Nicholas Johns

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The news of the sudden death of Mr. Nicholas Johns, the popular manager of Mr. Geo. Lansell's No. 222 mine, which sad event occurred at his late residence, at New Chum, at an earlv hour yesterday morning, will be received with surprise and regret by his numerous friends and the public generally. The deceased gentleman was about town on Saturday evening, apparently in the best of health and spirits, although during the week he had mentioned casually to some of the men working under him in this mine that he had felt a slight pain in his chest. He did not, how ever, consider it of sufficient consequence to warrant him in consulting a doctor, or even to acquaint the members of his own family of it. About 11 o'clock on Saturday night he went home with Mr. James Northcott, the manager of the ISO mine, and shortly afterwards retired to rest. About two or three o'clock in the morning he got up as he could not sleep. Miss Johns, his daughter, who is keeping house for him, also got up and lit a fire. He sat at the fire for some time reading the newspaper and then went back to his bed. As he was still unable to sleep he again got up and sat in front of the fire with his feet resting on another chair. Miss Johns asked him if she would get him a cup of hot tea but he declined, remarking "I'm afraid I'll not want anything more." Almost immediately afterwards he fell forward into the fireplace. Miss Johns dragged him out of the fire but not before his whiskers had become ignited. With great presence of mind she extinguished the burning whiskers and then rushed off to a neighbour, Mrs. Jeffrey. Messengers were also despatched for his two sons, Mr. Joseph Johns, the manager of the Extended Red, White and Blue mine, and Mr. E. Johns, another married son, who is engaged at the 222 mine. Dr. James Eadie was also summoned, but on arrival he found life to be extinct. :Although unable to say definitely what was the cause of death, the doctor expressed the opinion that the deceased was dead before lie fell into the fire, as the slight, burns on his whiskers and an abrasion on the forehead where he came into contact with the iron bur in the fireplace were not sufficient to kill him. Most probably the cause of death will be found to be heart disease. It is a noteworthy fact that his father died in a similarly sudden manner. Mr. Johns was a widower, Mrs. Johns having died about seventeen years. They had seven children, but only three of them, who are mentioned above, are surviving. They are naturally in great distress at the suddenness of the sad bereavement which has befallen them. As soon as Mr. Lansell was informed of the sad affair he at once gave orders for the flag to be hoisted half-mast at the mine. The matter was reported to the police at Golden-square, and a magisterial inquiry will be held to-day. The funeral will take place to-morrow afternoon, at 4 o'clock.
As will be seen from the following sketch of his life, Mr. Johns was a manager with a large and varied experience in gold, silver and copper mining. A native of Cornwall, having been born at St. Hilary, on the 3rd December, 1832, he was brought up amongst mining. In 1854, shortly after his marriage, he came out to the colony. Amongst the other passengers on the ship, which was 109 days doing the passage, was Dr. Quick (then a mere child) and his mother, Mrs. Viue, of Ironbark. On arrival in Melbourne he was for a time engaged in quarrying. He then went to the Burra Burra copper mines, in South Australia, where he obtained a position as boss over the Spaniards who were employed driving the mules there and which were used in the conveyance of the ore from the mine to Adelaide. On his return to Victoria he was engaged with a well-known character familiarly called " Scotch Jock " in carrying stores from Melbourne to Ballarat at Creswick. He used to delight in entertaining his friends with stories of his experiences in those stirring times. When the Eureka Stockade riot broke out Mr. Johns, with his wife, were on their way up with a load of merchandise when they were stopped on the road by some troopers who searched the waggon for firearms. Mr. Johns and his men always carried four or five pistols with them but this and some ammunition were hidden by Mrs. Johns about her clothes. Consequently the troopers' search only resulted in the discovery of an old horse pistol, which they generously allowed Mr. Johns to retain. After this he knocked off carting and again went to South Australia where he was engaged as underground boss at the North Rhine mine, Kapunda, and subsequently as the weigher of the ore at the Moonta mines. Afterwards he returned to Victoria and was mining at Daylesford and Ballarat. In 1870 he was engaged by a syndicate to inspect the Albert Silver mines near Fremantle (W.A.). His report was unfavorable and the works there were stopped. On his return to Ballarat, he received the appointment, of manager of the Potosi Silver Mines, Mt. Perry, Queensland, but was only there five or six weeks when he undertook the management of the Great Blackball Copper Mines, about 80 miles from Rockhampton. After staying there for 12 months, he again returned to Victoria. On his arrival on Bendigo, he worked as a miner for some time, and in 1880 was appointed manager of the New Morning Light Company, a position which two years afterwards he resigned. He had charge of the Sheepshead Extended Railway Red, White and Blue and North Red, White and Blue mines, and after that was underground boss at the 222. On the retirement of Mr. Arthur Paull from the position of mining manager about four years ago, Mr. Johns succeeded him and has held the position ever since. During that time he has earned the respect and esteem of his employer, and also the men engaged in the mine under him.
Mr. Johns was a staunch supporter of friendly societies, and was a prominent member of the M.U., I.O.O.F., of which order he was a cast provincial grand master and also a past director. For some years he has held the position of treasurer of the Loyal Gold Miners' Pridge Lodge. He was also a member of the Zenith Masonic Lodge. He was only on Friday evening last re-elected president of the B.U.F.S. Dispensary and Medical Institute. He was also the expresident of Bendigo and Eaglehawk Mining Managers' Association.[1]
  1. Bendigo Advertiser, 25 July 1892.
  2. Retrieved from "http://www.eurekapedia.org/index.php?title=Nicholas_Johns&oldid=32327"