PERSONAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 154, 30 June 1903, Page 2

PERSONAL.

Mr William Wesley, of the Railway Department, has retired after twentySix years, and having attained the retiring age under the Superannuation Fund. He has seen the railways in the Auckland province grow up from sixty miles to four hundred miles, and has occupied the respons ; ble position of foreman of works for the past twenty years with credit to himself and satisfaction to those over and the men under his juris'dietion, and it was deemed fitting that, a gathering to farewell him and present himself "and wife with a parting gift should take place. This too!: the shape On Saturday night last. 27th inst., of a sing-song with light refreshments ably catered for by Host. Chris. Leek at the Newmarket Hall. Mr C. Holm Diss, the popular head of the Maintenance Department, occupied the chair, having on ins right th.c guest and Mr A. B. McDonald on his left, and the hall was well filled. "The Iviug" having been duly honoured. that of the guest of the evening was proposed by the chairman in a very kind and able speech bearing testimony to his faithful discharge of his duties and concluding by presenting the handsome silver tray upon which were a fen and coffee seiwice (silver) and a ease of pipes. wishing Mr and Mrs Wesley long life to enjoy them. Mr Wesley feelingly responded. Other toasts duly honoured wore: "Minister of Railways, Sir Joseph Ward," through whose instrumentality the Superannuation Fund was secured to th.c employees : "Sir Alfred Cadman," the first. New Zealand-bom railway employee honoured by his Sovereign with knighthood; "The Premier." "The Ladies." and "The Chairman." concluded a meeting enjoyable all round, the fmlal being "Auld Lang Syne." ' The Rev. L. Snow, who has been appointed to assist Ar.ehdeacon Calder in the Ponsonby Anglican Parish, will be welcomed officially to the parish at the All Saints' parochial social to-night. Mr Dugald Campbell, an old and esteemed resident of Port Chalmers, died at the age of SO years. He arrived at Port Chalmers in the ship Helenslee on August 23. ISGS, and in ISSO took the position of engineer to the Otago, Dock Trust, which he occupied till 1595, when he retired from active service.

Speaking at New Plymouth at the entertainment given to the Farmers' Union delegates, Mr T. S. Weston (says the "Eltham Argus"), in' proposing the toast of "The Legislature," is reported to have referred to Mr Seddon as "the greatest man the world possesses." Signor Bragato, Government viticultural expert, left Wellington for Sydney en route for Melbourne on Saturday last. Signor Bragato's mission to Australia is in connection with the purchase of a large quantity of phylloxeraresistant stocks for planting in the New Zealand Government's experimental nurseries, and for subsequent distribution among vignerons. The late Mr Allen Bell, who died at Seacliffs, near Okato, after a painful and protracted illness, came to the colony about 1862, landing at Auckland, whence he went to Canterbury. From there he joined the rush to the West Coast diggings, where in about 18 months he met with such success as enabled him to return to Canterbury and purchase a farm in the Ellesmere district, where he lived for about 15 years. He went to Taranaki about ISS6, and took up the farm, then unimproved, that he has since resided on. • Colonel Hume returns to Wellington on Thursday. He has just concluded a satisfactory visit to the State forests prison at 'Waiotapu, and is now looking through the Mount Eden and Devonport establishments. Wellington papers, referring to the appointment of Mrs Macphail as conductor of the French and German classes in the Wellington Technical School, state that she got her education at Edinburgh University, where she passed with honors in the local examinations. Subsequently she put in four years in France and Germany to perfect herself linguistically. She has been teaching the languages in Wellington for some time past. °Hobart papetrs atanount'e the 88th "birthday of the Archbishop of Hobart (Dr. Murphy) as occurring on June 33. ' The Archbishop is credited with bein* the oldest and longest consecrated Roman Catholic prelate in the world, with, of course, the exception of His Holiness Pope Leo Kin. Dr. Murphy was invested with bishoprical honours in October of 1846, which date is about three years after the consecration of iris Holiness as Archbishop of Damietta. The tall, imposing figure of the aged prelate—he is over 6ft in height—has been one of the most familiar objects in the somnolent capital of Tasmania since 1864, when he arrived in the :s!and colony. Mr Pope, inspector of native schools, during the past week or so has been paying his annual visit to tble schools in the Tauranga district. Dr. Garde (Melbourne) returned to Australia by the Waikare yesterday, after concluding a visit to the Islands. Sir James Hector is said to be contemplating a visit to North-west America. He will probably start on July 12, and go by wav of Vancouver. It "was* mentioned at a railway social that Sir A. J. Cadman, K.C.M.G., is the first New Zealand born railway employee to be invested with the knighthood. Mr A, Cooper, son of the late Captain Cooper, joins the s.s. Waipori as third officer. Mr Beatty rejoins the Taieri m place of Mr Barron, acting-chief officer. # Mr 11. A. Gordon, consulting engineer to the State coal mines, has been appointed to succeed Mr G. H. Broome on the Board of Examiners under the Coal Mines Act.