Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-01-17
has a Lord Worth Two Hun
drcd Million.
Melbourne Correspondent n. y. star.


Melbourne correspond ence n. y. Star.
Only in such favored country n
this or the United States could such
fortunes AS S2UO, 600 900 he collected in
TWO ifetimes. | say this for We of
the colony of Victoria have II man as
rich, or may be richer Than your Van
derbilt, and II Is my purpose in this
letter TO give the readers of the Star an
opportunity To contrast the men.
About fbrty.six years ago farmer
named Clarke, left the shores of Eng
land for Tasmania for the purpose of
farming, taking with him considera-
ble capital, and being, in addition, II
remarkable judge of sheep and cattle
He appears 10 have failed in that
island, and as the Tasmanians were
forming n new settlement on the
shores of the great Australian CONT
nent, near Port Philip, lie determined
to try his fortune there. Where the
Queen City of the South, Melbourne,
with its 4r0, 900 inhabit ,nls, now stands
was then IA waste, inhabited 10y the
savage and kangaroo. Clarke AT this
period received from IA distant relative
n considerable sum of money. which
he Immediately invested in land IN the
vicinity of Melbourne, called Bare
grass.n AS the Colonial government
OF New South Wales granted special
surveys OF $4,000 acres at the uniform
price 5 shilllngs per acre, Clarke lni-
mediately invested his legacy In one
of these immense blocks, and thus
laid the foundation of his gigantic for
tune. This WAS in 1910, and for sew
eral years he continued TO farm and
take up sheep and cattle stations IN
the then uninhabited regions of Aus
tralia Felix, now the Colony of Veto
ria. H.. always attended the Cavern
ment land sales, aud bought largely III
the Ba,larat districts, here the richest
gold mines in Australia are situated.
The discovery of gold at Mount Alex
under aud Ballurat Increased his
growing wealth, as he eSacted rigidiy
a tribute or royalty for permission 10
mine on his coveted lands, and he thus
obtained immense sums.
Never were riches more worthily be-
slowed He continued till tue time of
his death, 1851, to buy lands, sell Me-
rino wool and deal In cattle. His son
succeeded to this vast inheritance,
which comprised at his fathers death,
1900, 00J Merino sheep, 100000 cattle,
and nearly 5000, OOJ acres Of freehold
lands aud II leaSenuld OF Crown lanuS
equal in area To that OF England. The
probate duty paid to the various Colo
/ iiial governments was calculated on
an estate valued at $50, 900, 900, though
| that WAS not more than halt It's real
value. His son, the present Lord Ru-
! pertswoud, has 10y his care and aiten.
/ lion quudrupl.d this vast fortune.
When the Duke Of Edinburgh and the
/ sons of the Prince of Wales visited
Australia, they we're Toasted right
ro,ally at Kuperlswo d, the family
S at, and Queen Victoria created hini
Baron Ruperlswo, d of Rupertswood,
in the Colony of Victoria, and u peer
of the United Kingdom. Without
any cxagg.ration the Au-trailan II
worth $40, 1000, 900, and the influx OF
4 population IL adding daily TO his
wealth.
His generosity Is unbounded. The
! charitable Institutions of Melbourne
and the cOlouies owe him Il great debt
of gratitude for his liberality. Ku-
pe,iswood, the seat of this bueoiic
/ Australian, Is superb, aud can coni-
pare with any resi-, ence in the oid or
| New World, it's estimated cost being
/ $4,U00,0JO.