PERSONAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume 9122, Issue 9122, 20 January 1910, Page 5

PERSONAL.

Mr A. R. Mackay has been appointed engineer to the Wairoa Borough Council at a. salary of £200 per annum. The Premier visits Hastings on Saturday and .opens the new Post Office on. Monday, attending a conversazione in the evening. Mr A. C. Morton, of Feilding, who was compelled to undergo an operation in a Palmerston hospital on Saturday, is progressing favourably. Sir Joseph Ward has postponed his proposed visit to open the post office at Weraroa to-morrow. He will go. to Hastings on Saturday and open a poet office there on Monday.

John Collins, an old-age pensioner, eighty years old, fell down after having tea at the Ormond Hotel, Gisborne, and before he could be picked up had expired from sudden heart failure.

Adjt. Hayward, late of Invercargill and previously of Australia, will succeed Staff-Capt. Henry of the Salvation Army in Palmerstpn. The latter is not yet aware of his new station.

.A garden party will be tendered to Mr W. F. Massey, Leader of the "Opposition,, on February 19 at the Farm, Pukekohe, by his constituents. Visitors are expected from all over the North Island.

In the course of 16 years as a soldier of the Empire, Mr Northcroft, S.M., went through no less than 49 engagements, said Mr Bart. Kent at Auckland, at the meeting to promote a. public testimonial to the retiring magistrate.

The Primitive Methodist Conference at Timaru made the following final draft of stations: —Foxton, Peter J. Mairs, home missionary; Feilding, Joseph Sharp, D. Bronlow, F. Carlisle and P. W. Jones; Halcombe. James Dover.

A Wairarapa Native, known as Rangi, and whe is said to have recently inherited a fortune of £60,000, now lies in the Otaki hospital in a serious condition. Only a few weeks ago he was a scholar at the Hikurangi Maori College at Clareville.

Mr H. G. Bagnall had the misfortune to injure the cartilage in his knee at Paikakariki on Sunday, and suffered a good deal of pain in consequence. Mr Bagnall is able to get about' with the aid of a_ stick, but it will be some time befdre his leg is thoroughly strong again.

Vocally, this year promises to be a notable one in Australia, and, incidentally, New Zealand. Mesdames Calve, Dolores, and Carreno are all due to arrive in Australia in April. Melba is eti'll in Victoria, and Williamson's Italian Grand Opera Company, which ie to eing a modern repertoire in English, will appear before the winter lengthens into spring .

The late Mrs C. McDonnell, who died at Fordell on Saturday, was a sister of Messrs J. R. and R. A. McDonald and Mrs T. Cameron, Levin. Deceased leaves a husband and three young children to mourn their loss. The interment took place at the family burying ground on the western shores of Lake Horowhenua. Much sympathy is felt for the deceased's family in their bereavement.

Captain Basil Moredith Aldwell has been appointed to the command of the Union Company's fine turbine steamer Maori, in succession to Captain Thomas M. Hunter, who will shortly take up his new duties as pilot to the Lyttclton Harbour Board. The Maori's new commander is a native of England, about thirty-eight years of age. He hap been in command of several of the Union Company's steamers, his last boat being the Pateena on the* Picton-Nelson run.

At the Cuba etreet Methodist Church, last evening a complimentary eocial was tendered to Mr and Mrs Raymond Horn, two prominent and popular young members of the church, who, during the Christmas holidays, entered into the 6tate of matrimony. A very pleasant evening was spent, and before its termination Mr T. R. Hodder, on behalf of the young people, presented the newly-wed couple with a handsome oak and silver ealad bowl, at the same time congratulating them on the ■ wisdom of the step they had taken and acknowledging the value of their services to the Sunday School and Church. Rev. T. T. Thomas also spoke, and Mr Horn replied fittingly. Supper having been served by the ladies the very pleasant gathering terminated.

Mr John Hugh Murray, who died at his residence, Kimbolton road, "Feilding, on Tuesday evening at the age of 68 years, had been a resident of the district for something over 30 years. Originally a storekeeper in Marton, he left that occupation, says the Star, to take up land in the Waituna district, when there was nothing but dense bush there, and for over twenty years he braved the discouragements' of the back-blocks settler, with other sturdy pioneers in the locality, putting up with the want of proper communication with the outside world, and all other troubles. Twenty years of farming under gradually improving conditions enabled Mr Murray to retire f,rom active life, and he came to Feilding to enjoy a well merited rest. having done a largo share of the work of opening up the back-blocks. About five years ago Mr and Mrs Murray came to Feilding, and after a time they started on a trip to the Old Country. On the voyage Mr Murray suffered a severe blow. Mrs Murray died, and wae buried at Colombo, and the bereaved husband returned to New Zealand. A couple of years later Mr Murray married again, and hie, second wife survives him. The deceased gentleman was a strong supporter of tho Presbyterian Church, to which he gave, besides his time and talents as an office-bearer, considerable financial help in an unostentatious way. He also gave financial support to other worthy objects, in a quiet way. Besides the widow, he leaves three sons and two daughters by his first wife. John, the eldest son {who married a daughter of "Mr D. Buick, M.P.), is farming iri the Te Horo'district; James is a farmer at Kimbolton, and the third is on the la-nd at Otaki. The two. daughters. Sarah and Margaret, reside in Feilding. .