THE LATE MR OAKDEN.

3 A few weeie ago we recorded tta**J of Mr John Jackson Oakden, at the *f^ i sixty-six years. His illness w&e a <*~ t one, and the cause of death abeces!i*«J i liver, from which he suffered • «"ffii' , acute pain. But having been herawi" r hale and hearty man, with an f^T^ s good constitution, his natural ™**lg ?. but little abated when from ine n>^ f ravage of the disease he & » away. He was perfectly f^^gj! I approaching dissolution, set £| b thfs world's affairs all »'"?^- -----3 gave instrurtions as to w^jKLJLrfrf - fhould rest, and then. *£™UStt - resignation. His directions were 1 carried out; on the 2nd d»y of til I presence of a goodly Iβ - personal friends, he was t the Kiccarton Church-yard. * sk . . d-n was one of «« «» i and alt.oagh he **j^t£* ir»------3 our public or pol.tical t nevertheless event* m links » b of record, inasmuch our past history. Aβ we have S^* a he was an old goiujt. j&«ijf t company bound iot . : s yearWJM. renamed tt«e U s when he%»as deputed bj r*m Ke^;B stockownew to <f*JZsg,Sto *t£: - f land on a tour of ' . of eeltJCtinjj land for -,

t mads. At each of these places he made I - Sections of what he thought would be I Stable grazing country. This accomI - eUshed, he returned to Australia, where, Ei course of time, he wound up his private Sabs and came back to New Zealand in * 1555 with a view of taking up country for »* himself. We are not in possession of the details of his movements in this matter, but he eventually bought a run of about 31000 acres in the Lake Coleridge district. Wit bis homestead near the river Acheron, a3 d set to work as the old colonist was wont to do, enduring hardships and priva- j tions unknown to the new-chums of ISB4. ! Hβ resided there until he sold out in the «ar 1877* tired of rural life, having succeeded in putting together sufficient for jus remaining diys, he had resolved to -ettte down in town. But before he finally did so he resolved to goto the old country en a visit to hie father and sisters (three ji number), leaving here in 1878. While there he seems to have thoroughly enjoyed himself, entering into such sports as hunting Bhcoiang, fishing, boating and bowling. He returned here in 1882, and since then -•sijled in Christchurch, taking part jn and subscribing liberally to jjjgn- o f our sports and pastimes, j He was oae of the founders of our Accli- - matieation Society in the year 1864, and mis a liberal subscriber to its funds. While at Late Coleridge he took trout to the waters of that district, thinking little of the trouble or expense. One of these trips ie acccanplished in the year 1863. Taking treaty young trout in a can from the Society's fish house, he started on horseback by the south track as far as the Selwyn. jPfom thence he crossed the plains in a north-westerly direction towards the Hororata, passing which hs went by Bocktrood and Snowdon, a country at that time wholly destitute of a road, the track, such ,as it was, sometimes leading up the mountain side, then winding down fey the side of a gulley. After an arduous ride he arrived home late et night pd without delay placed the Sung fish in the river without losing one. is sad to add that on his last visit to the old place, a f rii-nd who was fishing in the water in which these fiih were placed, having hooked a nice trout, called to Mr Oskden, who hurried down to see it landed, whereby he became over heated, and incautiously sitting down on a rock, he received a chill and an illness followed. He - was brought down home as quickly as pos- ' eible, took to his bed and never rallied, '■ the cold doubtless having accelerated the hitherto dormant disease, for he had com- ■ plained of pain for some few weeks, and : went to the country in the hope of finding jrelief. Up to the time of his leaving for change he* had been constantly Hiding in - acclimatisation matters, and only very ■ had added American brook fcoat and perch to the stock, travelSag as far as Ashburton and WesterJeJd to accomplish his object. He was a fdbssriber to many of our local societies, 1 toe Harmonic, Cricket Club, Jockey Club, J Coursing Club, Eunting Club, aud Bo wling j -dab, the Agricultural and Pastoral Asso- \ oation, the Cathedral Choir, &c.; besides, ' having sufficient means to give liberally in ] cases of need. Although, as we have ' already said, Mr Oakden took no part in public affairs, he made himself useful in : f other ways, and succeeded in making many i \ warm friends, by whom he is now very ' j much mißsed.