OBITUARY

» _ ■ MR CHEW CHONG. The death occurred at New Plymouth yesterday morning of Mr ChewChong, who was a y well-known figure in Tara*naki, and who has been credited with establishing the dairy industry in the province. , Mr Chong, who was born in China, had reached the age of 92. He went.' to school in China. He had associated I with English people since his early days when he was a household servant in Singapore for ten years. In 1855 he went to Melbourne and wag engaged in storekeeping and goldmining for eleven - years. In 1868 Mr Chong proceeded to New Zealand, landing at lsunedin, where he remained -for two. years. He commenc-ed-travelling the belony buying old metal to send to China, and during his journey he discovered the edible fungus —a favourite food in China. He was the first to begin the fungus industry, and bought and exported the first shipment. From the years 1872. to 1904, fungus of the declared value of £305,----995 was exported from New Zealand, jMr Chong began buying in 1868, arid many a,backblock bush settler can tes- , tify to the help derived from the fungus harvest. It wa s in 1870 that the late^ Mr j Chong settled in New Plymouth and esi tablished a store, in conjunction with which he also ran a fungus business. j He continued operations for over twenity years, besides having branches at j Inglewood and Eltham for some time. ■He subsequently turned his attention | "to dairy farming when farm-made butj ter would bring only 4d per lb, and in I 1887 established the Jubilee Dairy Fac- ! Tory at Eltham and equipped it with a ; separator. In 1889 he exhibited I samples of factory-made butter at the Dunedin Exhibition, and gained two certificates and a silver cup for the best half-ton available for export. Mr Chong claimed to have been a 'pioneer of the dairy industry in the Eltham district. At one time he had 200 cows in milk in order to be inde- : pendent in the matter of supply for his ] factory, and h© afterwards added a- sec- ■ ond. After sixteen years' experience, during which he had paid away large sums to local farmers, Mr Chong sold out. •., . ..■., ■/.' , ■ Retiring from business in 1900, Mr j Chong remained in New Plymouth, hayi ing resided at Vogeltown and Courtenay street.,, Mr Chong L married a daughter, of Mr Joseph Whatton; of Masterton, in 1875. He is survived by a widow and three daughters and three sons. The family are: Mrs Wilkes (New Plymouth)," Mrs Wilkie (Rotorua), , Miss Freda Chong (New Plymouth), Mr A. J. Chong. (Stratford), | and Messrs W. H. and Gerald Chong j (New Plymouth) .—News.