MR CHARLES ROUS-MARTEN.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13097, 23 April 1908, Page 7

MR CHARLES ROUS-MARTEN.

LONDON, Aprfl 21

The death is announced of Mr Obariee Rous-Marten, the representative , of several New Zealand newspapers in London. Mr Rous-Marten died suddenly of hteart feilure.

In tho death of Mr Charles Rou»Marfcen wo hare to deplore the loss of a very able journalist ,who has been associated: with "The Press 1 ' for many years as its correspondent first in Wellington and subsequently in London. Mr Rous-Marten was born in England about sixty-fire years ago, and came out to Now Zealand "with his parents when he was about sixteen years of age. His frutihier, Mr "William Marten, F.S.A., -was a merchant in tho City oF London, who cam© to the colony in consequence of a breakdown in health, and took up land in Southland. Mr lious-Marten engaged in journalism fairly kite in life, joining the staft of the "Evening Post," Wellington, about 1576 or 1577. Being a man. or wide reading and great energy, he soon made his mark in a profession which it was evident had great attractions for him, and he became successively subeditor and editor of the "Evening Post," then, as now, one of the leading papers in New Zealand. Ho also did a good deal of correspondence work, and was Wellington representative not only of "The Press," "Otago Daily Times," and "New Zealand Herald," but also of the "Melbourne Argus", and one or two English papers. He was a very sound and cultivated musician, possessing a library of musical works probably unequalled by any private collection in the colony, and hie musical criticisms not only carried with them the stamp of authority, based on his thorough knowledge of the subject and sound judgment, but were admirably written from the literary point of view. Mr Marten himself was a cultivated singer, and for some years took the tenor solos in oratorios and other musical works of importance given in Wellington. He was a prominent member of the Anglican Church, and was for many years one of tho luy representatives both in the Wellington Diocesan Synod and tho General Synod. Ho took a great interest in science and engineering. For an amateur ho really had a remarkable imovrledge of railway matters, especially of locomotive engineering. He was a frequent contributor to tho engineering journals on technical subjects, and was often quoted as a leading authority in regard _ to locomotive construction and running and/.railway On one

m& southern station- in the t»o"<»- " J«*!J he wae-fl!«etod a Fellow <rf **•««« Ckoisrapbaca} Society,, pn the motion of tholto Sir Bodcrfek^bu^^hi Mr Marten iwdcn«d th© «JJ»«J? of t-he "Bronaag Post" to S B4 '?™ paid a visit to Enslaud. He subwSueatly rewiracd to tfce colony, and bVcamo editor of -tbo "Nw Zwlwa. Times." resuming hie for "The Plrt«s" and <*&* hi 1890 ho was appodirfced London corr«pondont of "'llw Bress, Daily Times," "New Zealand Herafd, and'Woilington "Evening Post, and auTriod out the dutke ■witdi marked ability, almcet uwtil tho eliort iMnoss which tended hi liis dwath. It has }ot to witness many notoible events, ot which ho sent otit gra<p(hic deecTiprtaons to the ixi.p«rs ho xewresonted. *vo may especiaHy rt-call itho Qucon's Daamoiid JubrlWj tho sowiee in London during the South African War-, tlie funeral of the- hd& Quoen, and the Cororna-tion of t'h-o King. His skill «s a imis-ioal crrtio was slbown in the special jioticce which liie sent from time to timo of tlhe loading ovente in.tJio musical world of I/ondon. His Joss will ,be sovoroly feJt by tire jouniaHs with "vvliicih !ho hue ibeen co lonfi> and lionoirraWy connected. Ho married M;iss Eniily Hicfason, daugMor of a wcll-taiowTi Wellington rceJdont, and his wifo survive him, but thore wore no dliildren of tie nxu-riase. Mxc Rous-Martcin, it moy be added, ehv-urd her husbands interest in music, and will bo (roni-embarod in Wellington'as a fine performer on tihe pasanoforte, especially as a most sympathetic aoconnsa.nisrt;.

Messrs William Brislone and Charles Little, two pioneers of the West Coast, died in tho Grey E.iT«r Hospital on Sunday., Tho death is announced of Mr Francis Kieman, a very old resident of Kiimara, and of Mr Michael Mclneny (of Taipo), who for thirty years kept an accommodation house on the Christ-church-Weut Coast road. Mr Harold Light, an organist wino was well knowin in Nelson end Auckland, dded dast week. Mrs -Main, whceo husbaaid, tfiie late Mr Geo. Main, was a won-kno\\tni Auckland journalist, died last week. The deceased 'lody was a sister of the Rev. «. Qrfctoe.