Women ruined Rome , New York next .
The Little Darwin den is overwhelmed by so many items of interest, including emails from correspondents containing tips and photographic treasures , scraps of paper , books , garage sale oddities , the finds from op shop trawling, pestering Townsville's James Cook University Special Collections staff and disturbing the tranquillity of its reading room that it is hard to know what to next insert in our bespoke online hall of fame .
Under this extreme pressure , it is difficult to sleep , one giggles and talks to oneself from time to time , utters oaths and threatens to beat the computer a la Monty Python with a palm frond when it refuses to keep up , causing me to make garbled , annoying statements on the domestic front , misplace for the umpteenth time reading glasses , and wonder if I will live long enough to knock out all this never ending cavalcade of golden prose . Modesty shows through .
By Peter Simon , married to a smart Kiwi
The latest unexpected acquisition is a battered bound in copy of papers read before the Queensland Women's Historical Association at Newstead in 1960 , full of fabulous material about early pioneers, interesting observations about Aborigines , bushrangers , convicts , massacres , tragedies , an extensive coverage of the history of libraries , particularly the Queensland Parliamentary Library .
Pounding out the above paragraph , I had to suddenly stop as it was felt that a green ant or a spider had run across my foot , probably from the jumble of books and papers in boxes and papers scattered hereabouts . Could not see a death adder about to strike old ankle , so resumed working on this post from the Queensland Women's Historical Association collection.
It involves pastoral millionaire "Jimmy" Tyson , MLC , a fine figure of a man , 6ft 31/2 inches tall, an outstanding 19th century pioneer, who liked kids , never married , died at Felton Station homestead, on the Queensland Darling Downs , on January 6,1898, aged 80 . Banjo Patterson wrote a poem about him entitled "T.Y.S.O.N."
The last verse had old Saint Peter giving strict instructions for Tyson to be admitted not through the straight and narrow gate reserved for wealthy men , but the main welcoming Big Gate , opening wide , as there were many good hearted things he had done that nobody knew about .
The paper , delivered by the late Mr Horace Flower , across 14 pages , provided a fascinating look at Tyson who built up large pastoral holdings across Australia , bigger than that of the so called Cattle King , Sir Sidney Kidman. His wealth was such that he helped Queensland weather the financial crash of the 1890s by buying 250,000 pounds worth of Treasury Bills.
He also donated 2000 pounds to the New South Wales Patriotic Fund for the contingent it sent to the Soudan War; in addition, he offered to finance and equip a mounted force of 200 men if the NSW Premier was interested.
His "sense of humour " came through when he donated the full amount for a proposed new church on the Darling Downs . When almost completed , it was found that the cost of a lightning conductor on top of the building had not been included , would he like to write another cheque? He replied : "No! If God should see fit to strike your Church with lightning , I am certainly not going to interfere in the matter!"
While regarded by some as " the miser of all misers" because of his wealth , it was revealed that he donated to many charities , insisting his cheque be acknowledged as coming from " The Man in the Moon" , from " Smith " , or "something from a friend".
During a discussion in a Toowoomba hotel with prominent merchants, graziers and agents , he was asked what was the purpose of amassing such wealth as he was a bachelor , had no family to leave his money to. On reading his response, you are reminded , strangely , of the Blues Brothers .
.
" I believe that God plans everything !" he replied , quietly ." I firmly believe that I , James Tyson, have a mission from providence ; that I was sent upon this earth for a special purpose . I believe I have a special mission from providence to improve properties upon the earth of this land of ours , and to make them productive . All my life has been devoted to that object . "
It is interesting to note that in the current severe drought spreading across the nation , way back, Tyson , after travelling widely through the widespread and disastrous drought of 1884 , offered 5000 pounds for a special college at Winton, Central Queensland , to train hydraulic engineers . The official response was that it could not support such a scientific institution in a small town like Winton . He retorted that while it was small , it was a vital place to teach young educated men the vital work of water conservation . Those in large coastal cities should rough it in the interior and be taught where the water was urgently and vitally wanted . He put down bores to tap artesian supplies of water .
After his death there was a legal battle over distribution of his estate , valued at nearly two and half million pounds in December 1898 , between 16-20 million in 1960 values . One of his many letters he kept in a unique filing system, originally written by him on slates , then passed to his secretary to write , was read out in court . Dated April 1,1891, it was addressed to Humphrey Davey, of Glen Dee, near Hay , NSW , a person he had known for some time, who was contemplating " matrimony ". Tyson clearly advised against wedlock . His letter read :
Dear Sir . I am in receipt of yours dated March 13 , and regret you take an entirely wrong view of matters touched upon in this as well as the previous letters on the same subject . It was , and is now, far better for me to be silent than offer advice, when I know nothing of the subject referred to. I am the last person that would hazard an opinion when all was darkness. If I knew how, I would advice, but knowing nothing I would not risk advice to the one I have known so long , lest it be wrong, but this I will say regarding the sex generally :-
They are , as now educated, unreliable, and if there is any purgatory some of our married friends are up to their necks in it . When a man marries a woman he marries his master. The meek little thing he dotes on is a tiger in sheepskin , and according to what I have seen , a man is a slave ever after.
That is the simple truth , there is no doubt whatsoever. It is the women who are ruling the world at the present time . It was the women and their luxuries in ancient times that ruined Rome . It is said that women and luxury will ruin New York , and this thing bids fair to ruin all places .
There is to be a Young Women's College to educate them . They will then, I should presume , get into the legislature and outvote the men ; indeed it will be hard to say where their power will end , if they rule as at present . The question arises: " What will they do if they get educated up ? " Having said this much , I am bewildered to contemplate the consequences !!! It was signed : Your faithful friend , Jas. Tyson . It would be interesting to know if Humphrey went ahead and got married after this dire warning about new age women .
The paper said nine years elapsed before the Queensland Trustees were able to present the final balance sheet of the Tyson estate . During that period there had been 11 distributions to about 30 beneficiaries .The amazing Jimmy Tyson built up a large personal library , supported schools and hospitals . He worked with convicts , ticket of leave men , employed Aborigines and part of his wealth came from supplying goldrush diggers with tucker.
He also donated 2000 pounds to the New South Wales Patriotic Fund for the contingent it sent to the Soudan War; in addition, he offered to finance and equip a mounted force of 200 men if the NSW Premier was interested.
His "sense of humour " came through when he donated the full amount for a proposed new church on the Darling Downs . When almost completed , it was found that the cost of a lightning conductor on top of the building had not been included , would he like to write another cheque? He replied : "No! If God should see fit to strike your Church with lightning , I am certainly not going to interfere in the matter!"
While regarded by some as " the miser of all misers" because of his wealth , it was revealed that he donated to many charities , insisting his cheque be acknowledged as coming from " The Man in the Moon" , from " Smith " , or "something from a friend".
During a discussion in a Toowoomba hotel with prominent merchants, graziers and agents , he was asked what was the purpose of amassing such wealth as he was a bachelor , had no family to leave his money to. On reading his response, you are reminded , strangely , of the Blues Brothers .
.
" I believe that God plans everything !" he replied , quietly ." I firmly believe that I , James Tyson, have a mission from providence ; that I was sent upon this earth for a special purpose . I believe I have a special mission from providence to improve properties upon the earth of this land of ours , and to make them productive . All my life has been devoted to that object . "
It is interesting to note that in the current severe drought spreading across the nation , way back, Tyson , after travelling widely through the widespread and disastrous drought of 1884 , offered 5000 pounds for a special college at Winton, Central Queensland , to train hydraulic engineers . The official response was that it could not support such a scientific institution in a small town like Winton . He retorted that while it was small , it was a vital place to teach young educated men the vital work of water conservation . Those in large coastal cities should rough it in the interior and be taught where the water was urgently and vitally wanted . He put down bores to tap artesian supplies of water .
After his death there was a legal battle over distribution of his estate , valued at nearly two and half million pounds in December 1898 , between 16-20 million in 1960 values . One of his many letters he kept in a unique filing system, originally written by him on slates , then passed to his secretary to write , was read out in court . Dated April 1,1891, it was addressed to Humphrey Davey, of Glen Dee, near Hay , NSW , a person he had known for some time, who was contemplating " matrimony ". Tyson clearly advised against wedlock . His letter read :
Dear Sir . I am in receipt of yours dated March 13 , and regret you take an entirely wrong view of matters touched upon in this as well as the previous letters on the same subject . It was , and is now, far better for me to be silent than offer advice, when I know nothing of the subject referred to. I am the last person that would hazard an opinion when all was darkness. If I knew how, I would advice, but knowing nothing I would not risk advice to the one I have known so long , lest it be wrong, but this I will say regarding the sex generally :-
They are , as now educated, unreliable, and if there is any purgatory some of our married friends are up to their necks in it . When a man marries a woman he marries his master. The meek little thing he dotes on is a tiger in sheepskin , and according to what I have seen , a man is a slave ever after.
That is the simple truth , there is no doubt whatsoever. It is the women who are ruling the world at the present time . It was the women and their luxuries in ancient times that ruined Rome . It is said that women and luxury will ruin New York , and this thing bids fair to ruin all places .
There is to be a Young Women's College to educate them . They will then, I should presume , get into the legislature and outvote the men ; indeed it will be hard to say where their power will end , if they rule as at present . The question arises: " What will they do if they get educated up ? " Having said this much , I am bewildered to contemplate the consequences !!! It was signed : Your faithful friend , Jas. Tyson . It would be interesting to know if Humphrey went ahead and got married after this dire warning about new age women .
The paper said nine years elapsed before the Queensland Trustees were able to present the final balance sheet of the Tyson estate . During that period there had been 11 distributions to about 30 beneficiaries .The amazing Jimmy Tyson built up a large personal library , supported schools and hospitals . He worked with convicts , ticket of leave men , employed Aborigines and part of his wealth came from supplying goldrush diggers with tucker.
