Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/441

 ^^^■^■(^'°'^ Adelaide and vicinity 415 Benevolent Society ; Member of Committee of the Hible Society and Institute ; and Past Officer of the Foresters and Rechabites. Mr. Cross lectured on frequent occasions for religious and benevolent societies. In connection with the opening of the Exhibition Building at Gawler a public meeting was held, and he was apjiointed to arrange with merchants in Adelaide for the display of their goods. This undertaking he engineered successfully. For some time he sat as councillor in the Gawler Council, and was afterwards asked to stand for the mayoralty, but his removal to Adelaide prevented his doing .so. He was al.so asked to stand as a candidate for the constituency of Baros.sa, but declined. He was once chosen by the Pharmaceutical Society of South Australia to represent it at the Victorian Conference. In 1888 Mr. Cross was made a J. P. On the first occasion that he sat on the bench, the only delinquent presented for punishment had no money with which to pay the fine inflicted, and Mr. Cross paid the money himself At length Mr. Cross found it necessary to remove to Adelaide to extend the sphere of his operations ; and on his leaving Gawler the townspeople tendered him a banquet, which was attended by a representative gathering of influential citizens ; and Mr. Cross was presented with a large illuminated address, the outcome of a |)ublic subscription. Mr. Cross still continues his public lectures, the subjects embracing " Love, Courtship, and Marriage," " Proverbs and their Lessons," " Mark Twain," " The Rdntgen Rays," '■ Chemistry," " Life and Character illustrated by Candles," " Chats on Poison," etc. He has an original manner of dealing with these diverse topics, and blends with the more solid portions a great deal of humor, thus making them very popular. While delivering his lecture, " Life and Character illustrated by Candles," he displayed upon the platform over 250 candles of all sorts, sizes, colors, and shapes, lighted and unlighted, from six feet high and four inches in diameter to a mere rushlight all being specially manufactured for him. The various phases of life and character, and the original remarks which accompanied these novel illustrations, were interesting. His " Chat on Poisons " was delivered expressly for juveniles, and in this he introduced an interesting feature, arranging the names of the poisons in such a manner that immediately it became known that a certain poison had been taken, the name of it suggested in rhyme the recognised treatment to be adopted. Mr. Cross thought that children, and adults as well, might remember the treatment quicker in this way, and experience proved this to be true. Before entering on his profession as a chemist, Mr. Cross was identified with the publication entitled Printers Ink. He has published a pamphlet on " Indigestion and its Cure," ot which over 412,000 copies have been printed. He has also written a pamphlet on " Lead Poison," the treatment he recommends being first to neutralise the poison, then to decompose it, and afterwards to remove it from the system. Some flattering opinions have been expressed on this work, Mr. A. Thomas, F.C.S., of London, stating "that Mr. Cross's was the best and surest remedy that could be used in lead poisoning cases." During one of his holiday trips, Mr. Cro.ss paid a visit to the Narracoorte Caves, South Australia, and wrote an article (illustrated) descriptive of these natural attractions, which was published in the Christmas number of the Adelaide Observer, 1897, and excited a good deal of favorable comment. Mr. Cross continues the manufacture of his medicine, and his business is a large and flourishing one. He is a member of the Pharmaceutical .Society of South Australia, of the Pharmaceutical Society of Victoria, and of the Homoeopathic Society of Great Britain.