Page:ChroniclesofEarlyMelbournevol.2.pdf/282

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THE CHRONICLES OF EARLY MELBOURNE.

T h o m a s Capel, the first brewer, signifies that he sells " Capel's beer entire," and that " beer equal to any brewed in Melbourne is to be had at the Britannia Brewery, near the Wharf, at 2S. per gallon." Mr. John Hodgson, once well-known in Legislative and Civic circles, appears to have been the first introducer of musical instruments, for in November he advertises for sale " two superior pianos, one an elegant cabinet, and the other a horizontal." His stock was soon after increased by a supply of accordeons, flutes, clarionets, hunting and other horns, and some compass-fitted walking sticks. H e must have found m u c h of this a dead stock, for some of the articles were as unsuited to the public requirements as could be, and selected with about as m u c h judgment as was shown three years after when Mr. T. C. Riddell, an ancient wine and spirit merchant, actually got out from England a consignment of skates. Potatoes first opened their eyes at the corner of Flinders and Queen Streets, where Frederick Pitman "offered a few tons of the best at the moderate charge of 9s. 6d. per cwt. cash;" and P. W . Welsh was not behind in the provender line, as he was ready to sell oats at 6s. per bushel of 40 lbs., and at the same shop were also to be purchased a cigar-case with flint and steel, playing cards, lucifer matches and wax tapers. H e also had on hand several numbers of the Pickwick Papers for one shilling each. Three ladies were early in thefieldcatering for their o w n branch of the public. T h e first was Mrs. Lilly w h o (26th October, 1838) "apprizes the ladies of Melbourne that she has opened a quantity of baby-linen and children's dresses assorted, and for sale at the lowest prices." A week after she is vastly improved upon by Mrs. Aberline, w h o "opened a Tuscan Straw Bonnet establishment in Queen Street, and had received a quantity of Tuscan, Dunstable, and coloured silk bonnets at lowest prices." Mrs. Stewart strikes in the next week by "informing the ladies that she has commenced business as a dressmaker, and hopes by proper attention to orders to merit a share of public patronage. For cards of address apply at Gazette office." The first manufacturer of leather appears to have been Richard Tancred, in Tancred's Lane, off Collins Street and Flinders Lane, and had " sole, kangaroo, and kip, sheep and basil, & c , both imported and manufactured by self; and to be sold on the lowest terms for good payments." It was a neck-and-neck race between the m e n costumiers, but Mr. T. O'Reilly had the start in Collins Street as a "fashionable tailor." Close on his heels rushed Henry Grayling, late from Jermyn Street, St. James', London, tailor and habit-maker, in Little Collins Street. In the course of a few weeks Mr. O'Reilly has evidently got into trouble of another kind, as he issued a published manifesto in these words :—" Having seen m y n a m e posted up by a person named Finnigan, I beg to inform him that I have no wish for his wife to remain in m y employ; but she having informed m e that they had entered into a written agreement to separate, they taking each a child, I employed her as a housekeeper." T h e first saddle and harness maker m a d e his appearance in December, 1838, in the person of T h o m a s Jackson, from London. Orders were receivable "at Mr. John Moss's ale brewery, back of the Ship Lnn, or at M r . Smith's Lamb Inn." During the next month John Dinwoodie, saddler, collar and harness maker, from London, notifies his intention to c o m m e n c e business on the 19th, in Little Collins Street. Connubial unhappiness publicly showed itself so early as 1838, for on the 25th October, T h o m a s Coombes, wheelwright, cries d o w n the credit of his "better-half" by "cautioning the public against allowing his w.fe, Mary Anne, to go 'on tick,' as he will not be responsible." Amd the second to proclaim his domestic troubles was a James Connell, whose wife, " Shine," had unceremoniously given him the slip, and he consequently disavowed all further pecuniary liability on her account. T h e first engraver, John Greene, started business in a wee brick cottage just westward of the Temple Court Hotel in Little Collins Street. I have in m y possession a silver crest and monogram done by h.m, thefirstof the sort in Melbourne, and an exhibit of handicraft which would not discredit one of the metallic operators of the present day.