Morning journal and courier., 1889-05-06
AUsTRALIA'S GOLD QUEEN. The Romantic Career of Alice Corn
 well.


 From the Otago New Zealand, Times.l
 One of the most remarkable women of the present day is Miss Alice Cornwsll. Born in England, she at the age of nine came over with her father and mother to New Zealand, where until the age of seventeen she re- mained, unconsciously preparing herself enthusiastically at ladies' school in Dunedin (Mrs Mays Manor Lodge schooD for subse- quent enterprises which were to startle the whole world. She was not at school consid- cred very brilliant girl neither did she in those days possess extraordinary personal attractions. But she gained for herself the sincerest friendship and warmest esteem of her companions, in whose minds Alice was associated always with goodness and amia- bility. Miss Cornwell remained in Dunedin until she was seventeen, and when she bade goodbye to New Zealand to accompany her parents to Victoria she left behind her ties and friendships which to-day remain un- shaken and unaltered. The stranger, on in. troduction, does not detect in her manner aught savoring of self-consciousness or of affectation. No one who knew not of her fame would imagine her, from external in- dications, to be the possessor of three-quar- ters of million sterling. She is as polite and agreeable in manner to pauper as to 8 ! nobleman; she is ever ready to give her un- divided attention to the ideas, suggestions or \ schemes of anyone, be he ever so humble in circumstances; and, if his schemes have | merits and be practicable, the lady will promise to give it her "best consideration" | and she will too.
 The subject of this notice married in Vic | toria an old man, a member of Parliament, | by name John Whiteman. The union does ! not appear, however, to have been 8 singu- ! larly happy one from the circumstance that \ the pair have been living apart for the last | ten years. And her parents, in order to get ' her away from surroundings which must ne | cessarily have been unpleasant and distaste- \ ful to her, sent her to a college in London, | where for time she devoted herself assidu- ously to the study of music and art, and | where subsequently, she published three or
 four songs But after passing several exam | nations in music, and gaining honors in lite | rature, her academic career was suddenly brought to an untimely end one morning by | her receiving from Mir. Cornwell cablegram
 announcing the death of her mother (whose dying injunction was that Alice should re- ! sume her maiden name), and request that ! she would return to Victoria. Her father
 heavily involved in mining speculations. He had sunk forty thousand pounds in an estate he leased from Sir William Clarke, and had
 had no return. It was at this time that the
 energy and determination of character of
 Miss Cornwell first displayed themselves, and
 to some extent shadowed forth the brilliant
 financial career, the beginning of which was | soon to follow in the wake of these events
 MT. Cornwells misfortunes would appear tc
 have brought about an abnormally phenome
 nal change in his daughters entire character
 and from the dreamy, sentimental youne
 woman, whose interest was concentrated il ] her studies, she suddenly became matter , of-fact woman of the world, full of ambi
 tion, imagination and energy. She had tn interests of her family at heart, and devote her whole time to thinking out project : which should retrieve their fallen fortunes , She felt that the only way by which sh