Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1889-07-17
AUSTRALIANS GOLD QUEEN.
The Romantic Career of Alice Corn
well.

VI Alllc over Will ldlucI
mother to New Zealand, where until
the age of seventeen she remained, un-
consciously preparing herself scholas-
tically at ladies' school in Dunedin
Mrs. Nays Manor Lodge School) for
subsequent enterprises which were 10
startle the whole world. She was not
at school considered a very brilliant
girl; neither did she in those days pos
seSs extraordinary personal attractions.
But she gained for herself the isIncerest
friendship and warmeSt esteem OF her
companions in whose minds Alice was
associated always with goodness and
amiability. Miss CoInwen remained
IN Dunedin until she was seventeen,
and when she bade good-by 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 Introduction, does not detect in her
manner aught savOring of self-con-
SciousneSs or of affectation- No one
who knew not of her fame would imae-
Inc her, from external Indications, to be
the poSsesSor of three-quaTters OF
million sterling. She is rs polite and
agreeable IN manner TO pauper as to
a nobleman; she is ever ready to give
her undivided attention to the ideas,
suggestions, or schemes OF any one, be
he ever so humble in circumstances;
and, if his scheme have merits and be
practicable, the lady will promise to
give il her "best consideration, and
she will, too
The subject of this notice married in
Victoria an old man. a member of Par
Lament, by name John Whiteman.
The union does not appear, however,
TO have been singularly happy one,
from the circumstance that the pair
have been living apart for the last ten
years. And her parents, in order 10
get her away from surroundings which
must necessarily have been unpleasant
and distaSteful to her, sent her to a
college in London, where for a time
she devoted herself assiduously to the
study of music and art, and where sub
Sequently she published three of four
songs. But after passing several ex-
aminations in music aud gaining honors
IN literature, her academic career was
suddenly brought TO an untimely end
one morning by her receiving from Mr..
COrnwell a cablegram announcing the
death of her mother (whOse dying in
junction was that Alice should resume
her maiden name), and request that
father was in Ballarat at this time, and
had become heavily involved in mining
speculatiOns. He had sunk 1000
pounds in an estate he leased from Sir
William Clarke, and had had no return.
Ii was at this time that the energy and
determination of character of Miss
COTnwell 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. Mr.. Cornwell's
misfortunes would appear to have
brought about an abnormally phenome-
nal change in his daughters entire
character, and from the dreamy, senti-
mental young woman, whose interest
WAS concentrated in her studies, she
suddenly became matter-Ot-fact
woman OF the world, full OF ambition,
imagination, and energy. She had the
Interests of her family at heart, and
devoted her whole time to thinking out
projects which should retrieve their
fallen fortunes. She felt that the only
way 10y which she could successfully
accomplish TIA S would he, TO use her
own words, Ito make the estate III
which the money had been sunk re-
turn" SO, having posted herself up
in all the geological details of the gold
field, and having, after much inquiry,
satisfied herself that geld did exist i'll
its vicinity, she formulated a scheme
by which she could carry her ideas int 10
effect. Money was borrowed and a
shaft sunk, and within a foot of the
point she had indicated the course of
the lead was struck. This was the
starting point of her mining career.
-Ann a ri lha haeanns fnnnaptaI
with numerous other mining COM
panies III New South Wales, but in no
Instance where she had not personally
inspected aud improved the claim. The
idea of reyisiting London in the interest
of gOld-mining WAS suggested to her by
the late Lady BraSsey, then on tour
of the Colonies, who pointed out To her
the facilities and advantages she would
meet with i'll the great metropolis for
loating mines OF such a character as
the Midas. The lady also invited Miss
CoTnwell to visit her, should she repair
to London. Home she accordingly
went, and Nlidas-SIbScribed for five
times over-was hoated by her for
lSO. 900 pounds, OF which the share
holders received 10000 pounds net.
This enterprise it was, or course, that
made Miss COrnwell so publicly known.
Mss Cornwell returned to Australia
in April of last year, chiefly for the
purpose of Ito use her own words,
Insisting the management IN handing
over the leases quickly TO the new COM
pdny." Having done this, she jour
neyed through Queensland for the pur-
pose of obtaining information for her
popular London paper, The Sunday
Times During this trip the Wyong
-. 0 .1,r
and explored-was purchased by her for
%, 600 pounds. The estate covers an
area of l., 600 acres; a railway line runs
through it. There Is frontage to a
lake OF twelve miles, and frontage TO
a river of fourteen miles. In some parts
of the estate there is a rich loan thirty
or forty feet in depth, and It possesses,
moreover. an abundance of the finest
timber in New South Wales-cedar,
mahogany, etc. From geological re-
ports II is estimated that there are
2SO, ,UO0, 900 tons of gas coal on the es-
tate, and the profit on this, If worked.
= further estimated in round figures at
81. .OUO. 600 pounds. On it are railway
station and a township already sur
veyed. Miss Cornwel contemplates
raising 900, 900 pounds in London, for
the purpose of working and developing
this property, and she hopes in two
years to see on it in full work four saw
mills and four collieries- So sanguine
is she of the ultimate success that will
attend the developing and working of
this property that she has decided to
retain for herself one-third of the shares
of the company she is about TO float in
London, and particulars of which and
other things will be subioiDed in an
other article. Numerous other ventures