next change was to Maida Hill, Paddington, London. Partly in consequence of these migrations, Mr. Angas's education was conducted in different estab- lishments, and by several hands. His first school days were spent at a boarding institution at Bil- EARLY LIFE. 31 leracy in Essex, which was kept by a Mr. Mercer, the Rev. John Thornton taking some of the higher classes, and his brother, George French, was also there with him for a year. They were then sent to school at Tavistock, in Devonshire, which was kept by Mr. Ferguson, who, as well as the brothers, boarded with the Rev. W. Rooker, the Congrega- tional minister of that town. After being there for a considerable time a new school was opened under the auspices of the Duke of Bedford, Professor Beale being the principal, and John Howard had the ad- vantage of it for about a year. The family having then removed to Paddington, he went with it, and while residing there for a short time he attended classes at the London University. One could have wished a little different training in some respects for a lad of John Howard's tempera- ment and character. /'Like his father, he never showed much interest in the ordinary amusements and sports of school boys, and generally had the graver and sterner aspects of life present to his mind. It is very doubtful if he ever handled a cricket bat or picked a football, and, having no taste for such things, he was inclined to be severe on those who gave time and attention to them. In both father and son the domestic affections, if not exactly re- pressed, were certainly undeveloped, and the pure joy they minister was comparatively unknown. A larger measure of freedom in his father's house, a higher degree of geniality in the home atmosphere, and longer time for these influences to operate, would probably have made John Howard a happier, more loving, and more lovable man. Whether they 32 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. would have made him a more useful citizen is another matter. There is, however, abundant evidence that much care was exercised by the parents of John Howard Angas in the selection both of tutors and of those who had the oversight of their son. Letters are extant which show this and its results. Preserved with the correspondence of this period, for example, is a " list of verses selected Dy the Rev. W. Rooker," relating to a large number of theological topics, ranging from the inspiration of the Scriptures and the perfections of God, to the institution of the Sabbath. The series itself is a compendium of divinity, is copied with neatness and care, and the document is signed John Howard Angas at the foot. Yet again a long letter from Dr. Hoppus. his tutor and guide at a later period, evidently written near the close of a vacation, after chatting pleasantly about a number of things, including scenery, history, and antiquities, contains the following : ' You know I am sure that our great object should be to employ all our advantages in becoming wiser and better more benevolent and more useful, more fit to live in this world, and more fit to die." Mention has been made of the copious correspondence that was maintained between different members of the family when it was divided. It was free and cordial in tone, and numerous extracts might be quoted that were calculated to seriously impress the mind of a youth who was absent from home. Incidentally, moreover, there is indication in these letters what Mr. Angas himself seldom, if ever, mentioned, that his education was both thorough EAKLY LIFE. 33 and wide. In a letter just before the commence- ment of a term he is requested to bring a number of Latin books, including Sallust, but only a Greek dictionary, as he is not going on with that language. Mathematical books, including an algebra, are men- tioned, and arrangements proposed for taking Latin, German, French, English, and Mathematics in classes or privately. A curiosity of its kind has been preserved in the form of the " Tavistock Grammar School Examina- tion " papers for " Christmas, 1840," at which time J. H. Angas was in his 17th year. It is headed " General Literature," but it covers ancient and modern history, Jewish, Roman, and British litera- ture, especially of the Elizabethian period ; geo- graphy, astronomy, physics, physiology, Latin prose, arithmetic, algebra, and geometry. There are 36 questions, mostly divisable into three or four, and they are so constructed as to elicit the accuracy and extent of the examinee's knowledge. Whoever did the paper satisfactorily might claim to be a well- educated and well-informed person. The special interest in the matter is that elsewhere in the cor- respondence may be found hearty congratulations to John Howard on his success at this particular examination. / It is evident that as a school boy John Howard ^Angas was both clever and studious. Obedience to authority was the law of his being, and it com- pelled him to make good use of his time. The re- creations in which he indulged himself were sugges- tive and prophetic. He had a fashion of collecting pets, four-footed, and feathered, made cages for his 34 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, &c., but took little in- terest in reading for its own sake, and scarcely any at all in games. On the whole, it must be admitted that while the academic course he took, and its associations, were an excellent preparation for the sterner work of his later life, a little more relaxation, and even a modicum of fun, might have been intro- duced with advantage. Most of the members of the Angas family showed the possession of much natural talent. George French won fame as an artist, and became the friend of Landseer. Fifty years ago women had no such opportunities of displaying special ability as have come to them since, and Mr. George Fife Angas had strong conservative ideas as to the limitations of their proper sphere. Nevertheless, his daughters were cultured, and he freely acknowledged his indebtedness to them for their help. One of them Mrs. Evans will long be remembered for her sympathetic assistance to the Women's Christian Temperance Union, and the S.A. Alliance. The eldest, Rosetta, has left descendants who have at- tained excellent positions in the medical and legal professions, while John Howard carved the family name indelibly on the country he lived in and its institutions. The aphorism that the child is father of the man being unchallengable it is in the period covered by the school life of John Howard Angas that we must look for the causes which originated or fostered the characteristics by which he was afterwards dis- tinguished, and we shall not look in vain. Detached from the family circle and placed among compara- EARLY LIFE. 35 live strangers he acquired the habit of thinking and acting for himself which afterwards stood him in good stead. To the South Australian pioneer self- reliance and resourcefulness were almost as valuable as the breath of life. Never on familiar terms with his father, he stood in awe of him, and attention to his slightest wish became woven into the very fibre of his being. Hence there was nothing irksome in executing mandates when they came to him from the other side of the world, and he was able to justify the confidence he enjoyed. Among the family traditions handed down from old Caleb Angas were reverence for the Sabbath, regard for public worship, and esteem for the Word of God. Both at home and at school these were im- pressed so deeply that their effacement became a thing impossible. Though the curriculum at Tavistock bore no direct reference to the managing of a large landed estate or the breeding of stock, it is an axiom that educa- tion includes qualification in some measure for any and every department of life's business, and in John Howard Angas' s case it certainly developed a capacity for work. Other things being equal, the man whose eye, hand, or brain has been disciplined and trained along any given line will outclass a com- petitor, and the subject of this memoir is an illustra- tion of the fact. No record exists, so far as is known, of any singular spiritual experience, or of any special time of religious decision. With regard to his inner self and his highest concerns, Mr. Angas was con- stitutionally reticent. It may be that the repression 36 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. of many years aided the growth of this natural tendency, but fidelity to what he deemed to be his duty, and strict conscientiousness in the discharge of an accepted trust, were traits of early life, which grew and became strengthened with the passing of the years. III. OUTWARD BOUND. An Economic Clerk Dark Times "Very Well, Sir" Getting Ready- Learning German and Land Surveying Proof of Ability Paddington Sunday School An Interesting Letter Embarkation. Not long after the Angas family removed from Devonshire to London, John Howard entered his father's office to assist in the business. He was then / about 17 years of age. The residence was at Park J Villas, Maida Hill, and the office at St. Mary Axe, the two places being about five miles apart. The youth was allowed sixpence for his omnibus fare, but to save the money when he particularly wanted it for another purpose, he frequently walked the whole way. Between walking five miles to save sixpence and giving away 10,000 in one sum there is a wide interval, and yet a thread of connection may be traced resembling that of cause and effect. The year 1841 was a particularly dark time in the v affairs of Mr. Angas, senior. He was deeply involved! in South Australian affairs and the colony itself was in a bad way. During the previous year, with a population of only 16,000, the land sales amounted to nearly 300,000 acres. The mania for becoming rich by land speculation wrought its inevitable results of dire calamity when the bubble burst, and the boom was succeeded by a collapse. Then fol- lowed the dishonouring of Colonel Gawler's bills, the financial stringency that succeeded his alleged extravagance, and the drastic changes introduced by Captain Grey. 38 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. As to Mr. George Fife Angas, in addition to other capital invested in South Australia, a millstone had been hung round his neck by the Flaxman land pur- chases, involving obligations he did not know how to meet. He could neither sell the land nor obtain any return for it, and whatever might be its ultimate value, for the time being it pressed upon him as a dead weight. One day, in the midst of his perplexity, Mr. Angas turned to his son with the abrupt remark : " John, I wish you to go to South Australia." " Very well, Sir," was the immediate response, gratifying in form as well as in fact, for Mr. Angas liked his children to address him with that particular title of respect. " When do you wish me to go, Sir ?" was John's first and natural question. The answer was sub- stantially : "As soon as you can get ready," but the process of getting ready meant a good deal more in the father's mind than the purchasing of an outfit and the selection of a suitable vessel for the voyage. The next enquiry from John was more easily and completely answered : " What am I to do when I get there ?" " You must do whatever you find requires to be done," was the brief but comprehensive reply, and the only explanation possible under the circum- stances. It expressed entire confidence, and when the time came was amplified by full and suitable " instructions." Two lines of preparation in particular were sug- gested by the circumstances. Largely as the result of George Fife Angas' s kindly and generous aid OUTWARD BOUND. 39 there were about 700 Germans in South Australia whom it was desirable to settle on the land as speedily as possible that they might be in a position to pro- vide for their own living, and repay the advances they had received. The first thing John Howard had to do, therefore, was to obtain sufficient acquaintance with the German language to enable him to look after these people, and do business with them without the intervention of an interpreter. For this purpose he received instruction from Dr. Hoppus, and, having such an object before him, applied himself with diligence to the study. The other requisite was sufficient knowledge of land surveying and mapping to superintend the sub- division of the surveys which had to be dealt with. For instruction and practice in this department, John was placed with Mr. George Parson, of Welling- ton, in Somersetshire. Mr. Parson was engaged in preparing a survey in his own locality which was required in order to substitute a system of rates for one of tithing, and to be assistant in that work was to learn the theory and its practical application at the same time. John Howard entered into this business with eagerness and zest. It suited his temperament and disposition. He liked the part of it that was in the open air. His artistic tastes made the delicate work of mapping easy to him, and there are maps in existence drawn at the time which are admirable in the neatness of their finish. Mr. Angas, senior, was a shrewd judge of character, and he showed it in selecting his second son to be his confidential agent. Neither of the others could 40 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. have served him so well, and no one but a blood relation would have undertaken such a responsibility on similar terms. Though exacting in his require- ments, he was just in his appreciation. He en- couraged his son by commending the cheerfulness with which he had sought to render assistance in the London business, and the spirit in which he had entered on his work at Wellington. Outside testimony of John Howard Angas's rapid progress and efficiency happens to be available. Among other old letters of the period there is one signed " Geo. Davenport," by the father of Sir Samuel Davenport, who was afterwards one of South Australia's most notable men of mark, which says : " I enclose a cheque for the plans of Maccles- field sent to my son, and beg to say I think the performance highly creditable to you as a young beginner." So apt did his pupil show himself that Mr. Parson sought to retain him permanently. There was a good prospect of increasing business, and he made overtures to Mr. George Fife Angas with the view of ultimately taking John Howard into partnership. Of course, he had to be content with the answer he received. The plan previously decided upon could not be set aside, for the father wanted his son more urgently than ever to attend to his affairs in South Australia. It is interesting to notice that at this early period of his life John Howard Angas manifested the per- sonal interest in good work for the young which in maturer years was one of his characteristics. Though he never paraded his religion, and active service in OUTWARD BOUND. 41 connection with the church did not fill nearly so large a portion of his life as in the case of his father, he was always a Sunday-school man. The phrase does not merely signify that he sympathised with the institution, but that he took part in its opera- tions. He entered upon the work while still in his teens, and continued in it long after advancing age and failing health made the task of teaching a trial. The Sunday-school with which he was most closely identified in London was a branch of the Paddington school, and was held in what was called the Boat- man's Chapel. It flourished so satisfactorily that the room it occupied became inconveniently crowded and an application for its enlargement, with accom- panying plan showing how accommodation could be increased at little cost, lies before me. It is in John Howard Angas's handwriting, and is signed by himself and three others. There is also a list of John's class, which was the first in the school, but whether that meant highest or lowest is not stated. It contains forty-eight names, with a record of their attendance, which averaged 39 twice a day. The size of the class proves that the charge of it could not have been a sinecure, and the record is certainly creditable to the scholars, while inferentially it speaks well for the teacher. When the inevitable parting took place there was a public farewell which is incidentally referred to in the following letter : "19, Sale-street, Paddington, " Dear Sir, " 6th April, 1843. " At a meeting of the Trustees and the Teachers of the Paddington Chapel Sunday-school held on the 42 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. 4th instant, your letter of resignation, dated March 6th, 1843, was read, after which the following re- solution was unanimously adopted : ' That the cordial thanks of the Trustees be presented to Mr. John Howard Angas for his past zealous services in the Paddington Chapel Sunday-school and the Boatman's Chapel Branch.' Permit me to add that if the teachers generally had been made acquainted with the arrangements of the friends of the Branch School for a Public Tea Meeting, I believe several of them would have been present to pay their part- ing respects to you. Among others would have been, " Your sincere friend, " W. J. MORRISH." In the course of his long life it was the lot of Mr. Angas to receive innumerable votes of thanks, and this was probably the first of the series. The teacher's interest in his class must have been deep as well as genuine. He spent part of one of the first Sundays after his arrival in South Australia in writing a letter to its members, a draft of which has strangely been preserved. The copy is sugges- tive of many things. It bears internal evidence of the difficulties under which it was written, for the writer had a bad pen and poor ink, and the writing is not 'at all like his usually neat, firm, and clear penmanship. The letter is dated from " German Pass," which was the early name of Angaston. It is addressed to " My dear children," assures them that the writer still loves them and prays for them, and asks them to pray for their teacher. OUTWARD BOUND. 4iJ Most of the letter is occupied by a brief but in- teresting account of the voyage. The strange scenes witnessed at St. lago, where the vessel touched, are described. A meeting with the mis- sionary ship " Camden " on the open ocean is re- ferred to, and made use of to increase interest in missionary work. " Swan River," the aboriginal population of that part of the country, and a native school which Mr. Angas visited, are described. Some account is given of the park-like scenery of the new South Australian home, and it is added : " There is a little school of about 12 children who meet every Sunday in my room to read and sing as you used to do at home. We hope to get a little chapel built and a larger school before long." As the letter is dated October 1st, this sentence indicates that, despite his distracting surroundings and new respon- sibilities, Mr. Angas had got to w r ork promptly enough to satisfy the most thorough going Sunday- school enthusiast. \Yise and kindly counsels are given, such as are quite appropriate between cor- respondents standing in the relations to each other ol the writer and the readers. The communication aiiords a rare glimpse of the inner life of the young teacher, and shows the seriousness of his mind when he was thrown upon his own resources and judgment at the close of his twentieth year. About the time that was fixed upon for the depar- ture of John Howard Angas from England it was considered desirable for his brother-in-law, Mr. Henry Evans, to seek a change of climate for the benefit of his health, and emigration to South Australia naturally suggested itself. Accordingly steps were 44 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. taken for the relatives to journey together, the party consisting of John Howard Angas, Mr. and Mrs. Evans, and their infant son. Arrangements were made for them to sail by the Madras, and special terms seem to have been arranged, for the original offer from the captain, which lies before me, specifies that the total amount to be paid, including one ton of baggage for each passenger, was 157 10s., and steerage passage for female servant -25. As this covered from four to five months provisioning, it certainly was not excessive. At that time a voyage to the other side of the world was a much more infrequent and serious un- dertaking than at present. How deeply Mr. Angas, senior, felt the wrench of parting with his daughter and the son of his right hand, is clearly shown in his voluminous correspondence. Though there is no such copious documentary evidence from their side, to them it was an acknowledged crisis a launching out into the unknown. For some time previous to sailing the Evans family sojourned in Jersey, where John Howard joined them for awhile, and, amid good wishes and prayers, the embarkation took place on Good Friday, April 15th, 1843. QO IV. ROUGHING IT. A Five Months' Voyage St. lago Fremantle Up the Swan Strange Quarters Arrival in S.A. Stormy Times Improving Prospects Mineral Discoveries " Plenty to Do." Mr. Jury's Death Straitened Circumstances Tarrawatta The Valley House Rough Travelling- Working Day and Night The Sustaining Impulse Profitable Ventures Camping Out George French, and Sisters - Colonial Prosperity The New Constitution Arrival of Mr. G. F. Angas A Royal Reception. The change that has taken place within the com- pass of a lifetime is suggested by the record of Mr. Angas's first voyage to Australia. It covered a period of five months, including a brief stoppage at St. lago, in the Cape Verde Islands, and a stay of three weeks at Fremantle in West Australia. The object of the call at St. lago was to obtain fresh water, and the glimpse it afforded of a tropical country was anything but attractive. The intense heat, the ignorance, superstition, and low moral condition of the population which was almost all black or copper coloured, were the things that -chiefly impressed the young traveller, and he was glad to get away. Part of the cargo of the Madras was consigned to Western Australia, and the leisurely manner in which it was put ashore at Fremantle contrasts strongly with the modern method of giving cargo boats quick dispatch. There were no conveniences such as wharves and derricks. The packages had to be transhipped into whale boats, and " lumped " from them to the beach. Though there were only a few score tons to be handled, which would be dealt with now in an hour or two, the process of discharg- ing cargo and revictualling for the voyage of 1,400 miles to Port Adelaide took no less than three weary weeks. 46 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. During this period Mr. Angas went up the Swan River to Perth in order to pay a visit to Major Irwin, the chief military officer of the settlement, and had some novel experiences. \Yith three companions he started in a boating expedition up the river as far as Guildford. Rowing against the stream was slow work, and probably the oarsmen were un- accustomed to the exercise. Their progress was tedious, and when night fell the only place available for shelter which they could discover was a settler's two-roomed hut. In reply to their application for lodging, the farmer informed the party that the only accommodation he could provide for them was in the cowshed. This was better than the open air, and after supper the young fellows betook themselves to their improvised bedroom. Blankets they had none, but, stretching themselves out side by side in the straw heap, their host bedded them down as comfortably as he could, remarking that there would be a good fire in the house, and if they felt cold in the night they could warm themselves, there. It was cold, so cold that Mr. Angas w r oke up chilled and surprised to find vacancies right and left of him where the bodies of his companions had been. He found that they had, rather meanly as he thought, sneaked away to the greater comfort of the fire. The next night was worse, for the only stopping place that could be found was a sawyer's shanty, and the only sleeping place its floor. Permission was given to occupy it, together with the stipulation that, the guests. should stand some " grog." The means having been provided, the grog was obtained, but its effect on the hosts was to make them not only ROUGHING IT. 47 boisterous, but uproarious, before the night was over. The journey was Mr. Angas's first experiment in roughing it, and, though he afterwards did a great deal more of the same kind of thing under more trying physical conditions, he always declared that the night in the sawyer's shanty was one of the most miserable and horrible he ever remembered. In due course the Madras resumed her voyage. The remaining 1,400 miles of the journey were safely negotiated without any remarkable incident occurring, and the party landed in South Australia at the time of the year when everything appears at its best. The condition of affairs in the colony at the time of Mr. Angas's arrival was peculiar. A time of storm and stress had been lived through, but its effects were still perceptible. Brighter times were dawning, but no one seemed to realise that such was the case. Captain Grey was resolutely pursuing the course which was to lead the community out of the thorny thicket of its difficulties, but its benefits had hardly begun to be perceived. The troubles that came in connection with the regime of his pre- decessor were still acutely felt, and confidence in the ultimate success of the province had not been fully restored. The artificial prosperity induced by Governor Gawler's lavish expenditure, the ruin wrought by the dishonouring of his bills, the drastic remedy of administrative economy introduced by Governor Grey, and the dishonouring of his bills for 14,000 by the Home Government, were recent events. 48 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. The partisan spirit developed by them, and the animosities engendered as the result of sharp con- troversy, had not died away. Quarrelling, indeed, had become a normal condition of public life, and infused a flavour of exceeding bitterness into criti- cisms of prominent men and colonial affairs. The temper of the times can easily be accounted for. In the system of Government authority was divided, producing inevitable friction. Abrupt changes of policy weakened respect for the adminis- tration, and manifest blunders provoked irritation and complaint. Misfortunes attributable to this source were not likely to be borne with equanimity or accepted without censure upon their authors. How widespread and real they were may be gathered from the fact that while George Fife Angas in Eng- land was driven to the verge of insolvency through the land speculations of Mr. Flaxman, in Adelaide the conditions were still worse. At the close of 1842 it was recorded that property was selling for less than the title deeds had cost two years before, homes were being let to respectable tenants rent free, and half the tenements in Adelaide were empty. communication with the outside world being casual and slow, the colonials were free to concen- trate attention on their own concerns. The result was a constant sputtering of angry newspaper cor- respondence, and the press itself developed a spirit of pugnacity that has rarely been equalled before or since. Monster public meetings were held at which speeches of an inflammatory character were delivered, and the denunciations of the Governor were " frequent and free." The current feeling ROUGHING IT. and mode of thought spread through the churches as well as the State, and in the discussion of grants of public money in aid of religion, was exhibited in its most virulent form. Meanwhile the sunshine of progress was struggling to find its way between the overhanging clouds which it ultimately succeeded in dispersing. The year in which Mr. Angas commenced active work in South Australia was memorable in the history of the province because it marked a definite turning of the tide. The " Act for the Better Government of the Province of South Australia," passed by the British Parliament during the previous year, came into operation, and it abolished the vicious system of dual control. Under its provisions a new " Council " assembled, half of which consisted of non-official members, and thus for the first time there was some slight representation of the public outside the Executive in the management of affairs. At the same time Captain Grey's policy of driving out the people from the city to settle upon and cultivate the land was beginning to bear fruit. The producing interests were at length in a generally flourishing condition. Cultivators of the soil had plucked up spirit enough and found sufficient leisure to hold their first ploughing match, the location of which was at Thebarton on Section No. 1, and its date September 1, 1843. The farmers were glad- dened by a bountiful harvest, and their embarrass- ment for want of means to gather it in was relieved by the invention of the Ridley reaping machine, which, with many improvements, subsequently proved such an invaluable boon. ">' JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. There was a new sense of elasticity everywhere, and the spring showed itself in the multiplication of inventions and the development of manufactures. Stock had increased so rapidly that in the absence of a local market surplus sheep and cattle were boiled down for their fat and the making of soap and candles on a large scale was the result. What proved to be the means of supplying the most powerful and permanent impetus, however, was the discovery that the country was rich in mineral wealth. The fact had been proclaimed by " Professor " Menge, a distinguished scientific ex- pert who was one of the early arrivals in 1836, but it was reserved for Messrs. Button & Bagot to supply practical evidence that he was right. The opening of the Kapunda mine and the dispatch of copper ore in considerable quantities attracted population, revived trade and commerce, and installed mining as one of the great permanent industries of the pro- vince, which is a position it has never ceased to hold. Altogether the outlook for the country was growing brighter, and, though many fluctuations have since taken place, there has never been a return to the low level of the previous years. Thus the situation as it presented itself to John Howard Angas when he landed in South Australia was considerably more promising than it had been when his thoughts were first directed to the southern land. At the same time the task before him was difficult enough. His father's affairs were com- plicated, and the problem was how to turn the ex- tensive possessions which consisted mainly of abso- lutely virgin and unpeopled territory to profitable ROUGHING IT. 51 account a sufficiently heavy contract for a youth who had not completed his twentieth year. Mr. G. F. Angas's general manager and representa- tive was Mr. Anthony Forster, who subsequently acquired a high position and great influence, and he cordially welcomed the newcomer. The cor- respondence shows that there was entire confidence on both sides, and that entirely friendly relations were established from the outset. In one of his earliest letters home, John Howard Angas summed up the position as he found it, in his own laconic way, " I like the country, have plenty to do, and enjoy excellent health." Mr. Angas plunged with characteristic energy into the duties that lay before him. Within a few days of his arrival in Adelaide he found his way to the locality that was then technically known as " The Surveys " and commenced the active life that con- tinued with only brief intermissions for more than sixty years. What is now known as the town of Angaston was then called " German Pass," and was represented by one house and two cottages, all of which disappeared long ago. One of these domiciles was occupied by Mr. Jury, who had been sent out to inspect and report upon the mineral discoveries in the neighborhood, and there Mr. Angas found temporary accommodation. He had been strongly inspired by his father with a spirit of caution regarding mining ventures, and it is probable that Jury met with but little encourage- ment from him. Portions of the Barossa property are undoubtedly highly mineralised, and there are at this day certain localities that afford every 52 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. prospect of well repaying development, but Jury's opportunities were cut short by a terrible accident. He was engaged in the Montacute Mine one of the early discoveries when some of the directors decided on a visit of inspection. Stepping in front of the Chairman, who was about to descend the shaft, he said : " Let me go first, please." He got part way down the ladder when a rung gave way, and he fell to the bottom. Death was instantaneous, and there is no doubt that but for his volunteering to take the leading and most dangerous place, the director who was following would have experienced the same fate. About four miles east of Angaston, in a pleasant valley heavily timbered with giant eucalypti through which flows the River Gawler, the head station of Tarrawatta had been established. Mr. Angas very soon made it his headquarters, though the nature of the work he had to do prevented his having much, of a settled home for many years. The first time he visited the place he camped for the night with a shepherd whose only domicile was a portable box. for sleeping in, measuring about six feet by three. There was not too much room in it for one man, but when it had to do double duty, the circumstances, were decidedly straitened, and three score years afterwards Mr. Angas remembered how he welcomed the daylight when it came. The station buildings of Tarrawatta now resemble a village, but in those days they were few and small.. The stone hut which Mr. Angas occupied was built in a massive and substantial manner. It is still standing, and, having been added to, is occupied. ROUGHING IT. 53 by the family of one of the station hands. The walls of the edifice were thick enough for a castle, and little more than seven feet high. The two rooms into which it was divided were about ten feet by twelve and ten by fourteen respectively. The inner and smaller was Mr. Angas's office and bed- room all in one, and he kept his more valuable stores in it also. The other was the kitchen and dining- room of the establishment where master and men had their meals together. After a time what is now known as the " Valley House " was built on the left bank of the river, which for years became Mr. Angas's principal abode until he had a home of his own. He had in those days an extremely busy and wandering life, having to look after his father's properties, which were scattered over a wide area, and for long periods he lived mostly in the saddle. Journeys to and from the city fifty miles dis- tant were almost constant, and the only available method of locomotion was horseback. The ride, though a fairly long one, came to be regarded as merely an incident in the day's work. Roads there were none to begin with, rivers and creeks were unbridged, and occasionally some rather trouble- soine experiences occurred to vary the monotony. On one of Mr. Angas's journeys, when reaching Gawler he found the South Para in flood, and those who have seen that river usually a shallow stream- let stealing between lofty banks rushing like a mill- race, and overflowing the park lands, can realise what an obstacle it interposed. An attempt at swimming it would have meant certain death, but a 54 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. kind of punt was constructed of pine poles and hides, and in this, at a point where the current was less rapid, Mr. Angas was towed across. Another time when he tried to swim his horse over a flooded creek, the force of the current carried the horse under water, separating him from his rider. They each managed to scramble out, but on opposite sides, and in after years Mr. Angas explained, with great amusement, that, being unable to empty his long riding boots in any other way, he adopted the expedient of standing on his head. Pages might be filled with the stories which Mr. Angas used to relate of his rough experiences, but it is noteworthy that he never referred to them with either regret or complaint. On the contrary, he declared that the days were never too long, the roads never too rough, and the fare never too coarse. He had magnificent health, a frame of whipcord and wire, and neither spared himself nor those who were about him. An impulse of duty furnished him with compelling motive power. Though he had no specified salary, he was working for his father, and to his filial reverence that was enough. Incessant occupation in looking after important and scattered interests left no time during the years of early manhood for anything else. It was no uncommon thing for Mr. Angas to put in a hard day's work at Tarrawatta and ride to Adelaide dur- ing the night. He had access to premises where his horse was stabled, and his habit was, after making the animal comfortable without disturbing anyone, to throw himself down on a " colonial sofa," thinking himself lucky if he could get an hour or two of sleep ROUGHING IT. 55 before the business of the day began. Once at least, when that was accomplished, as the shearing season had brought an extra pressure of work, he spent the following night in the saddle on the return journey, so as to be ready to take his place at the wool shed on the following morning. Details of such a life would be uninteresting, and as to its hardships, Mr. Angas would be the first to declare that they did not exist. Of perplexities and responsibility there was no lack. A territory large enough for a principality had to be managed. The land was offered for sale or lease on favourable terms, but the response to attractive offers came slowly, and both purchasers and tenants often gave quite unnecessary trouble. At the same time direct personal supervision of the station near Angaston was required, and would have been enough for an ordinary man by itself. Mr. Angas' s aim was to make the venture profitable so as to send remittances to his father, and relieve him of some of his liabilities. The earlier years of his residence in South Australia were also the darkest as regards the family fortunes. One reverse after another fell upon the head of the household until, in 1846, he had to sacrifice much of his property, re- linquish active interest in what remained of his business, and break up his home. His best hope for the future lay in the improving condition of South Australia, and the success of his son. One can imagine the fierce energy with which John Howard threw himself into the struggle that this hope might be realised, when receiving the kind of letters and appeals that came by every mail. 56 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. Tarrawatta was almost an ideal locality for pas- turing stock, and Mr. Angas tried his best to make use of its advantages. The shrewdness and enter- prise that characterised him throughout his life had fairly abundant scope, and he was ready to do any- thing that seemed likely to yield a legitimate profit. One of his successful speculations was taking over a thousand head of cattle from the S.A. Company's property at Gumeracha to depasture, payment to be made in kind. In a similar way flocks of sheep were obtained on the agistment system, the quid pro quo being one-half their increase and produce. Later on, when the opening of the Burra Copper Mine had developed a traffic which required an almost continuous procession of bullock drays laden with ore between Adelaide and the Port, a big busi- ness was done in rearing and breaking in bullocks to supply teamsters, and for this purpose a depot was established on the north road, near Gawler. Mr. Angas was ready to turn his hand to any kind of thing that would help his father, and found in his success a sufficient reward. Incidentally, of course, now and then the future pastoralist had to pay a high price for his lessons in bushcraft. On one occasion, having heard of a travelling mob of cattle up the Murray which he thought it might pay him to purchase, he set out in the direction of Lake Bonney to intercept and inspect it, having with him only a single companion. They obtained, as they thought, news of the cattle at Moorundi, and started thence with neither food, blankets, nor anything else required for camping out. It transpired that their information was ROUGHING IT. 57 erroneous, and somehow the cattle they were after proved elusive. The truth was that the drover, in fear of consequences for infringing certain travelling stock regulations, was seeking to avoid observation, which in that wild country was not so difficult as might appear. Pertinaciously but imprudently pushing on, nightfall found the travellers in a desolate wilderness. They lighted a fire, and lay down on either side of it, chilled and hungry, to wait for morning. In the middle of the night Mr. Angas was awoke by a smell of burning, and found that the saddle cloth with which he had covered his feet was on fire. During the early morning they came across some sheep tracks, which, being followed up, led them to where a travelling shepherd was camped, who gave them a welcome cup of tea, bit of mutton, and a half-baked stodgy substance that had to pass for damper. Mr. Angas, however, found and bought the herd of cattle of which he was in quest. A- the years went by the fruit of self-denying toil and devotion became increasingly apparent. The position of the Angas estate in South Australia was greatly improved, and, as its owner had lessened his interests in the old land, his thoughts were in- creasingly turned to the new. His eldest son, George French, had followed John Howard after an interval of only a few months, his object being a sketching tour. Having filled his portfolios with materials for the illustrated works on Australia and NVw Zealand which have become famous, in 1845 he opened the first Art Exhibition ever held in the colony, and it attracted great attention. Mrs. Evans, with her husband, was comfortably settled 58 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. at Evandale, near Angaston, and another daughter Mrs. James Johnson, who afterwards became Mrs. Hannay in the township itself. Four of the six children were, therefore, at the same time under the Southern Cross, and only one the youngest was left at home. The period was one for South Australia of rela- tively rapid expansion. All the producing industries were highly prosperous, financial difficulties were left in the background, and the export trade was advancing by leaps and bounds. During the five years from 1846 to 1851 the external commerce of the province increased more than twofold, and in the latter year the leading lines were Minerals, 310,916 ; Wool, 148,036 ; breadstuffs, 73,359. The Burra Burra Mine alone, which was started with a capital of 20,000, in the first six years of its history yielded a net profit of more than half a million to its fortunate shareholders. Population was attracted by means of assistance to emigrants, 100,000 being appropriated for this purpose in 1847, the under- standing being that a shipload should be received every month. Even without this aid the number of colonists was increased, as many as 1,131 persons being landed during one week in 1848, of whom 600 paid full passage money. With the larger numbers a strong desire had grown up for political reform which expressed itself in the usual methods of public demonstration. The statutory limit of 50,000 having been reached, the demand could not be resisted, and the latest service rendered by Mr. G. F. Angas to South Australia in England was in connection with the New Con- ROUGHING IT. oft stitution Bill. This measure passed the House of Lords in July, 1850, and when it had become law Mr. Angas felt that he was free to follow what he regarded as the leadings of Providence as well as of his personal inclinations. Three months afterwards, with Mrs. Angas and their son William, he set sail in the Ascendant. Together with the principal founder of the colony, the vessel carried the official copy of its New Constitution Act, which Mr. Angas had desired to have the honour of conveying in person. For some stupid reason his request was not granted, and as a ludicrous commentary on the futility of red tape as an official talisman, after being reported missing for some time, the important document was discovered at the bottom of the steward's soiled linen bag. To John Howard Angas the arrival of his father and mother was an event of singular interest and importance. In a certain sense it meant to him the opportunity of rendering a personal account of his stewardship and at least a partial relinquishment of his authority. For upwards of seven years he had toiled day and night to fulfil the duties that had been imposed upon him, and he was now to learn how the performance of his task presented itself to other eyes. Though in the time he had grown from youth to manhood he had lost none of the filial deference that dominated his early life. Perhaps his highest ambition was to win his father's approval, and the greatest reward he dreamt of was the com- mendation " well done." While this was the case, he was also anxious to do all possible honour to his father, and with that 60 JOHK HOWARD ANGAS. feeling in his mind he had arranged a kind of royal welcome for him. Angaston had grown to be quite a village, and was always beautiful by reason of its encircling hills and umbrageous giant gum trees. Lindsay House, though erected for another purpose, served for a spacious and convenient home as the words were understood in those days, and its situa- tion was well nigh perfect. The son had an affec- tionate pride in preparing a suitable reception for his father. He provided a carriage and four, with a change of horses on the road, and thus in something like feudal state the owner of the extensive posses- sions that stretched for miles on either hand, entered on his new domain. John Howard Angas did not mind " roughing it " himself when necessary, but for his father he wanted to have everything agreeable and smooth. V. COLLINGROVE. -Changed Duties Increasing Demands A Wave of Prosperity Opening op the Country Departure for England Marriage Founding a Home Collingrove Early Experiences Pressure of Business Death of Mrs. G. F. Angas Another Visit to England Death of Mr. G. F. Angas Preparing his Biography and History of South Australia The Angas Mausoleum Filial Piety Entertaining Royalty. The arrival of Mr. George Fife Angas in South Australia possibly diminished the anxieties of his son, but did not materially lessen the demand on his energies. The general management of the great estate necessarily passed more directly into the hands of its proprietor now that he was on the spot, but there were numberless details with which he was unfamiliar and could not be burdened. It became almost a matter of course, moreover, that the founder of the colony should be called upon to take part in its political affairs, and accordingly he was chosen without opposition as one of the members of the first Legislative Council under the new Con- stitution. Parliamentary and public duties from that point claimed a considerable part of Mr. George Fife Angas's time and attention, making residence in Adelaide instead of Angaston necessary for a part of each year, thus leaving the task of personal super- vision principally to his son. In addition to that, a newly arrived colonist who was over sixty years of age, could not easily or speedily take up a variety of new departments of work for which special know- ledge and aptitude were required. John Howard had grown into these, as it were, and had the mastery 62 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. of them at his fingers' ends. With unabated zeal therefore, and constantly improving judgment as the result of widening experience, he continued to serve his father, who recognised and appreciated his executive ability. The circumstances of the time, moreover, were such as to impose an exceptionally severe strain on anyone who was in the peculiar position occupied at the time by John Howard Angas. Within a few months of his father's arrival in Australia the series of gold discoveries which produced such extraordi- nary effects, began in New South \Yales and Victoria, and changed the history of the continent. It was during the same year that the exodus of population from South Australia to the goldfields began, which reached its culmination in 1852. The immediate effect of this movement, due to the attractions of gold- digging, was the temporary depopulation of some districts so far as heads of households and breadwinners were concerned. Contracts were broken, mines suspended operation, household plen- ishings and irremovable articles were almost given away, and trade very nearly came to a standstill. When the reaction set in it was almost as severely dislocating, though in another way. A condition that would have terminated in general disaster was modified by the adoption of the Bullion Act, making the issue of stamped ingots of gold a legal tender, and the establishment of the gold escort which facilitated remittances of the precious metal. Mainly as the result of these measures a fertilising stream of the wealth that was won in the neighboring colony began to flow into South Australia. During 1853- COLLINGROVE. 63 gold exceeding in value two millions sterling was re- ceived, lucky diggers who had returned with their spoils were free in their spending, and a new era of prosperity seemed to have been entered upon. Besides this, South Australia, being a producing country, felt in all its interests the stimulus of the rapid growth of population in the southern world. Shipload after shipload of immigrants arriving in Hobson's Bay intent on exploiting the sources of auriferous wealth created an almost unlimited market close at hand for the commodities which graziers and farmers were able to supply. Accord- ingly every industry became increasingly profitable to an extent that may be gathered from the single fact that in 1854 the average price of articles neces- sary for human comfort and consumption had in- creased 150 per cent. Coincidentally with the impulse thus supplied to activity along various lines, a new outlook was opened affording prospects of intense and almost dazzling encouragement. Australia's one great river had remained not only unused, but for the greater part unexplored since Captain Sturt fol- lowed its course from the interior of New South Wales to the ocean in 1830, until Captain Cadell floated down from Swan Hill to Goolwa in 1852, a distance of 1 ,300 miles. The result, of this ex- ploit was the formation of a company, the construc- tion of a steamer named the Lady Augusta, and its dispatch up the river in the following year. The lower Murray being in South Australia, and access rendered available to 2,000 miles of waterway stretching into the interior, sanguine hopes were 64 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. entertained that the possession of a southern Mis- sissippi would have as its consequence the establish- ment of an antipodean New Orleans. At the same time exploratory work was con- tinually proceeding towards the north, and, although the discouragement produced by the reports of Sturt's and Eyre's famous journeys had not died away, better prospects were obtained from other directions. Prior to 1850 there was extremely little country occupied north of the Burra, but it soon became evident that an immense region was available for pastoralists, and was almost ideal in its suitability. Far-sighted men naturally turned their eyes and thoughts in that direction, as affording assured prospects of abundant reward for enter- prise. Putting all these things together, it will be seen that the years still spoken of as the early fifties were radiant with promise. What were then regarded as certainties have not in all cases fulfilled expectations, but they appealed strongly to the imagination, and were calculated to develop energy to its utmost limit. Substantial rewards were actually received, a great advance accomplished, and the affairs of the colony placed on a sounder footing. As one result of it the fortunes of the Angas family were finally and permanently secured. This period of strenuous and sustained exertion, of dealing with unforeseen emergencies, and making the most of unexpected opportunities, following as it did on the arduous duties of the previous seven years, nearly broke John Howard Angas down. His inflexible will and iron constitution saved him COLLINGROVE. 65 from collapse, but it was remarked that he looked haggard and old, and was never seen to smile. It became clear that a thorough change and prolonged relief were imperative, and accordingly arrangements were made for him to visit England to obtain re- creation and rest. The day that Mr. Angas started on his voyage he drove from Angaston to the city of Adelaide with his father a journey of fifty miles to begin with. A land sale had been advertised, and there were cer- tain properties it was considered desirable to pur- chase. His father waited for him while he attended the sale in Adelaide, at which he secured the land that was wanted, and then they drove on to the Port, where John Howard embarked, and they said farewell. He afterwards remarked on this as a " decent day's work," and the incident illustrates the relations between the father and the son, the confidence which the latter enjoyed, and the service he was accustomed to render. It has often been remarked as among the curious coincidents of which life is full that Mr. Angas left England in a vessel named the Madras, and returned in a P. and O. steamer also named the Madras. He left on a Good Friday, April 15, 1843, and arrived in London on April 15, 1854 eleven years after- wards to a day, and that day was Good Friday, too. There were two main purposes in Mr. Angas's visit to England. The first was the recovery of his health and strength, and the other the settlement of some of his father's affairs, principally in London and the North of England. A final withdrawal from some of the numerous concerns in which Mr. 66 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. G. F. Angas was interested at the time when he left for South Australia could not be effected then, and in winding up these loose ends John Howard found a good deal to occupy his time. He managed, however, to introduce a third subject into his pro- gramme which was much more important than both the others put together. Among the relatives whom Mr. Angas visited in England was his sister, Emma, who had married Mr. William Johnson, a Manchester manufacturer, and included in her circle of acquaintance was the family of Mr. Collins, a millowner of Bowden, in Cheshire. In this family there were several sons, but only one daughter, a young lady just verging on womanhood, with whom Mr. Angas fell in love after the orthodox fashion. The parents were naturally reluctant to part from their only daughter to cross the ocean and find a home in a distant and un- known land. For the young lady it was no small sacrifice to leave the household where she was all but idolised, being the focus of parental and brotherly affection, with its comfort and refinement, for a dwelling among strangers in a partly reclaimed wilderness. Nevertheless, the story, which is as old as Eden and yet always new, and which in its infinite variations contributes so largely to the sum total of human happiness, was retold. The court- ship was brief, but what came after it was a beautiful and useful married life extending over nearly fifty years. Mr. Angas owed much to his sound judg- ment, but never more than when it guided his affections and enabled him to secure a helpmeet so worthy to stand by his side, whose winning charm COLLINGROVE. 67 suffered no abatement by the passing of the years. The outward voyage of the young couple was in- tensely disagreeable. It was accomplished in the Fop Smit, a Dutch cattle boat, and there was only one other passenger aboard. Mrs. Angas was ill nearly all the time, and when the barque had wal- lowed her way to Port Adelaide, was taken ashore almost as much dead as alive. She never forgot the kindness of the friends who welcomed her on landing, and by their care and attention endea- voured to make her forget the discomforts through which she had passed, and of which it is scarcely possible to form an adequate idea now. Unforeseen difficulties cropped up in the way of founding a home, and the earlier domestic experi ences of Mr. and Mrs. Angas were not altogether pleasant. The relation of John Howard to his father's business concerns had been interrupted long enough to interfere with its resumption. The dwelling which they had anticipated would be their place of abode was otherwise occupied, and the simple question of domicile proved to be a trouble- some problem. It was temporarily solved by the kindness of Mr. and Mrs. Evans, who set apart three rooms in their house at Evandale for Mr. and Mrs. Angas until thcv could build for themselves. The financial relations between John Howard and George Fife Angas as employee and employer had never been on a strictly business basis. The son served the father for love, and not for gain, and the father accepted such service as legitimately due. At the same time it was his desire to be just, and, accordingly, wtien his son needed it, to effect a per- 68 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. manent settlement in a place he could call his own r he handed him five hundred pounds towards building a house. Years before, when John Howard Angas was minding a flock of sheep near the Tarrawatta Sta- tion, seated on a fallen tree his eye roved over the surrounding hills and noted their pleasing contour. To the north a lateral valley opened a charming vista beyond which a range of hills was discernible through the abundant foliage of forest monarchs. Eastward a particularly fine specimen of the grand eucalypti reared its giant trunk a hundred and fifty feet in the air. Everywhere the soft sylvan park- like beauty delighted the observer's fancy, and he thought what a lovely situation this would be for a cottage. It was on that very spot that he after- wards built his first residence, which continued to be his home for so many years, and where he ultimately died. Into the pleasant title it bears he wove her maiden name as a tribute to his wife. Little, if any part of the original cottage, now remains. The premises were altered and added to again and again until they grew into one of the pleasantest, if not the most pretentious, houses to be found anywhere. Collingrove is not a stately man- sion, being one-storied, long, and low. Its many verandahs are garlanded witn creepers, in front sparkles a fountain fed from a reservoir in the hills not far away, and all round are flower beds gay with blossoms at all seasons of the year. The wide hall and spacious rooms abound with evidences of taste, and convey invitations to rest. The prevailing impressions on the mind of a visitor are those of Angas Family Vault. COLLINGROVE. 69 homelikeness and comfort which seem to be in the very atmosphere. Externally the principal features of the landscape are unaltered, though theie are many changes in detail. The giant gum tree still presides in lofty grandeur over the scene, and the profile of the ever- lasting hills remains the same. Near the house much of the heavy timber has been cleared away and re- placed by ornamental shrubbery, fruit trees, and pines. A large shadenouse is well stocked with ferns and palms, and' the fertility of the extensive kitchen gardens is secured by a never-failing water supply. No telegraph wire spoils the view by drawing a straight line among Nature's curves and irregularities, though a telephone connects the house with the station, a short mile away. Between the two, overlooking the valley of the Gawler, stands the ivy-clothed chapel built by Mr. Angas at his own expense. Less than two miles away by a road through the estate, Lindsay House may be reached,, and Angaston, where is the nearest post and tele- graph station, is twice that distance away. Down the vale in front of the house runs the North Rhine road, but it is so far distant that the rattle of an occasional passing vehicle does not disturb the mind, and there is no other sound, save the songs of the birds, to break the stillness. The very outlook is tranquillising, and the situation is ideal for any one who sets high value on quiet and peace. This description, of course, does not apply to the conditions that were present in the fifties and many years afterwards. Collingrove was then a cottage on a sheep and cattle run, standing back from the 70 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. road, and a considerable distance from the head station. Its immediate surroundings were primi- tive in their character, not to say wild. Its mistress naturally felt lonely, and sometimes depressed. Mr. Angas' s work not only took and kept him away from home generally from morning to night, but often for several days together. Settlement was scanty, there was during the summer months constant ap- prehension of bush fires the chronic Australian dread and occasionally trouble was experienced from tramps and aborigines. Mrs. Angas, though entirely unaccustomed to the kind of duties devolving on a lady in her position, bravely met all the demands upon her, and gradually the home became more home-like. She was stimulated by a consciousness that some of her husband's relatives scarcely thought she would prove equal to the exigencies of colonial life in a bush residence, and she resolved to show them that she was " A creature not too bright and good For human nature's daily food." Ladies as well as gentlemen had to depend very largely on horses for means of locomotion. Mrs. Angas had considerable skill as an equestrienne. On a trustworthy horse, accompanied by a favorite dog, she familiarised herself with the beauties of the neighborhood. There was no lack of occupation for the mistress -of a home like Collingrove, and Mrs. Angas entered thoroughly into the duties of the position, but ultimately her health, which was never very robust, COLUNGROVE. 71 so completely gave way that a return to the old country became necessary. The stay of Mrs. Angas in England was extended over several years, during which period a son and a daughter were born. Mr. Angas found it necessary to visit Australia during the period, but he did so alone, and when he took his fourth outward voyage he was accompanied by his wife and their two infant children. By this time Mr. Angas had fairly embarked on the independent career which he prosecuted with so much success. The first he entered into on his own account had turned out well, and supplied him with means for undertaking further operations. Shortly after his marriage he had acquired what became the nucleus of his extensive enterprises in the North. From the very nature of the case the development was constant and comparatively rapid, making increasing demands on his time, and compelling activity both of body and mind It followed that until he was somewhat advanced in years Mr. Angas scarcely knew by experience the meaning of the term home life, as it is generally understood. Probably this was due partly to temperament and training, but the effect thereby produced was strengthened by the pressure of cir- cumstances. It has been shown in previous chapters that the early training of Mr. Angas was not favorable for the cultivation of the domestic affections. Much of his boyhood and youth being spent elsewhere than under the parental roof, he had never been on entirely easy and confidential terms with his father. Reverence was stronger 72 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. than personal attachment in his case, and what he had given he expected to receive in his turn. For ordinary household occupations and amusements he had little or no taste. Such a thing as a game of romps with his children would be utterly irrecon cilable with his habits and inclinations. Anything sedentary and quiet speedily became irksome, and such amusements as parlour games were altogether out of his line. At the same time the management of large estates long distances apart tended to encourage a certain kind of restlessness. There was always something and generally many things that required attention. Mr. Angas had the happy faculty of selecting competent persons to engage in his service, and of securing their devotion to his interests, but he fully believed in the importance of personal supervision. With the comprehensiveness which grasped and planned big things he combined the faculty of re- membering and arranging details. Accordingly he was forever travelling here and there, and the occa- sions were extremely rare when he spent more than a week or two at home or in any other one place Domesticity, as a personal characteristic, could hardly flourish under such conditions. As the years went by, moreover, claims that Mr, Angas felt to be sacred presented themselves, and could not be set aside. In 1867 his mother died, and thenceforward the advancing age of his father made him an increasing care. Mr. G. F. Angas had definitely retired from public life in the previous year, and after repeated solicitations John Howard felt obliged to enter into it. The father and son COLUNGROVE. 73 were closely associated in many religious, charitable, and philanthropic concerns, and on the latter de- volved more and more the duty of representing both. Hence there were frequently conflicting and con- . stantly pressing demands of different kinds which only a man of methodical habits and tireless energy could fulfil. It would be difficult to say which was the busiest and most active part of Mr. Angas's life, but assuredly this section of it was very full. The first break in the Collingrove family circle came in 1870, when Charles, the son and heir, was sent to England for purposes of education. Seven years later Mrs. Angas took her daughter with the same object in view, but the state of his father's health at the time made it undesirable for Mr. Angas to leave South Australia. The prospects seemed more favorable in the following year, and Mr. Angas joined his family in the old country early in 1879, but had not been long with them before he received the unexpected intelligence of his father's sudden illness and decease. The recall to South Australia which was thus conveyed was imperative, and brought with it addi- tional duties and responsibilities. On John Howard Angas, as one of the three local executors, devolved the task of winding up his father's affairs. The declared value of the real and personal property was 443,000 a sum which of itself testifies to the capable management of the son whom the father trusted to look after his South Australian interests when they threatened to crumble in mere ruin. To execute the provisions of a will dealing with so large an estate was no light undertaking. 74 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. Besides this, Mr. G. F. Angas left an unfulfilled desire and an incomplete project, both of which were taken in hand with the unquestioning filial loyalty that John Howard had always shown. The desire was to see a comprehensive history written and published of the origin, rise, and progress of South Australia. No one was more familiar with the sub- ject or had a larger store of materials connected with it than Mr. Angas, and it was natural for him to wish that they might be preserved in a permanent form. He had taken some steps towards the ac- complishment of this purpose, but was conscious that he had left it till too late. In his eighty-sixth year he wrote : 'I am too old now to think of writing a history, but I have written fifty-nine pri- vate journals, containing from one hundred to three hundred pages each (but none since my wife's death, January 14, 1867), with copies of correspondence in abundance." To examine, classify, and arrange these abundant materials so that the expressed or implied purpose might be carried out, was a formidable undertaking, but that did not matter. The first thing to be done was to prepare the matter for Mr. G. F. Angas' s biography, and the. Rev. H. Hussey, who had been private secretary to the deceased gentleman, was employed to do the work. In an autobiography published seven years afterwards, Mr. Hussey has recorded how he was occupied in this way for several months, and the part taken in the necessary labour by Mr. J. H. Angas. Few men had less liking for literary pursuits, but, nevertheless, he was accus- tomed to ride across from Collingrove to Lindsay COLLINGROVE. 76 House in the evening and spend hours in what must have been to him the mere drudgery of searching documents, diaries, &c. On one occasion Mr. Hussey says he read aloud to Mr. Angas for between three and four hours, which, he naively remarks, was about enough for both of them. Mr. Hodder, who was selected to write the biography, has acknowledged his indebtedness to the compilation, which was prepared with so much industry and skill. Two years after the life of Mr. G. F. Angas was published, the " History of South Australia " ap- peared in two volumes by the same author. In the preface Mr. Hodder referred to it as the execution of a life-long wish by the founder of the colony, and expresses his " very hearty thanks to the Hon. J. H. Angas for his untiring assistance during the whole period covered in the preparation of this work." The pecuniary obligations under which Mr. Angas laid himself in order to do justice to the memory and work of his father were large, but his personal share in the matter showed even more fully the bind- ing force of the dominant sentiment in his life. His father's will was his law. Another illustration of the same ruling motive was the completion of the Angas mausoleum. The site was selected by Mr. G. F. Angas, and every visitor must commend his judgment and good taste. From a knoll rising gently out of a small secluded valley, scarcely ten minutes walk from Lindsay House, and between that house and Collingrove, there is an extensive view over a peaceful park-like landscape. There Mr. Angas constructed a spacious 76 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. vault to be the family burying place and made it, and the road leading to it, through the park, in- alienable to all generations. Within this structure Mrs. G. F. Angas was laid to rest, and her husband wrote, "It is one of the sweetest evening walks for me to wander up to the spot." There twelve years afterwards, according to his own wish, his mortal remains were placed by her side. At that time the massive masonry of the vault was simply roofed with galvanised iron, and it was one of John Howard Angas's self-imposed duties to make it altogether more worthy of its purpose. How well he succeeded all who have visited the spot are aware. The approach to it from the main road is now through an avenue of branching pines. The grounds are planted with ornamental trees and shrubs, bordering winding and gravelled paths. The exterior walls of the vault, which measure some thirty feet by thirty-five, rise about three feet above the surface of the ground, and are roofed with glazed tiles forming a broad platform or pediment which is guarded by a heavy ornamental iron railing. In the centre, supported by the intersection of the mas- sive arches which sustain the solid roof, rises a polished granite monument, surmounted by an impressive figure of the resurrection angel, in purest white Carrara marble, with outstretched hand, the tips of the fingers being about 30 ieet from the ground. The first glimpse of the perfect figure, the work of an Italian sculptor, seen through the foliage of the surrounding trees, with the sunlight upon it, is most striking. On one face of the monument are inscribed the names of Caleb Angas, the Newcastle o O COLLINGROVE. 77 shipowner, and his family. On another face are those of George Fife Angas, his wife, and their deceased children. In the tiling of the platform- roof are tablets for other inscriptions, some of which are already occupied, and the entire tomb, with its surroundings, is not only a monument to the Angas family, but to the filial piety which superintended the completion of its design. Mr. Angas implicitly obeyed what has been called the first commandment with promise which in his case was literally fulfilled, for his days were long in the land. In his household he ruled with authority, and never failed to command respect. Though for many years he lived an unsettled life, in whatever home he occupied, family worship became a settled institution. Reticent as to personal experience, he was nevertheless particular as to religious observance. He was diligent in inculcating the tiuths of the Bible in which he most firmly believed, and consistently strove to set an example before all that were about him of one who feared God and worked righteous- ness. Collingrove has received many distinguished guests in its time, including their Royal Highnesses Prince Albert Victor and Prince George, who spent the greater part of two happy days there during their visit to South Australia in 1881, and all who ever enjoyed its hospitality found it a well-ordered Eng- lish home. The courtesy and charm of its host and hostess left visitors nothing to desire, and, though Mr. Angas was a busy man of affairs at all times, he took care to prevent those who were under his roof from feeling that the time hung heavily on 78 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. their hands. Though never a great reader, he was well-informed as to the current events of the day, and his experiences in early colonial life lent ex- ceptional interest to his conversation when that subject was the theme. VI. PUBLIC LIFE. The Father's Position Interlaced Lives A Competent Successor Individuality Interest in Practical Subjects A Sense "of Justice Self- Exacting Surveying with a Broken Leg Treatment of Animals and Blacks Way of Bargaining A feeling of Trusteeship Personal Activity Methodical Habits -- Dotting an " i " Regard for Public Morality Concern for the Young A Remarkable Testimony - All - round Usefulness. While Mr. George Fife Angas lived his personality was overshadowing. There were several reasons for it. He wielded commanding influence as the real founder of the colony. His spirit was assertive, not to say dictatorial, and he believed that, having had wider experience than most of his contem- poraries, deference should be paid to his judgment. Especially was this the case with regard to his son, and in case of any difference of opinion between them he would have expected instant and uncondi- tional surrender. Having been intimately con- nected with the political history of the colony, it was not surprising that he should be more than willing to continue that relationship. He was a past master in devising schemes of a philanthropic character, retained his interests in movements of the kind, and was always ready to throw himself into new enterprises having the public benefit for their object. On the other hand, John Howard was always ready to concede more than his father asked for. He was perfectly willing to superintend business affairs in order that his father might have leisure for politics or philanthropy, and to make money that his father might have plenty to give away. 80 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. Any thought of rivalry would have been impossible to him, and the role which seemed more natural to him was that of self-effacement. The situation thus created was interesting, and it continued for many years. The father and son were comple- mentary to each other, and the accurate division between them of their joint influence would involve some rather intricate calculation. The one was prominent and the other retiring, when both were interested in the same project or movement. From 1851, when he was elected a member of the Legislative Council, to 1866, when he formally and finally retired from public life, George Fife Angas was actively engaged for or against every important proposal in Parliament or press affecting the public welfare, and all that time his son contentedly remained in the background. Yet his influence was real, though unobserved by the majority, and his interest was keen and active. Without having him to lean upon in his private affairs, and ready to be called upon in any emergency, his father could not have devoted the time and attention he was able to employ with so much general advantage, and the unostentatious but practical service thus willingly rendered demands clear recognition. Of necessity a gradual change took place as Mr. G. F. Angas began to feel the infirmities of advancing age which made themselves distinctly manifest a few years after the death of his wife. It was, perhaps, at first noticeable in the increasing fre- quency with which the son was called upon to act in public as his father's representative, a duty from which he never flinched, though he possibly shrank PUBLIC LIFE. 81 from it, and which he always ably fulfilled. Then followed direct appeals for him to take certain posi- tions on his own account, and when duty pointed the way, they were not made in vain. Thus it came about that what may be called the Angas traditions were well sustained, and the influence of the name was continued without marked interrup- tion. Because of the interlacing, so to speak, of the two lives so far as they touched public questions and institutions it would be difficult to name the exact date when the public life of Mr. John Howard Angas began. ^ In a sense it was definitely entered upon n he first became a member of Parliament in 1871, but this was by no means its actual com- mencement. Mr. Angas had then been a colonist for 28 years, was closely identified with the great producing interests of the community, and had wrought energetically on its behalf. Accordingly he had acquired an established position, possessed an intimate acquaintance with the country and its concerns, and brought a mature judgment to bear on subjects that had to be considered. As Mr. Angas, senior, retired more and more from public observation, Mr. Angas, junior, allowed himself to take the vacant place. There are not many in- stances on record in which one long and useful life has practically extended itself into another with so much completeness and so little visible evidence of transition. Hence the death of Mr. George Fife Angas, when it occurred in 1879, though it was sincerely mourned, was not felt by the public to be such a shock and 82 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. general loss as it might have been. A competent successor was at hand to fill the vacancy and carry on the work. When the position and influence of the founder of South Australia are considered, the wide range of his activities, and his close association with public affairs, it will be seen that Mr. John Howard Angas showed conspicuous ability, and rendered eminent service by taking up the broken threads and uniting them with so little perceptible change. The result was that he became President of useful institutions which his father had initiated, and maintained unbroken interest in them to the close of his life. Work that had been performed by one busy brain or pair of willing hands, instead of being allowed to drop, was performed by another. Nor was there anything merely formal or perfunctory about it, for the spirit that animated the proceeding was earnest and sincere. The heirship to public duties which fell to the lot of John Howard Angas was an inheritance of disinterested toil and heavy obligations. The manner in which its responsibili- ties were fulfilled must be rightly estimated in order to form a just appreciation of him as a public man. Yet this was only a part of the whole. Mr. Angas was not a mere copyist or imitator. He possessed a strong and decided individuality. With all his admiration for his father there were occasions on which their judgment differed, and he had the courage to act upon his own. This personal inde- pendence guided him in some of his business transac- tions, and prompted him to engage in movements which commended themselves as worthy, to the lasting benefit of all concerned. Details of some of IT BUG LIFE. 83 the most notable of these will be given in their proper place, but in the broad generalization which alone is attempted here, certain features stand out as specially worthy of permanent record. In the public life of John Howard Angas there was visibly a process of gradual development. The fact that early in life he was thrust into a position of great responsibility had a marked effect upon his character, and necessarily produced in him a spirit of strong self-reliance. Accordingly, when oppor- tunities came before him at a later period, he had the less hesitation in entering into them, and he had resources within himself that enabled him to do so with success. It was not only that his possessions grew year by year, but that his place in the com- munity involved a heavier tax on his mental and physical energies. He had a large fund of reserve power, which enabled him to meet all demands and to be ready for any emergency. The intensely practical side of his nature mani- fested itself in various ways. In the realm of politics he cared little for the partisanship which is so often its distinguishing feature, but gave almost undivided attention to matters of practical utility, great or small. As a pastoralist he believed that ^ he was not only promoting his own interests by improving the type of stock, but those of the country with which he was identified. In this pursuit he gained abundant honour in addition to increasing wealth, but he prided himself most of all on the good that he had done. A curious little incident is re- corded of the manner in which he showed how he felt that this was a matter of public interest. Pass- 84 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. ing through a section of the country with which he was not very familiar, on one of his journeys, he noticed that the cattle seemed weedy and poor, and he called at a farm to enquire the reason. He was told that none of the settlers could afford to pur- chase or keep pedigree animals, whereupon he at once offered to supply the lack without charge, and in due time fulfilled the promise to the benefit of the entire neighborhood. Public utility was the test he constantly applied to projects brought before him of whatever character, and it never failed to command his approval. The result of this mental habit was that Mr. An gas was rarely, if ever, carried away by mere sentiment. It might have been more agreeable for those who w r ere brought into close contact with him if there had been a little more tenderness in his composition, though it is a question whether there would have been any considerable gain in the long run. As the proprietor of large estates, and the employer of much labour, he was exposed to the charges of self- seeking and inconsideration which are common under such circumstances, but there is no doubt that if exacting he strove to be strictly just. \Yhen an application was made to him for an increase of salary or other remuneration, it was carefully considered. If refused, there were reasons that satisfied the judgment and conscience of Mr. Angas, though they were possibly unsatisfactory to the applicant. But evenhanded justice sometimes takes on the appear- ance of generosity, and a chance newspaper clipping from an unknown correspondent that came before the writer while this paragraph was being penned PUBLIC LIFE. 85 shows that this was the case with Mr. Angas. The paragraphist says : " The public scarcely under- stand Mr. J. H. Angas. He is a shrewd man of business, and can make a bargain. Yet he is gentle and generous. His annual gifts to charity hidden from the knowledge of his right hand amount to thousands of pounds. Yet he is the sort of man to call in a clerk and say in dolorous tones, ' We have had a bad season, and I am sorry for you.' Here the clerk might tremble as if he were about to be retrenched. ' Very sorry because I can only give you a bonus of 50.' And then he would calmly dismiss the servant from his presence as if he had cut his salary down /1 00 a year." The foregoing is not an unfair picture, though it probably describes an imaginary case. Mr. Angas expected faithful service, and was intolerant of any- thing else, but he was willing to pay a fair price for it, and when deserved, or even needed, to add some- thing more. If he required more than some others, it is only fair to say that he did so from himself. He drove himself harder than anyone else, and was his own most unspairing taskmaster. Shortly after he had acquired the Melrose property he was kicked by a horse one day at Collingrove, his leg was broken, and for sixteen weeks he was obliged to use crutches. Nevertheless, he felt that the work at Melrose could not wait, so he contrived to have the injured limb propped up, and in that condition drove across country to see about it. His English training as a land surveyor came to his help. He obtained a quiet horse, scrambled on to its back, crutches and all, carefully timed its pace, and in that condition 86 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. put the business through. The road surveyed un- der those difficult conditions is still shown on the map of the Willowie estate. The man who could do land surveying with a broken leg was not likely to patiently listen to complaints of a toothache or a cut finger. After all, it may be questioned whether Mr. Angas was as hard and unimpressionable as he was often regarded. The antecedent evidence is contrary to any unfavorable supposition, for there is no doubt about his great love for animals, and anyone of whom that can be said must have a sensitive heart. Shirking was one of the things he abominated. Wanton cruelty to dumb beasts aroused his hot indignation, but what he hated most of all was im- proper treatment of the blacks. An employee of his on any of his stations who was guilty of such conduct might safely reckon on instant dismissal. He simply could not stand, and would not allow, it. In his northern journeys and on different stations he fre- quently came into personal contact with the aborigines and invariably maintained the most friendly rela- tions with them. He always held that there was no difficulty in getting on well with these people, and used to quote an incident in the early days at Tarra- watta when blacks were much more numerous than now. He was so ill at one time as to be confined to his bed, and the news having travelled to the River Murray, a dusky chieftain named King Ten- bury, walked all the way to the station to make enquiries. Being invited into the bedroom, his majesty said : " Me very sorry our brother white man so bad," and Mr. Angas prized the fraternal title as a kind of native patent of nobility. PUBLIC LIFE. 87 Unquestionably the Caledonian strain in Mr. Angas's blood showed itself when he was driving a bargain, and there are not many who can boast of having over-reached him in a horse or cattle transac- tion, but only sheer prejudice would describe him as hard or inflexible on that account. There is no doubt that he could be very much the opposite of that when occasion required it, but he had a rooted dislike to his acts of good nature being talked about. One instance may serve as a suggestive illustration. He had sold some stud rams to a Northern settler at a fair price, and, casually meeting the purchaser in the train not long afterwards, enquired after their welfare. He was told that the survivors were all right, but most of them had perished through an accident. Mr. Angas made no comment, but shortly afterwards the farmer received a note to say that if he would send to a certain station on a given day he would find living substitutes for the dead animals and there they were at the time. There were business reasons for keeping the sequel to the original transaction private, for its publicity might have had embarrassing consequences. These references to various aspects of Mr. Angas's character as a public man have led us somewhat astray, though they are not irrelevant to the study of the principles that governed his life. Prominent among these was a deep sense of the responsibility of wealth. He had a distinct feeling of trusteeship, and held himself accountable for the right use of the large means which came into his hands. Ac- cordingly the impulse to give freely to various objects was strong and continuous, but it was guided 88 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. by discrimination. He felt it a duty to employ a part of his income in meeting the wants of humanity, and equally so to select the method by which it would produce the best results. Perhaps his choice was not always that which another would make, and scarcely any subject is more open to criticism than the bestowment of charity, except withholding it altogether. The points to be noted are that per- sonal solicitation was not allowed to have undue weight, and that the nature of the claims rather than the urgency of their advocates determined the issue. Mr. Angas made a great deal of money in his lifetime. He spent comparatively little on him- self and his personal gratification, he never thought of hoarding it for its own sake, he scrupulously avoided wasting it or frittering it away on what produced no solid advantage, but he distributed it freely according to the best of his judgment, and probably gave away more with his own hands than any other Australian has ever done. Nothing for mere display, but to the relief of suffering, the spread of education, the support of religious institutions, and the extension of gospel missions, he devoted all he felt he could afford, and his conscience would not permit him to do less. It was entirely characteristic of the man that he could not feel he had discharged his obligations by the mere signing of a cheque. Such influence and talents as he possessed were in his view equally a sacred trust with the possession of wealth. He had no ambition to pose as a prominent legislator or to hold an official position as a minister of the Crown. Both lines were open to him had he been so dis- PUBLIC LIFE. 89 posed, but they were uncongenial, and for them he did not recognise in himself special adaptation. Oratory was not his strong point, and he was seldom heard at public meetings, but his counsels were given in other ways. Yielding to pressure he served his district both in the Legislative Assembly and the Council for several years in each Chamber, leaving behind him a record of useful work and integrity without stain. As President of the British and Foreign Bible Society Auxiliary, the British and Foreign Seamen's Society, the Bushman's Club, Vice-President of the Children's Hospital, and offi- cially or otherwise a member of many other organiza- tions, including agricultural societies, he had more than enough opportunity for exercising widespread influence, and it is recorded that whatever he un- dertook to do he did thoroughly and with all his might. Yet another feature of Mr. Angas's public life is thus introduced. He brought to the business part of it certain habits and aptitudes that should not be overlooked. One of these was method and exacti- tude which pervaded everything small and great with which he had to do. The work of each day was systematised, and at its close the chief events were neatly recorded in a small pocket diary. At the end of each year these little books were tied up in a bundle and preserved for future reference. The present writer has gone through hundreds of them, and found them a wonderful record of a busy man's daily life. They are unlike the journals of his father in their condensed brevity and the 'absence of personal reflection of any kind. The impression 90 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. they convey is that Mr. Angas made no confidant with regard to his inner life, and that facts were the only things he considered it necessary to put down. From them, however, it would be possible to con- struct a meteorological table and a fairly complete statement of his personal expenses. Most of Mr. Angas's extensive correspondence was conducted, as was inevitable, by the agency of clerks and secretaries, and his letters were models of clearness and brevity. His instructions to agents and subordinates were precise and definite, and he expected them to be carried out to the letter. He took care to be kept posted up in the state of affairs, not only at each of the stations under his control in South Australia, but at the establishments of other kinds in which he was interested, such as the Cement Works at Brighton and the Meadowbank Carriage Factory near Sydney, in New South Wales. While he allowed his representatives sufficient latitude in details, he kept the supreme control in his own hands, but he never could have exercised it so successfully but for his disciplined and well ordered mind, with its comprehensive and tenacious grasp. The library at Collingrove was in its way a museum of industry. It contained more than a dozen desks, secretaires, cupboards, and receptacles of the kind, which latterly became crammed with documents, neatly sorted, docketed, and tied up in bundles for future reference. Some of these extended back to the days of Mr. Angas's boyhood, and have been found useful for the purposes of this biography, and in them and the office books may be found the com- plete story of his life elaborated into minutest detail, PUBLIC LIFE 91 for no letter or business paper was ever willingly destroyed. The history of every important transac- tion in which he had taken part, and information on any subject that turned up was, therefore, always on hand. Mr. Angas's handwriting was singularly firm and legible, even when he was upwards of eighty years of age, and if character can be discerned in penmanship, he might stand by its verdict. Assuredly he gave no countenance to errors through haste or to sloven- liness in expression. A draft of a letter to a mixed committee was once handed to him by the present writer for perusal. Somehow it contained only the masculine pronoun, observing which he handed it back for revision and alteration so that it might equally apply to the ladies as well as to the gentle- men for whom it was meant. His solicitor is responsible for the statement that, having dictated a legal form Mr. Angas read over what had been written, as his manner was, till he came to the last word, which was crowded in the line at the foot of the page. ' What is this word ?" Mr. Angas enquired. " Interim," replied the solicitor. ' Don't you think it would be a little clearer if you dotted the i and crossed the t ?" Mr. Angas quietly observed. He had done that all his life. Whatever pressure was upon him, he had dotted his i's and crossed his t's, and this exactitude was one of the keynotes of his character. If he made an appointment he kept it to the minute. If he undertook a duty he dis- charged it to the best of his ability. If he made a 92 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. conditional promise he insisted on the conditions being fulfilled, and he recognised no obligation of the kind that was not expressed in black and white. There would be less dissatisfaction and quarrelling in the world if the practice of making things clear and unequivocal were more general. Next to Mr. Angas's discriminating philanthropy, and the influence exercised by his conception of duty, may be placed his high regard for public morality. So far as lay in his power he sought to arrest the tendencies to evil which he observed, and felt with acute distress. Though largely interested in horse breeding, he would have nothing to do with horse racing because of its association with what he regarded as both a calamity and a vice. In public and in private, from his place in Parliament and elsewhere, he denounced the practice of gambling, and opposed facilities for its indulgence with all the energy he could command. The same stand was taken with regard to other demoralising agencies, and Mr. Angas exerted hinir self on the positive side by helping to provide re- medies, as well as on the negative side of deploring and condemning things of which he disapproved. A bushman himself, he took a leading part in seeking to remove temptations out of the way of that parti- cular class, and to promote its best interests. Familiar with the wastage of great cities, the rescue of waifs elicited his most generous assistance. In- heriting from his father an interest in seamen, he made their interests his special care. In these and many other ways he aided to carry the war into the PUBLIC LIFE. 08 enemy's country, supplying ammunition, < though he could not take a place in the firing line. Mr. Angas never said very much about religion as a panacea for the woes and ills of humanity, but he did a great deal towards securing its practical appli- cation. He believed in theBible as the best antidote to abounding ignorance and sin, and helped largely in the circulation of the Scriptures. Public worship and the sanctity of the Sabbath were closely allied in his mind, and by example rather than mere precept he showed his interest in both. The church he built, with its sweet voiced choir trained and led by Mrs. Angas personally, and the many other churches to the funds of which he contributed far more than was commonly supposed or known, are permanent memorials and tangible evidences of the strong convictions he held. In this connection also it is proper to refer yet again to the value set by Mr. Angas in the moral training of the young. He showed it far more ex- pressively by deeds than he could have done by words. He began work in this department while still a youth ; he turned to it immediately on his arrival in South Australia. Mrs. Angas joined him in it after their marriage, and he kept it up till his hair was bleached by more than fifty summers under an Australian sun. As a Sunday-school teacher Mr. Angas was thoroughly in earnest and undeniably efficient. Among other important qualifications for the post he had the faculty of taking a personal interest in the young folk who came under his influence, and he certainly did not labour in vain. The following 94 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. extract from a private letter to the present writer is illuminative in many directions, showing, among other things, Mr. Angas's moral earnestness, his catholicity of sentiment, and the generosity of his spirit. The letter was written by a former Sunday scholar, who belonged to a class which Mr. Angas taught, and is now one of the most respected and able Methodist ministers of New Zealand, having been editor of the denominational newspaper for several years, and afterwards President of the Con- ference. It is dated August 18, 1904. " I left ''home (near Angaston^ for New Zealand rather unexpectedly in May, 1867. Mr. Angas found out were I was living and wrote to me, send- ing me at the same time a paragraph Bible. The Bible was a novelty to me, and its few pages of historical and other information were the basis on which I began to build Scriptural knowledge. I had had no Bible with me, and there was no place of worship within ten miles. After a year or so the Methodists opened a preaching place and started a Bible class. I heard of it, and, wondering if any of them had so handsome a Bible as mine, I went, and was deeply impressed the very first day. I con- sider that Mr. Angas's Bible had a very important influence on my conversion. ' I wrote a letter to Mr. Angas telling him of the change that had come to me. He at once replied expressing great pleasure, encouraging me to write to him often, and saying ' that my letters did him good.' He evidently told his minister, and my former day-school teacher, the Rev. R. L. Coward, for both Mr. C. and his wife wrote me nice letters. PUBLIC LIFE. 95 ' Within a year or so I had begun to preach and to carry on one or two little services on my own ac- count. Mr. Angas was deeply interested in this, and gave me advice as to self-improvement. In the course of time he offered to send me to one of the Congregational colleges of Australia to study for the ministry. I referred the letter to my Super- intendent, the late Rev. J. F. Shaw, and answered that I wished to continue with the Wesleyans. Mr. Angas said in his reply that ' we want less of the sect and more of the Saviour.' He then corresponded with Mr. Shaw and the Rev. A. R. Fitchett (now Dean of Dunedin), then a recognised ' coach ' among us. I became a candidate (for the Methodist Ministry) in due course, spent part of my student course with Mr. Fitchett, and the rest at Newington College. " Correspondence after I became a candidate fell off. In later years, when I became Editor, Presi- dent, &c., he expressed his pleasure, but said he was an old man, and unable to write much." 1 The inscription in the Bible before me refers me to Ecclesiastes 12, 1-14, but in the text Mr. Angas marked verses 12, 13, 14." To those who only saw the business side of Mr. Angas's character and life, this letter may be a revelation of what he never obtruded. It is sur- prising that in the midst of his business concerns he could find time to follow, care for, guide, and help, a youth in distant New Zealand. The reference to " Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth," showed what he believed to be the best pos- sible advice. The marked passage, " Fear God and <)6 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man," may stand for the embodiment of his creed. In this record of Mr. Angas's public life there has been no attempt to follow chronological order. The period includes considerably more than thirty years, and the mere sequence of events is of less interest than the talents that were employed and the use that was made of them as opportunity arose. As an active member of one branch of the Legislature, from 1871 to 1876, and of the other for the seven years commencing in June, 1887, Mr. Angas held a prominent place in public regard. As a patron or member of many associations with objects both secular and sacred, his influence was felt along different lines. A successful colonist of great re- puted wealth, he was a target for critics and a tower of strength to whatever cause he espoused. Un- spoiled by prosperity, admired for the sterling quali- ties which commanded respect even from political opponents and business rivals, and honored for uprightness far more than for the possession of wealth, John Howard Angas deservedly gained high reputation as a public man. It is no flattery to say that a more useful citizen of South Australia cannot be named. PART II. THE PASTORALIST. I. THE INDUSTRY. Its Promoters Value of Products Pioneering Attractions to Enterprise Drawbacks Meeting Natural Conditions Improving Stock Public Benefits -Mr. Angas a Prominent Example His Courage Sense of Duty Personal Interests Sustaining Impulse, " Ich Dien" Two Testimonials Augmentation of Natural Wealth. The value to the general community in Australia of pastoralists as a class, can hardly be exaggerated. There is no other department of industry in which enterprise has been so bold and energetic, or equally fruitful in results. In the mere production of wealth it is without a parallel, notwithstanding the magni- tude of the mining and agricultural interests that have been developed. In a special sense the products of the grazier and stockowner promote commerce, and it is largely due to this circumstance that the foreign trade of Aus- tralia, in proportion to the population, has long been higher both in volume and value than that of any other part of the world. As a necessary con- sequence, other industries have been fostered, to the great and general advantage. To a considerable extent Australian history has been shaped by the courageous men who have taken a leading part in pastoral pursuits. In many in- stances they have done the work of pioneers, ex- ploring unknown territory, and turning it to pro- fitable use. From the very first they were in the van of settlement. They have organised scores of 98 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. expeditions that are not recorded anywhere, in order to discover the nature of unoccupied country and ascertain its capabilities. In some instances they have fitted out expensive parties without any aid from the Government as a patriotic duty, and in others that were State undertakings have rendered invaluable assistance. Except in the immediate neighbourhood of the cities, the pastoralist has always been the pioneer occupier of the land, and times without number the miner and farmer have profited immensely thereby. To name only two instances, it was a shepherd who found copper at Burra, and a boundary rider on the Mount Gipps run who discovered Broken Hill. The sheep and cattle kings on their part owe very much to the character of the country which invites and rewards their enterprise. The climate and herbage of the vast plains in Central Australia are almost ideal for stock-raising, except in seasons of drought. The natural grasses are highly nutritious, and where the saltbush, blue bush, and their con- geners abound, the feed is equivalent to a haystack on every square mile. Given a succession of good seasons, and by the rapid multiplication of flocks and herds, the average " squatter " can hardly help becoming a wealthy man. On the other hand, the struggle with Nature, when in an uncompromising mood, is often cruelly severe. A rainless cycle, involving the exhaustion of water supplies, and the absence of feed, brings wholesale devastation ; and the possibility of serious loss perhaps ruin has always to be considered. THE INDUSTRY. 99 Precautions against disaster of this kind, and efforts to mitigate their severity, have resulted in improvements being effected which are gradually changing the character of vast areas, and fitting them for permanent habitation. The recupera- tiveness of the soil is marvellous, so that within a few weeks after a prolonged drought has been broken up by a copious rainfall, what was previously a barren desert will be transformed into a verdant plain gemmed with flowers. Water is the great desideratum, and its conservation the most impor- tant of all undertakings. Taking Australia as a whole the average rainfall is sufficient for all purposes, but it is uncertain, and, owing to the topography, much of it is wasted. The great plains of the interior are singularly destitute of permanent rivers and fresh water lakes, and human ingenuity and industry are taxed to the utmost to supply the lack. The construction of reservoirs, well-sinking, and artesian bores have done much and are doing more, to cope with the most pressing need. The operations have had to be on an extensive scale, involving the employment of much capital and labour, but their effect is seen in the expanding region in which permanent and profitable occupation is assured. In the selection of the most suitable varieties of stock, and by effecting improvements in its average quality, the pastoralists have rendered benefits that are simply incalculable. To the much-quoted man in the street all sheep are pretty much alike until they appear on his table say in the form of mutton 100 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. chops and a cow or bullock is simply a " beast. " He is so much addicted to sport that he might be presumed to be horsey, but as a matter of fact he is not, for the animals on which he risks his money are commonly to him only counters in the game of which the excitement of gambling is the principal charm. Nevertheless, those who are in the busi- ness, who have to handle stock and station pro- ducts, know so much better as to be amazed at the ignorance that prevails. In no department of primary production does the output, both as to quantity and quality, depend more on trained skill, correct judgment, and assiduous care. Stock-breeding has become not only a fine art, but a real science, yielding much more solid profit than many pursuits that are called by the same name. The man who succeeds and at the same time shows others how to succeed is a benefactor to the com- munity. In his case it is particularly to be noticed that he cannot possibly prosper without providing the means for others to do likewise. The very conditions of his success ensure its being more or less extensively shared. It. has been said that the man who makes two blades of grass grow where only one grew before, confers a general benefit, and the same rule will apply to whoever produces sheep bearing a heavier fleece or finer wool, or cattle of superior market value considering the purposes for which they were designed. In all the particulars that have been referred to, Mr. Angas held a prominent position among the class of producers to which he belonged, and in some of them he was exceptionally conspicuous. In the THE INDUSTRY. 101 opening up of large portions of the country in which he lived for three score years, he took an active part. By his personal energy and his appreciation of the value of improvements in the waste lands, he did much towards the development of regions that he took in charge. Most of all in the cultivation of flocks and herds to a higher pitch of perfection he set a shining example which will not soon be eclipsed. Perhaps there was nothing else on which he prided himself so much, and his satisfaction with the re- sults of his efforts was not without justification, for in some respects the records prove that among the flockmasters of Australia, though not unrivalled, he was without a peer. It need not be pretended that in his long-con- tinued and diligent labors in this line Mr. Angas had no thought of gain, and was animated solely or even principally by altruistic sentiments. That would be sheer nonsense. He ran his business as most other men run theirs primarily to make it pay and he had an entirely proper appreciation of the state of his banking account. If he put more money into the purchase of a ram, a bull, or a stallion than anyone else had the courage to spend, it was because he believed that he would get his money's worth, with interest, and the result showed that he was generally right. It is the duty as well as the pleasure of most men to make money in the first instance, as well as to use it judiciously in the next, and Mr. Angas did both. He rejoiced, as he had a perfect right to do, in the sense of accumulation and possession, but it was prevented from becoming an absorbing passion by the counter acting duty of lt)2 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. employment and distribution, which no one can say he did not conscientiously discharge. The two things working together made his life a success, and the first part of the process gave him quite legiti- mately much of the greatest pleasure he enjoyed. It would be equally incorrect to intimate that he had no ambition to spur him on. On the contrary* he highly estimated the honor he won in the in- numerable competitions he entered into from first to last. In a measure the prizes gained by his exhibits had a strictly commercial value, as testify- ing to the superiority of the commodities he had for sale, and he would have been radically defective as a business man if he had not appreciated it. At the same time he had genuine delight in winning, and naturally did his best to secure it. There was no more reason why he should not enjoy such a gratification than there would have been had the contest turned upon athletics or wits ! For all that, it would be entirely unfair to Mr. Angas to ignore his strong and ever present sense of public duty. A consciousness of obligation was never absent from his mind. It was the keynote of his character. It dominated every department and influenced most actions of his life. It left per- sonal gratification, as a ruling principle, a long way in the background. Accordingly there were mixed motives throughout Mr. Angas' s career which, though different in character, were alike honorable and powerfully operative. He purchased high-class 'stock to make money and win renown, but also because it was one way of doing good. As a " cattleman " a THE INDUSTRY. 103 term he did not disdain to apply to himself he had much pride and infinite pleasure in his magnificent herds of Herefords and Shorthorns, but as a public man he saw in them potentialities of national as well as personal wealth. He had a keen eye to his own interests in building up the great estate he owned, but felt it incumbent on him to do his part in beautifying the face of the country. Possession in his mind entailed responsibility, and the utiliza- tion and improvement of the territory he occupied was not only good business but a sacred trust. The reason for this sustained impulse is not far to seek. The motto of the Prince of Wales Ich dien might have been adopted by John Howard Angas with singular propriety. It controlled his boyhood and youth. It determined his departure from Eng- land and moulded his character during the entire formative period of its development. So long as his father lived " I serve " was, in fact, the daily lan- guage of his life, and by that time he was over fifty- five years of age. Together with the business capacity which made him a great and successful pastoralist must be placed an earnest purpose to do his best, not for himself only, but also for the land in which he lived. Absolutely impartial and unimpeachable testi- monies in support of the claim that by his work as a pastoralist Mr. Angas was entitled to be regarded as a public benefactor might be extracted by the score from public documents, but the republication of two may suffice. The first is a " Report on Samples of Wool grown by J. H. Angas, of Collin- grove, near Adelaide," and forwarded to the Wool 104 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. Supply Committee of the Bradford Chamber of Commerce by Messrs. D. & W. Murray through Messrs. Mining & Sons, Bradford. It originally appeared in 1872 over the signature of Joseph Oddy, the Chairman of the Committee, and was as follows : " The specimens forwarded are all of deep stapled character, possessing considerable lustrous proper- ties, and well adapted to supply the wants of the worsted trade. Samples 1, 2, 3, and 4 are extremely valuable specimens of pure-bred Lincoln wool, and^ as such wools are now commanding high prices in this market, and are likely to do so for some time to come, the Committee can confidently recommend the production of such wools to any extent. Samples 5 and 6 are also useful wool, but not quite equal in value to samples 1,2,3, and 4 . They do not possess the same lustrous properties, and are shorter, in staple, having evidently been crossed with the Merino. " The Committee are very much gratified to re- ceive samples of such really superior lustre wools from Australia, as until within the last two or three years it has not been considered possible to produce wools of this character in any of the Australian colonies ; and they would express the hope that the growers may be able to increase the quantity of wool sent to this country similar to the samples above referred to year by year, believing that the trade of this district will be able to consume what the colo- nies can produce for some time to come, and also that these will prove most remunerative to the grower. " JOSEPH ODDY, "Chairman of the Wool Supply Committee of the Bradford Chamber of Commerce." THE INDUSTRY. 105 It is unnecessary to comment at length on the value of the impetus and direction given to wool growing by such a report as this. Its direct and immediate effect on a great industry to render it more profitable is self-evident. The other extract is taken from an account of Mr. Angas's exhibit in the Jubilee International Exhibi- tion of 1887. Among them were ten fleeces of pure Merino wool from Hill River, described as " excellent alike for quality, length, and weight." Other features of the exhibit are referred to, and the writer proceeds to describe ten pure Lincoln fleeces which secured for Mr. Angas the prize at the last wool show. He says : ' These fleeces are remarkable for their length, splendid lustre, and heavy weights, ranging up to 20 J lb., and were all shorn from sheep one year old. The sheep are the descendants of the many importations of high-class stud Lincolns from the old country made by the exhibitor and the result of long years of careful breeding and atten- tion." When it is remembered that before sheep- breeding was entered upon with a view to the pro- duction of finer wool and more of it, the wool on a sheep's back at shearing time commonly weighed only 3 lb., and was poor at that, the reference to twenty pound fleeces is seen in its true significance. Along this line the skill and patience of the pastoralist has done wonders in augmenting the national wealth, and in that work Mr. Angas assuredly did his share. II. THE INDIVIDUAL. A Natural Disposition- Opportunities for its Development Connection with Transactions of the S.A. Company The "Comet" Strain and Pedigree The Beginning of a Career First Partnership Judicious Selection of Stock Enlargement of Operations The Faculty of Control Personal Supervision Physical Energy Organising Ability A Good Employer. The phenomenal success which Mr. Angas obtained as a pastoralist may be attributed in part at least to his natural disposition. He loved animals, he understood them and liked to have them about him. In childhood and at school he was fond of having domestic pets. A reflection of his interest in them is to be seen in the old and carefully written letters which he received during his absence from home, in which references to their welfare are of remarkably frequent occurrence. The. characteristic mani- fested in that form continued through life. It was shown even in his last illness when his prize collie, ' Noble " was a regular and welcome morning visitor to his bedside. There was ample opportunity for the development and indulgence for such an inclination in the earlier colonial experiences of Mr. Angas and the particular duties laid upon him. The South Australian Com- pany, of which Mr. G. F. Angas was the Chairman, did not give special attention to stock raising on its own account, being concerned rather with the disposal of its properties, and the settlement of people on the land, but in order to assist the colonists to improve their flocks and herds, it imported prize cattle and sheep of superior kind, and, consequently, THE INDIVIDUAL. 107 greater costliness, than they could generally afford, and the advantages of this policy were immediately manifest. Through his father, Mr. Angas was closely con- nected with transactions of this description before he left England, and he came into direct contact with them almost immediately upon his arrival in South Australia. An interesting account is given by Mr. Sutherland in his book entitled " The South Australian Company : A Study in Colonization," of the difficulties the Company had to confront and the success it achieved. The suitability of the Spanish Merino breed of sheep to the Australian climate had already been proved in New South Wales, and a flourishing industry built up as the result of Mac- arthur's enterprise. It came to the knowledge of the Company that a carefully selected lot had been obtained in Saxony by a Tasmanian wool grower, and it was purchased at an advance in price, but the voyage from Europe was so long and hazardous that the bulk of the flocks had to be imported from Tas- mania. Unfortunately, the first large shipment met with such adverse conditions that over 2,000 sheep died, and had to be thrown overboard during the voyage, so that altogether a loss of 3,000 was sustained on the venture. From that time the plan was adopted of importing smaller lots in vessels carrying a general cargo. Perseverance, however, met with its reward, and there never was in South Australia the trouble ex- perienced in other countries through the necessity and difficulty of displacing comparatively worthless stock. Mr. Sutherland says : " In sheep the Com- 108 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. pany's importations from Saxony and Tasmania were of material assistance in the building up of some of the best stud flocks of South Australia: In cattle the celebrated Shorthorn or Durham bull, " Comet," sold for a very heavy price at the his- torical sale of Charles Ceiling's English herd, and imported by the Company to South Australia, be- came one of the leading progenitors of a strain abso- lutely unequalled in the Southern Hemisphere. It was from this magnificent animal, in fact, that some of the best blood was derived for the making of the famous herd now owned by Mr. J. H. Angas, son of the Company's first Chairman." The incidental reference to Mr. G. F. Angas in the last sentence is suggestive, and furnishes a clue by which Mr. J. H. Angas's appreciation of prize cattle, with its results, may be traced to the original source. As Chairman of the Company, and actively con- cerned in the details of its English management, it is practically certain that to Mr. Angas, sen., South Australia owed its possession of the animal referred to by Mr. Sutherland, and that it was purchased practically regardless of cost. Of course, Mr. J. H. Angas knew all about it, and in this as in other things he was able to profit by and improve upon the shrewd sagacity of his father. Another allusion by Mr. Sutherland may introduce a tale that in this connection is worth briefly telling. The " historical sale" he mentions took place in 1810, when the famous herd of Shorthorn stock was dispersed, and the immortal " Comet " was sold for the extraordinary price of a thousand guineas. It was stated at the time that this famous prize taker THE INDIVIDUAL. 109 was the crowning triumph of Charles Ceiling's breeding. There is a tradition that an intending purchaser Sir H. V. Tempest arrived on the ground shortly after the hammer fell, to his great chagrin, and frankly stated that he was prepared to bid up to sixteen hundred guineas had he been in time. It was from such stock as this that cattle were selected by the Company to be sent out to South Australia. The chronology proves that it was not the thousand-guinea specimen, but one of his descendants, to which Mr. Sutherland refers, and that the similarity of names, while identifying the pedigree, accounts for the slight mistake. In a report of the meeting of the S.A. Company held in England in August, 1841, favorable mention is made of the Company's herds at " Gurheranaka " (Gumeracha ), and of the Durham bull, " Young Comet," as the finest in the colony. This was thirty-one years after the Ceiling's sale, but the name indicates the pedigree of the bull. T\\u \ ears after the publication of the report just quoted from, Mr. J. H. Angas was in South Aus- tralia managing his father's estate. Ii nas been detailed elsewhere that he had to take in hand the difficult task of dealing with a large and embarrass- ing land speculation, and, as the sale or leasing of the land could not be effected with sufficient rapidity, other means of utilising it had to be resorted to. Among the rest was the arrangement for a large number of the S.A. Company's cattle to be depastured on the Barossa surveys, and payment to be made in kind. At that time the Company was the only importer of high-class cattle. .Mr. Angas 110 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. was keen enough to perceive the advantages to be gained by careful breeding, and in the second year of his colonial management he obtained from the Company 25 heifers and a " Comet " bull. Thus in 1845 he laid the foundation of his fame in this parti- cular department, and commenced the establish- ment of the herd of Angas Shorthorns which has acquired and maintained a reputation that is alto- gether unique both for extent and duration. The type is known and its superiority recognised through- out the whole of Australia, and has had a record of unparalleled successes continuing during the long period of nearly three score years. Between the time when his father reached South Australia in 1851 and he left on his first visit to Eng- land in 1854, Mr. Angas had entered into partner- ship with Mr. A. B. Murray in a sheep run at Reedy Creek, in the valley of the Murray. This was his earliest venture as a pastoralist on his own account, and the opportunity only came to him because his father did not care for it, perhaps because he had gone through trouble enough with partnerships on the other side of the world. In connection with it Mr. Angas showed how firmly the idea of making improvements in the quality of stock had taken possession of his mind, and how prompt he was in carrying it out, for among the extraordinarily large collection of medals which make a trophy of them- selves, there is one of exceptional interest, because it was the first. This medal is dated 1855. It was given at the Adelaide Agricultural Show of that year, and records that the first prize for imported rams was awarded to Messrs. J. H. Angas and A. B. THE INDIVIDUAL. Ill Murray. High-class Merino sheep had been made a speciality of by Mr. Angas long before, and the flock may be said to have been founded considerably more than fifty years ago. Prior to 1854, though Mr. Arigas had done much as a young and pushing pastoralist, more in his father's interest than his own, his enterprises had been of a comparatively experimental and tentative character- In that year, however, he visited England, and while there made arrangements for the further and more extensive operations of after years. The circum- stances were highly favorable. During his ten years' residence in Australia he had acquired in- valuable experience. He had become a trained and expert cattleman, able to exercise his own judgment under conditions when nicety and accuracy of dis- crimination were of the greatest importance. He was thoroughly familiar with the capabilities of the country, its natural herbage, and the suitability of its climate for the purposes of stock raising. There had been time enough for him to realise that to make the business a success there must be a provision of suitable means, and the resources at his disposal were adequate for the purpose. Mr. Angas was not the man to throw his money away. Before making his selection he visited and inspected a large number of herds in various parts of England, and when his decision was arrived at there was nothing in it to regret. The result was that he shipped a herd consisting of ten stud bulls and cows in all, which had been chosen from five different breeders. They arrived in good condition, and did credit to his judgment. At the same time 112 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. he turned his attention to horses and made a begin- ning with the Collingrove Clydesdales, which after- wards became so famous, by purchasing the two- year-old draught entire " Sultan." This horse took first prize at the Royal Agricultural Society's Show held in Lincoln, thus being adjudged the best of his year and class. A mare of corresponding character was imported at the same time, and the policy thus initiated of securing what was first rate of its kind proved to be sound and wise. Almost immediately after his return from England in 1855 Mr. Angas entered on a wide enlargement of his operations by purchasing the Mount Remarkable run, which thenceforward for over 25 years became one of the chief centres of his personal activity. The area of land in the original holding was not large, but additions were made from time to time until the freehold covered a territory of 45,000 acres. While this process was going on the flocks and herds at Collingrove were increasing, and the surplus stock had to be removed to the more extensive pasture lands in the North. From the fine herd established there many thousands of fat cattle were sent to the Adelaide market. As a consequence of natural increase further ex- tension became necessary, and the Arrowie and Wirrialpa stations were formed and stocked with the progeny reared at Mount Remarkable. To provide for still more multiplication a vast tract of country, including several thousands of square miles on Stuart's Creek, was leased from the Crown and occupied as a cattle run. Station after station was added in the far North until the entire concern THE INDIVIDUAL. 113 under the direct management of Mr. Angas in that part of the State assumed vast proportions. One of the marvels of Mr. Angas's career is the fact that he was able to maintain direct and effective control over such an immense estate, which in mere measurement exceeded that of some European Kingdoms) and comprised interests almost as com- plicated and diverse. It is all the more wonderful because there was nothing loose or slipshod about it. He made it not only a rule, but a practice, to inspect every run before purchasing. He kept himself in close touch with its affairs, riding thousands of miles in the course of the year, planned what im- provements he thought necessary, and satisfied him- self that they were carried out. He knew not only the number and value of the flocks and herds that were depastured, but the situation of every out station and hut, and even the grade of the fencing wire that was used. It was the habit of Mr. Angas to visit every station at regular intervals to see how things were going on, and his inspection was by no means superficial or cursory. He was strictly just in his comments, though never profuse in his eulogisms. If the re- mark were justified he probably wrote a brief sen- tence in his diary to the effect that he found every- thing satisfactory. His approval was more likely to be expressed in a tangible manner than by words of praise, but both manager and station hands learned to dread his having occasion to find fault. There was a good deal more to do in these visits than mere supervision. Cattle mustering is a fairly strenuous and exciting occupation, and Mr. 11 4- JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. Angas was fully equal to his share of it. In the drafting and classifying of stock his judgment and experience were often in demand, and at such times his activity and endurance extorted admiration from stockmen who spent most of their waking hours in the saddle. In their picturesque vernacular he was described as "a holy terror to work with." Though neither large of frame nor tall of stature^ his muscular frame seemed to be constructed of steel wire and whalebone. He could work from dawn to dark, and if he felt the exertion to be hard never complained. Hardened bushmen were " knocked out " to use another of their phrases in the effort to keep up with him, and it is positively stated that sometimes his associates had to come on in relays because he made the pace so hot. The competency thus shown at the distant sta- tions and in the dusty stockyards was just as much in evidence in the central office, and when the work of organising had to be done. Tens of thousands of fat cattle were transferred from the pastures of the Far North to the Adelaide markets, and at certain seasons of the year a small army of them was on the road. Before the advent of the railway, to engineer their march was a matter of no small difficulty. Humane consideration for the animals as well as appreciation of their value as merchandise, governed the general plan. Mr. Angas acquired properties along the line of route, and so managed that at the end of the day's travel his mobs of cattle could rest and feed in paddocks of his own. The movements of each lot were regulated in relation to those of the others, and worked out according to a system THE INDIVIDUAL- 115 with every detail of which Mr. Angas was familiar. It was largely as the result of attention to matters of this kind that he succeeded where others would have failed. Yet another characteristic remains to be noted. Mr. Angas was an employer who expected faithful service, and was not naturally tolerant of human weaknesses, but, though never an indulgent, he was always a good master. Proof of this is furnished by the attachment he inspired among his men and the length of time man}' of them remained with him. They learned to take an interest in his affairs, to form a high respect for himself. Thus their feelings towards him and his treatment of them, proved to be of advantage to both. III. THE STOCK. Experimenting Horses, the Clydesdale No "Fancy" Varieties- Cattle The Shorthorn Herd Boldness in Securing Progenitors A Bit of Self-Revelation The Finest Herd in the World Herefords, and their Attractiveness Sheep, the Merinos " Hercules," price ^1,150 guineas The Lincolns Swine, Unattractive but Profitable A Press Compliment Ostriches Dairy-Farming, &c. Donkeys A Poetic Summary. Having ascertained by actual experiment on a limited scale that the importation of high-class stock might be made a profitable undertaking, Mr. Angas made use of his knowledge with boldness and enter- prise. Reference has already been made to the manner in which he began to produce superior types of sheep and cattle, but his work in this department continued so long that it was spread over an average lifetime. He had among other characteristics of the successful man an invincible disinclination to be content with anything inferior to the best when better was to be obtained. To incorporate this principle into such a business as that of a pastoralist involved not a little of the quality that is commonly termed pluck. It was a fairly hazardous venture when he sent out the Clydesdale " Sultan " in 1855, but this purchase was followed by others which proved equally satisfactory. Some years afterwards the imported horse " Argyle " justified his choice by taking more prizes than any other horse in South Australia. " Young Lord Clyde " and " Ran tin Robin " were further illustra- tions of the policy of securing high reputation, and the other was the Scottish champion of his year. A large number of other purchases were made from -o ~p 1 (X a. 1 O THE STOCK. 117 time to time, but this is not a stud-book, and de- tailed enumeration is unnecessary. The foregoing references are designed to be illustrative of the spirit and energy with which Mr. Angas proceeded, and as the result of which it came to pass that the Collin- grove Clydesdales came to be known with favor throughout the continent. In this connection it may be noticed that, while Mr. Angas's stud farms were noted for the superior quality of useful animals they supplied, there was no intermixture of fancy varieties. Draught and carriage horses, roadsters, and ponies were sent out from them by hundreds, but no racing stable ever boasted a favorite from that source, and never did a racehorse carry the Angas colors past the winning post. The explanation is that Mr. Angas was true to his principles. He held gambling in abomina- tion, was distressed at its prevalence, and could not be a party to any of its methods or accessories in any shape or form. Considering the pre-eminence he secured in other departments of stock culture, one is tempted to speculate as to what he might have achieved had he chosen to cater for the racing fraternity. With his means and opportunities, he would in all probability have won equal distinction and netted even greater profit along' that line. He was not ignorant of the fact, loved a good horse, enjoyed riding to hounds, but was too conscientious to enter into a business the basis of which he dis- approved. While Mr. Angas had both pride and pleasure in all classes of his prize stock he probably had most of both in his herd of Durham or Shorthorn cattle. 118 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. It was his earliest love, and his interest in it never grew less. The beginning was made shortly after his arrival in South Australia, an important addi 1 tion was made on the occasion of his first visit to England, but the largest on his third visit in 1879. By that time he had acquired a thorough mastery of the business to which most of his time had been given, and spared neither trouble nor expense in his efforts to obtain the finest specimens of the type he sought. The visits of inspection paid by Mr. Angas to famous stud farms were in many cases purely for the pleasure that he derived from them, but when the opportunity came in his way to acquire such perfect specimens as the famous cows, ' Rugia Niblett " and " Rose Niblett," he could not resist the temptation, though the act seemed extravagant. These were only among the choicest of Mr. Angas's consignment, which numbered twenty-four head in all, selected from the most renowned herds in Great Britain, but, though the price paid was extremely high, it was the buyer who had the most cause to be satisfied with the bargain, which the seller never ceased to regret. As the result of the courage and enterprise judiciously exercised by Mr. Angas, the progeny of the famed " Duke of Connaught," for which Lord Fitzhardinge paid the record price of 4,500 guineas, was introduced into South Australia, and their importer was a public benefactor. The importation of these choice collections was something of the value of a public event. After the usual period of detention in quarantine was over, Mr. Angas invited a party of about seventy gentle- men, including several members of Parliament and THE STOCK. 119 influential representatives of the agricultural and pastoral interests, to visit Torrens Island and in- spect his purchases. He was warmly congratulated by his guests, and eulogised for his public spirit. In the course of his reply to a number of flattering remarks that were made when his health was drunk, he said that when he left these shores to visit Eng- land, Mr. Swan, a friend of his, said to him : " You will be bringing back some cattle." He said : " No, he was going to England simply for pleasure," but Mr. Swan repeated his statement. The upshot, Mr. Angas added, showed that his friend knew his mind better than he knew it himself. When he got to England and saw these beautiful cattle he simply could not help buying them. He had been referred to as a successful man, but he pointed out that what had been done in the past could be done now, and if young men would only stick to one occupation, and throw all their energy into it instead of grumbling about lost chances in bygone days, their prospects would be as good as they could wish. He had always stuck to his business. He had commenced with stock and he had kept to it. In England stock breeding was one of the most popular amuse- ments, from the Queen down to the smallest farmer, and he would like to see it improved here where there was plenty of room for pure strains of blood. It was not very often that Mr. Angas said so much about himself in public, and this bit of self-revelation is suggestive. Further importations were made in subsequent years with corresponding care and judgment, in order to introduce new blood, and to the develop- 120 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. nient of his herd of Shorthorns Mr. Angas gave direct personal supervision. Before illness finally sapped his strength he had the satisfaction of owning a herd of over 500 pure pedigree cattle, which he justly claimed was unequalled, not only in Australia, but in the British Empire, or, indeed, anywhere in the world. Mr. Angas was too wise and level-headed to allow his personal fancy for any particular variety of stock to run away with him, and accordingly Ayrshire cattle of high-class character were to be found in his paddocks, but next to Shorthorns his herd of Herefords took rank in both number and importance. The type is exceedingly handsome and even pic- turesque, but what impressed Mr. Angas most favorably was its hardy nature, good feet, and aptitude for travelling long distances, which rendered it eminently suitable for the Northern portions of Australia and of South Australia in particular. The herd was founded in 1869 by importations from England, and, true to the principles which had been tested previously to that time, care was taken to have excellence in quality. Additions were made in later years, the same plan of judicious selection cost being a secondary consideration prevailing throughout. The result was according to expecta- tions, and large numbers of individual members of the Kingsford herd have been sold to stockowners all over Australia. To the eye of an amateur there can hardly be a more attractive sight than a herd of Hereford cattle such as can be seen at the station near Rose worthy. The animals preserve their per- fect white markings with an almost exact duplication THE STOCK. 121 of each other, which form an excellent contrast to the deep rich red color which characterises the type. In symmetry, substance, and quality there is every- thing that the spectator desires to see, while to the expert there are tokens of excellence which an ordinary observer possibly fails to perceive. Throughout a considerable part of Australia the terms pastoralist and sheep farmer are regarded as almost synonymous. No other country in the world has flocks so numerous in proportion to the popula- tion, and over a long series of years their products constituted the greatest of its various sources of wealth. This result was not achieved as the result of mere accident, but was due to a skilful adaptation of means to ends. The sheep, like other domestic animals, may be correctly described as an artificial product, having comparatively little in common with his remote progenitor. There is a natural law and consequent tendency of reversion to type, which the stockowner has to counteract. At the same time, there are well marked varieties, so pronounced as to justify their being regarded as distinct species, each having its special recommenda- tions. The business of the breeder is to develop each of these to the highest perfection along that particular line. What Merinos may be for value of fleece, Shiopshires may be for weight of carcase, and Lincolns for a combination of both. Hence multiplication of numbers is not the only thing to be aimed at, but perfection of quality, according to a chosen standard, has to be equally considered as the object to be gained. Mr. Angas began with Merinos, and not only pur- 122 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. sued the same plan of improvement as he did in the case of his cattle by importing high-class stock, but scored his first success as a prize taker in that department. Ho\v thoroughly satisfied he was with the result was shown by his repeating the pro- cess very many times afterwards, but never with more striking boldness than when he paid eleven hundred and fifty guineas for the stud ram " Her- cules," which is believed to be the highest sum ever given up to that time for a single sheep, since David tended the flocks of Jesse at Bethlehem. In the abstract there is quite as much justification for a pastoralist to have ideals and ambitions, to select the best type and spend years in seeking the highest perfection in it, as for a florist, horticulturist, or ornithologist, while in the comparative value of results there is a great deal more. One man may spend infinite pains in the development of a carna- tion, another in producing a perfect peach, and a third in turning out a superior canary or pigeon. The difference between either of these and a sheep farmer who follows the same line, is that the latter is infinitely the greatest benefactor to the world. Mr. Angas had a perfectly laudable ambition to be at the top of the tree, and a proper pride in the re- sults that he achieved. Experts recognised that the Hill River Merinos in common with other S.A. flocks had a type of their own, differing from most flocks bearing the same general designation in Vic- toria and New South Wales, and were usually most favorably impressed by the character of the varia- tion. Its excellence was proved on many occasions THE STOCK. 123 when it was subjected to the severe test of keen Interstate competition. As in the case of cattle, Mr. Angas did not confine his attention to a single variety of sheep, and therein he proved his freedom from prejudice. He began his establishment of a flock of Lincolns nearly forty years ago, and followed up his initial experiments by a series of importations. While in England he personally selected high-class animals from some of the most famous studs in Lincolnshire and York- shire, and was just as successful in this branch of his business as in others. The most unromantic of all the domesticated animals is the pig, and there is none in which the average man finds it so difficult to take an interest until it has fulfilled the end of its being, and helps to make his breakfast table attractive. Mr. Angas thought differently, and knew better. When he started the formation of a stud of Berkshires on his usual plan of selecting the best available specimens, he had the advantage of entering into an almost entirely neglected industry. It followed that when he began to show the products his exhibits came as a perfect surprise. Only five years after his herd was founded he had the substantial reward of selling a dozen members of it in Victoria at an average of nearly 40 a head, and then realising 150 guineas for one by itself. Commenting on the share taken by Mr. Angas in the Melbourne Exhibition of 1888, and especially with reference to this subject, the " Argus " said : " The man who a few years ago called himself a breeder of pigs would have been considered hardly 124 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. fit to associate with a legitimate farmer, but this wrong impression, with many others of a like nature, is fast dying out." It went on to say that the swine sent over by Mr. Angas to the Melbourne shows for some years past had been the means of establishing a spirit of emulation which could not but be beneficial. In the same eulogistic w r ay the good effect of Mr. Angas's activity in so many different departments was strongly emphasised, and the article concluded with the remark that "the man who devotes his attention to so many laudable objects while no doubt receiving the full reward of his labors, plays also a very important part in our colonial development." Considering the variety and extent of Mr. Angas's interests in cattle and sheep farming, it might be supposed that in managing them as he did he had quite enough in his hands, but in this matter, as in others, " to him that hath shall be given." It frequently happens that the more a man has to do the better he does it, and the willing horse not only pulls the heavier load, but performs the work more satisfactorily. This may account for the manner in which Mr. Angas became connected with outside concerns, of which ostrich farming was an instance. He was the largest shareholder in the South Aus- tralian Ostrich Company, Chairman of its Board of Directors, and took an active share in its manage- ment. When the industry was started it was be- lieved to have great possibilities, and the suitability of South Australia for its development on a large scale is undeniable. At one time, the export of feathers from South Africa added largely to the -S rtj CJ e v. o o o THE STOCK. 125 wealth of that community and the decline in prices which so materially diminished the profits of the growers was simply the result of one of the caprices of fashion. Nevertheless, the ostrich farm near Port Augusta was, and is, one of the most interest- ing of the many object lessons with which Mr. Angas was associated, and a more picturesque scene than is presented by the appearance of the paddocks when the birds are mustered can hardly be desired. The locality is well chosen, the arrangements are" admirable, and the potentialities of wealth given a market for the produce are self-evident. In this connection the diversity of Mr. Angas's undertakings as a producer is impressive. Few men had so many irons in the fire, and fewer still managed to keep them all at such a satisfactory temperature. While in the front rank as a pas- toralist he entered largely into dairy farming and agriculture. In connection with cattle breeding he established large dairies on the co-operative system, having at one time as many as 500 milking cows. At both Hill River and Collingrove he grew currants, there being 20 acres devoted to this crop at his Hutton Vale farm. On the Hill River estate specially approved varieties of wheat were success- fully cultivated, an extent of 5,000 acres having been cropped in one season. In the arid North the difficulties of both transit and freight have been among the embarrassments of pastoralists. Accordingly over a vast territory camels are generally employed, and mules are re- cognised as eminently suitable for both harness and draught. To obtain the right kind is one of the !26 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. important matters, and Mr. Angas succeeded so well "that the manager of one of his stations drove the same pair of mules for 20 years. At various times he imported high-class donkeys from Europe to improve the breed, and when a friend of his Colonel Campbell was about to visit America he en- gaged him to select a superior pair from that country. The arrival of these animals was referred to by an Adelaide paper in the following paragraph : ' Mr. J. H. Angas is importing two pedigree donkeys from America. The donkeys a stallion and a mare-- were specially selected by Colonel Campbell, and on arrival they will be sent to a Northern station." Thereupon Mr. R. Caldwell, M.P., who had some- times been styled the poet laureate of the South Australian Legislature, sent Mr. Angas the following effusion : " Oh, what are you doing, and what is your plan ? Be candid and tell us, you wonderful man. Of horses and cattle, I know, it is said The best in the island by you have been bred. " Your sheep are admitted as second to none, And bushmen can tell what your camels have done ; And nowhere has anyone south of the line Surpassed you in goats, or in dogs, or in swine. 1 ' These animals serve a good purpose, and aid All classes in business and foster our trade, But what are the donkeys for ? What is your aim In spending so much to acclimatize them ? 'Tis said that you purpose to send the brutes forth To browse and to bray on the plains of the North, To propagate asses that yet may come down And help us to manage affairs about town. "And donkeys, p.ure-blooded Americans, too! Oh, Angas, wise Angas, take care what you do ! Remember the rabbits and sparrows ! Go steady I .. For we've donkeys enough in the city already. IV. THE PROPERTIES. Large Areas a Necessity Collingrove and Tarrawatta Mount Remark- able and Neighbourhood Transfer to a Company A Vexatious Lawsuit A Triumphant Vindication Hill River Charming Scenery- An Avenue Five Miles long A Thirty-mile Walk The Point Sturt Estate - A Natural Stud Farm -Kingsford and other Freeholds Northern Lease- holds Artesian Water in the Wilderness -Private Ownership a Public Trust. Though in the end Mr. Angas came to be a large landowner, the process was gradual, and his good judgment was as clearly shown in his selection and management of his various properties as in his dealings with stock. A pastoralist requires a wide range of country for his operations, and much of his success depends on its suitability for his purposes. In the matter of locality Mr. Angas was fortunate at the outset, though the establishment of what be- came his permanent headquarters near Angaston was a matter of necessity and not of choice. The story of how this came to pass has already been told, and it is only necessary to say here that Mr. Angas is entitled to full credit for having discerned the capabilities of the estate he was sent out to administer, and done so much in their development. The experience he gained there in the early days was afterwards invaluable, and his enterprise was guided by knowledge in subsequent proceedings. The Collingrove estate, which was the home of Mr. Angas from first to last, comprises a beautiful stretch of country on the foothills of the Barossa Range, through which the Gawler winds its way to the plains. It was somewhat heavily timbered 128 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. with giant gum trees when Mr. Angas first took up his abode there, but a thinning process has been going on ever since it was first occupied. Hundreds of veterans have fallen out of the ranks as the result of old age, winter storms, and summer fires, and their places have not been filled. The depasturing of flocks has prevented the growth of seedlings, and the clearance thus effected of timber has increased the capabilities of the paddocks for grazing purposes. There is more space for grass, and it is believed that the springs of running water are stronger since their sources were not so freely tapped by tree roots. The country is generally open, undulating, and fertile. Afforresting will not be necessary for generations to come even should the present conditions continue. The scenery is that of a natural park. At Lindsay House there are herds of both antelopes and fallow deer which lend an additional charm, while at Collingrove and the Tarrawatta Station, close at hand, prize stock are generally on view. It was when Mr. Angas needed pasturage for his surplus stock that he formed his cattle station at Mount Remarkable in 1855. He had inspected the locality and satisfied himself that it would meet his requirements, although at the time it seemed remote from any market, being 200 miles north of Adelaide, and there was no idea of a railway or any facility of the kind. For upwards of a quarter of a century Mr. Angas spent a part of each year on this station. The original purchase was added to from time to time until the freehold comprised over 70 square miles, and the increase of stock made it necessarv to establish other stations hundreds of THE PROPERTIES. 129 miles further north. After Mr. Angas had acquired the Hill River property, and his physical strength began to decline, he felt it desirable to obtain relief from a portion of his anxieties, and decided to dis- pose of his interests in the North. After some pre- liminary conversations with an agent for the pro- bable purchasers he placed his offer in writing under date September 15, 1882. The document is in- teresting as showing how the concern had become enlarged since the original purchase of an eighty- acre section twenty-seven years before. A schedule giving full particulars was appended which was summarised in the letter as follows : " A. Mount Remarkable freehold lands, with 30,000 sheep. B. Leasehold run, about 8,800 square miles, with 70,000 sheep, 10,000 cattle, 1,000 horses. Price for the whole, 340,000." The negotiations extended over a couple of months, at the end of which time they were concluded on Mr. Angas's part by the following letter : " In reply to your request that I would place my Mount Remarkable estate, with travelling stock stations as enumerated in the schedules submitted to you, and the whole of my leasehold runs with the following stock, viz. : Seventy thousand sheep, nine thousand cattle, one thousand horses, under offer to you for the sum of three hundred and ten thousand pounds sterling (310,000), I beg to state that I have considered the matter, and, being anxious to reduce my responsibilities, will accede to your request." The properties thus disposed of were taken over by the " \Yillo\vie Land and Pastoral Company," but instead of bringing immediately the expected re- 130 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. lease from responsibility, the transaction involved Mr. Angas in one of the most harassing and un- pleasant experiences of his life. The terms of the contract were disputed by the representatives of the Company, they refused to fulfil a part of their agree- ment, and Mr. Angas had to resort to legal proceed- ings in order to obtain satisfaction for his claim. On their part a counter claim was set up, and they were so ill-advised as to accuse Mr. Angas of dis- honesty in his representations and subsequent actions. The charge was atrocious, and Mr. Angas met it with his customary courage. The trial occupied the Supreme Court for a fortnight, and during the greater part of two days Mr. Angas sat in the witness-box, subjected to the utmost severity of cross-examination, enduring the ordeal for the express purpose of refuting the impeachment of his honor. The completeness of his vindication was proved by the statement of the Chief Justice when delivering judgment that the plaintiff was com- pletely exonerated from the allegations of fraud, and that had he been sitting with a jury he should have held that there was no evidence of it for their consideration. As to other matters, the gist of His Honor's elaborate judgment was that Mr. Angas knew exactly what he was selling, and adhered to his obligations, while the purchasers, through careless- ness, fell into error and misunderstanding. The verdict, therefore, as to claim and counter claim was in Mr. Angas's favor, with costs. In the press comments on the case the accusers of Mr. Angas were charged with most improper recklessness, and blamed for not settling the matter in dispute by THE PROPERTIES 13 I arbitration. Such a course would have better served their interests and spared Mr. Angas some trouble. While the ownership of the northern properties thus passed from the hands of Mr. Angas, his interest in them did not cease. As a result of the obligations to him which the Willowie Company incurred he became its largest shareholder, and con- tinued to hold that position for many years prior to his decease. The Hill River estate which Mr. Angas purchased from Mr. C. B. Fisher in 1871, had already acquired some degree of fame prior to that period. It com- prises about 55,000 acres, covering a shallow valley running nearly north and south, and bounded by ranges of low hills to the east and west. The head station lies in almost a direct line between the rail- way station of Farrell's Flat and Clare, and the view of the estate which a visitor obtains who ap- proaches it from the railway is exceedingly impres- sive. The road traverses Farrell's Flat, which stretches away to the north as far as the eye can reach an immense treeless expanse flanked by the rugged line of hills which leads northward to Mount Bryan ; windswept, and unsheltered, its vegetation is speedily scorched by the summer sun to a uniform and unattractive brown. Presently the road begins to ascend, and, though the gradient is not steep, the outlook grows w r ider in the rear, while the tops of pine trees beginning to show over the crest direct atten- tion and expectation to the front. In a few minutes more a narrow, stony ridge is reached, and the view changes with almost dramatic suddenness. Look- ing to the east and north the eye ranges over a vast, 132 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. bare, and comparatively barren plain backed by rocky ranges in the far distance, through which the tracks to Hanson and Kooringa thread their way, but westward a panorama of sylvan beauty has become unfolded, and is all the more charming by its contrast. There is luxuriant vegetation in the foreground, verdant meadows in the middle distance, and in the background rise the wooded hills through which the road winds to Clare. Everywhere there are visible tokens of care and attention in the form of well-fenced paddocks and numerous clumps of trees, beneath which, perhaps, cattle and sheep may be seen sheltering from the sun. For miles away to the north these are the general char- acteristics of the valley through which the Hill River runs, and across it is the most imposing sight of all an avenue of pines and gums two chains wide and five miles long. Clumps of pines and sugar gums varying in the number of trees, are to be found in many parts of the estate, and greatly enhance its beauty, but the magnificent avenue traversed by the high road elicits the highest admiration of tra- vellers, and is the glory of the whole. For shelter to stock as well as for ornament these tens of thou- sands of trees were planted, and for his persevering arboriculture Mr. Angas deserved all the compli- ments and rewards he ever earned. A well-known Adelaide gentleman, travelling through rural England, had his attention drawn by two fellow-travellers to the well-kept fields and fences by the side of the railway. Affecting ignorance, he said, "But where are the fields?" and was answered, " Why, those enclosures, of O CO c o 'S. (0 THE PROPERTIES. 133 course, close to the line." ' But what is there particular about the fences ?" " Can't you see," he was asked, " how neat and well-built the dry stone walls are, and that they run for hundreds of yards ?" " Is that what you mean ?" rejoined the South Australian. ' In my country we shouldn't think those little patches worth enclosing, for our fields often contain a thousand acres, and as to stone walls, if you will go out with me I'll show one that encloses part of a single property, and is thirty miles long." His companions thought they had discovered a lineal descendant of Ananias, though the Australian was only referring to literal facts, for it was the Hill River station that he had in his mind. The Hill River homestead is charmingly situated. Its site was selected by a former proprietor fifty or sixty years ago in a cosy nook of the sheltering hills near a tiny rivulet trickling from a never-failing spring. The garden is a picture of loveliness and luxuriance, thanks to the richness of the soil and the fertilising streamlet by the side of which willows of enormous girth cast a grateful shade. The exten- sive but unpicturesque station buildings, though only a few hundreds of yards away, are concealed by the rising ground to the right. They are sub- stantial and spacious, and an inspection of this part of the premises shows that no pains have been spared to merit the success to which Hill River owes its fame. In topography and surroundings the Point Sturt estate is totally different from any other of Mr. Angas's properties. It was one of his later pur- 134 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. chases, having been secured in 1888, expressly for the exclusive use of his celebrated Shorthorn stud. He had found the seasons at Hill River somewhat late for the purpose of cattle raising, and also that the available space on that station was required for his famous flock of stud Merino sheep. At Point Sturt he found an almost ideal locality for his purpose. The area is about 3,200 acres in extent, comprising the whole of a peninsula jutting out into Lake Alexandrina. Nature had done much to fit the place for a stud farm, and skilful use was made of its provisions. The soil is not rich, but has a lime- stone formation ; it is undulating, well-grassed, and lightly timbered with shea oaks. The paddocks were so planned that each of them had direct access to the lake, and the advantage to stock of an un- limited supply of fresh water can easily be under- stood. In such a place the necessary isolation of choice animals was easily practicable, and the cli- mate is such that no housing is necessary. The Southern Ocean is only a few miles away " as the crow flies," and cattle reared in such conditions were bound to have robust and healthy constitutions. Mr. Angas translated into business terms the two great principles of heredity and environment, and to their scientific adjustment is attributable his signal success. The herd of Shorthorns the finest in the world has always been in charge of Mr. Jenkins, who brought out the large importation of 1879. The herdsman's length of service, as well as the quality of the herd, prove the soundness of Mr. Angas's judgment, and that his management was wise. THE PROPERTIES. 135 Kingsford, rendered famous by its herd of Here- fords, which lies a few miles from Roseworthy ; Belalie, and Broadview, which were used as fatten- ing depots, and other properties, do not call for any special reference. In their acquirement and ar- rangements the same judicious enterprise that con- tributed to the prosperity of the great concern of which they formed useful parts, was exhibited. It may also be said that each of them furnished object lessons from which neighboring graziers and farmers received instruction and benefit. In addition to the freeholds which Mr. Angas acquired, he was a large leaseholder under the Crown. Reference has been made elsewhere to the runs he took up and stocked which were transferred with the Melrose property to the Willowie Land and Pastoral Association. At a later period, and for the same reasons as those which operated so many years before, he was induced again to increase his interests in the north. The largest of his runs was at the Finniss Springs, directly south of Lake Eyre. This stretch of country was occupied so recently as 1898 to serve as a depot for surplus stock from the freeholds, as well as a breeding station, and in good seasons it has proved to be admirably suited for its purpose, having turned out many fine and weighty cattle. The Finniss Springs run comprises 578 square miles, consisting chiefly of stony table lands, with sand hills. It is traversed by the Great Northern Railway, the Alberrie Creek Station, 500 miles from Adelaide being within its boundaries. The great drawback from which an immense area in that part 136 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. of the continent 'suffers is the scanty and uncertain rainfall, resulting occasionally in disastrous droughts. The Lake Eyre region is a vast depression, much of which is below the level of the sea. The geological structure is such that at no great distance below the terrestrial surface there are vast and inexhaustible reservoirs of water fed by the tropical rains of the distant north and north-east, and from which in some localities rise artesian springs. In many places it has been found practicable to tap this subterranean supply by means of artesian bores. The work is costly, but its results have proved highlysatisfactory over a considerable ex- tent of Western Queensland, as well as in South Australia. True to his'idea of improving the coun- try over which he had control, Mr. Angas gave much attention to this method of increasing its stock- carrying capabilities, and met with encouraging success. Within two years after he commenced operations at Finniss Springs four wells were pouring out an aggregate^; of 225,400 gallons per day, their depth varying from 35 to 131 feet. In 1901 the " Charles Angas " bore struck water at a depth of 740 feet, and s 3 S 4-1 O *-> _c (0 en oo c I o THE POLITICIAN. 149 by petty squabbling and attacks on the Ministry almost from the very first. There was extreme difficulty in getting the Estimates passed, no -con- fidence motions trod on the heels of each other, and, on the advice of the Ministers, Sir James Ferguson granted a dissolution, despite a strongly-worded protest from the Legislative Council. The first thing the sixth Parliament did when it assembled in May, 1870, was to eject the Ministry, but the situation was not thereby greatly improved. An amending Land Bill was introduced, which, after much discussion, many amendments and a hundred and fifty divisions, was thrown out by the casting vote of the Speaker. Thereupon a short measure amending the Strangways Act in two or three particulars was introduced, and carried immediately prior to the prorogation. Comparatively barren as was the first session of this Parliament, the second was still worse. Several weeks were spent in an abortive discussion of another Land Bill. A no-confidence motion by Mr. Boucaut led to the resignation of the Ministry, but neither the mover of the motion nor Mr. A. Blyth could form a strong administration. Mr. Ayers also failed, and the Parliament was dissolved preparatory to a further appeal to the country. This was the condition of the political world of South Australia when Mr. Angas was for the second time requested to offer himself as a candidate for the District of Barossa. He was reluctant to con- sent, and only yielded to repeated solicitations. The first intimation of a general desire came to him from Tanunda, and it was followed by formal l.'O JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. requisitions from Angaston and Gawler, each of the documents bearing upwards of a hundred signatures. To a mind constituted like that of Mr. Angas, ap- peals of the kind from different parts of the district came like successive calls to duty, and the troubled condition of public affairs instead of deterring him from interfering, served as a reason for his doing his part towards their improvement. It is a little remarkable that these requisitions were much less elaborate than that of three years previously, and the Gawler requisitionists, in particular, only pro- mised their support on the understanding that Mr. Angas's political ideas corresponded with their own. The campaign appears to have been opened at Tanunda on Wednesday, December 5, 1871, when Mr. Angas addressed a public meeting in company with two other candidates. His first reported speech in the position of a candidate for the suffrages of the electors was thoroughly characteristic of the man. It commenced with a modest disclaimer of special knowledge, based on his limited opportunities, qualified by an assurance that he had studied the leading questions of the day and formed definite opinions. These questions were then passed in review and dealt with in a plain, business-like and effective manner. There was no attempt at oratori- cal display or anything of the kind, and there was not the slightest tendency towards trimming in order to catch votes. Of the secondary matters touched upon there were two concerning which he felt it necessary to speak emphatically. Education, with Bible reading in State schools, was at the time THfi POLITICIAN. 1 ." 1 causing considerable disturbance, and he said he could not understand or consent to any Act which excluded the Scriptures from the national system of education. Payment of members was also mooted, and he pronounced himself as decidedly opposed to it. The published report of the speech closes with the remark that ' He would feel it a degradation to receive a salary." With this intimation he always maintained absolute consist- ency, and when a salary became due to him in after years he transferred it to a charitable institution. At Tanunda Mr. Angas was among neighbors and friends in the midst of a large German population which recognised the sympathy shown to immigrants and settlers of their nationality in the early days, but at Gawler it was different. This was one of the chief voting places of the district, and there were two resident candidates in the field. Nevertheless, the local paper spoke of an address given by Mr. Angas as ' Delivered in a very unassuming but manly and independent style, which was listened to in a very attentive manner by the audience, and generally speaking with satisfaction." There were five candidates for the two vacant seats, two of whom, however, were regarded all along as having no chance of success, and Mr. Angas headed the poll by a very large majority. Except at Gawler this was his position at all the voting places in the district, and in some of them he had nearly as manv votes as all the rest put together. In celebration of the victory, Mr. Angas gave a dinner at Gawler to a large party of his committee- men and friends, which was commented upon as 152 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. reversing the " usual parasitical fashion of South Australia," and in the course of the evening he was called upon for three separate speeches. The noteworthy feature of the occasion was the manner in which Mr. Angas denned and defended his position as a pastoralist, which in the current phase of the land question had afforded a weapon for his opponents. He said : " It had been charged against him that he rented too many acres of Crown lands. Unfortunately, those who had some of it heretofore had been ruined by it. If that should be the case, he should have to admit with sorrow that he had too many acres. But if he were enabled to turn a hitherto unprofitable country to better account, and to) improve land that had been abandoned to the State so as to make it in some degree profitable, then he trusted he might be considered as discharging an important duty to the State by paying rent for what otherwise might have lain waste and profitless alike to individuals and to the community." The first thing the new Parliament did was to effect a change in the Administration, an amendment on the address in reply being carried by a majority of six votes. The incoming Ministry, however, was short lived, for it was rejected within three months. The next held office a few weeks longer, but a third " crisis " and Ministerial defeat was over in half a year from the opening of the session. Mr. Angas seems to have been altogether outside this partisan work. He had no taste for intrigue, and no ambition to hold office. Had he cared for it he might have accepted a portfolio, but from first THE POLITICIAN. 153 to last of his Parliamentary career, he declined all offers looking in that direction. The session was spun out from the middle of January till the end of November, much time being occupied in the unceasing game between the ins and the outs, and there was more than one considerable adjournment. The absence of a strong Govern- ment on the one side of the House and of a well- organised opposition on the other, was responsible for much of the waste of time, which is suggestively indicated by the fact that twenty-five measures that were introduced were either dropped or rejected at various stages. The patient student who toils through the dreary wastes of " Hansard " in order to form an estimate of Mr. Angas's activity as a politician, or searches the still more unattractive record of " Votes and Proceedings," will find no reports of lengthy and impassioned speeches. Rhetoric was not his forte, and he had neither taste nor time for academic debates. Mr. Angas took the position seriously, and chafed against the perpetual obstruction to business that was occasioned by the incessant flow of talk. Nevertheless, he was more regular than most of his fellow -members in his attendance, and never forgot that he was there in a representative capacity. Out of 126 sitting days during the session he was present in 92. One of the lengthiest speeches Mr. Angas delivered was on the Land Bill, and it showed not only that he had taken pains to master his subject, but also his faculty of clearly expressing his ideas. As he was gifted with a strong and resonant, but withal 154 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. pleasant voice, there is no doubt that he could have become an effective platform speaker had he culti- vated the talent. It was in practical matters, however, that either came within the range of his personal responsibility or were connected with subjects of which he had special knowledge, that Mr. Angas was a most useful member. His first success in this depart- ment was on behalf of his German constituents and fellow colonists, for whom he sought relief by a reduction of the fees that had to be paid for naturali- zation. The Aliens Act Amendment Bill introduced on his motion with this object in view was carried, and was assented to on April 25th. Besides this there is ample evidence in the records that the interests of his district were sharply looked after as opportunity served. Of the larger subjects which focussed attention in which Mr. Angas took special interest, the over- land telegraph from Adelaide to Port Darwin was conspicuous. That important work was in process of completion while the session of Parliament was proceeding. The shore end of the cable was laid at Port Darwin in the previous November, but there had been great difficulty in constructing the northern section of the land line. Fully alive to the im- portance of the project, Mr. Angas proposed to run a steamer from Port Darwin to some point in the Gulf of Carpentaria, but the cable shortly afterwards temporarily broke down. The first cable message from England was received on July 2nd, 1872, the two ends of the telegraph wire from north and south respectively met and were joined on August 22nd, THE POLITICIAN. 155 and the cable having been repaired, through com- munication was finally established with London on October 22nd. The knowledge which Mr. Angas had obtained of the interior of the continent and of part of the telegraph route was very serviceable during the various discussions of this subject. Among other subjects of legislative action which furnished illustrations of Mr. Angas's principles and line of conduct was the settlement of farmers in the agricultural areas, which he warmly supported, while he desired the adoption of measures to prevent the abandonment by them of their farms. When the project for a transcontinental railway was under consideration he favored the land grant system, but believed in securing the co-operation of other parts of Australia. On more than one occasion he advocated the policy on which he acted in private for the preservation of native timber, and exercised influence with that view both when the Scrub Lands Bill and the question of Forest Reserves were before the House. A proposal to spend 1,000 on the Port Augusta gaol elicited from him the remark that he would much prefer putting the money in a casualty hospital, to which he added that he thought too much attention was paid to the comfort of criminals and too little to that of sufferers from sickness or accident. It was customary at that time to vote a sum of 100 as a racing prize, and Mr. Angas gave the proposal his most strenuous opposi- tion. He was in a minority then, but his views subsequently prevailed. The second session of this Parliament was con- siderablv briefer than the first. The Governor's 156 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. opening speech was delivered on July 25, 1873, but on the 30th an adjournment was made to August 12th to enable the Ministry, which had only recently taken office, to prepare its policy. When the prorogation took place on December 18th there had been exactly 60 sitting days, of which Mr. Angas had been present on 57. The record of legislative work is comparatively meagre. Forty- five Bills were introduced, of which 30 passed, but scarcely any of them can be said to have been of first-class importance. ! A partial explanation of the general characteristics of the session may be found in the unusual degree of attention that was claimed and absorbed by the Northern Territory. During the recess the Com- missioner of Crown Lands (Mr. Reynolds) had paid a visit to the distant settlement of Port Darwin, and brought back a most discouraging account of the state of off airs. He found a shameful condition of disorganization, the rules and regulations of mining claims having been much disregarded, and other irregularities permitted. The report laid before Parliament contained revelations of almost hopeless muddle, and action had to be taken to remedy the existing conditions. To add to the trouble, extravagant ideas had been formed as to the auriferous resources of the Territory, and a large amount of capital invested in their development, most of which was lost beyond re- covery. The measures proposed by the Ministry were rejected by the Parliament, and much time was occupied over this unsatisfactory business with an exceedingly poor result. 3 CQ THE POLITICIAN. 157 In this connection it is appropriate to recall the pathetic circumstance that Mr. Reynolds, who had been so impressed by the capabilities of Port Darwin during his visit, that he resigned his post of Com- missioner of Crown Lands in order to enter into business there, was drowned in the " Gothenburg " while returning to Adelaide about 18 months after- wards a sadly disappointed man. The possibility of making better use of Australia's only navigable river has frequently come under discussion, and, indeed, there are not many matters in which the disproportion between the talk expended and the work done has been greater. When the session was about half through, Mr. Angas tabled a motion for the expenditure of 15,000 to improve the navigation of the mouth of the Murray, which has always been the point of difficulty. The debate was adjourned in the first instance, and the mover was induced to amend his motion in the form that a survey be made and a report be presented on the entire question, including the practicability of con- structing canals from Lake Alexandrina to the sea. The idea was thus shelved for the time being, and never assumed a materialised form. One is tempted to wonder what would have been the effect had the enterprising plan of Mr. Angas been carried out and the great river highway been utilised and made efficient. Since irrigation schemes took hold of the public mind in Victoria and became incorporated into its policy, the tendency has been to absorb so much of the Murray waters as to render the navigation of the river impracticable. Had the shipping interest been fostered, South Australia Ifi8 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. would have had stronger claims to assert, and in other ways occupied a better position in the con- troversy as to its riparian rights. During the session of 1873 the question of immigra- tion came to the front both in and out of Parliament. There was a manifest scarcity of labor to gather in the harvest of the previous year, and it was foreseen that the difficulty was likely to increase. The Government was urged by a large and influential meeting held at the Chamber of Commerce to bring in a comprehensive scheme, but public opinion was divided on the merits of free and assisted immigration respectively. While there were some who advocated both methods, others held that the free immigrants would be under a kind of social ban. Ministers felt it necessary to proceed cautiously, but when they proposed to place 35,000 on the estimates to be used for both classes, a public meeting was held in the Adelaide Town Hall which almost angrily protested against free immigration in any of its forms. The Parliament ultimately voted 15,000 for assisted, and 5,000 for free immigration, but was so much under the influence of outside opinion that, whereas the first vote was carried readily, the latter had only a majority of one. The occasion and its surroundings may be particularly noted for the effect produced on the growth of population by influx from abroad. Among the slaughtered innocents of the session was an Education Bill. It was an effort to deal with a question that had been agitating the public mind for several years, and which continued to do so thereafter. The educational system of the State THE POLITICIAN. !.">!> was confessedly unsatisfactory, and various plans had been mooted for its amendment. The Ministry committed itself to the policy of free, compulsory, and secular education, and prepared a measure embodying those principles, which, after lengthy discussion, passed its third reading in the Legislative Assembly by a majority of four. In the various debates Mr. Angas took a fairly active share, and resolutely adhered to his fixed conviction that Scriptural instruction must form part of any com- plete national system. The Council, however, took the ground that the contemplated expense of 90,000 in the first year was more than the finances of the colony could afford. The Bill was conse- quently rejected, and the question hung up for a couple of years. Yet another great project in which Mr. Angas was strongly interested formed one of the side dishes on the Parliamentary bill of fare. This was the trans- continental railway from Adelaide to Port Darwin, and a Bill was introduced providing for the railway to be constructed on the land grant system. As the proposal included the alienation of about a hundred million of acres in ten-mile blocks, it met with vigorous opposition, and as there never was an energetic determination to push the matter, the Bill did not get so far as a division on the second reading. As a somewhat similar scheme has been submitted to the financial and speculative world quite recently and failed to obtain a single offer, it is a somewhat interesting question whether better success would have been obtained thirty years ago. The session of 1874 was not particularly eventful 160 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. from the politician's standpoint. There was no political crisis of a serious character, and it was re- marked at the close that the proceedings had been freer from the spirit of faction than in several previous years. Two questions continued to occupy the public mind, and the divergent interests may account for a kind of restlessness that while prompting to action prevented it at the same time. Railway extension was demanded, but there were conflicting opinions as to the best routes to adopt. Lines running inland from the northern ports were urged, and one of them was commenced, but most proposals were met by alternatives in opposition. The other subject was the Murray trade, which there was a universal desire to secure, but whether by a railway or a canal, and if the former, at what point, the stream should be tapped furnished endless matter of debate. A Murray Railway Bill got as far as the third reading when it was lost by the casting vote of the Speaker. Resolutions in favor of various projects, including among others a railway to the Victorian border, were carried, and, indeed, it seemed easy enough to obtain an affirma- tion of most projects in that form, but when the object became embodied in a Bill it received very different treatment. By way of clearing the air it was resolved towards the close of the session that the Government be instructed to enquire and report on the railway requirements of the province generally. Evidently an organiser was needed to weld such proposals as were worth considering into a consistent and harmonious whole. THE POLITICIAN. 161 A perusal of " Votes and Proceedings " shows that Mr. Angas was actively interested in these movements, and that, whenever he assumed the initiative, he achieved more than average success. He took a prominent part in getting the Inebriates Act passed, and, as usual, his efforts were mainly directed to practical and pressing affairs. Notwithstanding the distracting influence of divided views, several important measures saved the work of the session from barrenness. Progress was made with the education question. The Port Pirie to Gladstone railway was commenced, and direct telegraphic communication with West Australia was resolved upon. The session closed on November 6th, with the knowledge that the dissolution of Parliament would follow in due course. II. THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY. Eighth Parliament , 1874-6. Political Life Unattractive Another Case of Duty A Flattering Requisi- tion Second Electoral Campaign Sidelights on Speech-making Meeting Opposition - Head of the Poll again Congratulations and Comments A Popular Ovation An Important Session Adelaide to Melbourne Railway The Boucaut Policy - Its Discussion Boucaut Ministry Obstruction in the Council Effect on Public Opinion Special Session The Policy Again -Another Aspect Ministerial Changes Mr. Angas's Retirement -Press Comments on his Services -Their Permanent Value. Political life had not increased its attractiveness for Mr. Angas, and he did not attach much im- portance to the honor of being a member of Parlia- ment. The demands that were made on his time were inconvenient, he was impatient of the dilatori- ness with which business was transacted, and he had little sympathy with the intriguing for place and power that was generally going on. It is scarcely surprising, therefore, that when the elections for the eighth Parliament were looming near, he felt some doubt whether he should offer himself as a candidate or not. Had he yielded to his inclinations he would have retired into private life, but the question of duty came up, and the habit of a lifetime could not be laid aside. The attitude of Mr. Angas's mind was clearly shown by the reports that were given at a pre- liminary meeting of his supporters that was held in the town of Gawler, and incidentally the hold he had obtained on the public confidence and respect. One speaker after another testified to the service Mr. Angas had rendered, and the desirability of retaining THK POLITICIAN. IT.*} him as representative of the district. It was fully understood that his coming forward depended en- tirely on a sufficient assurance being given that the electors wanted him, and the only point in dispute was how to make their desires impressively known. Eventually it was decided to prepare a requisition for signature in the usual course. The terms of this requisition indicated that Mr. Angas's first Parliamentary term had been a distinct success. They embodied hearty thanks for past services, recognised the devotion manifested in all public questions for the progress and welfare of South Australia, and contained a distinct promise of energetic support. The tone throughout was many degrees more cordial than the request emanating from the same quarter three years previously, and between three and four hundred signatures were appended to the document. The dissolution of Parliament by proclamation took place on January 6th, 1875, and the electoral campaign immediately began. It happens that among Mr. Angas's papers there are more complete records of his proceedings on this occasion than are to be found respecting the contest of 1872. Some additional light is thus shown on his methods as a public speaker beyond that which can be extracted from the reports of his speeches. He never culti- vated the art of speaking in public, or attempted to captivate an audience by his diction or style. There is nowhere visible a single grain of the salt of humor, or as a substitute for it the spice of irony and sarcasm. Yet he was undeniably effective. He had a strong but agreeable voice, and a manly independent 164 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. manner. What he had to say was said clearly and well, and when he had finished he sat down. He had the valuable faculty of making a business-like statement intelligible, and, as he always understood what he was talking about, he was able to make others understand it also. The preparation which Mr. Angas made for his election speeches shows that he did not spare himself when gathering materials. He had the necessary facts to support his arguments or justify his action marshalled and arranged in the most orderly manner, and his memoranda are models of condensed sugges- tions. There are lying before the writer the materials for some half-dozen speeches which seem to have been delivered during an electoral tour. The absence of manuscripts indicates that there were none written, and the notes or outlines were by no means voluminous. A half-sheet of notepaper appears to have done for some meetings, but for others there were two, and in one case three pages were occupied. The amount of material compressed into a small space is remarkable. There is com- prehensiveness of range and copiousness of data. The clothing of ideas with language was apparently left until the time came, and if Mr. Angas spoke well it was because he took pains to prepare his mind. In the envelope that contains the notes there are extracts and documents proving that he was parti- cular in verifying alleged facts, and in disputed matters was careful to have the evidence at hand. Among the documents thus preserved there is one that shows how Mr. Angas met opposition. A THE POLITICIAN. friend wrote him a kindly -meant warning that he would probably have a lively time at a certain place because the people were not contented with the road vote for their locality, and also " had it in " for him on account of his being a squatter. His reply was characteristic. After expressing thanks for the friendly note, he said : ' I am quite prepared to ' pick the crow ' with the electors at - . Whether in the House or at the Road Board I have always endeavoured to do what was right." He repudiated responsibility for the appropriation that was criti- cised, explaining where the blame was due. He added : " As to my being a squatter, please tell the people I was brought up to the business, so it is my misfortune and not my fault. ... I hope to meet as many electors as possible on Monday." The elections excited unusual interest throughout the district, and the result was regarded as a great triumph for Mr. Angas. He was placed at the head of the poll, though one of his rivals, who came second on the list, being a German and an agricul- turist, his candidature was regarded by his country- men as almost a national event, and they strained every nerve on his behalf. Congratulations flowed in freely from all quarters, one of the most pathetic and complimentary being from his co-representative in the previous Parlia- ment. This gentleman's health had completely broken down, so that dark shadows hung over his life. He wrote, however, to say : " I have just read with extreme satisfaction in this morning's paper the result of the Barossa election, because your con- duct in the last Parliament fairly entitles you to the 166 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. position which in accord with my expectation among others you have obtained the head of the poll." It was not a little remarkable that Mr. Angas achieved his most signal victory in Gawler, the chief town of the district, where he had been rela- tively weakest three years previously, polling almost as many votes as both the other candidates put together. The local paper said in its next issue : " Throughout the whole of the election little doubt has been entertained that Mr. Angas would head the poll, and although some fears were entertained a few days before the polling, events have proved that they were entirely without foundation, and Mr. Angas has been returned, as he richly deserved, at the head of the poll. He did a good deal for the district during the three years he represented it, and, although at some of the election meetings he was accused of unfair partiality with regard to the appropriation of 300 for road purposes, we believe Mr. Angas was perfectly justified in pursuing the course that he did." The result of the election gave great satisfaction, and the declaration of the poll was the scene of quite an ovation to the successful candidate. The cere- mony took place at Tanunda in the presence of about 200 electors from various parts of the district. After the returning officer had made the forma announcement, Mr. Angas was called upon for a speech, and expressed his extreme gratification at the position in which he was placed. He said he had made up his mind to retire from public life and had only been induced to reconsider the matter by the request of numerous friends and the THE POLITICIAN. 1(57 numerously-signed requisition he had received. With characteristic independence he said he had explained his political views fully and freely, and, although they might not meet with universal ap- proval, they had considered him a fit and proper person to represent them in Parliament. While he had every desire to carry out their wishes, he should retain the right to exercise his own judgment and act accordingly, as he knew they would desire him to do. Several complimentary speeches followed, in which grateful reference was made to the services rendered to the neighbourhood by the Messrs. Angas father and son. Mi. Angas had driven to Tanunda in a carriage drawn by four splendid greys, and at the conclusion of the function then continued his journey to Gaxvler, making a kind of triumphal progress. At Lyndoch and other places a number of electors met and heartily cheered him as he passed, and there was a similar demonstration in Murray-street, Gawler, on his arrival there. The first session of this the eighth Parliament- was one of exceptional importance. A number of projects for railway extension and the construction of other public works had been nibbled at for a considerable time. A ' Murray Railway Bill," after being vigorously supported, and almost as energetically protested against, was thrown out during the session of 1874 by the ' previous question " being carried by the Speaker's casting vote. A large number of resolutions were adopted calling for surveys and reports as to lines running in various directions, but these were unrelated, being 168 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. for the most part the suggestions of individuals, and no part of a general policy. Among the more important of these projects were extensions of the railway system northward, to the mining towns in Yorke Peninsula, to the North- West Bend or some point on the Murray, and to the Victorian border, so as to connect with the Victorian system. As there was no -concerted action between the several promoters they drifted into opposition towards each other's schemes, and could get no further. In any proposal for an intercolonial railway the question of bridging the River Murray always cropped up as a costly hindrance, but that difficulty had been overcome. Several years before, when an enterprising mood prevailed, an iron bridge had been ordered from England, and cost an enormous sum. Before it arrived a reaction had set in, and the materials remained unused for four or five years, during which time they were dumped at a railway station en route. It was then resolved to erect the structure, and, that being done, its adaptation for the purpose of a railway was relatively an easy matter. Just a week before the Parliament was prorogued,. Mr. Boucaut (now Sir James Penn Boucaut) moved an extraordinary resolution to the effect that it was desirable to proceed forthwith with the construction of a number of specific public works, at an estimated cost of 2,200,000. His speech was interrupted in the first place by the orders of the day, but resumed afterwards, and continued until the House was counted out. Mr. Boucaut had no idea of his motion being carried, but he chose that method of THE POLITICIAN. J69 putting his proposals before the country. The impending prorogation was certain to be followed by a dissolution and a general election, in connection with which the " Boucaut policy" to use its general designation had an opportunity of being examined on all sides. An opposition manifesto of a striking and even sensational character was thus issued six months before any action could possibly be taken upon it. During that period it was freely discussed. The elections were held with the consciousness that they might be a prelude to a new departure. The Parliament met knowing that the subject would form its principal item of business. Next to it, and scarcely second in ultimate importance, was the education question which awaited settlement. The vice-regal speech referred to a revenue in excess of anticipations, to a large area of land having been thrown open for selection in the North, to an altera- tion of the land laws so as to allow of sales by tender, and to the construction of the railways which were most urgently required. It was understood, how- ever, from the first that the Ministry would not be allowed to carry out its programme. In order to give effect to his policy, it was necessary for Mr. Boucaut to have the reins of Government in his hands, and the necessary change of administra- tion was speedily effected. Parliament was opened on May 6th, and about three weeks afterwards the Ministry was compelled to resign in consequence of an adverse vote on a motion proposed by Mr. Townsend. That gentleman, however, failed to form a Cabinet, and complained bitterly that, after 170 10HN HOWARn ANGAS. boing deceived by promises of support, he was left out in the cold. Mr. Boucaut was then sent for, and succeeded in forming a strong combination. His Ministry included Messrs. Morgan, Way, and Col ton, all of whom, with the Premier himself, were afterwards knighted. The other members were Messrs West-Krskine and Ward. Notwithstanding the popular sympathy with Mr. Boucaut's " broad and comprehensive " policy, it was not written in the book of fate that he should see it carried out. He had a loyal majority in the Legislative Assembly behind him, but obstruction and defeat came from the Legislative Council. As a preliminary measure a Stamp Duties Bill was passed in order to provide the requisite revenue to pay the interest on the contemplated loans, but when it reached the Council it was thrown under the table by a motion for its second reading that day six- months. It happened that this vote was taken on the very day that Mr. Boucaut unfolded the railway and loan programme which had been matured by his Govern- ment. He did so in a speech which was remarkable for the breadth of its scope, its mastery of detail, and its clearness of exposition. It held the attention of the House for three hours, and was spoken of by a city editor as reminding him of the best efforts of Sir Robert Peel in his palmiest day- In brief, the proposal was to borrow /3 ,000 ,000 to be expended during the next three or four years, 2,290,000 of the amount being applied to the construction of eleven hues of railway, aggregating 550 miles. Reference was made at the outset in a tone of - disappointment to the adverse action in place on a vital part of the general scheme, ami this. proved fatal in the end. It was impossible to proceed with the construction of public works and to borrow money largely for that purpose, wil providing for the obligations that must be incurred- Mr. Boucaut/s statesmanship, however, profoundly impressed public opinion. Running through his policy and tinging his advocacy of many proposals was his strong, almost enthusiastic, confidence in the colony to which he belonged. Referring to sugges- tions for union with Victoria he held that if anything of that kind came off it would be for South Australia to ann^Y Victoria, and not the oilier way about. Though his programme was never carried oat in its entirety, the spirit of it lifted Sooth Australian politics to a higher level and continued to operate for many yea-- After considering the situation, the Government resolved on an early prorogation and a special session, to give the Legislative Council an opportunity of altering its mind. The first session of the Parlia- ment consequently came to a close on October 15. Although one of the Legislative Chambers had neutralised the action of the other on a great question of national policy, several important measures had been adopted. Among these were a Bill for facilitating intercolonial Freetrade which attempted to anticipate the effect of Federation by a quarter of a century. The Education Bill occupied much of the time, and was passed to the general satisfaction as introducing vast improvements in the existing system. A Lotteries and Gaming Bill, after 172 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. encountering fierce opposition, became law, and several other subjects were satisfactorily dealt with. During the recess many public meetings were held and several petitions prepared in relation to the Boucaut policy. Much popular indignation was expressed at the action of the Council, and, apart from the merits of the question, it was held to be a strange anomaly in a democratic country that a body like the Legislative Council should be able to block a decision of the representatives of the people on a great public question immediately after a general election. The special session was opened on November 10, and two days afterwards the Government introduced four Bills, which, taken together, embodied their policy as a whole. They included the necessary authorization for public works, railways, loans, and the collection of Stamp Duties, and, being introduced simultaneously, presented the several proposals, which were vitally connected, in a complete form. The Bills were, of course, debated separately, and in the discussion on the proposed railways, Mr. Angas took a somewhat prominent part. He had evidently studied the subject very thoroughly, and his personal acquaintance with so much of the country which the railways were intended to serve, enabled him to speak with weight and authority. He had formed definite opinions on such subjects as the width of guage and weight of rails, as well as on the probable advantages of each line of railway that was proposed. Some of these he unhesitatingly condemned as unlikely to be profitable, and he took the sensible ground that ample information ought THE POLITICIAN. 173 to be supplied before money was voted on behalf of any single undertaking. Thus, while he generally supported the Government, his approval was tempered by a discrimination which refused to be biassed by a merely popular cry. The keystone of the policy was, of course, the Stamps Bill, and, although this measure passed the House of Assembly with scarcely a dissentient, it was rejected in the Council by a majority of one. There was a great outcry over the fact that eight gentlemen were able to veto what the popular Chamber had resolved a second time, in harmony with resolutions of public meetings and formal petitions from all parts of the country, but there was no help for it. The Parliament was prorogued on November 30th after a session of three weeks, leaving the question in statu quo. It was hoped that the Boucaut policy would come up in its entirety once more in the session of 1876 with added momentum gained during the recess, but several things happened in the meantime. Mr. Way retired from the Ministry to become Chief Justice in succession to Sir Richard Hanson, and other changes occurred. Mr. Boucaut formed a coalition Ministry before the Parliament met, but the alliance between former opponents was not re- garded with favor. The session had scarcely begun when the Government was defeated, and the Colton Ministry formed, with Sir Henry Ayers as Chief Secretary, which, borrowing a part of the policy of its predecessor, was able to carry that instalment into effect. Before that time, however, the connection of Mr. 174 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. Angas with the Legislature had ceased. It was not in him to retain a position for the duties of which he felt physically or otherwise incompetent, and his health, having given way, he resigned his seat previously to the meeting of Parliament in order that the electors might have time to choose a fresh representative. The announcement of his decision elicited numerous testimonies of appreciation and expressions of regret, from which two may be selected emanating from very different sources and addressed to widely separated circles of readers. They illustrate the contemporary verdict on Mr. Angas as a politician and public man, other references being in harmony therewith. The Gawler newspaper, which had not been specially favourable to Mr. Angas at the outset of his career, had the following paragraph : THE BAROSSA ELECTION. ' We were not taken at all by surprise when it became known in Gawler on last Monday morning that one of our esteemed representatives in the Assembly had sent in his resignation to the Speaker,, and that the electors would speedily be called upon to exercise their franchise in the election of a suc- cessor to Mr. J. H. Angas. Efficiently as Mr. Angas has discharged his duties as our representative, it has been quite apparent to his warmest friends that the strain upon his strength has been more than even a strong constitution could bear. On several public occasions recently, when he would gladly have been present to take an active part, he has been obliged by the state of his health to send an apology, and THK POLITICIAN. . 175 now we are called, by stern necessity, to submit to the severance of a tie which has existed for several years, and, in doing so, we know we give utterance to the universal feeling of sorrow because of the reason which compels Mr. Angas to resign his seat, and also to the earnest hope that the rest he proposes to take may restore his health." A reference to Mr. Angas in the Melbourne Argus of May 20, 1876, was equally sympathetic and even more eulogistic. After alluding to his extensive business engagements, the writer proceeded : "Like his father, he is employing his surplus means in benevolent and philanthropic directions ; and many of our institutions, such as Union College, the University, the Inebriate Asylum, and the Bush- man's Club, have received substantial aid at his hands. He is blessed with a most active organiza- tion. He looks after his various runs with the energy of a working overseer. The mere effort of travelling from one to the other is no light matter. How, with all this personal superintendence of his private business, he came to take a position in Parliament, is very surprising ; but the activity and industry he displayed as a legislator were still more surprising. He studied every question, and became one of the most frequent speakers in the House. With such a heavy strain both upon body and mind, it is no wonder that his health has given way, compelling him to retire from the Legislature. >r It has not been considered necessary or desirable to trace Mr. Angas's course in relation to public affairs in minute detail, to record his votes or to quote extracts from his speeches. Any such 176 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. recapitulation would be flat, stale, and unprofitable. Only the dead embers remain of what were " burn- ing " questions thirty years ago. When Mr. Angas spoke it was to the present, and not to the future, and his addresses were not as a rule framed with a view to reproduction. One remark, however, that has been quoted is worthy of more than merely passing notice. It is perfectly true that he displayed great activity and industry, and studied every question that arose. Hence his effectiveness. It has been shown that the period during which he was a member of the House of Assembly was one of exceptional im- portance in view of the great questions that were dealt with. At such a time the services of a man who possessed a fund of personal knowledge, who gave time and thought to close examination of the conditions, and exercised a clear and independent judgment, were of immense value to the country. III. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. 1887-1894. An Important Position An Influential Requisition An Orderly Campaign Critical Period -Public Disasters Gleams of Prosperity The Jubilee of South Australia- Faith in the Country Practical Suggestions Breadth and Fairness The Jubilee Exhibition Work of the Session Irrigation Settlements -Railway Reform A Level Landscape Duty, not Ambition. After eleven years absence from Parliamentary life, Mr. Angas was induced to offer himself for a further term of service in May, 1887. The former plan under which members of the Legislative Council were elected by the whole of the electors of South Australia, voting as a single constituency, had been modified, and four districts formed by grouping several of the House of Assembly electorates together. In one of these the Central District there were two vacancies to be filled, and Mr. Angas was pressed to enter into the contest. It will be seen at a glance that this was a different and much more serious matter than standing for Barossa, where large interests, personal knowledge, and long residence, counted for so much. The Central District included the electoral districts of East Adelaide, West Adelaide, North Adelaide, West Torrens, Sturt, and Port Adelaide. It em- braced the city, with its most populous suburbs ; and contained a constituency of a special type, because of the relative density of the population, which was largely composed of the industrial classes. 178 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. A point that was noticed at the time as of some special importance was the operation of the arrange- ments for the retirement of members of the Council, which had not come fully into effect. According to some authorities the members would hold their seats for at least seven, and possibly ten years, and the lengthy period emphasised the necessity of making a careful and judicious choice. The requisition that was presented to Mr. Angas was very remarkable by reason of its weight as well as its length. It was signed by between seven and eight hundred names, a large proportion of them being those of the men who were foremost in the political and commercial world. The requisitionists stated their case with singular effectiveness. They referred to Mr. Angas' s long residence, great ex- perience, and practical knowledge ; his well-known enterprise and deep interest in the welfare, develop- ment, and advancement of the province. These considerations they held, would cause his presence in the Legislature to be of great service " at the present critical period in our history." In acceding to the request > Mr. Angas recognised the influence as well as the numbers of those from whom it formally proceeded, which no doubt guided his decision. The campaign was conducted in an orderly and decorous way, there being comparatively little public excitement, which may be accounted for by the limited franchise of the Council operating against the development of great popular interest, but there were six candidates of a curiously diverse character. Some of them had manifestly so little chance of success from the outset that their per- THK POLITICIAN. 179 severance was remarkable. Mr. Angas's election was certain all the way through, and the only question was as to his colleague, the surprise of the elections being that the other successful candidate only appeared on the eve of the nominations. The allusion that has been quoted to the critical period in South Australian history was not without justification, though the propriety of the remark was not universally perceived. The previous year had been one of great depression, accentuated by a calamity unexampled in character, and of extra- ordinary severity. The failure of the Commercial Bank was the cause of widespread distress and ruin, while it had the further effect of undermining if not destroying public confidence. It proved to be the prelude to a long train of disasters. On the other hand, there were certain directions in which gleams of prosperity were visible, and some conditions encouraged cheerful anticipations. Pastoral products reaped the benefit of a rising market. There was a good harvest. Gold dis- coveries at Teetulpa exerted a magical influence, ,uid the silver deposits on the Barrier began to unfold their wonderful richness. Thus each of the three great industries of the country the mining, agricultural, and pastoral had its word of promise to utter. The Jubilee of South Australia was about to be celebrated, and the interest it aroused, the visitors it attracted, with the display for which it furnished the occasion, all tended to counteract whatever discouraging influences were at work. Accordingly the period that was being entered upon, and that ISO JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. was covered by the term during which Mr. Angas wore the prefix " Honourable " as a member of the Legislative Council, was both critical and extra- ordinary. It witnessed much hard struggling and severe depression, alternating with periods of strong excitement. Large fortunes were both made and lost over the silver mines of Broken Hill, and the developments that did wonders for the country as a whole. The collapse which followed the boom in South Australia was bad enough, but it would have been recovered from more speedily and thoroughly had not the financial disasters of the neighboring States affected it both directly and indirectly, by retarding its progress at a most unfortunate time. In the light of what followed, the exposition given by Mr. Angas of his political ideas when appearing before the electors is exceptionally interesting as showing his well-balanced judgment and statesman- like grasp of affairs. It was marked by implicit faith in the resources of the country, provided they were industriously utilised, and its affairs wisely administered. Speaking from 44 years' experience, and as one who had done much to develop the pro- ducing capabilities of the land, he declined to admit that there was cause for serious discouragement in a temporary check. He had lived through too many periods of drought and cycles of bad seasons to be alarmed about them, or to give way in despair. Nor was his vision limited to the particular sources of wealth with which his own interests had been most closely allied. He was a firm believer in the resources of mineral treasure which only energy and enterprise could render available. THE POLITICIAN. I S 1 With all this assurance there was no tinge of visionary optimism in his forecast. Mr. Angas held that great results could only be produced by corresponding efforts, and, therefore, he advocated the employment of suitable means. Hence he strongly recommended the conservation of water, and the extension of irrigation wherever practicable. The great need of the country being a larger popula- tion, he urged the desirability of attracting the class of persons who would develop the capabilities of the land, and in so doing afford employment for thou- sands and thousands of the respectable and deserving people who were so often driven to the Government for help. In order to accomplish this, he insisted on the security of land tenure, remarking that perpetual leases would never implant in the human breast the feeling enjoyed by the possessor of his own freehold. It followed as a natural corollary that Mr. Angas was in favor of protecting local industries and adjusting taxation on an equitable basis. Though a large landowner, he frankly agreed that the land and income taxes should be given a fair trial, and that the State, as well as the individual, must make income balance expenditure. While the foregoing must not be regarded as an exhaustive recapitulation of the political creed avowed by Mr. Angas, it may indicate his political position in regard to the principal questions of the day. Evidently it was neither narrow nor selfish. There was no standing up for the rights of any one class as against the general welfare. If any line of action could be shown to be for the benefit of the community as a whole, it thereby commended itself 182 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. to his approval and elicited his support. On points of secondary importance he manifested a willingness to make concessions that should not be overlooked. He objected on principle to the payment of members, but, if carried again in the House of Assembly, he promised not to oppose it any further, though even then he did not think it should apply to the Council, and would oppose its application to that Chamber. Though a believer in local option as applied to the liquor trade, he was willing to compensate well- conducted houses for the loss of licences as the result of a popular vote. In these and similar utterances fairmindedness and impartiality are dis- cernible all the way through. The first session of the Parliament of which Mr. Angas was elected a member in 1887 proved to be a very remarkable one. The year itself was memor- able, being that of Queen Victoria's Jubilee and of South Australia also. These commemorations modified the social, intellectual, moral, and political atmosphere, as though some subtle quality analogous to oxygen had been infused into it. The project of an Exhibition, after having been sanctioned by Parliament, had been abandoned, and the Act repealed as the result of a change of Ministry. It was then taken up by private individuals, a com- mittee appointed, and guarantors obtained, of whom Mr. Angas was one. The assistance of the Government was secured, and the result proved a decided success, it being found when the Exhibition closed in January, 1888, that the attendance had been 766,880. THfi POLITICIAN. As to the work of the Parliament, it was recorded at the time that in some other sessions a larger number of measures had been placed on the Statute Book, but very seldom had so many subjects which had long blocked the way been finally disposed of. To some extent this satisfactory retrospect was attributed to the ability displayed by the Hon. T. Playford, who held the position of Premier, and in that capacity had surprised his opponents, while he had surpassed the expectations of his friends. This, however, was not the whole. An equally noticeable feature of the period was the growing power and influence of the Legislative Council. The cause of it, and probably the inevitable cause, was the operation of comparatively recent Legisla- tion which had brought the members into closer touch with their constituents and rendered the body as a whole more amenable to public opinicr. Among the more important results of the session, outside the regular routine, must be placed the Legislation which gave effect to the agreement with the Chaffey Brothers, the irrigationists, by whom the settlement of Renmark was founded. Great things were expected from the enterprise and experience of the Canadian experts, and, though the object lesson did not accomplish all that was anticipated, the value of the system that was inaugurated was demonstrated. Yet another new departure was the placing of the railways under the control of a Board of Commissioners in order to have their management on business lines. These and other Acts of the Legislature were in strict accordance with the views expressed by Mr. Angas 184 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. when a candidate for election, and his influence helped to bring them about. Thereafter for a series of sessions the Legislative history of South Australia, and the share taken by Mr. Angas in directing its course do not justify extended reference. There were not many great questions to bind politicians into compact and earnest parties based on great principles, such as that of protection versus freetrade. It is true that important changes were made, such as the extension of the franchise to women, and the pay- ment of members, but in the retrospect they fall into a secondary place. In such a review the formation and overthrow of Ministries appear as of even less importance, and in the several crises the Legislative Council had principally to look on. Until Federation loomed large and near, indeed, the political landscape seems relatively flat and tame, and by that time Mr. Angas had once more retired. The " Votes and Proceedings " of the Council show that until the expiration of the term for which he was elected he discharged his duty with all fidelity. The arrival of that period was a relief, and he could not be induced to stand again. Had Mr. Angas become a Minister of the Crown he would undoubtedly have made a greater name for himself as a political leader and public man. He would have been a tower of strength to any Administration that was fortunate enough to secure his aid, for his comprehensive knowledge, his busi- ness-like habits, and his familiarity with large con- cerns,, would have made him invaluable and ensured his success. The fact that he would not, and its THK POLITICIAN. 1 S.~> being well understood, prevented his ever being prominent as a partisan, and, consequently, affected the popular recognition of his personalitv in the political world. His independent position was the result of deliberate choice. He had no personal ambition to gratify, but he always felt that he had a duty to discharge. It would be greatly to the advantage of South Australia if more of its politicians resembled John Howard Angas in the principal characteristics by which he was distinguished throughout the entire period during which he took an active part in Legislative work. PART IV. THE PHILANTHROPIST. I. GOVERNING PRINCIPLES. A Philanthropist Making Money Using it Wisely A Difficult Problem Principles in Operation Conscience and Duty Spontaneous Gener- osityThe Useful, not the Sentimental Personal Activity Devotion of Time A Capable Organiser Not for Applause "Searching Out"- Private Beneficence Specimen Cases. A philanthropist has been described as a lover of mankind ; one who wishes well to his fellow men and seeks to do them good ; one who practises and pro- motes benevolence, or charity on the ground of humanity. If this definition of the character be accepted as correct, it amply justifies the application of the term to John Howard Angas. He possessed in a very high degree of development the char- acteristics that are referred to, and was governed throughout his career by the motives that are assigned. The faculty of amassing wealth may or may not be valuable to the individual who possesses it, but it enables him to be a public benefactor. He may be either the better or the worse, the happier, or the more unhappy man for its exercise. His riches may be his glory or his shame, but the power of accumulation they represent, and its results are probably of greater advantage to the community than is commonly recognised. Capital is necessary for the prosecution of large enterprises which form an essential part of modern industrial and commer- cial systems, and its personal control is a pre- THE PHILANTHROPIST. 1^7 requisite to their initiation and management. A man of wealth, therefore, is not to be regarded per se as an anachronism of civilization, but as its legitimate product and agent, whom character and circum- stances have placed in a position of possibly excep- tional usefulness, and certainly of special responsi- bility. Using money wisely is of higher importance than gathering it largely. The latter in itself may be ignoble, but the former must be praiseworthy. The two things do not always go together, but their separation is likely to be disastrous. Absorption in the pursuit of gain for its own sake is avarice- one of the most corroding vices of humanity, but energy along the same lines with a worthy purpose in view is a virtue to be admired. The satisfactory movement of the world's machinery, on which the welfare of myriads depends, is contingent on the judicious employment of the accumulated wealth which has been needed to set it up and is required to keep it going. Whenever, therefore, the capacity for acquiring wealth is allied to that of rightly utilising it, and both are regarded as a trust to be discharged, a double claim to appreciation is established. The distribution of wealth in such a manner as to ensure its production of the largest amount of good, is perhaps the highest and most difficult duty which its possession entails. The claims presented are legion, their relative degrees of importance infinitely diverse, and the channels along which streams of benevolence and charity may flow radiate to every point of the compass. A proper appor- 188 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. tionment of whatever means are available for disposal in this way is only one of the problems to be solved. A true estimate of the general duty which has to be discharged is commonly still more difficult to form and act upon, so that conscience shall be satisfied with the limitations that are imposed. The operation of these general principles may be clearly seen throughout the whole of Mr. Angas's career. Much rriore than most men he had the faculty of making money, but he had also a strong sense of the responsibility which it brought with it, and an earnest desire to do his best in its employ- ment. While keenly alive to his own interests, he was public-spirited in his enterprises, and sought to benefit others as well as himself. He had no disposition to hoard money for its own sake, and though he tenaciously held fast to certain kinds of pro'perty, he was free in both spending and giving away when the object commended itself to his judgment. In speaking of Mr. Angas as a philanthropist, it is not easy to avoid the use of language that might appear to border on adulation, for the subject is many-sided and exceptional. The impulse that prompted activity in this direction was strong and enduring. It found expression in a great variety of ways. To trace its origin and analyse its character is interesting, while to follow out its manifestations is profoundly impressive. The generosity for which Mr. Angas was so con- spicuous had its origin within himself. He doubt- less inherited the tendency which it reveals, but no hereditary bias of the kind can be permanently THE PHILANTHROPIST. IS!) commanding without personal cultivation. In early life he was under the influence of parental example, and the reverence he always cherished for his father had an undoubted effect upon his actions, but it imposed no constraint on his personal freedom. In some directions the sympathies of Mr. Angas were strongly engaged, and when this was the case they proved the most powerful advocates of any when claim? were presented, but in the great majority Conscience and Duty were the determining factors, which never lost their power. Hence it followed that a line of conduct entered upon at an early stage was persevered in for a long succession of years. When such motives govern conduct and retain their authority there is not likelv to be anything fitful or spasmodic in the result. In the case of Mr. Angas they impelled to a certain spontaneity which sometimes occasioned gratified surprise, and also to sustained support, continued for long periods, to institutions which had found an abiding place in his heart. It is noteworthy that the mere popularity of any movement or organization was not of itself an open sesame to Mr. Angas's cash box. He cared less for the general appraisement of what was recom- mended to his attention, than for its intrinsic merits as they appeared to his own mind. Nor did it matter very much to him how his reputation was affected by his consent or refusal, so long as he was satisfied about the matter himself. He had no unworthy hankering after applause, though he was not indifferent to the name he bore which was a part of his trust being honored in connection with 1W JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. agencies to which he had lent his valuable aid. Very little of the large amount given away by Mr. Angas went for what may be called show purposes. The merely ornamental had no charm for him when compared with the useful, and in thinking over the stream of his benefactions one is forcibly reminded of Pope's lines concerning those of the Man of Ross " Not to the skies in useless columns toss'd Or in proud falls magnificently lost, But clear and artless pouring through the plain, Health to the sick and solace to the swain." It was this consistent effort to ensure practical benefit by methods which ramified over a most extensive area, and were continued with unabated interest throughout a long life, that entitled Mr Angas to the exalted though unsought designation of the greatest philanthropist of Australia. An important feature of the case would be over- looked were mention omitted of the personal activity displayed in this department. Within the lines of his capability Mr. Angas was quite as ready to employ his time and talents in doing good, as could have been expected of him, were this the whole of his service. He never regarded the ability to sign his name to a cheque as an excuse for backing out from his share of individual effort. Thus, while he was ready to contribute largely when necessary towards the religious training of the young, he was faithful and diligent as a Sunday-school teacher. Reference has been made elsewhere to the interest he showed in the class he had gathered around him before he left England, and he continued in the same THE PHILANTHROPIST. 191 kind of work at Collingrove till nearly the close of his life. Towards the maintenance of religious ordinances he gave freely, and he was consistent both in his establishment of family worship in his own home and in the regularity of his attendance when Sabbath services were within his reach. Mi 'ii of wealth are necessarily subjects of special temptation. One of these is to confuse ability to give with ability to serve, and to make the one do duty for the other. It is not very unnatural, though it may be erroneous to suppose that duty is done towards any particular cause when its funds are assisted, but it is evident that Mr. Angas did not cherish any such idea. Considering the busy life he lived, the time he gave to institutions in which lie was interested was more than could have been expected. His work on committees was diligently performed, so far as circumstances allowed, and his counsels were valued by his colleagues as those of a clear-headed and far-sighted man. The business-like habits he had of making himself familiar with details, his strong common -sense, and his judicial temperament, enabled him to render service which would have been highly esteemed, apart from the substantial benefactions by which his personal interest was expressed. As a business man Mr. Angas owed much of his success to his administrative capacity. He was a born organiser, and through the agencies he estab- lished he kept himself in constant touch with the affairs of many widely separated, entirely different and very important concerns. He knew everything about all of them, almost as though they were 192 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. individually and constantly under his eye. Some- thing of the same kind pervaded his philanthropy. His interest in the proceedings of a great variety of organizations was very real. He looked carefully for evidence of their success, and kept himself posted in their operations by means of reports, periodicals, and correspondence, as well as personal contact. Hence, although the objects which had the strongest hold on his personal sympathy might not stand in the same relative position to other minds, they commended themselves to his judgment as well as his feelings, and there were reasons which satisfied his intelligence for what he undertook and did. There is always some degree of risk lest con- tributors of large sums for philanthropic purposes should discourage others of narrower means, leading them to feel that their utmost efforts are relatively insignificant. So far as was possible, Mr. Angas strove to avoid this liability, and constantly urged the necessity of others doing their share. He had no unworthy ambition to pose as a distinguished public benefactor, or to be the subject of popular applause. Accordingly he was by no means anxious to initiate or lead, but when a movement he approved of needed help, his aid was often forth- coming to afford encouragement or supply a special need. In the course of his vindication against the charges of his three mis-called comforters, the man of Uz said : " I was eyes to the blind and feet was I to the lame, I was a father to the poor and the cause that I knew not I searched out." Each clause in this statement might have been appro- THE PHILANTHROPIST. 1 93 priated by Mr. Angas, including the last, which is the most suggestive of any. In these days of charity organizations it is easy for any one who is of a kindly disposition to find outlets for however large a stream of benevolence he can control, in objects which advertise themselves. There are so many of them, and they are so worthy, that trouble which does not assert itself and urge its claims is liable to go unrelieved. True philanthropy searches out cases that need assistance, ascertains their requirements, and provides for their relief. Public attention is necessarily arrested by the announcement of large contributions to public objects, and a superficial judgment may conclude that they cover the whole of the ground. In the case of Mr. Angas this would be wildly inexact. He did not covet publicity, but in many instances it could not be helped. There were times when he stipulated for anonymity, and, in spite of all pre- cautions, the story of his generosity leaked out. It is, however, perfectly safe to affirm that if the name of J. H. Angas had never appeared on any subscription list, or been connected with a public institution, the aggregate of his private and personal gifts would have reached a surprising sum. Having interests in several different localities, he had a wide circle of neighbors in whose affairs he felt and showed a friendly concern. He had also a large number of employees whose claims in times of affliction he was not the man to ignore. Outside of these, innumerable applications from all sorts and conditions of men, on behalf of all kinds of ob- jects, fell to his lot, as they do to most men who are 194 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. credited with a charitable disposition and the means for its exercise. Nothing more than a general indication of the breadth and extent of the stream which concealed rather than disclosed itself is possible, but justice requires that this should be given. Mr. Angas took the trouble first to ascertain particulars, and then was glad to act as an earthly providence. At one time it was an acquaintance who had spent a good deal more than he could afford, in the dis- charge of a public duty, and was relieved by a cheque covering his expenses. At another a workman's child having died, the funeral arrange- ments were taken in hand in such fashion as to gratify parental feelings, and the undertaker's bill discharged. Illness in the family of a boundary- rider at a distance from any doctor meant heavy charges, but an unsolicited cheque for the total made things easier. A disastrous fire brought trouble of another kind which could not be wholly cured, but was alleviated by a sympathetic letter containing a draft for 100. These are cited as typical of hundreds of similar acts in which delicacy of method, and kindness of intention, enhanced the tokens of goodwill. Discrimination, judgment, generosity, and personal interest went hand in hand- No power on earth is so great as that of consecrated wealth in a good man's hand. When it is used for a specific purpose and its results can be traced which is not always possible the evidence of what it may accomplish is inspiring. A single illustration of this fact, and at the same time of Mr. Angas's principles of action may be given. The twin sons THE PHILANTHROPIST. 195 of one of the most respected ministers in Adelaide, having lost their father during boyhood, Mr. Angas undertook their education. One of them dedicated himself to the work of the home ministry, and the other to that of foreign missions. The latter, while pursuing his medical studies at Edinburgh, became a recognised leader at the University, and was distinguished for his missionary zeal. An opening for usefulness presented itself in connection with the Livingstone Mission in Central Africa which he eagerly embraced, and there, after a brief period of service he laid down his life, leaving an example of bright enthusiasm and heroic self- sacrifice that will never die. Yet another instance may be cited. A former Sunday scholar, having given evidence of talent, Mr. Angas made enquiries, and defrayed the entire cost of the necessary educa- tion and training to qualify him for the work of the ministry. The veil which covers a large proportion of Mr. Angas's philanthropic work can only be slightly lifted, and that with reticent care, but these glimpses will convey a hint of the large-hearted and open- handed service consistently rendered privately and without publication during a long series of years. IOC. JOHN HOWARD ANC.AS. CHURCHES AND SUNDAY-SCHOOLS. Their Moral Value Assistance to Hundreds -Collingrove Sustaining- Religious Ordiaances on Stations Congregational Jubilee Fund Twentieth Century Fund - S.A. Sunday-school Union Sunday-school Libraries. Special reference should be made to the generous support which religious organizations received from Mr. Angas during the whole of his life. Any worthy enterprise might safely calculate on his assistance to make it successful, so far as a liberal donation could accomplish that object. He gave ample proof of his firm belief in the moral value of churches and Sunday schools, and in aiding their establishment and operations gave practical effect to fixed principles. If a list were made of all the churches which Mr. Angas's money helped to build, and a precis drawn up of the grateful letters he received in acknowledg- ment of his remittances, both documents would be interesting and surprising. The number would run into hundreds and embrace a considerable variety, including German as well as English. What Mr. Angas would not help, if he knew it, was the needless multiplication of church buildings in places where there was a scanty population. He was glad to provide facilities for public worship, and the churches with which he was most closely identified at Angaston and Collingrove showed his appreciation of what was appropriate and becoming. The former in its architecture and appointments, its external appearance, and internal arrangements, is almost a model of what an edifice in such a locality, dedicated to such a purpose, ought to be. The Collingrove church, erected by himself on his own "I _c U U THE PHILANTHROPIST. 197 property, with its ivy clothed walls and neatly kept grounds, is a picture of simplicity and good taste,, and the order of service, in which Mrs. Angas's well- trained choir always took a prominent part, was entirely in keeping. Mr. Angas was not content merely to furnish material appliances, but felt it his duty to sustain the ordinances of religion for which they provided opportunities. He had a strong sense of obligation in the matter, and accordingly on his distant stations as well as at home, at Hill River, and Melrose, as well as Collingrove and Angaston, he bore either the whole or the principal part of the expense, for many consecutive years, and in other places which had less claims upon him he did the same. Being a Congregationalist by choice, Mr. Angas was naturally more deeply interested in the affairs of that denomination than of any other, and by his gifts to its funds in connection with certain im- portant movements, he " being dead yet speaketh." When the Jubilee of that body was celebrated in 1887 an effort was made to raise 30,000 in order to liquidate all church debts, and Mr. Angas offered to contribute 10 per cent, on the amount obtained. The total results only reached about half the sum that was aimed at, but Mr. Angas did more than his promise by giving /2,000, and this v as added to the funds of the Chapel Building Society, from which loans are granted to suburban and country churches free of interest or on very easy terms. Hence the gift, instead of being absorbed in current expenses, has a permanent life of usefulness. When the Twentieth Century Fund project was launched its promoters had a less ambitious design. 198 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. The documents containing a statement of what was proposed were forwarded to Mr. Angas, and they bear the following intercalation : " Wanted 05,000. 500 after shearing, also 5 % on all contributed in excess of 10,000. J. H. A." This promise was superseded by one of an unconditional /1 ,000, which was duly redeemed. Several references have been made to the interest shown by Mr. Angas in Sunday-schools. It was partly hereditary, for his father was one of the founders of Sunday-schools in the North of England, the originator of the great Newcastle Sunday-school Union, and an enthusiast in this department all his life. But it was also personal, for if there was one subject more than another in which Mr. Angas had pronounced convictions it was the importance of religious training for the young. Sunday-schools being departments of the churches to which they belong, do not need financial assistance to the same extent as most institutions, but for many years Mr. Angas was much the largest contributor to the funds of the S.A.S.S. Union, and he provided for its further usefulness by a bequest in his will of 1 ,000 for the purpose of establishing a library scheme for country schools. If the Council of the Sunday - school Union adheres to the proposal that was made when the bequest was announced the agency will operate for all time. The suggested plan was to preserve the principal intact, and to annually utilise the interest of it in supplying boxes of library books on loan, replenishing the stock as required. The stream of healthy literature which might be kept flowing in this way would in a few years be exceedingly large. THE PHILANTHROPIST. 199 THE BRITISH AND FOREIGN BIBLE SOCIETY. Belief in the Bible Hereditary Interest First President of the S.A. Auxiliary Contributions to Funds Circulating- the Scriptures Third Contingent Jubilee Testament A Frustrated Purpose. Whatever appreciation Mr. Angas had of good books he set a far higher value on what he regarded as the best of all, which is pre-eminently the Sunday- school text-book. His belief in the Bible was pronounced and emphatic. He actively interested himself in its wide dissemination, and had a specially Avarm regard for the Society which was established for that purpose. The filial sentiments which so largely dominated the life of Mr. Angas found expression in his philan- thropic work. Any object or institution in which his father was specially interested found peculiar favor in his eyes, and its claims were invested with exceptional sacredness. The British and Foreign Bible Society was a case in point. It was founded in 1804, the same year that Mr. G. F. Angas entered his father's busi- ness at Newcastle and began his career of useful religious activity in that town. From the first, therefore, Mr. Angas, sen., was interested in its operations. Having been identified with the Society in England, he naturally continued his connection with it after his removal to South Australia, and was one of the local Vice-Presidents up to the time of his death. When that event took place, Mr. J. H. Angas willingly accepted the position that had been held 200 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. by his father, that he might carry on the work. When the constitution and title of the local organiza- tion were altered in 1885, he was elected as the first President, and held that office until his decease. While he was able to do so he took an active part in the work of the Auxiliary, and when failing health interfered, he offered to retire from the Presidency, to which, however, the Committee would not consent. Towards the funds of the Bible Society Mr. Angas was a large and regular contributor, but his interest was not limited to the maintenance of its finances or its ordinary work. When special objects needed additional help it was gladly rendered, the most notable instance of the kind being the erection of the Bible House in Grenfell-street, Adelaide, towards vriich he gave several hundreds of pounds. The Secretary has recorded as an illustration of Mr. Angas' s style that not long after the completion of this building he paid it a visit. In the course of the interview he asked abruptly, ' ' What do you want ?" and was answered ' Nothing." A long conversation followed on the work that was being done. Mr. Angas left the premises apparently well pleased, and a few days afterwards sent his cheque for 100. Mr. Angas was too clear-sighted to imagine that money gifts were everything, or that they were more than a means to an end. The business of the Society was to circulate the Scriptures, and this Mr. Angas earnestly desired to promote. He had a firmly-rooted old-fashioned belief in the Bible, and took his own way of giving it effect. Each THE PHILANTHROPIST. 201 officer and man of the several contingents of troops that left for South Africa during the Boer War was presented with a Bible, and the volumes supplied to the Third Contingent were given at Mr. Angas's own expense. His most liberal and thoughtful act of that kind was at the time of the Queen's Jubilee in 1886, when his offer to give a New Testament with Her Majesty's autograph in it, having been accepted, 40,000 copies were ordered from the Parent Society in London. These were supplied at less than half cost, but to lessen the loss incurred on that account, Mr. Angas made a special donation of 160, besides bearing all the charges for freight, carriage, and dis- tribution. The books were distributed among the scholars of 510 schools in South Australia, and, there being a surplus, the remainder were sent to Tasmania and Western Australia at Mr. Angas's request. Ten years later, when Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee was about to be celebrated, Mr. Angas initiated negotiations for repeating the operation on a somewhat more extensive scale. He proposed to give away 60,000 New Testaments, but an essential part of the scheme was that each copy should contain a fac simile of Queen Victoria's signature. For some reason which at this distance of time and space it is difficult to either understand or justify, the authorities at home could not, or at least did not, take steps for complying with this condition, and the plan fell through. The correspondence duly docketed was thus endorsed by Mr. Angas, 4t As the Bible is excluded from the State Schools 02 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. in South Australia, I regret that the B. & F. Bible Society in England would not take any action in this matter. J. H. A." . . . The thoughtful generosity of the good intention was not lessened because of the obstacle which prevented its being carried out. To Mr. Angas might be applied the commendation upon a far greater man, " Thou didst well that it was in thy heart." II. MISSIONS. THE LONDON MISSIONARY SOCIETY. An Interesting Story Supplied by Rev. J. King Home Atmosphere The " Duke of York" Captain Morgan His Journal Scope of "the Society Mr. Angas and New Guinea Reasons for Special Interest- An Annual ^500 The Angas Inland Mission The Angas Industrial Mission Growing Concern Mr. Geil's Testimony Under-currents of Interest " ^10,000 for New Guinea" The Last Interview A Personal Appreciation. One of the oldest and largest organizations of its kind in the world is the London Missionary Society. A variety of circumstances induced Mr. Angas to take special interest in its operations, and it became the channel through which many thousands of pounds were dedicated by him to the service of the heathen world. The story of his association with the Society, including an explanation of the largeness of his gifts, forms an interesting narrative. It is best told from the other side, from the stand- point of the agent rather than that of the principal, and of the recipient instead of the donor of princely contributions. Accordingly, the Rev. Joseph King, the organising agent for the Society in Australia, has been induced to supply the necessary informa- tion. The following paragraphs are substantially and in most cases literally from his pen. It may bt- noted that certain facts are mentioned which have been recorded elsewhere in this history. Their repetition was considered preferable to omissions which would have interfered with the sequence of Mr. King's remarks. 204 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. The interest which Mr. Angas took in the work of the London Missionary Society had its origin in the atmosphere of the home of his boyhood. His father was a keenly sympathetic observer of every Christian movement toward the amelioration of the condition of benighted peoples, and when the Rev. John Williams was on his memorable visit to England, he was entertained in the home in which John Howard Angas was then a boy in his teens, and he never forgot the circumstance. The Mis- sionary gave his father two whale's teeth which he had brought from the Pacific, and Mr. Angas cherished these curios amongst the treasures in his Collingrove drawing-room, describing them to visitors as the gift of the martyr of Erromanga. The place which missions have filled in modern history is not an unimportant one. In the expand- ing energy which has made Greater Britain, -evangelical aggression has been one of the forceful elements. George Fife Angas was one of the founders of South Australia, but in his mind the colonising instinct was associated with a desire to extend the Kingdom of God. A Circumstance connected with the earliest chapter of South Australian history brought him into touch with the operations of the London Missionary Society. Of the four vessels which brought the first settlers to Adelaide, it will be remembered that the first to arrive off Kangaroo Island was the Duke of York, her master being Captain Morgan, who subsequently and for a long course of years was in command of the Society's Missionary vessel. Cap- tain Morgan left London under a two-fold commis- THE PHILANTHROPIST. 20- r ) sion, set forth in a letter of instruction from Mr. George Fife Angas, the original of which is in the archives of the London Missionary Society in Mel- bourne. He was instructed to land his passengers, the pioneers of South Australia, at Kangaroo Island, and then to proceed to the Pacific Ocean on a whaling cruise. Having successfully carried out the first part of his commission, he sailed for the South Sea Islands, where he not only captured whales, but formed the acquaintance of Missionaries. The whaling trip ended disastrously. The Duke of York was wrecked on the coast of Queensland. From the sinking ship the captain and crew landed at Facing Island, near Gladstone, on August 14th, 1837, where, after saving all they could from the wreck, they gathered to give thanks to God for their deliverance. In the ship's boats they found their way to Brisbane, the long and dangerous journey being full of exciting incident, from Brisbane they proceeded to Sydney, and thence in the " Hebe " to England. Just at this time the London Missionary Society, having decided to obtain a vessel for carrying on its work in the South Seas, was needing a captain to take charge of her. The " Camden," a brig, was purchased, and Captain Morgan passed from the service of Mr. Angas into that of the Society. The story of his long career cannot be told here, but his voluminous journals cover a period of forty years, and contain numerous references to historical in- cidents. They shed not a little light upon the voyage from London of the South Australian pioneers, upon the condition of the Queensland 206 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. coast before white settlement began, upon the massacre of Williams at Erromanga, and the develop- ment of missionary work in the Pacific. The entry for July 26th, 1836, describes in few words the sighting of Kangaroo Island ; the hymns sung ; the chapter of Scripture read, and the prayers offered in the evening of the day as they drew near to their haven ; and the entry for the next day tells how the anchor was dropped in thirty fathoms of water, and the colonial manager and some of the passengers were landed, a " covenant bow " the while spanning the heavens, which the saintly captain did not fail to observe and record. The point of interest just now is this, that the London Missionary Society obtained from George Fife Angas a commander who for a quarter of a century proved himself not only an able navigator, but a deeply interested and sympathetic missionary worker, and whose voyages in the Pacific covered many thrilling incidents of pioneering enterprise. With Captain Morgan, Mr. Angas subsequently corresponded, and in one letter he urged the adoption of Adelaide as headquarters of the missionary vessel. With a fine enthusiasm for the country of his adoption, in which he had unbounded faith, he dwelt upon its growing importance as a seaport, and asked his friend to suggest to the Directory of the Society the desirability of making the South Australian port the base for their operations in the South Seas. The responsiveness of Mr. John Howard Angas to the claims of missions to the heathen had many examples, and the London Missionary Society was THE PHILANTHROPIST. 20T only one of the many channels through which he gave help to Foreign Missionary enterprise. This Society is working in many countries, and offers a wide choice of interest to those who desire to support its operations. It has established evangelising organizations in Africa, Madagascar, India, China, the West Indies, the South Sea Islands, and New Guinea. To sustain the general work, Mr. Angas allocated very liberal donations, but the field in which he was most interested was New Guinea. Through different societies he gave practical sym- pathy to Christian work in Africa, China, and Syria, but the loudest call came to him from the region which was nearest home. The most pressing claim was that of help for the primitive races at our door. In responsiveness to this appeal the father was seen in the son. The voice which was raised in the Board-room of the South Australian Company in London for the evangelization of the New Hol- lander, found its echo in the ready assistance which wa< ^ivrn when the need of the New Guinean was considered. The great Papuan Island was a part of Australasia, destined to form for all time an integral part of our great Southern Commonwealth, its material riches were to reward Anglo-Saxon enterprise, and Mr. Angas loyal to the Christian traditions of his family was ready to tax the income gathered from these southern lands to save and educate the benighted children of the soil. In this he has afforded a noble example to others. He recognised black as well as white brethren, giving most liberally where the need was greatest. In this connection it should be recorded that in. '208 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. opening up new country in the far reaching territory of South Australia, he was constantly brought into close relationship with the aborigines, but no charge of injustice or inhumanity was ever laid against him. The rumours which have come to us from time to time from the backblocks of man's inhumanity to man, have never involved in any degree any of his large estates. Not only did he always act as a Christian gentleman to blacks and whites, but liberally provided for the support of missionaries, mostly German missionaries, to gather the despised aborigines into the fold of Christ. When in 1871 the dark land of New Guinea was approached by the London Missionary Society, he became an interested observer, and as the story of Christian heroism and faith unfolded itself, his in- terest deepened, and he became a subscriber of /500 annualy toward the work. This annual gift was not, however, the limit of his help. For several years the Society's operations were confined to the coast, but the hinterland, crowned with lofty moun- tain heights, was unoccupied. There had been short exploratory visits, and natives had come from their homes on the mountain slopes to the coastal mission stations, but no organised effort had been made to plant stations inland. " The work along the coast line," says Mr. King, " had been as much as we could accomplish with the men and the means at our command. Just at the time that the missionaries were talking earnestly about an inland movement, Mr. Angas sent for me to confer about the expense which would be involved in starting this new work. Providing myself with THE PHILANTHROPIST. photographs and locality maps, I went to Adelaide,, dined with Mr. and Mrs. Angas, and spent the even- ing in talking over the future of the Mission in New Guinea. The result of this visit was a donation for 2,000 for the planting of two inland stations, one in the Central and one in the Western district. Shortly after, Rev. H. P. Schlencker, an Australian missionary, who had been located at Fyfe Bay, was set apart by his brethren as the pioneer of this enterprise. In a populous district amongst the mountains forming the watershed of the Kemp Welch River he has built a mission house, and has already cemented a friendship with a number of tribes in the surrounding villages. This work has been named by the Committee in New Guinea the Angas Inland Mission. " Another work in New Guinea is known as the Angas Industrial Mission. This has sometimes been confused with Mr. Schlencker's work. The Industrial Mission is at Kwato, and is under the control of Rev. C. W. Abel. The instruction in industrial pursuits given at this station is simply an auxiliary department of the general work, which is being carried on here. On the little island of Kwato, owned by the London Missionary Society, near to the port of Samarai, a number of boys and girls have been gathered into an institution for Christian education, and, having shown remarkable natural aptitude for using their hands in carpentry and other industries, Mr. Abel has fostered the occupation until it has grown to considerable pro- portions. Not a little astonishment has been ex- pressed by experts at the proficiency shown by the '210 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. scholars in such useful arts. This was a kind of work in which a practical man like Mr. Angas was Certain to be interested, and he devoted a thousand pounds to its further development." During the last two years of his life, which were marked by seasons of suffering and weakness, he grew less able to maintain his interest in some of the philanthropic objects, which he had liberally supported, but New Guinea to the very last con- tinued to fill a large place in his thoughts. His heart was set upon doing more than he had yet done for the people of that land. The growth of Mr. Angas's concern for New Guinea was not clearly understood at the time, and his last great effort on its behalf took even his friends by surprise. There is, however, a clear and suffi- cient explanation. Mr. Angas watched with natural interest the progress of missions which he had founded or principally sustained, as recorded in the annual reports, but he had other and special sources of information. Mr. Schlencker very pro- perly kept him posted in the work of the Angas In- land Mission, and the narratives were highly en- couraging. The documents, which were methodically filed and docketed, bear internal evidence of careful perusal. Corroborative evidence of the success of this enterprise came from various quarters, and among others from the volume published by Mr. William IM^ar Geil, who visited Australia in 1902. Mr. Geil's ambitious and worthy project was to visit the entire missionary field. He, therefore, took New Guinea in his course of travel, and spent a Christmas THE PHILANTHROPIST. 211 with Mr. Schlencker on his station at the foot of Mount Douglas. In " Ocean and Isle " he devoted eleven pages to the Angas Inland Mission, and in- cluded a number of photographs, including one of its founder. In his own slap-dash, unconventional style he described what he saw in terms that were better fitted to kindle enthusiasm than any mere eulogy. He spoke of the industrial development of the property, and its prospects of becoming a self- supporting mission. The purpose was said to be to save the whole man, body, soul, and spirit, and to create an influence radiating on the villages around. Mr. Schlencker was described as " the man for the job," dressed " in a garb suggestive of a Texan cowboy and having the appearance in face and fixtures of a pioneer and vigorous explorer." Mr. Geil did a little exploring with Mr. Schlencker, tried to accept his substitute of baked bananas for bread and did not like it, worshipped with him, heard him give a magic lantern lecture to the natives, and of the man and his work had nothing but good to say. In the light of such testimony one can understand the singular interest with which Mr. Angas would peruse the direct reports of Mr. Schlencker to him- self. It is suggestive that one of those which have fallen into the present writer's hands bears the pencilled memorandum, " Read 3rd March, 1903," and the other " Read again 23rd November. J . H. A." What came of this reading and cogitation may be told by the Rev. Joseph King in his own words. Mr. King says : ' On November 1 1th, 1903, Mr. Angas wrote to me thus : ' I should be glad to know if you are likely 212 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. to be visiting this State, as, if so, I should be glad to see you here, as I have several matters connectec 7 with the New Guinea Mission which I would like to discuss with you.' I replied naming a day when I could be with him, and he telegraphed to me to come. " On the morning of the day he sent his carriage for me to Angaston, and when I reached Collingrove at 10 o'clock I found him still in bed. He was not in the habit just then of rising until eleven. He was bright and ready for business, and with little introduction told me that he had 10,000 to give me for New Guinea, if I could advise him as to the way in which it could be spent. Not wishing to take upon myself the responsibility of allocating so large a sum, I asked for time to consider the way in which it should be expended, but suggested the transference of the money subject to the future allocation of it. To this he consented, and instructed his Secretary to arrange for the payment of the amount in Treasury Bills. " The transaction of this business was followed by some hours of pleasant intercourse. We walked together in the garden and visited the stables, and sat on the verandah and talked of the earlier days of his life of untiring activity. After lunch he drove with me into Angaston, where I wished him ' Good- bye,' and I never saw him again. Six months later I was driving along the same road as one of a long procession of mourners who were following him to his grave. It was strange that he died on the very evening we were holding our Annual Missionary Meeting in the church of which he was a member. THK PHILANTHROPIST. '213 As we met we knew that the family were watching by his bed for his passing, and we shortened our missionary meeting to pray for them and for him. " My duty in writing these few lines has been a simple one, and does not include any general re- ference to Mr. Angas's life and character. The measure of his giving to the work of our Missions was always large, the manner of the giving spon- taneously, and without ostentation, and every amount given through myself was unsought and unsuggested ; in each case the thought was his own, and yet not his own. He gave because he believed. He talked little about his Christian faith, but he declared it in the use he made of the means God had given him to employ." 214 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. OTHER FOREIGN MISSIONS. The Zambesi Industrial Mission. To a mind constituted like that of Mr. Angas there was special attractiveness in the idea of an industrial mission. Most of his life was spent in occupying waste places and subduing the wilderness. He realised the advantage to a community of im- proved methods in agricultural and pastoral pursuits, and the ample rewards of intelligently directed labor towards definite objects. These pursuits were to him consecrated by the sense of duty, and by him raised to the degree of fine arts. Accordingly, with all his confidence in the power of .Gospel truth, and belief in the efficacy of teaching it, he was constrained to approve of the programme of the Zambesi Industrial Mission, and to lend his aid to carry it out. The promoters of this enterprise adopted as one of their principles the necessity of making Missions self-supporting and self-propagating. In order to do this they held that they must embrace in their conception, and ally to themselves, all consecrated ability. Accordingly their great object was to find a centre where the conditions were favorable for reducing these principles to practice. It was believed that such a locality was available in the high- lands of the Shire River in British Central Africa where there would be fairly suitable climatic con- ditions and ample scope for extension. With this project Mr. Angas most heartily sympathised, he THE PHILANTHROPIST. 215 became a member of the Australian Council of the Mission, and contributed generously to its support. British Syrian Mission. One of the admirable traits in the character of Mr. Angas was his thoughtful care for the children. Accordingly a Mission which had their interests for its principal concern was sure of his sympathy. He had a close and natural tie with the Syrian Mission, for one of his near and dear relatives had entered that department of service and died in the field. This, however, was not the whole. The primary object of the organization, as specified in its rules, was " to promote education based on Holy Scripture among Syrian children, particularly girls." Whether Mr. Angas thought the specialising of one sex above another exhibited undue preference or not cannot be told, but it is certain that his large annual sub- scription went to the Boys' School at Beyrout, and a further sum of 18 per annum maintained a pupil who was regarded as his " protege." Lois Cox Memorial Home. Similar in many respects to the foregoing, as an illustration of feelings which he expressed in deeds rather than words, and that were praiseworthy as well as powerful, was the action taken by Mr. Angas on behalf of an institution that has a direct connec- tion with South Australia. The South Australian Auxiliary of the London Missionary Society gave a consecrated young lady to India, a daughter of the late highly-esteemed Rev. F. W. Cox. Lois Ainslie 216 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. Cox was the earliest Australian candidate to enter the service of the Society, and first at Madras, and subsequently at Salem, in Southern India, she labored with singular devotion. While living at Salem, Miss Cox established Christian Schools in different districts, but under the strain of self-imposed hard work her health failed, she was compelled to return to Adelaide, and died in her father's house. As a memorial of a beautiful and useful life, an institution styled the Lois Cox Memorial Home was established at Salem, the necessarv funds being ^ o provided by contributions raised in Australia. In this establishment forty orphan children are housed in a Christian atmosphere and taught concerning; Christ, the Children's Friend. The institution and the District School are undei the care of two Tas- manian ladies, the expenses of maintenance being met by Australian subscribers, the contribution from Mr. Angas being out of all proportion the largest that is recorded in the report. The Home possesses the double character of an orphanage and an educational establishment. It has proved a place of refuge for Christian girls, and a special blessing to the poor. The inmates are taught to do house work, cooking, sewing, mending, &c., while scholastic training is also supplied. Both Christian and heathen children from villages near at hand derive mental and moral benefit from the instruction thus rendered available. In work of this kind Mr. Angas was greatly interested, and to help it forward gave him great delight. THE PHILANTHROPIST. '217 Regions Beyond. When the long list of Missionary and other Societies to which Mr. Angas was a regular con- tributor is studied, it might be thought that in them his generous impulses had ample scope, but he proved very often that his heart and purse were open to yet other claims. One such case was referred to by Dr. Guinness in a little booklet en- titled " My Life's Work " which he published during his visit to the Southern World in 1902. In this brief account of several great spheres of labor, Dr. Guinness referred to the wide openings and loud call for missionary work on the Congo. He described in mere outline what had been attempted, and the purposes that were in view. In order to prosecute the work more vigorously, a new steamer had become a necessity. The vessel had been constructed, appropriately named the Livingstonia, and paid for, but then 4 were no available means for meeting the heavy charges of transhipment from London to the upper waters of the great river when Dr. Guinness left England. The cost of transit and reconstruc- tion was to be 3,000, and it was determined to wait rather than go into debt. About two-thirds of the amount had been subscribed when Dr. Guinness visited Collingrove, and while there, to his unspeak- able delight, Mr. Angas gave the remaining 1,000 that was required. The exulting gratitude of the recipient glows fervently in his book. III. PHILANTHROPIC INSTITUTIONS. DR. BARNARDO'S HOMES. The National Waifs' Association Its Great Results Exceptional Interest Dr. Barnardo's Statement Mrs. Johnson Introduces Her Brother His Intelligent Observation A Series of Gifts, totalling- ^44,216 The Spirit of the Donor Not Perfunctory Assistance to Mr. Mayer Spontaneous and Considerate Stimulating Liberality in Others Bettering Promises- Anticipating Special Needs- A Background of Local Trouble Thought- fulness in Action Sick Children and the A.C. H. Personal Impressions The John Howard Angas Cottage Homes at Ilford -Opened by Princess Henry of Battenburg. To those who only knew John Howard Angas in business the following account of his connection with the great work in which Dr. T. J. Barnardo was en- gaged will come as a surprise. It does, in fact, constitute a revelation of his spirit and principles, such as could scarcely have been obtained in any other way. Perhaps it is necessary to premise that ' The National Waifs' Association," of which Dr. Barnardo was the founder and director, Her Majesty the Queen is the Patron, and Lord Brassey the President, is at once the largest and the most suc- cessful organization for the reclamation and rescue of child-life in the world. The work was begun in 1866 on the most limited scale, but it grew very rapidly, and has attained such vast proportions that the significance of its statistics is difficult to realise. At the thirty- eighth meeting, which was held on " Founder's Day," July 16, 1904, it was reported that there were 7 ,500 children under the care of the Association, and the average rate of admissions was thirteen per day. Since the Homes were established, 54,000 THE PHILANTHROPIST. "2\ ( J boys and girls had been trained in them and placed out in life, of whom more than 15,000 had emigrated to Canada. The Association maintains the largest infant asylum in the world, having 1,000 infants in its charge, and there are also about 1 ,500 children in its various hospitals, infirmaries, cripple, and convalescent homes. Glimpses may be obtained elsewhere of the peculiarly strong interest which Mr. Angas took in institutions for the welfare of children, but in this case there is a good deal more. Dr. Barnardo's purposes and methods commended themselves to his judgment and laid hold of his heart. He gave a larger sum in the aggregate to assist Dr. Barnardo than to any other of the numerous agencies that were benefited by his help, but not only so, he constituted himself a kind of local agent on its behalf, distributing literature and collecting funds, which it was his pleasure to remit. The exceptional position which the National Waifs' Association obtained both in regard to the feelings of Mr. Angas and its share in his liberality seems to justify special treatment. No one was so well qualified to speak on this subject as Dr. Bar- nardo himself, and, accordingly, the information he has supplied is subjoined exactly as it came to hand. A degree of melancholy interest is attached to the following record, inasmuch as it was compiled during the last illness of its writer, who was at the time visiting Neuheim, in Germany, on account of the serious failure of his health, which was never completely restored. " It was very early in the year 1870," says Dr. 220 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. Barnardo, " that I made the acquaintance of a charming little and somewhat elderly lady who was present at one of my meetings, and came up after- wards to speak to me. Many had done the same on different occasions, but there was a spirituality of tone, as well as an enthusiasm awakened by the subject, manifested in this lady's conversation which led to the establishment of a firm friendship between us. Mrs. Johnson became, and continued until her death, one of my most faithful advisers and allies, and a generous helper ; she never gave largely, but she gave often, and her gifts were made doubly welcome because they appeared to come when most needed. Our work was then but a comparatively small one. I was still a mere boy a medical student living in an East-end lodging, not far from the London Hospital. Mrs. Johnson and her daughter often called on me, and their kindness when, on one occasion I was ill, made a very deep impression upon my mind. ' It was on the occasion of one of her visits, I think quite early in the year of 1873 or the end of 1872, that she, on witnessing some interesting phase of our work in the East-end, said to me warmly, ' I msut introduce all this to my brother ; he could help you better than I if only he were once in- terested.' Her brother was Mr. J. H. Angas, of Collingrove, South Australia. Suffice to say that, on the 24th March, 1873, as the result of Mrs. John- son's kind communication, I received my first gift from this gentleman, who was to be, for more than thirty years, one of the noblest, most benevolent, and most generous of my donors, whose gifts were THE PHILANTHROPIST. 221 accompanied by prayer, but who was, at the same time, a discerning and most discriminating donor, enquiring into everything and wanting the fullest information in order that he might intelligently follow the progress of our work. " Mr. Angas's first gift was 15, of which 10 was to be devoted to our work among children, and 5 to the general mission among the East-end poor. But in December of the same year he sent me 200, of which 100 was for the Boys' Home and 100 for the General Mission. I am sorry that the earliest letters which accompanied the gifts have not been kept. Correspondence accumulates so enor- mously that we are compelled, once in every 15 or i2o years, to destroy correspondence which had been kept up to then. In 1874, I had another gift, also in the month of December, of 200. In 1875 I had a similar gift, also in the month of December. Then there comes a break the longest in our story 1876, 1877, and 1878 record no gifts. I think it is likely, although I cannot find any correspondence to support me in this view, that the controversy which was begun in England about our work in the year 1876 may have reached his ears and caused him, not knowing us so well as his sister did, to withhold his gifts for a while. But in January, 1879, we re- ceived 200 from him. In August of the same year, a further gift of 100, and then each year up to his death, Mr. Angas continued to be a bene- ficent and generous donor. In 1884 I had seven donations through him, of which, however, 164 was from Miss Angas, the total amount being 1,584. But it was in the year 1887 that Mr. Angas began to 222 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. give more largely to our work. On the 14th January of that year, he delighted me by a gift of 1,000, sending me 50 from his daughter on the 17th day of March of the same year, and a further 1,000 from himself on the 17th December. In 1888 two gifts r each of 1,000 followed. In 1889, however, I had four separate gifts of 1,000. But in 1891 he sent me six gifts, amounting, in the aggregate, to 5,600. In 1892 the gifts fell to three in number, amounting, in the aggregate, to 785. But in 1893 they again became more numerous, I had six remittances, amounting in all to 3,066. In 1894, 1,020 reached me. But again in 1895 there were fewer gifts, only two in number, and the total amounted to but 504. In 1896 Mr. Angas sent me 3,762 18s. Id. In 1897, 2,000. In 1898, 4,002 14s. 3d. In 1899, 1,501. In 1900, 2,000. In 1901, 200. In 1902, 1,503. In 1903, 1,000. " The total amount sent to me by Mr. Angas, either by his own gifts, pure and simple, or occa- sionally accompanied by small sums handed to him for our work by friends and sympathisers in the colonies, amounted to the very large sum of 44,216 "6s. lOd. To show somewhat the spirit in which this money was given, I will quote from a letter received in the year 1900 : " I send you herewith, first of exchange for ,1,000 in aid of your philanthropic work in which I still take a deep interest. I should like to have given more, but at present the price of wool has fallen about 50% as against last year's value, so that sheep farmers are in a much worse position than they were a year ago." ' His letters constantly show the effect which the THE PHILANTHROPIST. '223 fluctuations of drought or great prosperity in the colony had upon his gifts. " But it must not be supposed that these donations of Mr. Angas's were simply sent to us by a secretary or even by himself in the perfunctory manner in which many wealthy men pay their regular sub- scriptions to charities. On the contrary, Mr. Angas always showed the deep interest he had in our work, his personal sympathy with it, and his wish to awaken sympathy in the minds of others. In the year 1891 I sent over the Rev. W. J. Mayers and twelve of my musical boys as a deputation to visit Australia. The pecuniary result was, on the whole, most encouraging. I think, after all expenses were paid, Mr. Mayers remitted or brought back nearly 1 0,000. In doing all the work that had to be done, in making plans, and in surmounting diffi- culties, Mr. Angas gave his personal service in a most encouraging and delightful way. He enter- tained my boys and Mr. Mayers. He became the Treasurer for South Australia, and rejoiced to send me, year by year, even if they were only small sums, the little gifts that poured in from comparatively poor people, and even from the very young, in aid of our work. Writing quite recently, in July, he said : " I send you herewith statement of subscriptions received by me as Treasurer for South Australia during the six months ending 2nd July, 1903, and an order on my London agents for ,23 155. 8d. for the same." " That Mr. Angas's thoughts went out to the poor and necessitous, and that he voluntarily contributed to their relief without any appeal being made to 224 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. ;him, could be shown by many of his communications to me. Take one, dated llth February, 1901, in which he enclosed a draft for A ,000 in aid of our . *J 9 funds, and wrote as follows : "I have nothing of yours to reply to, although I am able to keep in touch with your movements by reading the ' National Waifs' Magazine,' formerly ' Night and Day.' " Owing to the severe winter in England, I am afraid there is a great amount of destitution among the poorer classes, and as I know that your ever-open door will have many seeking admis- sion to the Homes, I am sending you by this mail a draft for ;i,ooo in aid of your funds. The South African War and local charities have interfered greatly with outside institutions, and I have no doubt you have been similarly affected in your own immediate contributions. I wish the public in this city were able and willing to send me more contributions to be placed to the credit of your Bank account in Adelaide, of which I am Treasurer. " I was very gratified by reading your account of your recent Canadian visit and its very satisfactory results obtained by you and recorded in your own interviews with so many of your own old boys and girls. " I circulate your periodicals, which I have to thank you for, each month as they arrive. "Accept Mrs. Angas' and my very kind regards and best wishes for you and yours." ' I received quite a number of very cheery letters from Mr. Angas in the early part of my relations with him, but regret to say that these have been destroyed, and no record kept, beyond an entry of their contents, and that they had been duly replied to. ' In getting help from others to forward to us, Mr. Angas did all he could to stimulate their generosity. On more than one occasion he offered -to give 10s. for every /I contributed in aid of our work, and on one or two occasions this resulted in large additions to our Treasury. Once in the year 1898, when forwarding me 2,000 as his own gift, THK PHILANTHROPIST. >_'."> he referred to a two days' festival which had been held in Angaston on behalf of our Homes, and he adds : "I avail myself of the opportunity to inform you of the pleasant news that the two days' festival held at Angaston on Wednesday and Thursday of this week resulted in the raising of over ,150, and I have promised the friends to subsidise their efforts to the extent of los. in the i. I cannot say > r et what the net result will be, but will be able to give full particulars with the remittance for the amount shortly." " That was written in November. On the 14th December he sent me 262 18s. Id., which had been the net result of the two days' festival in question. ' We never knew exactly beforehand how much Mr. Angas would send us. He did not like com- mitting himself to any promise. But once now and then he would depart from this custom. In the vear 1S96-7 we had experienced a great shrinkage in our funds. Moreover, 1896-7 being the thirtieth year of our work, it was thought desirable to raise a, special fund with a view to meeting the enlarged requirements which the growth of that work was pressing upon us. In 1896, anticipating this exten- sion of our work in connection with the 30th anni- versary, Mr. Angas kindly promised 2,000 a year for three years, but as his gifts more frequently came in December, I did not expect the money until then. But in May, 1897, he voluntarily wrote me : " You doubtless remember that I promised you ^2,000 for this year, but under ordinary circumstances I did not propose sending, nor do I think you would expect it, until the end of the year. But, after seeing your paper, I think it would probably be in accord with your wishes that I should send the money now." " He, therefore, sent me a draft, payable sixty 226 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. days after sight, for 2,000. But with >;his scrupulous care for the relief of everyone, and to see that his donations gave the most comfort and were of the most use, he wrote a letter at the same time to his London agents to say that if they had the money in hand, of which at the moment he was not quite aware, he hoped they would pay the draft on sight. Mr. Angas was led to do this simply because, from our papers, he considered that the tide of donations had begun to ebb and that we would be in a position of some difficulty towards the middle of the year. In a postscript to that letter, however, he adds, showing me the difficulties under which he made this gift : " The ^2,000 above mentioned is the second instalment of the ,6,000 promised for your special fund. We are having a terrible drought here, and sheep, cattle, and horses are dying in thousands all over the drought-stricken country, and I am a very heavy loser, while the cost of fodder is immense, and star- vation is everywhere. What the end will be, it is impossible to say. This is the worst visitation South Australia has ever experienced, and if we don't get general rains the colony will be ruined. ' ' " And yet it was from the survey of such a condi- tion of things at home that this dear servant of the Lord wrote his letter to me, enclosing, with a greater promptitude than I had hoped, his promised con- tribution of 2,000. It would be quite useless for me to endeavour to describe the relief and cheer which such a letter, written under such circum- stances from far away Australia, gave me in East London. " In June, 1898, having read from our Magazine something of the great crisis through which, at that time, we were passing, collections being made all THE PHILANTHROPIST. -J'JT over England for the Queen's Jubilee, so that existing charities were, to a large extent, deprived of their usual sources of help, he wrote as follows : " I very much regret to learn that you have been in such stress for funds to carry on your various branches of philan- thropic work. I have recently sold some stock advantageously, and consequently am in a position to give you some further help which I hope will contribute in some measure to relieve the pressure of your anxieties and labours. You will find herewith first of exchange on the Bank of Adelaide, London, for ,2,000. This amount I give you for the General Fund." " and he goes on to say " I hope now that the great excitement of the Queen's Jubilee has subsided, you will not be again placed in the position you have recently experienced." " And it was the same almost to the last. He gave because he sympathised and loved the work so near his heart, and his gifts were accompanied by that sympathy and prayerful interest which so greatly added to their value. " Sometimes he would write me concerning work in which he was personally interested in Australia. One of his very last letters, written during the pre- sent year, when he was ill and suffering, contains a pathetic reference to a hospital for sick children in South Australia. He writes under date, 9th March, 1904, with regard to himself : " I had to undergo a severe operation about two years since, and have not recovered my strength. I am now in my 8ist year and have to take a great deal of rest. "I send you under separate cover a short account of our Children's Hospital with which I have been connected ever since its foundation." And enclosed was a charming booklet setting forth the work of the Adelaide Children's Hospital to which he has been a beneficent donor. Neither 228 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. his state of health nor his pre-occupation with our work prevented his referring and attracting my attention to the little sick children at his own door to whom he was always so kind a friend. ' I only wish that my own state of health had enabled me to make such researches in our archives as would perhaps have disclosed some few other letters and notes containing items of interest to those who will ever revere, and venerate the memory of our dear friend. " The loss to our Institution by the death of J. H. Angas is incalculable. We can only hope and believe that God, in His great mercy, will raise up someone who will fill the place which Mr. Angas had occupied towards our work. But even if that should occur, I can never forget the dear friend whose acquaintance I made some twelve or more years ago, on the occasion of the onlv visit he paid to England since I had been in correspondence with him. It was in that visit I was made to feel how real and profound was the depth of his character how all his conduct, his giving, as well as his private life, were dominated by the fear of God and by a desire to act worthily as a steward, entrusted by his Master with many possessions. I was also then impressed with the keenness of the interest which he took in the promotion of good objects. He was not one atom like the ordinary patron of charitable works who gives large sums without feeling, but his whole nature appeared to be stirred profoundly by the interest he took in the objects which he helped so generously. "T. J. BARNARDO, June, 1904. :< Neuheim, Germany/' THE PHILANTHROPIST. 229 It is pleasant to know that the recognition of Mr. Angas's sympathetic interest in the National Waifs' Association has not been limited to grateful acknowledgments, but that one of the many " Barnardo Homes " bears his name, and will thus stand as a permanent memorial of his generosity. The plan adopted by the Association is not to house the children in large barracks, but to gather them in households of smaller numbers provided for in real homes, so that they may be brought within the influences of family life and family love. At Barkingside, Ilford, a place with which Mr. Angas had life-long recollections, there is a girls' village which contains sixty-four separate houses, each presided over by its own " Mother " and occupied by its own family. There is also a children's church, an open-air sanatorium for little consumptives, besides schools of various kinds, and ample space for recreation purposes and gardens. One of the principal events of the celebration on Founder's Day, 1904, was the opening of the Sana- torium and eight of the Cottage Homes by Her Royal Highness Princess Henry of Battenberg. One of these cottages was named John Howard Angas. The ceremony was interesting. The programme of proceedings occupied the entire day, and at a certain time a procession was formed to the Sanatorium for Consumptives. The Princess Henry opened the door of this establishment with a golden key presented to her for the purpose. Her Royal Highness then proceeded to open with the same key the door of the John Howard Angas Cottage, when the doors of the three adjacent 230 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. cottages were released by electricity and opened simultaneously. The houses were entered at once and taken possession of by the " Mothers " with their families. Ilford was the home of Mr. Angas during his infancy, and there, nearly four score years afterwards, within two months of his death, a most suitable memorial of his philanthropic work was inaugurated by Royal hands. THE PHILANTHROPIST. BRITISH AND FOREIGN SAILORS' SOCIETY. An Extraordinary Position " Commodore " Angas Founder of the Society -Story of William Howard Angas Work of George Fife An Illustrious Quartette Range of Usefulness Place in Public Esteem- Direct Personal Interest Circulating Literature The Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Angas Room. The institution in connection with which Mr. Angas held the most prominent position was one which would hardly be expected to have a landsman as its chief officer. It is certainly somewhat re- markable that a gentleman living at Collingrove, in South Australia, whose life was spent in pastoral pursuits, should be President of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society, which had its headquarters in London. What is still more striking is the honor that was conferred upon him in connection with the Bethel Union Association, which is composed of Christian captains and helpers. In 1897 he was informed that the Committee of Captains proposed to elect him as Commodore, and a part of his letter of acceptance is worth quoting. After referring to various matters in connection with " our Society " and offering congratulations on its progress, he ex- pressed regret that there was no immediate prospect of his visiting England, he added : " We have had two very dry seasons, and unless we are favored with rain very soon there must be a terrible drought and water famine in our Northern country, where I am largely interested. However, we must trust and not be afraid, for our Heavenly Father knows what is best." In the last sentence " Commodore " 232 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. Angas showed that he could courageously face stormy weather even when there seemed to be breakers ahead. Some departments of the philanthropic work in which he delighted were chosen by Mr. Angas on his own initiative, but others came to him as by hereditary descent, and the British and Foreign Sailors' Society belonged to the latter class. It owed its origin to the brothers William Henry and George Fife Angas in the early part of the nine- teenth century. The former was the zealous worker and first missionary to engage in the work, and the latter the real founder of the organization, who drew its plans, proposed its title, aroused public interest in its purposes, and secured its embodiment in a tangible form. The story of William Henry Angas, the uncle of John Howard, is that of a hero, full of pathetic and tragic details. It will be remembered that Caleb Angas had large maritime interests. William, his son, embraced a seafaring life, became a captain, and had numerous thrilling experiences, including those of being taken prisoner by the French and impressed by a British press-gang. The sad condition of British seamen afloat and ashore, and the culpable neglect of Jack's best interests, so wrought upon him that after laborious preparation he consecrated his life to the work of inaugurating a better state of things. George Fife Angas had almost equally wide know- ledge of the need that existed, intensely sympathetic feelings, and the capacity for business, which the leadership of such a movement required. At his THE PHILANTHROPIST. '233 instance, after tentative efforts had proved success- ful in their way, the British and Foreign Sailors' Society was launched at a public meeting in London held under the presidency of the Lord Mayor. Alderman Pirie and George Fife Angas were the first Treasurers, and both were subsequently identi- fied in founding South Australia on the Wakefield system after Flinders had examined its shores. Four parallel and adjacent streets in the City of Adelaide Pirie, Flinders, Wakefield, and Angas preserve the names of this illustrious quartette. This Society when founded was an experiment, for it was the first of its kind in the world, but its success has led to the formation of a large number of similar associations. The large-mindedness of George Fife Angas was shown in the selection of its title. He had the British and Foreign Bible Society in his mind, and hoped that the operations of the two Associations would only be separated by the margin of a water line. It has largely fulfilled the expectations of its founder, for, in addition to what it does in the United Kingdom, it has large stations in the Mediterranean, on the European side of the North Sea, South America, India, China, Australia, and other distant ports. In these ports there are over 131 Chaplains, Missionaries, Matrons, &c., and 92 Sailors' Institutions, Rests, and Reading-rooms, 45 Floating Bethels; steam launches, sail and row boats, are used in carrying on its work. Thousands of seamen annually find the benefit of its Homes and Rests, and thousands more are supplied with free beds or meals in cases of need. More than 10,000 234 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. services are held per annum at which the total attendances reach to about 300,000. Few societies stand higher in the popular esteem than that which exists for the benefit of British and Foreign Seamen. It was warmly cared for by Queen Victoria, is supported by the King and Queen, the Czar, the German Emperor, the Queens of Sweden and Holland, and other Royal personages. Vice- Admiral H.R.H. the Prince of Wales is its Patron, and the Duke of Fife its Vice- Patron. The first President of the Society was Admiral Lord Gambier, who Signed the Treaty of Peace with America in 1814. Lord Brassey held that office for several years, and only relinquished it when he was appointed Governor of Victoria. John Howard Angas was then chosen as his successor so that his acceptance of the position brought him into distinguished associations. His Presidency linked the present with the past, doing honor at the same time to the noble brothers who laid the founda- tions more than 70 years ago, and the continuity will be preserved, for Mr. Charles H. Angas was elected Vice-President in 1903. Though separated from the scene of operations by the whole diameter of the planet, Mr. Angas proved himself to be by no means a nominal Presi- dent only. The Society issues a monthly magazine appropriately entitled " Chart and Compass," and a goodly row of the bound annual volumes of this periodical occupy a conspicuous place in the Collin- grove library. By correspondence with the Secre- tary (Rev. E. W. Matthews), as well as through this source, Mr. Angas was kept well informed of THE PHILANTHROPIST. the progress of affairs, and the records constantly reveal the living interest he felt. Timely messages by post or cable on the occasion of public functions are acknowledged, and there is frequent reference to words of cheer as having been received, together with substantial help. An important department of the Society's work is the circulation of healthy literature, a work in which Mr. Angas strongly believed. His aid was of essential service in connection with the volume " Among the Sailors," dedicated by permission to Queen Victoria, and published at the time of her Diamond Jubilee, and ' Living Lighthouses," a most stimulating volume, was issued at his cost. Liberal assistance was also given both to the general funds of the Society, and its special enterprises on behalf of seamen. A permanent memorial of these services is established in an " Australian Room " in the great Sailors' Palace in London, and a " Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Angas Room " in the Home at Ramsgate. The connection of Mr. Angas with the British and Foreign Seamen's Society and its world-wide agencies has brought Australia nearer to England, done something to demonstrate the unity of the Empire, and shown that it is possible in common service to join hands across the sea. 236 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. THE BUSHMEN S CLUB. An Experiment in Social Reform The Bush Missionary Society Agencies of the Churches "William," a Picturesque Personality His Simple Life His Need of a Club Interests Mr. Angas The First Practical Step Result of Six Months' Tour The First Meeting, and Resolutions Prospectus of the Committee Opposition Further Proofs of Approval "William's" Great Itinerary The Place Selected The Club Opened Premises Extended Further Enlargement A Ten Years' Retrospect Other Institutions Changed Conditions Thirty Years' Service Death of William Hugo. Among the numerous philanthropic enterprises in which Mr. Angas took an active interest, the Bushmen's Club should have a prominent place. The story of it is well worth recording as an ex- periment in social reform. It is appropriate in this place because it so largely .engaged the sympathy of Mr. Angas, and owed so much to his personal influence. There were others to which he gave more money, but there was none to which he devoted more time and thought. The financial assistance he rendered to it was liberal, but his personal service was more valuable still. With the extension of pastoral enterprise especially in the north and north-east in the early fifties, there naturally grew up in the hearts of right-minded men a desire to supply lonely shep- herds, hutkeepers, and station hands, with some of the privileges essential to mental and spiritual culture. Cut off from society, with no external stimulus to intelligence, and far away from the sound of the church-going bell, their deprivations tended to produce deterioration. To meet their case a " Bush Missionary Society " was established THE PHILANTHROPIST. in 1856, to which the Angases father and son liberally contributed. The agents of this organiza- tion made lengthy journeys, carrying Bibles and other literature, visiting stations, distributing tracts, and holding services as opportunity offered. In some measure the churches sought to supply the need of the outlying districts, but the field was so wide that the combined efforts of all parties failed to overtake the requirements. There was room enough, therefore, for unattached volunteers, and more than one of this class acted upon a kind of roving commission for longer or shorter periods. Gradually, however, the work fell into the hands of religious bodies which had their headquarters in Adelaide, and took it up as a part of their regular operations. With the pressing necessity for its special service the separate existence of the original Bush Missionary Society passed away, but bush mission work continues to this day. It was in the mind of one of the most interesting and in a sense, picturesque, of the volunteer Bush Missionaries that the idea of a Bushman's Club originated. For several years there itinerated through the pastoral districts, especially in the north and west, a man who was only known but known everywhere as "William." His full name was William Marks Hugo, and he was a relative of the famous Victor Hugo, but these facts did not transpire till long afterwards. Little was known about his previous life, and his reticence was respected. It is generally understood by those who remember him that he had lived a rather wild life, but that as he would express it, God had found 238 JOHN HOWARD AXGAS. him out in the bush. The result of whatever mental and moral conflict he passed through was that he resolved to efface his personality, drop the use of the surname which in his sensitiveness he thought he had discredited, and dedicate himself to service for God among the class of people to which he had belonged. In pursuance of this purpose he journeyed from place to place on foot, unencumbered with baggage r receiving no remuneration at all. His food was cheerfully given him, and as his clothing wore out it was usually replenished from the station stores, His one transparent object being to do good, he was always a welcome guest, and the bush residents of Australia knew him as their friend. ' William" rarely visited the settled districts except for short periods of rest between his long pedestrian journeys r but there were certain places which were always open to him when he needed a home, including Mr. Angas's station, of course. William had long cherished the idea of a Bush- man's Home or Club being founded at some suitable place, and written on the subject, but had met with little encouragement. - It happened, however,, that he was resting at Willowie for a time in June, 1868, when Mr. J. H. Angas, who owned the station, was spending the winter there with his family. He expounded his ideas to a sympathetic listener, and Mr. Angas entered heartily into the project. It was a matter of public notoriety that bushmen and sailors were very much in the same position, and exposed to very similar temptations. During spells of work, wages accumulated, to be dissipated THE PHILANTHROPIST. and squandered in a brief saturnalia that left them stranded, destitute, and helpless. Seamen's Homes had proved a blessing and success. Why should not a Bushman's Home on corresponding lines be equally useful ? The first practical step was taken bv \Yilliam being authorised to collect opinions and suggestions. Mr. Angas supplied him with a book for signatures and remarks, the business-like view being taken that bushmen themselves should indicate in general outline the plans that would meet their case. Having received this commission, William started on a six months' tour through the Western Districts, at the close of which he returned to Collingrove, bringing with him the signatures of 174 proprietors and managers of stations, and of 651 bushmen, who heartily approved of the movement. Mean- while attention had been drawn by the Adelaide daily press to the snares and perils which beset bushmen when visiting the city, to the fact that they were systematically preyed upon, as is Jack ashore in the seaport towns, and to the desirability of founding an institution which should serve them for a home. Mr. Angas, being satisfied with the promise of support obtained by William on the stations, gave him letters of introduction to several influential gentlemen, and the upshot was that a preliminary meeting was held on December 30, 1868, to consider the whole subject. At this meeting the Hon. T. Elder was Chairman, and Mr. Angas moved the first resolution ' That this meeting hereby affirms the desirability of find- ing a Bushmen's Home, and pledges itself to use its 240 JOHN HOWARD AXGAS. best endeavors for the attainment of that object." In the course of his remarks, he mentioned that there were about 7,000 persons connected with pastoral pursuits in the north, north-east, and western districts of the State, most of whom were single men, a very large proportion being without either relatives or settled places of abode. The motion was carried, and a strong committee ap- pointed, so that the scheme was fairly launched. By some men the pledge referred to in the resolu- tion might seem to be merely formal, but it was not so with Mr. Angas. He had taken a full share of responsibility in initiating the project, had identified himself with it, and his interest in it never flagged. It was natural for the movement to establish itself in his regard, for he was a bushman himself. He knew what life in the interior was like, arid could enter thoroughly into the sentiments of the men with whom he had travelled so far and camped so often. All that a shipmaster can feel for sailors he felt for the class with which he was so closely asso- ^ ciated in different ways. The Committee met within a week of its appoint- ment, drafted a prospectus, and arranged for col- lecting subscriptions towards a building fund. The main ideas were to obtain premises which would furnish a temporary home for bushmen out of work, to provide sleeping accommodation for from 50 to 100 persons, and include reading-room, library, smoking-room, baths, refreshment -rooms, skittle and cricket grounds, and stables and paddocks for horses. Annual subscribers were to have certain privileges, and non-subscribers to be supplied with THE PHILANTHROPIST. 241 board and lodging at the usual rates. The institu- tion was to have connected with it a branch post office and a savings bank, and to serve as a kind of labor bureau. Xo intoxicants were to be allowed on the premises, all subscriptions were to go to the purchase or leasing of premises, and it was intimated that the institution must be self-supporting when once placed on its feet. It was somewhat of a surprise to the promoters that the proposal met with considerable and rather venomous opposition, and yet this might have been foreseen. To more than one class of persons bushinen coming into the city from the country with their pockets full of money and intent on having a good time, were singularly profitable customers. The prospect of their gains from that source being lessened was unwelcome, and it was easy to find topics of criticism. Bushmen were twitted with being treated like children who did not know how to take care of themselves. The enforced temperance of the home was made matter for ridi- cule. The restraints of rules were made to appear galling to men whose whole lives developed a spirit of independence. The unworthiest attacks of all were those which represented the scheme as an employer's dodge for keeping workmen more en- tirely under control, and this idea being effective, though insincere, was worked for all it was worth. The antagonism thus developed did not prevent active operations from being carried on, but un- doubtedly interfered with their success. At the outset it was proposed to establish the first " Home " at Burra, but it being found that JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. Adelaide was much more popular with bushmen, the change of locality was made in accordance with their wishes. The year 1869 was occupied in pre- paratory work. Mr. Angas regularly attended such committee meetings as were held, whether convenient or not, and helped William to make an extensive tour, visiting especially the shearing sheds. At the close of the year, on December 21st, a public meeting was held at which William re- ported progress. He had travelled 1,600 miles on foot, visited 160 stations, including 37 wool sheds, and obtained 567 in subscriptions from 1,067 persons. He claimed that as 550 others had signed the book with which he was originally provided at Willowie, at least 1,600 persons of the class most interested had declared their approval. Incidentally in the course of his statement William referred to what he had done in his regular evangelistic work, to which the plan of a Bushmen's Home was subordinate. He had traversed South Australia from the far North beyond Lake Hope to the extreme south-east, and from the Great Aus- tralian Bight on the west coast to the Barrier Ranges on the east, covering a distance of 19,000 miles on foot. No wonder that the needs of dwellers had entered into his very soul and large schemes had filled his imagination. Himself somewhat a dreamer of dreams and a penniless enthusiast, he found in Mr. Angas the business capacity and finan- cial ability to materialise the most practicable of his plans. The result of the first public meeting was to en- courage the promoters of the enterprise. Sub- THE PHILANTHROPIST. 243 scription lists which had been withheld till the results of William's canvass was known were opened. A constitution was framed, and the title of Bush- men's Club adopted. The funds being insufficient to purchase or erect premises, for which it was estimated that 3,000 would be required, enquiries were made for temporary accommodation and eventually the house formerly occupied by Judge Cooper, in Whitmore-square, was rented for one year. The necessary alterations and refitting were pushed on, and the formal opening fixed for May 20th. The active personal share which Mr. Angas had taken in the movement was indicated and recognised by his being requested to perform the opening ceremony. It was also quite consistent with his business character that, although he was one of the three Trustees on whom the chief responsibility devolved, he was not greatly charmed by the more ornamental part of his functions, and, having arranged to be at a Northern station, preferred adhering to his engagements to setting them aside that he might accept the honor which was proposed. The opening w r as performed by His Excellency the Governor, Sir James Ferguson, who was accom- panied by Lady Ferguson, in connection with a visit of inspection. At that time the Club had only accommodation for 12 persons at once, it being considered prudent to commence on a limited scale, but during the year the number of beds was increased to 24. Immediately after his return to town, Mr. Angas visited the place, carefully inspected the arrangements, had supper with the inmates, and 244 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. made himself quite at home. He had been ap. pointed President of the Club, and in that capacity took the chair at the first general meeting, which was held in the following December. The institution had now fairly entered on a career of usefulness and in the following year the premises it occupied were purchased on advantageous terms. Towards the building fund Mr. Angas and his father were liberal contributors, and the latter lent the sum of 500 without interest for some years, which, at his son's suggestion, was ultimately converted into a gift. Meantime increased accommodation became necessary, and was provided. By the close of 1872 two wings had been added to the original building, one of which, to be used as a dining hall, was opened by Mr. Angas. The finances were in a healthy condition, for the balance-sheet showed an excess of fl ,925 in the assets over the liabilities, though the latter included the 500 lent by Mr. G. F. Angas, and conditionally offered as a gift. As to the practical work it was reported that as many as 53 inmates had been provided for at the same time, and it was stated in the press that no philan- thropic movement had been attended with more genuine prosperity. To prepare for further enlargement an adjoining piece of land facing to Gilbert-street was purchased in the following year by Mr. Angas and -a few other gentlemen, who made it a present to the Club. On this ground six years afterwards what was. known as the main building was erected, a handsome two- storied structure costing 3,500. Towards that amount 2,600 had been promised before the work THE PHILANTHROPIST. 245 was begun. The foundation-stone was laid by Mr. Angas on April 29, 1878, who was presented with a silver trowel and a grateful address. When the tenth anniversary meeting came round, at which, as usual, Mr. Angas presided, it was re- ported that there had been 3,000 weekly and casual boarders during the year, making a total of 16,000 since the opening of the institution. There had been 1,625 tickets of membership issued since the commencement, and accommodation had been pro- vided for 100 inmates. The receipts had been 128 more than the expenditure, and other accounts showed the balance of assets over liabilities to be 7,406, The success of the institution attracted attention all over Australia. In many places efforts were made to establish similar clubs, and one at least in Castlereagh-street, Sydney was opened. For a number of years the Adelaide "Home" continued to fulfil its purpose, but from its very nature it pro- voked a certain amount of hostility from the classes of persons who had opposed it from the beginning. Notwithstanding the self-denial and devotion of its Superintendent William it failed to be entirely self-supporting. It was aided for some time by an annual Government subsidy, but when this was withdrawn the situation became embarrassing. Times changed. The extension of railways made a considerable alteration. The number of bushmen in the State greatly decreased. The opening of the Barrier mines drew off a large number of members. Subscribers decreased. The breach between capitalists and workers operated injuriously. Wide- 246 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. spread depression fell upon the pastoral industry, and as a result of this combination of adverse conditions, the Club shrunk so much in the third decade of its existence that its spacious premises were no longer required. Early in 1899 they passed into the hands of the Salvation Army to be used as an Industrial and Prison Gate Brigade Home. The life of the Bushmen's Club from its inception to its dispersion extended over a period of thirty years. During the whole of that time Mr. Angas watched over its interests with unflagging assiduity. He contributed largely, but did still more by his personal work on its behalf, riding, for example, sixty miles in order to be present at one of its busi- ness meetings. Many tributes to his devotion were paid by bushmen, one of them being the inscription of " Promoter of good " on his photograph, which still lies beneath one of the foundation-stones. The institution had an exceptional interest in its being the first Bushmen's Club ever established, not only in the Australian colonies, but in the world. As such it was necessarily experimental, but it would be incorrect to pronounce it a failure because it has ceased to exist. The good that it did and the evil it prevented during the quarter of a century it flourished may be regarded as clear gain, and its ultimate decadence ascribed not so much to internal weakness as to altered external conditions. The benefits it provided were largely attributable to the influence exercised and service rendered by Mr. Angas, and he was in no wise responsible for the circumstances under which they came to an end. THE PHILANTHROPIST. 247 In this connection it may be proper to say that Mr. William Hugo was never quite the same man after the Club had broken up. An effort was made to continue the boarding-house department, but the place selected was too far out of the way. William was over seventy years of age, and had become too old to resume his bush mission work. With his wife, son, and daughter he went, to W 7 est Australia for a time, but shortly afterwards returned to Good- wood, near Adelaide, where he died after a short illness on February 7, 1904. 248 JOHN HOWARD AN'~> 1 including the pick of his estate at Belair. By the following April 80 acres had been transferred to the Committee, the sum of 1,000 had been given by Mr. G. F. Angas, and Mr. J. H. Angas had doubled his original promise of 250 by a gift of 500. The necessary adaptation of the buildings was at once proceeded with, the premises were pronounced to be ready for the reception of inmates in the following June, and on July 5 the institution was formally opened. As an Inebriates Retreat the establishment at Belair has had a somewhat chequered history. Within two years of its opening there had been 106 admissions, and many gratifying cases of rescue and reform were recorded. Further accommoda- tion being required, new buildings providing for 52 patients, were erected and opened in 1883. The outlay on the premises that year, including new build- ing, workshops, and furniture, was 4,600. As tim went on there were complaints of the management. An amending Act had to be obtained from Parlia- ment. The average number of inmates was so small that the institution ceased to be self-support- ing. Financial difficulties necessarily increased, and fifteen years after the opening the question was seriously discussed in the Committee whether the Retreat, as such, could be kept open. Throughout the whole of this period Mr. Angas as a supporter was staunch and unwavering. He stood by the institution through good report and evil report, never lost his active interest in its management, gave liberally when funds were re- quired, advanced loans as required, financed the 2f>2 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. entire concern, in fact, in order to keep it going, and the effect was that the premises ultimately fell into his hands. The position of the Belair Retreat had become so unsatisfactory and embarrassing that in Septem- ber, 1892, a deputation, including four members of its Committee with other gentlemen, waited on the Chief Secretary with a view to the management taking over the care of the indigent blind. Strangely enough at the same time, without any concerted action, another way was being opened, which gave the institution a new and successful lease of life. In that month the Rev. W. Lockhart Morton, being Moderator of the Presbytery of Mel bourne South, visited Adelaide as a delegate to the Federal Presbyterian Assembly, and the incident led to the Retreat being transferred to his charge under the new name of Hope Lodge. In addition to his pastoral duties Mr. Morton had been engaged in rescue work in Victoria for seven years. The work had grown in his hands till there were forty men in his institutions. He made it a rule not to directly solicit contributions, but to publish information and trust for a response, after the manner of Muller, of Bristol. In this way Mr. Morton's work came under the observation of Mr. Angas, and elicited his sympathy. Meanwhile Mr. Angas, with characteristic shrewdness, made en- quiries concerning Mr. Morton and the genuineness of his work. It curiously happened that a lad to whom Mr. Morton had shown kindness in Ballarat, having returned to Adelaide, sung the praises of his benefactor among others to Mr. Thomson, who was THE PHILANTHROPIST. l_V>:t Mr. Angas's confidential clerk, and much interested in the lad. Thus an excellent testimonial was at hand, having travelled in a remarkably round-about way. Mr. Angas wrote offering Mr. Morton 100 towards the purchase of a property that would facilitate his Victorian operations, and 10 per cent, on all that might be collected. In this way the acquaintance began. When Mr. Morton visited Adelaide, Mr. Angas sought and obtained an introduction to him. Several interviews took place, in the course of which Mr. Angas said that were he in Victoria he would pur- chase for the extension of Mr. Morton's work the property he had desired to secure, and asked him to go and look at Belair. The upshot was that Mr. Angas agreed to make the necessary financial arrangements, to forego the interest on the mort- gages for three years, and for a further term if necessary. Mr. Morton on his part took the respon- sibility of resigning his pastoral charge in Victoria and transferring his household to Belair without any promise from Mr. Angas or anyone else of pecuniary support. The title adopted in Victoria was transferred to Belair, and thenceforward the institution became known as Hope Lodge. At the time there were five paying, but no non-paying patients. The latter being the class amongst which Mr. Morton's work had almost exclusively lain previously, he determined to continue on that line so far as funds would permit, while receiving paying patients in accordance with the Inebriates Act, and before long the place was completely full. As Mr. Angas 254 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. had generously wiped out the liabilities of the Com- mittee, amounting to 400, Mr. Morton had a free hand, and his efforts met with much success. One of the noteworthy features in modern religious life i^ the increasing interest in missionary work and the growing number of young people who volunteer for service in it. It was conspicuous during the visit to Adelaide of Mr. Hudson Taylor, of the China Inland Mission, and has been plainly visible at other times. Special training for candi- dates was generally desirable but seldom available, and Mr. Morton strongly desired to supply the lack. Hope Lodge provided the opportunity, for there were competent tutors among the inmates who were the better for having suitable employment, and there was no difficulty about the domestic arrangements. Accordingly a start was made with a Men's Home on a small scale in April, 1903, and before long several students were in residence. Two years afterwards a further departure was made by the inauguration of a Ladies' Home for missionary students. The necessity of such an institution was repeatedly and strongly pressed upon Mr. and Mrs. Morton. They found it practicable to provide the required separate accom- modation in a wing of the building, and a beginning was made with five students. Thus for a time three institutions were in operation in the same premises. Improvements and enlargements of a minor character were effected from time to time to which Mr. Angas gladly rendered assistance. Though he had previously done so much for the Belair THE PHILANTHROPIST. 25 ~> establishment, it seemed as though his interest were inexhaustible. Noticing on one of his visits that the crowding \vas inconvenient, he promptly offered the sum of /1 ,000 for the erection of a new .v * wing, and the completion of this additional structure caused great rejoicing among the inmates. This augmentation of means for the training of missionary students was scarcely out of hand when .Mr. Angas made a still larger provision. The handsome pile of buildings in North Adelaide then known as Whinham College, occupying an excellent position in three acres of ground, containing 41 rooms, two of them fifty feet long, and a large gymnasium, had fallen into his hands. The value of the property was estimated at 20,000, and Mr. Anga< was anxious to make the best possible use of it. After considering various projects, he sent for Mr. Morton, showed him over the premises, and asked him how he would like it for a training home, remarking that he thought it might be more desir- able to have the two homes separate. Mr. Angus was not the man to let grass grow under hi> feet when he saw which way to go, and he ad- vix'd Mr. Morton to consult his wife so as to let him have' their joint opinion the next day. When Mr. 'and Mrs Morton called on Mr. Angas pursuant to appointment on the following morning, he told them he had decided to offer the premises at a nominal rent, and enquired when they would like to take possession. Their answer was " next week," and, accordingly, the 13 ladv students at Belair were forthwith transferred to North Adelaide. In response to earnest solicitations, Mr. Angas 256 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. consented that the college should bear his name. A formal opening was arranged, when a large company assembled, and the burden of Mr. Angas's speech on the occasion showed his deep and abiding interest in foreign missions. Though no parade had been made of the more than princely benefac- tions involved in the transfer of the properties, Mr. Angas secured their use in perpetuity for the objects he had at heart. Both Hope Lodge and Angas College were conveyed to Trustees nominated by Jiimself, the former to be a Home for Inebriates and for the training of male and female missionaries, the latter a training home for either male or female missionaries, or for both. To the close of his life Mr. Angas reposed great confidence in Mr. Morton as the Superintendent of both establishments, left the management entirely in his hands, and was always interested in the pro- gress that was made. Changes in administration were inevitable. Mr. Morton consistently claimed to follow the leadings of providence. He took part in such movements as the simultaneous mission, which involved frequent absences from home. At times pecuniary support fell off. It was difficult to obtain efficient overseers for the peculiar work. The result was that while the training home depart- ments were maintained generally in full strength, the treatment of inebriates had to be relinquished. Latterly Hope Lodge has been a home for young men, and Angas College for young women who were preparing for service in the mission field. Early in 1904 a proposal was made for the dis- position of Hope Lodge, which, had it matured, THK PHILANTHROPIST. I'fiT would have added yet another to the list of Mr. Angas's philanthropic schemes, but the negotiations lingered through no fault or delay on his part, and were rendered abortive by his decease. Scientific discoveries with regard to the cause and curability of the ' White Plague " consumption and the sad condition of many of its impecunious victims, had led to projects being formulated for a consump- tives' home. Strong objections were raised to the site selected by the Government, and, to relieve the situation, Mr. Angas came forward with a noble offer to transfer the Belair premises with their eighty acres of land to be used for this purpose, the consent of the trustees having been obtained, it being his intention to make other provision for the training work that was being carried on. The Government took what most people regarded as an unconscionable time in deliberating whether the offer should be accepted or not. They ultimately decided to do so, and the necessary documents were prepared, but meanwhile Mr. Angas was stricken with mortal illness, became unconscious, and was unable to complete the transaction. The vacillation and dilatoriness of the authorities resulted in a serious public loss. The following brief statement by the Principal will show the usefulness as Missionary Training Institutions of Angas College and Hope Lodge up to the time of writing : " Since April, 1893, 210 students have passed through a course of training in the two homes. Of these 90 have gone to various parts of the Foreign Mission Field, viz., 42 to China, 19 to India, 14 to 258 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. Africa, 10 to South America, 2 to Burma, 2 to New Guinea, and 1 to Japan, and 6 are waiting marching orders. Thirty-three are at present doing good work as Home Missionaries in the various States of the Commonwealth and in New Zealand, 81, owing to various causes, have been prevented from going to the field, though there is good hope that a large percentage of these will ultimately find their way thither. Six out of the 90 in foreign labor have laid down their young lives in the service three of them (Mr. Fleming, Mr. Brice, and Miss Heaysman) receiving the martyr's crown in death. At present about 30, including the 6 mentioned as waiting, are in training Applications to the number of 50 from students desiring training were in hand in September, 1904. THE PHILANTHROPIST. THE ADELAIDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL. The High-water-mark of Charity The Initiation of the Project Identifi- cation with it of Mr. and Mrs Angas -A Life Governor Impulse to Con- tributors Varied Services Convalescent Home- Angas Buildings Their Completeness -and Cost Foundation Stone Lord Kintore The Open- ingFurther Extensions Last Visit Total Contribution, .7,572 Portraits in Oil of Mr. and Mrs. Angas Summary of Usefulness. It has been said that the high-water mark of Christian charity in Adelaide is represented by its hospital for sick children. . \-suredly the record of good work well done, of suffering alleviated, and of lives saved, if it could be adequately told, would go far to justify this estimate. The institution was established, and has been maintained almost entirely by the voluntary subscriptions of the public. Towards the erection of the first block of buildings a sum of 3,000 was voted by the Parliament, and an annual grant of 1,000 has been made from the public funds, but in return the hospital has received, without demur or charge, children who were wards of the State from the Destitute Board, the Adelaide Hospital, and the State Children's Department. The proposal to establish a Children's Hospital and Training School for Nurses emanated from a group of medical men, with whom were associated several kind-hearted ladies, in the year 1876. From the first it found favor with the public, and received assurances of support that have been amply ful- filled. Mr. Angas was identified with the move- ment at the very commencement, he was actively interested in its welfare to the close of his life, and was much the largest contributor to its funds. 260 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. The principal edifice is a monumental memorial of his generosity, and to him the efficiency of the institution may be very largely ascribed. Many months before a site had been determined upon, or sufficient funds obtained for the erection of a building, the necessary organization was completed, and on the committees of ladies and gentlemen respectively, the names of Mrs. Angas and Mr. Angas were placed. In the latter part of 1876 a President and other officials were appointed, and Mr. Angas- had already shown so much sympathy with the project that he was elected Vice-President. The election was repeated at the annual meeting of sub- scribers in each of the 27 following years, and the office was held continuously until his decease. It is observable at many points in Mr. Angas' s philanthropic career that he was influenced by his father, but sometimes the current of influence seems to have been reversed. The representations of the son had weight with the father as the latter became advanced in years, but the son took care that the father should be in front. This probably explains the fact that the first name on the list of Life Go- vernors, consisting of benefactors of 100 guineas or more in one sum, is that of George Fife Angas, and the second that of John Howard Angas these, with others, being placed there in 1877, before the Hospital or any part of it was built. Mr. Angas, in fact, gave the initial impulse to the series of liberal contributions which made the institution possible by announcing a gift of 500 as early as November, 1876. A similar amount was given by Mr. G. F. Angas, and donations from other THE PHILANTHROPIST. 261 members of the family made up a total of 1,200, in recognition of which one of the wards was named Rose Ward in memory of the late Mrs. J. L. Parsons, who was Mr. J. H. Angas's niece. The substantial assistance thus afforded was not only valuable in itself, but opportune in time. Another donation of 500 having been received from Mr. R. Barr Smith, and several more contributions requiring three figures for their expression, the Committee was enabled to secure the splendid site on which the Hospital stands, and proceed with its operations. As Vice-President, Mr. Angas was a member of the Board of Management and General Committee, and whenever he was in town he made it his business to attend their meetings. His services were utilised during his visit to England in 1879 for the selection of a Lady Superintendent to take charge of the Hospital. His gifts were not confined to large and special donations, for he was the largest annual subscriber during many years. To enumerate the various instances and different ways in which Mr. and Mrs. Angas showed their sympathy with the sick children of the poor would be tedious and monotonous. Their kindness was shown in a variety of ways, and was continued year after year without intermission. One conspicuous instance of Mr. Angas's thought- ful consideration for the little ones occurred towards the close of 1891, which, because of its ultimate issues, is worthy of special mention. The Hospital was by that time becoming so extensively useful that an increase of its accommodation had to be provided for. At the same time an adjunct in the 262 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. form of a sanatorium in the hills was regarded as desirable. To meet these requirements, Mr. Angas suggested the use of a cottage on the grounds of the Inebriates Retreat at Belair in which he was in- terested. The locality was inspected by a Com- mittee of the Board, but regarded as not the most suitable, so the offer was politely declined. Instead of showing that he felt rebuffed in any way, which a smaller minded man might have done, Mr. Angas only a few months afterwards entered into a far larger undertaking, and when the Con- valescent Home at Mount Lofty was built, took a full share in that matter also. At a Board Meeting in 1892 plans were submitted for a new wing con- taining two large wards for patients and a number of rooms for the work of different departments, the estimated cost being /4,000. Mr. Angas observed with his usual straightforwardness that in consulta- tion with the medical men he had ascertained that the extension was necessary, and he was prepared to defray the entire cost. The offer was, of course, gratefully accepted, for it provided means for increasing the efficiency of the Hospital to an extent which the Board of Manage- ment had scarcely ventured to contemplate. The pressure had so greatly increased that not only was every cot occupied, but at times, rather than turn away needy cases, temporary beds had to be made. Mr. Angas, having intimated his desire to under- take the expense of erecting additional buildings, the Board of Management prepared plans for a modest extension at a cost of 2,000. In the words of the President (Sir S. J. Way) : " These plans were THE PHILANTHROPIST. ;>;3 submitted to Mr. Angas, but did not realise his generous conception of what was wanted. He rejected their plans, took the matter into his own hands, engaged his own architect," with the result already stated. It was Mr. Angas's way to do thoroughly whatever he undertook, and, accordingly, the plans were subjected to severe criticism and frequent revision before final adoption, the effect of which was to render the building more perfectly adapted to its purpose, and to increase the cost to nearly 6,000. The enlarged outlay, however, was accepted with the utmost cheerfulness, and without the slightest demur, cost being subordinated to the dominant consideration that everything must be of the best. The foundation-stone of the new wing, which it was decided to call the " Angas Buildings," was laid on April 28th, 1893, and was made the occasion of an enthusiastic demonstration. The ceremony was performed by Mrs. Angas, who used a silver trowel with malachite handle, which, as well as the mallet, were made of colonial materials. The Chief Justice, in the course of a comprehensive address, said that in the course of the previous 15 years 3,358 children had been treated in the Hos- pital, and there had been 46,538 attendances at the outdoor dispensary. The public had subscribed 34,000 towards the expenses of carrying on the work, and 18,000 had been voted by Parliament. The Governor (Lord Kintore) referred eulogisti- cally to the liberal hand with which Mr. Angas had distributed his wealth for charitable purposes, and similar acknowledgments were made by Dr. Camp- 264 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. bell and by Dr. Lendon, who took part in the pro- ceedings. It was characteristic of Mr. Angas, in his reply he emphasised chiefly two points That no imported article would be used when the material could be obtained in South Australia, and that the building was not to be for the children of the wealthy, but for all classes of the population. A still more imposing ceremony took place twelve months later on May 1st, 1894, when the Angas Buildings, being completed, were formally handed over to the Board of the Children's Hospital. The date was happily chosen, being the 108th anni- versary of the birth of the donor's father, and secured for all future years a May day commemoration of never- failing interest. Much interest was taken in the proceedings, which were witnessed by a large and representative gathering. The formal opening was to have been made by Mrs. Angas, but her state of health made it impossible for her to under- take the journey from Collingrove to Adelaide, and her place was taken by Mr. Charles H. Angas, her son. In his usual unpretentious manner, Mr. Angas said he had very much pleasure in handing over the building as a gift to the Children's Hospital, and expressed the hope that it would be of very great service to suffering humanity. A handsome silver key, presented by the Mayor of Adelaide, was handed to Mr. C. H. Angas, who placed it in the lock and opened the front door amid cheers. Appropriate speeches were made, and much en- thusiasm was manifested. One of the Adelaide dailies remarked the following morning that by the munificence of Mr. Angas the accommodation of the THE PHILANTHROPIST. 265 Hospital had been doubled, and enabled it to claim that it was unsurpassed by any similar institution in the world. Less than three years afterwards a further exten- sion was made by the erection of " isolation wards " in order to provide for the treatment of children suffering from certain kinds of infectious diseases, and towards this undertaking Mr. Angas contributed the sum of 500. The erection of a Convalescent Home at Mount Lofty followed almost immediately, and again his sustained interest in the little folk was shown by a gift of /1 00 towards the furnishing fund. At a later period it being felt that the Hospital, in order to be thoroughly equipped with the latest appliances, needed a " Rontgen Rays " apparatus, Mr. Angas cheerfully undertook the greater part of the expense of the installation, his gift covering the entire estimated cost in the first instance. In addition to these large and special gifts, Mr. Angas continued from year to year his contribution to the expenses of maintenance, his donation of twenty guineas being the largest annual subscription recorded in the reports. Besides this there came frequently from Collingrove the evidence of thought- ful and kindly consideration in the form of presents of various kinds, the cash value of which is not taken into account. The last visit paid by Mr. Angas to the Children's Hospital was on November 4th, 1903, while he was making a short stay in Adelaide. He manifested the deepest interest in all he saw, passed through the various buildings, and was induced to sit for 266 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. his portrait in the Elder Laboratory, so that his photograph is preserved in the " Cup " series of that establishment. An indirect outcome of this visit was yet another substantial donation. It was represented to him that the " Angas Buildings " needed extensive painting and renovation which would probably cost from 250 to 300, and the ordinary income could not provide. He thereupon said he would prefer taking the whole rather than a part of the responsibility for such an expenditure, and promised 300 for the purpose. This amount brought up the total of Mr. Angas' s ascertained cash contributions to the noble sum of 7,572. It was in connection with the Children's Hospital that the most tangible public recognition of Mr. Angas' s services to the community was made. Towards the close of 1899 it was reported that a movement had been set on foot to secure oil paint- ings of Mr. and Mrs. Angas w r hich should be worthy of their subjects, and the project materialised during the following year. It was not, however, until the annual meeting of subscribers in October, 1901, that the presentation took place. On that occasion the life-size and life-like portraits were unveiled by His Excellency Lord Tennyson, who took occasion to refer to Mr. and Mrs. Angas as among the most munificent people he had ever met, and to whom South Australia owed an incalculable debt. By a happy arrangement the paintings, though pre- sented to Mr. Angas by the subscribers, have found in the Hospital their permanent home. The Angas Buildings will perpetuate the memory of their donor for centuries to come. The spacious THE PHILANTHROPIST. 267 wards on the upper floor are appropriately named Lindsay and Collingrove, after the residences which the occupants of those homes have made illustrious. The portraits, which hang in the Board-room pending the discovery of a more suitable place for their exhibition, will preserve the features of the largest benefactors of the institution which holds so prominent a place among the public charities of South Australia. At the close of 1903 the Sydney Morning Herald, which is not addicted to flattery, referred to the Adelaide Children's Hospital as "a model to all Austialia." The statistics given in the Annual Report for 1904 showed that from the commence- ment 8,775 inpatients had been treated, and there had been 113,664 attendances at the outdoor dis- pensary. The average number of inmates for the year had been 638, exclusive of 55 at the Con- valescent Home, and there were 8,260 attendances of 1,529 new cases at the outdoor department. The relief to the sick and suffering children of the poor expressed by these figures is greater than the imagination can realise, and it has been largely rendered possible by the philanthropic sympathy of Mr. Angas and the means provided by his generous aid. 268 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. THE CONVALESCENT HOME, SEMAPHORE. " The Children's Friend" Beginning and Growth The Angas Wing Its Original Purpose Its Permanent Usefulness. An Adelaide merchant who was familiar with Mr. Angas and his philanthropic work, on one occasion publicly entitled him " the children's friend." It is certainly true that, while he cared for other ages and all classes, he had special regard for the young. This characteristic not only prompted him to sup- port certain institutions established for their special benefit, but to develop the capability of departments of others for usefulness on their behalf. Such was the case with regard to the Convalescent Hospital at the Semaphore. The value of a sana- torium by the seaside was recognised more than thirty years ago, and a beginning was made in a small way to supply the want. A draft of the first report dated November 25, 1874, states that up to June 30 of that year there had been 14 patients housed in a cottage at a cost to the funds of 24 15s., which had been supplemented by 12 12s. from the Government for 4 patients from the Adelaide Hos- pital, and 4 4s. from the friends of 4 patients. The growth was rapid, and ten years afterwards the report for the year ending June 30, 1884, showed that 541 patients had received benefit during the preceding twelve months, 270 of whom were males, and 271 females, of these 175 had been sent from the Adelaide Hospital, while 278 had been admitted on subscribers' orders and 88 on certificates from medi- cal men. The income for the year had been 712, THE PHILANTHROPIST. 269 of which 328 had been subscribed by the public. In the subscription list the name of J. H. Angas appeared for 10 10s., his being much the largest personal contribution. The annual report for 1890 stated that the number of patients admitted had increased to 717, and a donation of 50 was recorded in the list of contribu- tions. The following paragraph also appeared : ' The Hon. J. H. Angas, having intimated his wish to build a wing for convalescent children suffering from bone and joint disease, plans were prepared under the supervision of Dr. E. C. Stirling and the Committee, by Messrs. Garlick & Son, and tenders accepted for 1,889. The wing will provide accom- modation for 16 children, Mr. Angas generously defraying the cost of the entire building." The thoughtful consideration which prompted that act of munificence was no less worthy of con- sideration than the act itself. The purpose of the Convalescent Home was to provide a temporary home for patients who had so far recovered from accident or disease as to make further medical treatment and special nursing unnecessary, but whose general health and strength were not fully re- established. Every one who has had to do with children suffering from the maladies specially referred to by Mr. Angas is fully aware that change of climate, with abundance of fresh air, and especially invigorat- ing sea breezes, sometimes works wonders. The pale pinched features of chronic sufferers tell their own tale. The effect of a few weeks or even days in circumstances that are favorable to regaininng strength are often marvellous. Hence, while the 270 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. purpose of the institution is eminently wise, the department for which Mr. Angas sought to provide commends itself in an exceptional manner. The " Angas Wing/' which was a handsome addition to the establishment, was opened in 1901, and the report for that year says : " The leading event of the year has been the completion and open- ing of the new wing for children with bone and joint diseases. This was the gift of the Hon. J. H. Angas, who has most generously borne the whole cost of the building." At a later period it was found that there were not enough cases of the particular description originally contemplated to occupy the whole of the space, and, therefore, with Mr. Angas' s full consent, it was made into a women's and children's wing for general cases. As the stay of convalescents at the Hospital is necessarily brief in most instances, the benefits of it are enjoyed by relatively large numbers of individuals. Upwards of a thousand inmates have resided in the home for longer or shorter periods during a single year. In the year 1903 there were 208 patients sent from the Adelaide Hospital, 549 were admitted on subscribers' orders, and 57 on certificates from medical men. Of the total number there were 32 children under 12 years of age, all of whom, besides many of the adults, had cause to bless Mr. Angas's name. THE PHILANTHROPIST. 271 THE HOME FOR INCURABLES. Commendable Purpose The " Best Friend "Persistence in Generosity Transfer of Salary as Legislator Personal Inspection Gift of Room The Angas Wing. In a charming position about three miles south of the city of Adelaide, amid beautiful grounds gently sloping so as to give a delightful view towards the westerly sea-rimmed horizon, and with the Mount Lofty Range in the background, stands the Home for Incurables at Fullarton. If the allevia- tion of misery, and the provision of comfort to large numbers of the most helpless and dependent in the community be any recommendation, the institution is entitled to take high rank among the charities of the land. It is what its name implies, for it is neither a hospital nor an asylum, but a home for many who otherwise, when they needed it most, would have nothing of the kind at all. No demon- stration of its value or testimony to its advantages could be more emphatic than the single fact that it is alwavs full. / The Annual Report for 1904 stated that there were 103 inmates, the same number as the year before, for, while three had left and ten died, thirteen had been admitted, and there were no less than 17 applicants awaiting admission for whom accommoda- tion could not be found, as all the beds were occupied. At the general meeting of subscribers when this- report was presented, Mr. Henry Scott, the Chairman of the Committee of Management, said the best friend to the Home had been Mr. J. H. Angas, and proceeded to enumerate his benefactions. 272 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. The Home was established in 1899 to meet the -cases of a class of persons having urgent and special claims for whom at that time no adequate provision was made. The hopelessness of their physical condition rendered them unsuitable inmates of hospitals the primary object of which was to cure disease. They needed care, nursing, and treat- ment such as they could not obtain in their own homes, if, indeed, they had homes at all. To relegate them to the last refuge of the destitute was equally unsatisfactory, and in many instances impossible. Philanthropy came to the rescue, and has rendered splendid service. Mr. Angas was among the first to render financial aid, and his sympathies once enlisted were never withdrawn. In this as in other matters he showed the steady persistence that characterised so much of his generosity. The first of several donations of 50 and upwards was given in 1880, but in 1881 he became a subscriber of ten guineas per annum, and his cheque was sent regularly for more than twenty years, apart from the larger enterprises he took in hand. During a part of this period Mr. Angas was a member of Parliament, and entitled to a salary of 200 a year. He was too much of a business man to allow the emolument to go unclaimed, even though he did not approve of the principle of payment of members, but too consistent to put it in his pocket. Accordingly he arranged for the amount that was due to him as a legislator to be paid to the Treasurer 79 peditiously was the work proceeded with that every- thing was ready for the opening in less than twelve months from the issue of the original appeal. The opening ceremony was performed by Mr. Angas in person on the 9th of September, 1899. A silver key was presented to him for the purpose, bearing the inscription, " Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Angas, Deaf and Dumb Farm, Parafield, 9/9/'99," and it was remarked that such a combination of figures, as a date, could not recur for a century. In his brief address, Mr. Angas referred to the fact that many present had been interested with him in the origina- tion of the Institution at Brighton, and it was a pleasure to know that so much progress had been made in the work of relieving and assisting not only the afflicted children, but also those of more advanced years. At the time there were eleven inmates of the Home, among whom were two deaf mute sisters, one whom was totally, and the other nearly blind, but who were, nevertheless, both happy and in- dustrious. The presence of these and others lent a pathetic interest to the scene. Three years after- wards it was reported that the title of the Mission had been altered, and the name " Angas Home " adopted for the Parafield department in order to perpetuate the name and memory of the donor. The same report stated that the Angas Farm pro- mised to be a great success. All that was originally expected had been accomplished, and a great deal more. No hearing servants were employed. The inmates, who could do a little light work, were em- ployed according to their ability, and had the 280 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. satisfaction of doing something towards their maintenance. The receipts from the sale of pro- duce had been 150, and the amount paid in wages to workers in the Home and Farm was 170 16s. 6d. The live stock was valued at 320, almost the whole of which had been raised on the property. There were at that time 18 deaf mutes in residence, and the greatest success of the Home was in its lightening of heavy affliction and brightening dark lives. When the Home was opened, the Chief Justice re- marked that, though there were hundreds of institu- tions throughout Christendom for the benefit of the blind and deaf and dumb, not in the wide world was there an exact counterpart of that of which the beginning was being witnessed. Mr Angas's clear sightedness and sympathy working together made the philanthropic experiment possible, and its practical success was the only reward he desired. The Royal Institution for the Blind, which is established at Brougham-place, North Adelaide, has for its object " to help the blind to help them- selves " by providing them with education, in- dustrial training, and work, so that they may be enabled to earn their own living wholly or in part. It also aims to assist deaf mutes in like manner. Though entirely distinct from the Brighton Institu- tion, it works in harmony with it, and care is taken to prevent overlapping of effort. Speaking generally, the newer organization carries on the assistance provided by its senior, caring chiefly at a later stage in life for those who are permanently afflicted, along the line that has been described. The first meeting called to consider the formation THE PHILANTHROPIST. 281 and equipment of what is really an industrial school for blind people, was held in the Board-room of the Children's Hospital on November 21st, 1884. Mr. Angas was not able to be present, but his interest in the proposal from the commencement was shown by a letter which he wrote to Mr. C. H. Goode in reply to the circular convening the meeting. He said : " Your note of the 18th inst. did not reach me in time to attend the meeting convened for the 21st inst. owing to my being absent from home. I quite agree with your views as to the necessity for promoting the industrial education of the blind. It has long been my desire to give employment to the inmates of both Deaf, Dumb, and Blind Asylum and the Inebriates Retreat, and I shall willingly co-operate with you in your scheme." A donation was promised as soon as the matter had taken a tangible shape and funds were required. This contribution was followed by a great many more, of varying amounts, according to the claims that were presented as the work developed. In addition to cash subscriptions, practical sympathy with the industrial operations was frequently shown by gifts of raw materials to be worked up, such as osiers, and especially horsehair. In every move- ment to raise additional funds Mr. Angas fulfilled both the letter and the spirit of the assurance he originally gave, either by specific donations or sub- sidising the amount obtained from others, and when the project of securing a suitable site for permanent buildings was entered upon, he generously financed the scheme. The manager of the Institution, when supplying 282 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. the foregoing particulars, added : " The needy and the suffering have good reason to remember the sympathy of the late gentleman. Not only the blind, the deaf and the dumb, and suffering children, but the needy of every class found ever-ready sympathy in his big heart." THE PHILANTHROPIST. 283 THE HINDMARSH TOWN MISSION. A Needy Field Initial Arrangements by Mr. G. F. Angas Adopted and Modified by Mr. J. H. Angas - Personal Contributions in all 4,000 An Impulse to Local Efforts The Annual Meeting A Pathetic Resolution " A Rich Man with Dignity of Heart." Forty years ago the most densely inhabited suburbs of Adelaide were between the city and the Port. The populous towns to the south and east are the product of a later period, but Hindmarsh and Bowden were places where families of the laboring classes mostly congregated, and there was a large proportion of the poor. From his town residence at Prospect Hall, Mr. G. F. Angas had a clear view of this locality, and its claims as a field for missionary and philanthropic effort were thus brought distinctly under his notice. The result was that in 1865 he practically constituted himself into a local Missionary Society for the dis- trict, appointed an agent for whose support he became responsible, and made him his almoner. The town missionary, Mr. Harkness, reported directly to Mr. Angas, who had the supervision of the work in his own hands. During the ten years that this arrangement con- tinued it is understood that the total contributions of Mr. G. F. Angas amounted to about 2,500, and at the end of that time his health and strength hav- ing failed, he handed over the mission to the care of his son. A transaction of this kind is necessarily uncom- mon, and has features of peculiar interest, as showing JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. the relations that existed between the parties. The confidence felt by the father was matched by the filial fidelity of the son. To begin with, Mr. J. H. Angas apparently took up the responsibility, as he did very much more which his father was compelled to lay down, from a sense of filial duty, but with that duty his judgment concurred. Acting entirely for himself, he introduced certain modifications in the manner of its discharge, and, having settled business arrangements to his satisfaction, continued to do his part as long as occasion required. Mr. G. F. Angas had engaged Mr. T. Harkness as Town Missionary for Hindmarsh, and Mr. J. H. Angas confirmed that appointment, undertaking the payment of his salary of 150 per annum. At the time, however, he felt that his business engage- ments prevented his giving the attention to details that his father had done, and, accordingly he sought means for placing the matter of management on a better basis. About a year after he had taken over his father's obligations, in June, 1876, while at Mount Remarkable, he wrote to Mr. Harkness to say that, after taking advice, he had come to the conclusion " that it is desirable to found a local Missionary Society for Hindmarsh, Bowden, and neighborhood, under the direction of a representative Committee." He proceeded to say, " I am prepared to continue your services at the present salary of 150 per annum as one of the missionaries in connection there- with." The engagement thus entered into continued until the death of Mr. Harkness in 1901, after a long period during which he was incapacitated by illness, THE PHILANTHROPIST. 285 his work in the district having extended over the long period of 36 years. No estimate of the amount of good that was done through the agency set in operation by one philanthropist and continued by another is possible. It is estimated that Mr. J. H. Angas's personal contributions amounted to nearly four thousand pounds, but the mere statement of a gross total only conveys a partial representation. The salary of the missionary being provided for from an outside source, the Committee was able to direct its efforts in the matter of raising and distributing funds entirely to the cases of need through poverty and affliction, with which their agent came into con- tact. Probably an equal amount to that provided by Mr. Angas was raised by public subscriptions and other means, the whole of which was expended in judicious relief. In this department the value of an experienced agent is very great, and the annual reports showed the call there was upon his services. The same report that contained a reference to his illness which terminated fatally, stated that there were on the books the names of 110 families receiving relief. The new applications and reapplications numbered 801. Assistance was given not only in cash, for, in addition to 849 orders, value 2s. 6d. each, which had been issued, the distribution included special help at Christmas, clothing, 36 tons of firewood, and 78 pairs of boots. In other reports groceries, blankets, and comforts for the sick are mentioned as having been given away. The Committee found it necessary to justify their appeal for help against the suggestion that the people 286 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. of Hindmarsh should care for their own poor and needy without seeking outside help. Their answer was that they were often called upon to help poor people who were attracted from other parts of the State to Hindmarsh because rents were low. In- cidentally this remark justifies the selection of the district, first by the father and then by the son, as a neighborhood having exceptional claims, and shows that their munificence was wisely bestowed. It happened that the annual meeting of the Mission was held on the day succeeding that on which Mr. Angas's death was announced. The report stated that, though he no longer paid the salary of a missionary his interest had not been withdrawn, and mentioned that on his being in- formed that the funds would not be sufficient to meet the applications for relief he promptly sent a cheque for 25 . The meeting, which was a very sad one, was presided over by His Excellency Sir George Le Hunte, who feelingly referred to the loss which the community had sustained, and suggested that a formal resolution would be appropriate. There- upon the President (Mr. Alderman Hocking) moved "That we regret the death of Mr. J. H. Angas, and deeply sympathise with Mrs. Angas and family in their bereavement." He said Mr. Angas was a great benefactor, and it was by his kindness and liberality that the Hindmarsh Town Mission was continued 26 years subsequent to the death of his father, who inaugurated and entirely supported it for ten years. Mr. T. H. Brooker, M.P., who seconded, said that Mr. Angas would be remembered by the poor of THE PHILANTHROPIST. 287 Hindmarsh. ' He was a rich man with dignity of heart, whose good deeds spoke for themselves." The motion was carried in impressive silence. ADELAIDE CITY MISSION. A Liberal Constitution Practical Work Sustained Assistance. The "constitution" of the Adelaide City Mission specifies its object to be the evangelization of the neglected classes. Its headquarters was established in what is understood to be morally the lowest part of the city, and where such an institution is most required. Its managers and agents, however, have never taken a narrow view of their commission, and accordingly multifarious agencies have been em- ployed. Divine service is regularly held in the hall, there is a Sunday-school, a Bible class, a Christian Endeavour Society, and there are mothers' meetings and girls' and boys' clubs. Special atten- tion is paid to Chinese, Syrians, and other foreigners, and a large amount of help afforded by gifts of food and clothing to the families of the poor. Such a work as this, because of its practical character on a broad undenominational religious basis, was exactly after Mr. Angas's own heart, and it is not surprising that he was a strong supporter of it from year to year. The amount of his contributions varied according to circumstances, and the pressure of, need. Sometimes his annual cheque would be for 25, at others for 50. For a special cause such as the building of the hall, a liberal donation was always forthcoming, and it is recorded that 288 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. his example proved helpful by stimulating others to do likewise. During the thirty years from 1873 to 1903 the various sums received from Mr. Angas and acknowledged in the annual reports amount in all to 850. If to this be added the assistance rendered to other branches of Mission work within the city of Adelaide, more or less directly connected with the central organization the total will probably exceed 1,000. THE BENEVOLENT AND STRANGERS FRIEND SOCIETY. An Early Foundation The Secretary's Testimony Cottage Homes. One of the oldest of the many charitable organiza- tions of the City of Adelaide is that which now has its headquarters at the Elder Hall, Morialta-street. It was founded when the community was very small, and the pressure of hard times was acutely felt by emigrants who found themselves without homes, friends, or means of support in a strange land. Mr. G. F. Angas took an active interest in this Society from the time of his becoming domiciled in South Australia, and as in other cases, his example was followed by his son. For at least thirty years he was a constant and often a large contributor to the Society's funds. The late Secretary, Mr. Fance, who held that office for the longest period of any during recent years, has given a remarkable testimony. His statement was that Mr. Angas declined to be governed by any hard and fast rule as to the amount of his annual subscription. A gift of five or ten guineas was THE PHILANTHROPIST. 289 never regarded as discharging in full his sense of duty for, there were continual donations to special cases. The Secretary half-complainingly men- tioned that people were continually writing to Mr. Angas, and there was a danger of his being imposed upon. During his eighteen years' con- nection with the Society, said this official, he did not remember any instance in which he had approached Mr. Angas with a request for special assistance on behalf of any case of need and failed to meet with a generous response. When it is remembered how constantly open-hearted men of wealth are made targets of by unscrupulous appli- cants, this statement possesses very great signifi- cance. Among the larger contributions made to and through this special channel were a liberal subscrip- tion to the Lady Kintore Cottage Trust, and a gift of 300 to yet another scheme for providing cottage homes for the poor. THE BOYS' BRIGADE. The First President Shrewdness in Generosity Successful Plans. Reference has repeatedly been made to the special interest felt by Mr. Angas in the welfare of children as shown by his active interest in organizations established directly on their behalf. An illustration of this characteristic is furnished by his connection with the Boys' Brigade, of which he was President from its initiation to the close of his life. 29) JOHX HOWARD ANGAS. The Brigade was originated in the year 1886, and at the first meeting of the Committee Mr. S. Dixon reported that he had received a letter from Mr. J. H. Angas promising practical sympathy and support. Mr. Angas was asked to accept the position of Pre- sident, and accordingly held that office for 18 years. The institution is intended to provide for the social, moral, and religious improvement of all boys earning their living as street vendors, but the work was seriously handicapped for many years for want of suitable premises. In 1891 Mr. Angas offered to contribute 100 if the Committee could raise an additional 400 (or 20 % of all amounts contributed in order to obtain a building for the use of the Brigade. It was not, however, until 1894 that the movement took a tangible form. In that year, on the departure of Bishop Kennion from the Diocese, a presentation which had been subscribed for the Bishop was, at his request, handed to the Boys' Brigade as a nucleus of a building fund. Mr. Angas renewed his offer, and the result was that in 1897 Kennion Hall, situated in Bentham-street, was opened free from debt, the cost, including land, being 1,400. Not only did Mr. Angas contribute liberally, but he brought his penetrating shrewdness to bear upon the planning of the building, and gave sound general advice. Through Mr. Angas's and others kindly and sym- pathetic support, the Brigade, which is of an undenominational character, has been able to carry on a very beneficial work amongst the young within three years from commencing operations all the girls who were then a source of much evil were THE PHILANTHROPIST. 091 prohibited by the City bye-laws from offering articles for sale in the street, and the Committee had ample testimony that juvenile crime has been much decreased through the agency of the work carried on by the Brigade. From its inception Mr. Angas has been the largest annual subscriber to the funds, besides augmenting his usual contri- butions from time to time with special donations, and the present satisfactory condition of the institu- tion is a testimony to the wise liberality of Mr. Angas in the employment of his wealth. In dealing with this department of Mr. Angas's life the chief difficulties of the writer have been to classify the materials at his command and to com- press them into a reasonable compass. Among the outstanding features which arrest attention in a general survey are the breadth of the field over which the beneficial influence of ample and ex- emplary generosity was exercised, and the direct connection maintained with the operations that were necessarily conducted by other hands. On several of the Boards or Committees of Manage- ment of charitable organizations Mr. Angas was a member, and to some of them he stood in an official relation. The list is impressive, and the record of service rendered in that way surprising. Yet these did not monopolise his consideration or preclude him from assisting other institutions. It is the most prosaic statement of a striking fact that there was scarcely any good work undertaken during his lifetime in which being given the opportunity he did not gladly have a share. 292 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. His being President of the Boys' Brigade, for in- stance, did not prevent him from being an annual subscriber to Our Boys' Institute commonly known as the O.B.I. which, if not a rival organization, nevertheless existed for much the same purposes, and he was a donor of /1 00 towards its building fund. The Young Men's Christian Association, and the Young Women's Christian Association, the Queen's Home, and many other organizations, ap- pealed to him with success. The extent of his financial assistance to various causes was never made known during his lifetime, for in many in- stances he stipulated that his name should not be used. This was the case when the extension of the Home for Consumptives at Kalyra was planned, and he came to the help of the Committee with an anonymous gift of 1,000. To the Salvation Army also Mr. Angas repeatedly donated generous amounts, for, while his constitu- tional reserve in relation to personal matters of religion made it impossible for him to sympathise with its demonstrativeness of style, he appreciated in the fullest measure its practical work in the department of social reform. This record strikingly illustrates the philanthropic spirit by which Mr. Angas was animated, though as a rehearsal of facts it is neither exhaustive or complete. He chose to be his own executor, acted on the sound principle bis dat qui cito dat, and pro- bably gave away during his lifetime at least a quarter of a million of money with his own hands. While he used agencies and institutions of many kinds asTmeans of doing good, and delighted to THE PHILANTHROPIST. :M) .'! increase their capability of service, his personal interest in their operations enhanced the value of his gifts. Not for nothing was he named by his parents, with unconscious prescience, after John Howard, the great philanthropist, whose statue in St. Paul's Cathedral records his worth. One is tempted to imagine that something of the large- hearted human sympathy of the pioneer in prison reform was transmitted to him with his name. Assuredly his life-work justified the selection in a most remarkable way. 294 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. IV. EDUCATIONAL. THE ADELAIDE UNIVERSITY, SCHOOL OF MINES, ETC. Value of Utilitarian Education Proposal to Found Engineering- Scholar- ship Press Comments Interest in Natural Science Offer to Endow Chair of Chemistry Appreciative Acceptance School of Mines Depart- ment of Wool-classing Erection and Equipment of Room Roseworthy Agricultural College Medals and Students. Being, an educated man, Mr. Angas appreciated the benefits of education, and, being a practical business man, he set a high value on its utilitarian side. As a colonist he recognised the value of keeping abreast with the times in the construction of public works, and as a pastoralist he was brought into close touch with applied science as an aid to industry. Hence, when he sought to devote a portion of his wealth to the work of higher education, and considered in what manner it could be so dedicated as to produce the best results, it was natural for him to select the line he adopted. The objects Mr. Angas had in view in founding the engineering scholarship which bears his name can hardly be stated more concisely and accurately than in his own words. The following is the letter, written after consultation and mature reflection, in which his offer was conveyed : " To the Registrar of the Adelaide University. " Sir Having a strong desire to encourage the training of scientific men, and especially of civil engineers, with a view to their settlement in South Australia, I propose to found in con- nection with the Adelaide University a scholarship of the annual value of ,200, tenable for three years. " My aim in founding this scholarship is to enable a student who has graduated at the aforesaid University to proceed to THE PHILANTHROPIST. 2ft"> Eugland to take a degree in natural science at the London Uni- versity, and to receive a training at such school of engineers as he may select, and the Senate approve, in order to acquire pro- ficiency in civil engineering, more especially in those branches which include the construction of harbour works, reservoirs, irrigation and waterworks, bridges, and railways. " The scholarship shall be open for competition every three years to all graduates of the Adelaide University under 28 years of age who shall have resided in South Australia for five years, and be held conditionally upon good behaviour and satisfactory progress. The award shall be determined by a special examina- tion in mathematics and natural science, conducted by the Uni- versity examiners, under such regulations and at such time as the Senate shall see fit. " The holder of the scholarship shall during the period of his training in engineering science spend at least six months in visiting the great engineering works of Europe or America, and on his return to South Australia he shall be required to present to the University, to be placed among its archives, an account of his tour, with special reference to the mechanical and engineer- ing arts. On the deposit of this account with the University, and its being approved by the Senate, he shall have granted to him the further sum of ^100 towards his travelling expenses. Should this offer be accepted by the University Council it is my intention to place in trust when required a sufficient sum of money for investment, out of the proceeds of which the before- mentioned scholarship and gratuity shall be paid. " I am, Sir, &c., "J. H. ANGAS. " Collingrove, Angaston, Feb. 12, 1876." It is scarcely necessary to say that the offer was gratefully accepted. Not only by the Council of the University, but by the general public, the action was regarded as eminently judicious as well as liberal. The general feeling was correctly expressed by one of the Adelaide daily papers, which, after rehears- ing the principal facts, proceeded to remark that " the conditions are very judicious, and eminentlv calculated to secure the objects of the founder in in- ducing young men of talent to strive for competency in a profession of special utility in this young 296 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. country, where we have such a constant demand for engineering skill. The provision that a student shall spend half a year in visiting the great engineer- ing works of Europe and America, and supply the University with an account of his tour, is an admir- able one, and well calculated to keep other persons besides scholars abreast of the times with reference to one of the most useful sciences. This exercise of liberality adds one more to Mr. Angas's many claims to be considered a good colonist and a public benefactor." There is evidence in Mr. Angas's correspondence and papers that it was in his mind to found a scholarship in Natural Science a branch of learning in which he was interested from childhood. Follow- ing his usual plan when any project of importance engaged his attention, he made enquiries and gathered information on the subject. Natural Science is a wide expression, and, as it embraces several subjects, the suggestion was made to him that thorough knowledge of one or two branches was more desirable than a less perfect acquaintance with a larger number. The question was thus raised whether a division of the prize to be secured would not be of greater ultimate service to the community. Meantime the establishment of a Medical School at the University was pressing itself on the attention of the authorities. The necessary provision was partly made by the gift of 10,000 from Sir Thomas Elder and the hope had been expressed that other wealthy colonists would supplement this endowment in order to meet the financial obligation that must THE PHILANTHROPIST. 297 necessarily be incurred. The hint was not thrown away. In the department of Natural Science chemistry occupied the foremost place. Mr. Angas ascertained that the endowment of a Lectureship, or Chair of Chemistry, might prove more serviceable than the scholarship he had contemplated, and the conclusion he came to was embodied in the follow- ing letter : " Adelaide, 9th May, 1884. " To the Chancellor of the Adelaide University. " Dear Sir Recognising as I do the desirability of found- ing a Chair of Chemistry in connection with the University, I beg to notify my intention to endow such a Chair to the extent of six thousand pounds ( .6,000) sterling at a future date. " In the meantime I am willing to contribute annually the sum of three hundred and fifty pounds towards the stipend of such professor. " I remain, yours very truly, "J. H. ANGAS." There has been frequent occasion to remark on the good judgment as well as generosity that were displayed in Mr. Angas's benefactions, and they were strongly marked in this instance. In the letter from the Chancellor of the University which gratefully acknowledged the acceptance of the offer, the following paragraph occurred : ' Will you permit me to add that your generous help comes to us at a most opportune time. The foundation of a Chair of Chemistry has long been recognised as the most pressing want of the University. In supplying this want you have not only made the curriculum of our scientific teaching more complete, but you have enabled us to overcome a difficulty in the way of the establishment of the proposed Medical School. I am sure you will be gratified to learn that your timely assistance extends beyond 298 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. the Chair with which we shall be proud to associate your name." THE SCHOOL OF MINES. The School of Mines and Industries has been justly described as at once the youngest and the most popular of the teaching institutions of South Aus- tralia. It was only begun in 1889, and has now nearly 2,000 students attending its various classes, that are accommodated in the splendid building on North Terrace, towards the cost of which the Hon. G. Brookman contributed 1 5, 000. Though the structure was spacious, there was no suitable provi- sion in it for the department of wool classing, and, being deeply impressed with the importance of this branch of technical knowledge, Mr. Angas deter- mined to supply the lack. His gift was announced at a meeting of the Council held on March 16th, 1903, when the President (Sir Langdon Bonython) said : ' It is with much pleasure that I have now to report another name added to the list of benefactors of the School of Mines and Industries. It is that of Mr. John Howard Angas, who has in the past done so much for the institutions and charities of this State. Amongst the departments of this School for which the new building makes no provision, is that devoted to wool-classing. This department ha^ been under the able supervision of Mr. George Jeffrey, who is an enthusiast in his work, and who, as the result of his enthusiasm, brought the require- ments of the school in this particular under the notice of Mr. Angas. This is what Mr. Angas says : THE PHILANTHROPIST. 299 ' It has been brought under my notice by Mr. G. Jeffrey, the wool expert at the School of Mines, that there is no adequate accommodation in the new building for the wool classes. I understand that an additional room is needed to give the neces- sary facilities for successfully carrying on this important branch of industrial education. Having been associated with the wool industry for over half a century, I am convinced that it is one of the largest and most important sections of the State's productions. With a view to assisting the develop- ment and improvement of this source of our national wealth, allow me the pleasure of informing you that I am willing to provide the sum of 1,000 for the erection and fitting up of a room to meet the require- ments of the students of the wool section of the School of Mines and Industries.' " I am sure every member of the Council will agree with me that we are very much indebted to Mr. Angas. His gift is a compliment to the work of the school, because, generous as Mr. Angas is, all South Australia knows that he regards himself as a steward who must use his wealth wisely, and that he is scrupulously careful that his gifts go to worthy objects. It is a good thing to have Mr. Angas's splendid gift, but perhaps it is even more valuable to receive the hall-mark of his approval and com- mendation of the work which is being carried on in connection with this school." The report adds, " Sir Frederick Holder moved ' That the heartiest thanks of the Council of the School of Mines and Industries be presented to Mr. John Howard Angas for his splendid generosity in 300 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. presenting .1,000 for the erection and complete equipment of the wool department of the School.' ' Mr. R. E. E. Rogers seconded the resolution, which was carried unanimously and enthusiasti- cally. In yet another educational establishment the Agricultural College at Roseworthy Mr. Angas took a keen interest for many years, and aided its objects in a variety of ways. Among others, he invited the students repeatedly to inspect his stud flocks and herds at Kingsford and Hill River in order to gain information, and annually gave a gold and a silver medal to the best diploma students. He fully appreciated the value of higher education, and was especially interested in promoting its practical application. Doing this, if not strictly charitable, is certainly philanthropic work, and hence the principal services rendered to the com- munity by Mr. Angas in that department of useful- ness are referred to in this section. J. H. Angas and Pony " Mac." CLOSING YEARS. Vigorous Old Age Extensive Travelling- Its Curtailment -A Lingering Illness - A Quiet Evening-time The Eightieth Birthday The Last Illness and Death Newspaper Biographies -Funeral Arrangements A Remarkable Gathering An Impressive Address "Earth to Earth." Mr. Angas was blessed by Nature with a vigorous constitution, which, however, he sorely tried by excessive work. At different times during his career his strength failed, but a period of rest brought recuperation, and he speedily got into harness again. He continued to be a member of the Legislative Council till his 71st year, and, though he had sought to lessen his responsibilities long before, he increased them again after that period by entering into con- cerns unconnected with pastoral pursuits, such as extensive engineering works at Meadowbank, on Parramatta River, New South Wales, and acquiring a large share in the Cement Works at Brighton. In the management of his stations Mr. Angas was necessarily a great traveller, and for many years he usually visited both Melbourne and Sydney at the time of the annual shows. Pie was laid aside by an attack of illness for a while in 1897, but the itinerary of the following year is a very remarkable one for a man of 75. In January be visited Hill River, he was in Adelaide in February, in March he went to Melbourne, and on to Sydney in April. Part of May was spent at Largs, Point Sturt was visited in June, and there was a Northern trip, taking in Georgetown, Jamestown, and Mount Remark- 302 JOHN HOWARD ANGAS. able, in July. September found him at Shirley, where his son was staying, October at Hill River again, and November at Point Sturt. Besides these journeys there were several visits to Adelaide during the year. In order to appreciate the amount of travelling represented in the foregoing statement, it must be remembered that the places referred to are not only widely separated, but in some cases off the lines of railway. Point Sturt is 70 miles south of Adelaide, and Hill River 90 miles north, Jamestown twice that distance away from the city, and Mount Re- markable nearly 200 miles. Collingrove, the start- ing point of the several journeys, is 20 miles from the nearest railway station, and 57 from Adelaide. Each visit referred to, therefore, involved more or less of a cross country drive, and not merely an excursion by train. The record for 1899 was nearly equal to that which has just been given, but this was the last year of almost incessant going to and fro. Thenceforward, with the exception of a short journey such as to Hill River, the time of Mr. Angas was spent almost exclusively either at Adelaide or Collingrove. In July, 1901, he was taken with a very severe illness which lingered for some months, and the entries in his diary during this period are usually in pencil, and pathetically brief. There was a return of the malady while he was staying in Adelaide in Septem- ber of the following year, and the acuteness of the attack is indicated by the whole of the pages in the October diary being ominously blank. Mr. Angas was able to spend the Christmas of CLOSING YEARS. ::