Sourced from:   [Border Watch (Mount Gambier, SA), 15 July 1908]

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ADAM LINDSAY GORDON.

Thirty eight years have elapsed since the poet Gordon shot himself on Brighton on Beach (1870). Noting the anniversary of this event the 'Bendigo Advertiser' publishes some reminiscences of the poet supplied to it by a contributor who had an interview with Gordon's old friend, Wm. Trainor.

How Trainor Met Gordon

Asked when he first met Gordon, Mr. Trainor related his story as follows: I came from Amercia with Burton's circus in 1856, and we gave a performance at Penola. Being the 'star' rider in the crowd, I was going to ride the changeable act. I don't know whether you've seen it. It is where a clown is thrown off a horse, a drunken man then enters the ring; that was me. I was ordered out of the ring by the ringmaster, who said I was not fit to ride. He then bundled me out of the ring. Just as he did so the sergeant of the police, who was standing out of the ring, caught hold of me by the back of the neck. I had a muffler on, and he nearly choked me. It was a beautiful moon light night. I can see it as plainly as I can see to-day. The sergeant took me along the road, and we met another policeman. The sergeant said to him, 'Lock this man up.' He then let me go, and the other man took charge of me. I said, 'I beg your pardon, but I am one of the performers.' He wouldn't believe me, and only laughed. 'Oh, I know all about that,' he said. But I then unbuttoned my coat, and showed him my riding costume, and spangles, and all that, and I said, 'Look here, you must let me go back.' Well, if I live to be a hundred years I will never forget it. He was a tall fellow, and he stood upright, and threw his head back, and started to laugh out loud. He then took me back to the tent and let me go. That was my introduction to Gordon, though I didn't know till afterwards. Then we went horse breaking together, and became very friendly. I don't know why he took to me, because we were as opposite as the two poles in ability. I suppose it was because of my horsemanship.'

Gordon's Famous Leap.

Were you with Gordon at Mount Gambier with him when he made his famous 1864 leap? “Yes” replied the old man. “I was with him at the Blue Lake. I will tell you how it came about.  There was a race meeting at Mt Gambier, and after the meeting was over Captain Lyon, who was married to Governor McDonnell’s sister, and was police magistrate at Mt Gambier, invited us to go for a hunt. Captain Lyon used to run a few horses at the time, and at the races I rode his horse Longbow. Gordon rode Modesty and Bob Learmonth rode Ingleside. Well we went a few miles out. We didn't have to go far in those days for kangaroos. It was nasty, rough country, and Gordon soon tired of the game. We were all on good jumpers, Gordon said, " Come on boys, we will all go to the township, which was just about four miles away. I knew what that meant. It meant a ride over some stiff country. Gordon led, as he always did-pretty well-and took us a merry pace for a couple of miles to the Blue Lake, over some stiff timber, I tell you. Well, we landed, and lit our pipes, and were congratulating ourselves-the three of us-on our getting through without coming to grief, for Gordon tried to throw us. That was just like Gordon, trying to do something somebody else couldn't do. There are two lakes, with a saddle going between the two. The saddle was formed by the high embankment of the road, and there was a fence each side down in the hollow, and a narrow strip of ground between the lake and the fence. We all rode along, talking away and smoking our pipes. Gordon lagged a little behind us. He got off his horse, and I thought he got off to loosen the girth after a big burst. A moment or two afterwards I heard a rattle of hoofs, and, turning round, saw Gordon riding Red Lancer towards the Blue Lake. Then, like a flash, he left the road and jumped his horse into mid air, clearing the fence below, and landed on the narrow strip of ground. Then he rode along till the road ran down level, and then jumped back on to the road. I said to him. ‘What in the world did you do that for, Gordon ? ' He said, ' Oh, well, when a man wears a green jacket like this (he used to wear a green riding jacket) he is supposed to do something more than somebody else.' 'Well,' I said, ' I don't think much of that. It just gives you an idea of the sort of man he was."