OBITUARY.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20619, 8 August 1932, Page 7

OBITUARY.

MR F. E. CLAPPERTON. I THE PRESS Special Serrice.J DUNEDIN. August 7. The death occurred on Friday night of Mr Frank Ernest Clapperton, who, after a long association with the Dunodia "Evening Star," became one of the directors of the company. He was born at Kew, Melbourne, in 1859, and he was a grandson of Mr George Bell, who became proprietor and editor of the "Star" in J869. He attended the Geelong Grammar School in his early boyhood, and was still in his teens when ho came to New Zealand. In Dunedin he became a pupil of tho Otago Boys' High School, and, when about 18 years of age, he joined the reporting staff of the "Star" as a junior. Two ov three years of this work proved that he was not strong enough physically to do night work, and he changed over to other departments of the paper, thus gaining a wide knowledge of the business generally, studying, meanwhile, at the Otago University. He was then recommended to follow an open-air life, and he joined his parents in Palmerston North, where his father was manager of the Union Bank. In that district he took up land and was'for 16 years a sheepfarmer. In 3891 he married a younger daughter of Mr C. F. Eeeves. Tn 1902 he returned to Duiredin and Tejoined the Star Company on the commercial side. On the death of Mr J. W. Jago he became manager, and when Mr George Bell, the owner and foundor of tho J« Star," returned to/Melbourne in 1903, Mr Clapperton was made one of the three directors in whom the management of the company was vested. He continued to act in his dual capacity urtil 1924, when ill-health caused him to retire from the managership of the company. He is survived by his widow, one son, and one daughter. MR J. G. MACPHERSON. Mr John George Matpherson, who died at Wellington recently, was born in Geelong, Victoria. He came to New Zealand with his parents, and was educated at Christchurch, and , Rangiora High Schools. On leaving school he joined the Railway Department. When the Timaru railway was opened, with Mr J. Jones as stationmaster, Mr Macpherson was put in charge of the goods shed. Leaving the Railway Department, he joined Mr J. Bruce's timber mill in Timaru. After that he managed Mr Alpheous Hayes's timber business in Waimate. From there he returned to Timaru, and with Mr G. Filmer had a timber business. In 1887, Mr Macpherson went to Melbourne, and for 13 years was with John Sharp and Soni, timber merchants. Owing to ill-health ho came back to New Zealand and joined the Marine Department, from which he retired in 1921. Mr Macpherson was a number of St. James's Presbyterian Church for many years, being treasurer and session clerk. He has left a widow, a daughter (Mrs H. B. Luxford, of Hamilton), a son (Mr W. L. Macpherson, of Christchurch), and five grand-children.