General News
3 January, 2024
Summer reading: Ploughs cut way to success
By KEN ARNOLD JAMES Leslie established his blacksmith in Marong during 1873. Leslie discovered water at a depth of five feet close by to his blacksmith shop at Marong in February 1875. Several Leslie manufactured ploughs were used at the Raywood and...
By KEN ARNOLD
JAMES Leslie established his blacksmith in Marong during 1873.
Leslie discovered water at a depth of five feet close by to his blacksmith shop at Marong in February 1875.
Several Leslie manufactured ploughs were used at the Raywood and Sebastian ploughing match held on the O’Connor property at Campbells Forest and at the North Western Agricultural Society’s match on Dr Crosland’s farm near the Inglewood racecourse - both in August 1876.
Leslie ploughs were often used at a number of ploughing matches.
Although the blacksmith shop was a hive of activity in December 1875 a snake decided to pay a visit. Mr. Leslie chanced to see the snake just as Henry Winzar was about to step on it.
An improved roller for crushing clods was manufactured by Leslie, described as our local Vulcan, for Mr Tassel, the station manager of Finlay Campbell’s, Auchmore, in May 1877.
The following month Leslie was fitting the new Lennon patent “bush” to the wheel of ploughs.
Leslie sought permission from the Marong Shire Council to sink a well in High street, Marong in July 1878 he having built a boring drill that was capable of boring down twenty feet ,it making a hole 7½ inches in diameter.
The annual Bendigo Champion Ploughing Match was held in Holme’s paddock, Strathfieldsaye, on August 14, 1878, T. E. Poynting winning with a Leslie plough.
Poynting, of Melbourne also used a Leslie plough when winning the Champions Cup at the Sebastian, Raywood and Campbell’s Forest ploughing match held on Mr Simmon’s paddock in August 1879, however the Leslie plough was found unsuitable for the land of Edward Stone, at Laanecoorie, when the sixth annual Central Loddon Farmers’ Club ploughing match was held, however the luncheon provided by George Cousins, of Cousin’s hotel, Woodstock, was appreciated by many of 1000 people in attendance.
Leslie awarded second prize for a set of harrows whilst his two ploughs got a worthy mention at the North Western Agricultural Show held at Inglewood in October 1878 whilst the following year he was awarded first prize for his swing plough and drag harrows along with best collection of farming implements.
It was also during that month that Leslie exhibited at the Bendigo Agricultural and Horticultural Society show where he was awarded second prize for his swing plough.
James Leslie, Marong Iron Works, was awarded first prize plough shares off the hammer at the Bendigo Show in April 1879.
During their leisure hours the apprentices at the works were manufacturing their own plough for competition, it to be used by Arthur Wallis at a friendly ploughing match in June 1879.
Arthur Wallis soon left Marong bound for Yanipy where he established his own blacksmith.
Leslie won a silver medal for the best collection of agricultural implements at the Sandhurst Industrial Exhibition in 1879.
Two apprentices in the employment of Leslie manufactured their own model ploughs for the Melbourne Juvenile Exhibition, viz: James Nicholls built a single furrow plough whilst George Parkinson built a double furrow plough. Both models, being fitted with the most recent improvements, were described as perfect models as it is possible to conceive or execute.
The cases or frames in which they were exhibited were also of local construction having been made by Mr. John Thompson - December 1879.
The following month Leslie was awarded a silver medal for the best collection of farm implements and for his plough shares at the Sandhurst Exhibition.
Leslie won more than his fair share of prizes during the 1880s including two silver medals for his horse hoe and drill - 1889. In total 15 gold, 22 silver and two bronze medals whilst in business at Marong.
The Leslie-manufactured ploughs were quickly making a name for themselves they being used as far afield as Barnadown and at the Bungaree, Dean and Warrenheip ploughing match.
Extensive renovations were being carried out on the Leslie residence in February 1880.
Leslie ploughs were used at the North Western Agricultural Society plough match at Bridgewater in July 1880 and then at the paddock of H Wilson, Marong in August when six Marong made ploughs were used.
Leslie was awarded first prize for his combined double furrow plough with sub soiler, a horse hay rake and best collection of implements at the North Western Agricultural Society held in Inglewood in October 1880. The following year he took all the prizes for single and double furrow ploughs along with harrows.
A number of Leslie ploughs were used, along with Hugh Lennon (Melbourne), Gardner & Co (Kyneton), McCalman & Garde (Melbourne) at the Bendigo Agricultural and Horticultural Society 20th ploughing match held on the property of T. Woods in August 1881. James Leslie donated a coulter, value 10/- for best crown class C, persons under 17 years of age.
Leslie best crown and the best finish, a coulter being the prize in class F double furrow was in 1882.
J Leslie donated a coulter as a prize for the best crown, value 10/-, class B single furrow, ditto class D double furrow, held in the paddock of H. Wilson in 1886, there were thirty two competitors and a crowd of 500 spectators.
Leslie was manufacturing a three furrow plough in 1887, the same year her donated a coulter for class C, single furrow and Class E single furrow ploughs at the local ploughing match, however as he was helping to organise the matches he was not present in 1888 but the following year Leslie donated a coulter for best crown in Class E treble plough.
James Leslie, Marong Ironworks, and John Steel, of the Springfield Farm, Marong, painted the Presbyterian church at Marong in November 1889. Charley Ah Kow attacked James Leslie with a tomahawk which resulted in a nasty gash on the forearm in January 1890. The hawker thought that Leslie was attempting to steal from his wagon.
An attempt was made to form a branch of the National Reform and Protection League prior to it being named the Marong National Reform and Protection League in January 1890, of which James Leslie was a foundation member.
A shaft was being sunk east of his property on the Bullock Creek in September 1890, looking for gold.
James Leslie had built a buggy for W. Wood, of the Railway Hotel, Marong by November 1890. The painting and “picking out” and ornamentation carried out by William Kirk was described as can scarcely be excelled.
The employees at the Marong Ironworks were quickly on hand when a fire broke out in the house of T. Walker on April 6, 1891. An amount of clothing was burnt whilst the roof suffered damage.
James Leslie applied for a patent for coupling and uncoupling railway trucks and carriages in 1892.
Thieves broke into the blacksmith shop of Leslie, described 400 yards east of the railway station, on April 4, 1892. They stole two large hammers, three cold chisels and a pair of tongs before breaking into the station and stealing the safe which was wheeled about 400 yards towards Bridgewater.
By 1895, life was tougher for Leslie, when causes of his insolvency was put down to dullness of trade, inability to collect book debts, pressure of creditors, and sickness of family.
Leslie was given a send off at the Railway Hotel, Marong in July 1895, he moving to Bendigo where he established a rolling stock works with his sons in Myers Street.
The township was in the grip of drought by January 1896, the temperature being over 100 degrees in the shade. Had it not been for the spring that Leslie had found, the residents of Marong would have suffered.
A road plough made by Leslie was used to tear up several lengths of road in Pall Mall so that the new tram line could be laid in 1902.
The previous year, it had been reported that four steel plough shares and 12 Massey Harris cast iron plough shares had been stolen from his Bendigo premises.
Leslie exhibited ploughs, scarifiers, a wire strainer and shears at the Bendigo Agricultural Society Spring show in October 1908. Although the odd advertisements appeared in the Bendigo papers the business of James Leslie did not seem to make the news.