PERSONAL.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 216, 11 September 1911, Page 2

PERSONAL.

Sir James Carroll and the Hon. A. T. Ngata, who are at Te Kuiti for the. large native gathering, return South 'by tonight's express. Mr. and. Mrs. H. H. Hudson, of Sydney, were among the arrivals (by the Maheno yesterday. They are staying at the Central Hotel. Mr. T. Brown, merchant, of Christchurch, and Colonel Leslie B-rown, of Suva, were passengers l»y the Hauroto front Lyttclton yesterday. Mr. David J.' Munro, of the Auckland Seamen's Union, left by the express last night for Wellington, and expects to he away for a week. Dr. Valintine, Inspector-General of Hospitals, and Drs. Purdy and Webster left for Sydney by .he Ulimaroa on Friday to attend the Medical Congress. Mr. H. D. Meyer, of Seattle, U.S.A., was one of tihe passengers by the Maiheno yesterday. He intends touring •New Zealand, and is at present staying at tiie Star Hotel. Father McNamara died at Wellington on Saturday evening, aged 67. He laboured a't different times in Wellington, Blenheim, Recfton, and Napier parishes. —Press Association. Mr. Douglas Redman, examiner for the. Associated Board of the Royal Academy of Music and the Royal College of Music, London, left for Wellington by the Main Trunk express last evening. Mr. Shaw Stanley, Messrs. .T. and N. Tait's manager, who arrived yesterday, is making arrangements for Mr. Leonard ■Berwick's New Zealand piano recitals, comimencfng here on the 25bh inst. Mr. W. J. Napier left by the Main Trunk express last night to attend the New Zealand conference of the Navy League, which will be opened in the Wellington Town Hall to-m'orrow. 110 returns on Friday. Amongst the arrivals by the Maheno from Sydney yesterday -were Messrs. F. M. Burtt (Reijniera), E. Groom Graham (Onehunga), and H. and G. Oadncss (sons of Mr. 11. Cadness, Mayor of Northcote), all of whom have been visiting England. Mr. N. A. L. Gazzard, a well-known Auckland commercial traveller, returned from Hokianga by the as. Ohinemuri on Saturday with a broken leg, sustained through 'his Ihorse Tailing on him. He was attended by Dr. W. G. Scott, who met the .steamer, and was then carried to his 'home. Dr. Crossley, Anglican Bishop of Auckland, returned this m'orning from a two-days' visit to Waiwera and Warkworth. He 'leaves by to-night's express on an extensive tour of Taranaki, commencing at Stratford to-ntorrow. The Bis'hop expects to be back in Auckland by Wednesday, 27th inst. An interesting presentation was made to Mr. J. Kelso, who on Saturday last resigned his position as provision department manager and director of the •company in the well known firm of H. M. Smletaton, iUtti. Mr. <D. W. ;\Wi.!.k<er, in presenting Mr. Kelso on behalf of the employees of the firm with a handsome smoker's cabinet, spoke of the able manner in which Mr. Kelso had filled the position he had held, and asked his acceptance of this expression, of the staff's regard. Mr. Kelso suitably responded, and later had the pleasure of receiving a mark of Mr. Smeetons personal esteem and good wishes in the form of a set of ivory-handled carvers. Mr. Walter Ivarplus, chief engineer of the railway department of Messrs. Siemens Bros.' Dynamo Works, Ltd., London, and Siemens-Schuckertwerke, G.M.8.H., Berlin, is at present touring New Zealand oil business for his firm. He is an expert on electrification of railways, and while in Melbourne was asked j o trive evidence before the Metropolitan Traffic Commission in regard to the cable system of tramways and suburban railways. He was -also interviewed during his stay in Sydney on the electrification of the Sydney suburban railways. His principal mission in New Zealand is conferring with Messrs. A. and T. Burt, Ltd., Messrs. Siemens' representatives in New Zealand, in regard to various contracts and electric schemes. He recently visited Waihi, where his firm have a large contract for high tension power transmission.

Mrs. Ellen Donald, one of 'Auckland's earliest settlers, passed away on Saturday night at her residence, West-street, Newton, at the advanced age, of 78. Mrs Donaild arrived from England witlh her parents on October 10, 1842, by tho ship Duchess of Argyll, and lived in Auckland until the time of her death. Mrs. Donald's father, Mr Daniel Munro, was a sergeant-major of militia throughout the Maori war, and took part in the action at Ruapckapeka, where he was wounded. Her husband., who died some twenty years since, was a colour-sergeant iii the G3th Regiment, and saw service from the Bay of Islands to Wellington. The deceased lady had. a very clear rememIbranee of the early days, and enjoyed good health to within a few Ihour3 of her death, which was due to - heartfailure. She leaves a family of six eons and two daughters, and her descendants include 22 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Mr. Henry Cook, of Opua, Bay o[ Islands, whose death was referred to ill our columns last ■week, was pro'balbly one of the last -who could' carry his recollections bij-ck to the days before New Zealand was a colony. lie was born in the year 1827 at Stewart Island, where his father, a ffhip-carpenter, and former mate of a whaler, was employed 'by Mr. Stewart, tbo original owner. A few years later his father 'built a small vessel, and took ibis family to Sydney, soon, however, returning to settle at the Bay of Islands, where he -acquired from the natives a tract of land which is still in the possession of his descendants. He soon followed his father's trade of boatbuilder, and; was also engaged in whaling. lie witnessed the destruction of Ivokorareka by Hone Hoke and Kawfti, and the subsequent fight at Ghaoawai. At the siege of Rua.-peka.pcka, he was engaged in transporting stores for the troops. After the troubles wero over, and the natives presented to the jfrovemment the flagstaff now standing at Russell, in lieu of that which Hone lleke had felled, Air. 'Cook was one of those who dressed the young kauri tree provided aa a spar. He was famous as a whaleboat-eteerer, and frequently took part in races in Auckland harbour. His memory was remarkably clear, and ho was often visited by the Hon. R. McNab, who obtained from him much valuable information for his books on early New Zealand. Mr. Cook left no descendants, but had' numerous relations. Two of his nephews own the Whangamumu whaling station.