Alexandra Times at KellyGang 19/8/1876 (3)

From KellyGang
Jump to: navigation, search
(full text transcription)

(see previous)

I may mention the two local breweries. The proprietor of the-largest is a Mr O'Keefe, who conducted us through the premises. We tasted the ale, which was first-class, but, as I informed him, all the brewers seem to make good ale in winter. Mr O'Keefe is doing a large trade, and appears to give general satisfaction. The buildings are situated near the bank of the Murray, and of about the same extent as our Lion Brewery. We then came to the smaller brewery, the owner of which showed us round. We tasted the ale of course, with the usual compliments, and found it very good. The proprietor said he started in this place a few years ago with a very small capital. He is now doing a big trade, selling all he can brew, and possesses a valuable property.

I will now give a short account of a few of the leading hotels in the town. Having a little interest myself in this line; my native modesty prevented my giving prominence to it before. It appears to me there are four principal hotels. First, the Globe, which seem to do nearly all the commercial trade. The lease having expired with the present tenant, the trustees placed the hotel in the market and on inquiry I found the ingoing to be £2000, the rent £9 per week, besides all the expenses. In New South Wales a publican’s, license costs £30 and a billiard table license £10 per year. Taking this hotel on lease would be a heavy transaction, but it does a great trade, and as one of our old sports would say. “there is money in it,” The next I will notice is the Rose a first class hotel, with an extensive country connection, and large accommodation for balls, dinner parties, and such affairs.

Mr Lewis Jones's Exchange Hotel is the principal booking office for Cobb and Co and Crawford, Connolly, and Co's' coaches, through which a large trade is done, as passengers are coming and going day and night. The only other hotel I will name is a beautiful new building called the Club, by far the best in Albury, although it is closed just now. The man who furnished and opened it went in very extensively, with everything on a grand scale, so as is generally the case, he came to grief. I was surprised to see that the hotels, with one or two exceptions, were smooth-faced structures with no balconies, as a building has not half the show without them

. There are two newspapers, via., the Albury Banner, issued every Saturday and the Border Post, on Wednesdays' and. Saturdays They are well conducted, and, have each a large circulation in the town and country districts. The old Government landing stage, where the steamers used to discharge cargo, is a most absurd piece of work. It hugs the bank so much that a high flood was necessary to enable a steamer to go alongside, and they generally had to use the natural landing stage, the river bank. But these are now things of the past. You can see grass growing on the old platform, for the iron horse has upset all the ancient ideas of locomotion. Business men have not to wait for their goods for works, for they may be ordered by telegraph in the morning and be in Wodonga the same evening, and large waggons are constantly delivering them: Railway communication has opened up and wonderfully improved the border country of Victoria and New South Wales.

continued

, . 1 . , . 2 . , . 3 . , . 4 . ,


 ! The text has been retyped from a microfiche copy of the original.

We have taken care to reproduce this document but areas of the original text may been damaged.

We also apologise for any typographical errors.