and, suppressed it, but did not stamp out gambling.

I arranged a partnership with Mr. W. M. Campbell, traveller for Stewart
and Hemmant, of Brisbane. He and his wife and family were settled in
Fitzmaurice's house by the end of this year.

The Bank of New South Wales had also opened a branch in a small building
on the south side of Elderslie Street. Mr. Barnier was the first
manager, succeeded afterwards by Mr. Alf. Thompson.

Major Lewis, a veteran of the Indian Mutiny and Papal war, and a fine
old Irish gentleman, arrived to succeed Mr. Johnstone as police
magistrate. One of the first cases brought before him was a claim for
the return of money, under the following circumstances:--I had received
a letter from a man on Hamilton Downs Station, stating he was coming in
with the station dray for a load of rations, and was anxious to get
married. He asked me to look for an eligible female who was willing to
yoke up with him, and enclosed his photograph. Treating the matter as a
joke, I read the letter to the girls employed at the hotel. The
laundress, a big strapping woman, said she was willing to negotiate with
him. On the man's arrival I took him round and introduced him. After a
couple of days' courtship a date was fixed for the marriage. As an
earnest of his good faith, the man gave the woman a cheque for L26 to
buy her wedding trousseau. When the day arrived she refused to carry out
the promise of marriage. The man came to me for advice, stating that she
would not have him, neither would she return any of the money advanced.

I wrote Mr. Conran, the owner of Hamilton Downs Station, explaining the
cause of the man's delay, and as the station was short of rations,
Conran came in. He and I interviewed the woman, pointing out her
dishonesty, but we were told to mind our own business. Mr. Conran then
went to consult the P.M. The sergeant of police told Conran the P.M. was
engaged, and asked could he do anything for him. Mr. Conran said he had
come up about a girl appropriating a sum of money given as a condition
of marriage. The sergeant said, "An' shure, an' won't she have yez now."
Conran enjoyed the joke of being taken as the rejected lover.

Major Lewis and the police eventually recovered a portion of the money,
and the man returned sadder but much wiser, and I renounced for the
future any desire to act as matrimonial agent.

About October, 1882, we received a wire from Hughenden, advising that
some teams which we