Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/463

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Mr. c. H. Goode ADELAIDE AND VICINITY 437 they graduated and opened warehouses in Rundle Street, Stephens Place, and Grenfell Street ; and ultimately the ramifications of their business embraced most of the settled parts of South Australia. The partnership of Goode Brothers was dissolved in 1882, and the subject of this memoir then joined in business an old friend of many years' standing, Mr. W. H. Durrant, of London. Mr. W. H. Tite next entered into the partnership, retiring some years aoo. Under the style of Goode, Durrant, & Co., the old trade connection was auomented, and the business continued to flourish. Besides the South Australian establishments, it now has branches in London, Broken Hill (New South Wales), and Western Australia, and their house is one of the most progressive in the colonies. On different occasions Mr. Goode has visited England, and on one of these an incident occurred of some interest. While, in 1859, the N^ortham, a P. & O. steamer, in which he and his wife were voyaging, was i>roceeding through the Red Sea, she struck the Shah Buryer Reef and stuck fast at a dangerous angle. So serious was the position that the passengers were rowed to the island of Myetta, where, for foLir days, they remained beneath a tropical sun, which burnished the desolate sand-patches in dazzling discomfort. They lived on scanty fare until the steamer was refloated. Mr. Cioode remained in England at this period for four years, supervising and extending the connections of his business. He returned to South Australia in 1863. .Shortly afterwards he was elected to the House of Assembly for PLast Torrens, obtaining the largest number of votes that had, up to that time, been polled by any politician in South Australia. The disastrous effects of the civil war in America were felt even in Australia. P"or one thing, cotton fell in consequence in price from 2s. 6d. to 6d. per lb. ; and it was feared that, because of this serious drop, leading South Australian soft goods merchants would be ruined. Mr. Goode fore.saw the probability, and in 1866 resigned his seat in Parliament, and took to the roads as a commercial traveller on behalf of his firm. He was moved to do this not so much by the fear of losing his own money as that of other people. By the exercise of keen insight and industry, however, his hou.se weathered the storm. In 1867 he again went to England, and he then remained in the old country for 12 years, managing the London branch of the business. In 1879 he returned to the land of his adoption, not visiting England again until 1898, when he remained in the home land for eight months. The foregoing account conveys a slight impression of the success Mr. Goode and his brothers obtained in the local business world by their own efforts and owing to their high character. Mr. Goode's integrity and honesty are well known in South Australia and among his business connections in the old world. He has also distinguished himself by his efforts in the interests of charity. In his early manhood he evinced a warm interest in religious and philanthropic matters, and succeeding years have served to ripen and expand that laudable enthusiasm. There is nothing lukewarm about him ; what he applies himself to do, he does whole-heartedly. His geniality, combined with his sincerity, win him good opinion In all his endeavors. In PLngland and in Adelaide, as a young man, he devoted considerable time to succoring the unfortunate and the poor. While in the old country, during the 1867-79 period, he was treasurer of Dr. Landel's Church, Regent's Park, London, and a member of the committee of public institutions, including the original Eield Lane Ragged Schools and Regent's Park College. The sincerity of his desire to help the poor was