HON. J. MARSHALL, M.L.C.

HIS FUNERAL OBSEQUIES. A TRULY REPRESENTATIVE GATHERING. It is seldom that an occasion arises when a man, who has nobly but unostentatiously gained such high esteem from members of all classes of the community in which he has resided during the greatest part of his lifetime, dies in full harness. But the death of James Marshall, of Totara i Flat, occurred on Thursday, and his interment being fixed for .Saturday brought about one of the largest and most representative gatherings of rea l admirers and friends that has ever taken .place on the West Coast. The weather was far from propitious all. the morning, but Mr. D. C Bates relented during the day and allowed the immense concourse of people from every portion of the West Coast to assemble in fine weather to pay their last tribute of respect to the departed at the Ahaura Cemetery, and thus emphasised their respect and regrets at the loss of so useiul a. member of the community. But for sorri'e unfortunate hitch that occurred in connection with the proposal to run a special train from - Greymouth, doubtless many hundreds would have avai:ed themselves of the opportunity to add their tribute. But in spite of that a record attendance presented themselves, including all leading members of local governing bodies from Ross on the south to Reefton on the East, these arriving either by early morning trains from both ends, or by vehicles of all descriptions, including several motor cars, and almost every digger and settler in and around the Grey Valley was there, either on foot or horseback. • LOCAL BODIES REPRESEN- ' TATIVES. • The following will give an idea, of the members of ..local bodies who attended, and if, through' ignorance, any others were present whose names jare omitted, the reason must be assigned to the size, of the assemblage. Those present who could be ddentified were as follows :— . Ross Borough Council.— T. W. Bruce (Mayor). ' Westland County Council. — J. Grimmond, T.. W: Bruce, and D. J. Evans (County clerk). Greymouth * Harbour Board.— T. Campbell (representing the chairman), W. R. Kettle, E. J. Scantlebury. E. Guinness (representing Sir |A.R. Guinness), and W. B. Gilbert (secretary). . Grey Education Board.— H. J. Bignell (chairman), W. R. Kettle, J. Rya!3, J. McCarthy, W. Austin (inspector of schools) and P. F. Daniel (secretary). ■ I Greymouth D.H. School CommitI tee.-— R. C. Forsyth. „ . Grey County • Council.— R. Larkin (chairman), J. Tindale, J. Ryall, J. McCarthy, J. Finn, and J. Hargreaves (councillors), J. Higgins (County Engineer). M. Phillips (County Clerk, secretary of the Hospital and Charitab'e Aid Board), and M. J. Phillips (assistant clerk). ■ lnangah.ua County Council.^ — Walter Irving (chairman), E. J. Scantlebury, M. O'Regan and J. Dunn (councillors). In addition to these there were present : Members of the professions, including the Rev. T. F. Taylor (Brunner), Messrs,. T. Phillips and I. 'Patterson (barristers and solicitors, Reefton), and hundreds of others. CEREMONY AT THE HOUSE. A large member of the above met during the morning at the residence of the deceased at Totara Flat, and saw the eighty-five telegrams of condolence and sympathy sent by members of both Houses of the-Legisla-tive and friends from all parts of the, Dominion. The members of the Grey County Council, of which body the late gentleman had been a member since the Counties came into force in 1877 and had been a most active and zealous member ever since, and may virtually, be said to have died in harness, officiated as bearers.' : The service at the house was. conducted with great itnpressiveness by the Rev. J. Heard. Presbyterian Home Missionary, and the cortege started. It was composed mainly of settlers on foot, horseback, and all- closses 'of vehicles. They were met and increased by hundreds of people a mile or two out of Ahaura, which made the cortege far the largest that has ever been seen on the West Coast. , AT THE CEMETERY: The impressiveness of the occasion was . emphasised on the coffin, ' buried in heaps of floral tributes, being carried to the grave by the same gentlemen. , The, Rev. Mr. Heard delivered the latter part of the beautiful portion of the Presbyterian burial service, and offered up a prayer for blessings to attend the mourning family and. relatives, and secure them the assurance that their departed friend had proved himself what the poets de- i

scribe as. ' 'the noblest work of God." Thus ended a most impressive ceremony, and old and young left the historic cemetery which contains so many early pioneers of the Grey Valley, feeling that another had bceri added to whom may be. applied Burns' famous eulogy on Gavin Hamilton, ".Take him for all in- all, we shall not look upon his like again."