Page 65

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Title: Page 65

Full text: 64 THE DIARY OF ADOLPHUS GAETZ Monday, 29th,—Found dead in his bed this morning at Mahone Bay, John Edward Rees.70 A Coroners jury was held on the body of deceased and a verdict returned of "died by the visitation of God". This eccentric character lived a very secluded and lonely life for a number of years at Mahone Bay, allowing no person to visit him excepting those with whom he had had business transactions; the name of Woman horrified him; no female dared to approach him on any account whatever; he cooked his own meals but the house work was left undone, consequently he lived in a most wretch- ed and filthy manner, in fact such was the state of things within his dwell- ing that nobody cared about entering it. It is said he was insane; he may have been so to a certain degree, but when it came to money transactions or when his own business was the topic, nobody was more sane than himself. The property he lived on was his own; his income was about £300 yearly, be- ing the Interest derived from a sum of money invested in the Bank of Eng- land for him by his late father; which sum now falls, according to his father's Will, to his nearest relatives. He was penurious in the extreme scarcely allowing himself a sufficiency of food to eat or clothes to wear; de- priving himself thus of the necessaries of life he was enabled to save the greater portion of his income yearly, which savings now amount to a very considerable sum, and put out by him on interst and will now be distributed agreeably to a Will made. August, 1861 Friday, 2nd,—Within these few days past the diggers at the "Ovens" have discovered Gold amongst the sand on the Sea Shore. A young lady while amusing herself on the shore picked from the sand about two or three dollars worth without any exertion. Saturday, 3rd,—The Man-of War Steamer "Nimble" arrived in this harbour this afternoon bringing a part of our Government men, namely the provincial Secretary Joseph Howe; the Receiver General J. H. Ander- son;71 and the Attorney General, Adams Archibald,72 who have come here for the purpose of settling matters to rights with regard to the Gold Dig- gings; it is to be hoped that these men will so arrange matters that there will be no more disputing among the diggers. Tuesday, 6th,—Married at 12 O'Clock, noon, at the house of the bride's father, Mr. Alexr. Fraser, Merchant, to Albertina, daughter of Dr. Josh. Steverman,73 all of this place. The happy pair set off immediately after on a tour to Scotland. The Steamer "Osp'ray" arrived this afternoon with workmen, Lumber and Materials for one of the Goldmining Companies at the "Ovens". Thursd. 8th,—The Town this evening was crammed with strangers bound for the Gold diggings at the "Ovens"; boarding houses and Hotels were full to overflowing, numbers were obliged to pitch their Tents on the Common.