PERSONAL ITEMS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 250, 15 July 1908, Page 6

PERSONAL ITEMS.

Mr. A. ICcefer has been appointed a member of tho Tai Rawhiti Land. Board to fill tho vacancy caused by the retirement of Colonel Porter. -i Yesterday Mr. A. R. Barclay, M.P. (Dunedin North) was called South by an urgent message, owing to, the ill-health' of; his father. At tho last moment, tho Wellington Education Board, which previously had refused to grant leave of absenco to Mr. A. B. Charters, Headmaster of Greytown District High School, in order that he might referee ; tho British-Taranaki football nutch at New Plymouth, has now relented, and given tho : necessary loavo. In the meantime, however, i says tho Wnirarapa " Standard," another • referee has been appointed-

i i \\\H. Triggs, editor of the" ChrisiSchurch Press," arrived in Wellington'yesterday. He,will remain'here, about a week. . Mr. S. E.-.Ji'Carthy, S.M., at Napier, .is. at present somewhat' seriously' indisposed, .. and is not _expected to resume his seat on tiio Bench for some "Considerable time. ; Archdeacon Grace was a passenger by the Pateona. whidlj' . arrived floin Nelson and Picton lhst niglit. The Hon. R.J. Reeves and the Rev.. Messrs. Coffey, Finlayson, and • bpencß Were also passengers ,by- the same steamer. . . ... • .... , At the annuat social ineeting of tho Young \\ omen s Bible Class, in connection with St. x, , V-esbytGrian Church, Wellington South, hold Jast night, the presentation of a solid silver, inkstand, suitably inscribed, was made to Mr. .E. Lewis, leader of the class, • by the members, in recognition of.his services • during the past few ye?rs. .The following are the names of the New ' Zealand veterans .who' formed the guard of honour to His Excellency.. the,'. Governor at / the' Opera House, last evening -—Messrs. J Hi Brown '(Military Settlers), :T. ; ; A. Urwin (Royal Navy), 0. B. Fox (Wellington Ranecrs): T. 0., Brill (Armed' Constabulary), R. K Tingey: (Wanganui Militia), ; -T. H. M'Cauley (Wellington City Rifles), W.-.-Buck (Colonial Defence Force), S.Stidolph (Armed Constabulary), and I'urdy (Taranaki Military Settlers). ' '' Miss Eileen Boyd,- hot yet seventeen years old, has relinquished pantomime; and vaudeville . her \ magnificent Contralto voice is being trained by .Signer' Arturo bteffane, of Sydney. Just before the departure of Mmo. Clara fiutt" and Mr.'Kehherley Rumford, they "were induced to hear Miss Boyd sing. Tliey wer.e'charmed with'; her voice and culture, calling her "another : Ada - Crossley,", and advising ner to complete';her studies under M. Boutry, in Paris. -Miss ' I>oyd made her debut on-the stage in .Wellington _with Mr.' P. R.' Dis's Company in'' the old Exchango Hall.•• " • A Pr*pss Association cablegram .states tliat Miss. Irene Ainsley has arrived: in Sydriby. •• en'route for her homo in Auckland. ' Miss Ainsley is an Auckland young ; lady,. whose • fortune it' \vas.to secure. the , patronage'; 'of Madame Melba, whfn tho diva toured the : Dominion about four; years, ago. Acting, On.' advice, Miss >Ainsley went to London arid subsequently became a -pupil of Madame Marcliesi, in,:. Paris. After a long , oourse of study, she,; through the agency' of, Melba, made her debut under exceptional ixuiditioiis,. under the patronage, of. Royalty,; arid in the. presence of Melba and Marchess Miss Ainsley has a rich,; sympathetic Contralto: voice of exceptional purity, which" concerWovers ' will have the opportunity of judging for -themselves later on, as the to tourthe?'colonies as the stellat, attraction' of a : concert company.: . Our Christchureli correspondent writes Mr. Duncan Cameron, who died hero to-day (July 14), was the owner .'of : the.-famous , Springfield Estate, Methven. Ho , was. a member of the Lochiel , branch of .the Cameron clan. His; father came on the paternal.sido from the Camerons of. Erracht. andr.his': . mother belonged to another branch of , tho Camorons,. the Mac-Martins,. both ancient and distinguished Highland/families.: It was after the death of his father that Mr. Camorori in 1864 camo to New Zealand. Ho ■. had • a.; thoroughly, - practical knowledge ,of, . • sheep-farming,'and ; on arriving in Canterbury, not being able 1 to rent grazing, land;, from the 'Crown (it having boon, all taken " up), ho accepted the position of manager of the Winchmore run, .and remained,there for . five "years. , In 1869 he and , the. lata, Mr." Geo. Gouid bought the Springfield Estate at Methven which has become one of the r well-known farms of the: Dominion.- In.■ 1889 Mr. Gould died,, and in 1890 Mr. Cameron became stJe 'proprietor of Springfield, a"nd he introduced a most complete system,of irri-gation,-the Estate having some forty miles • of water races- The frozen, meat industry owes much to'tho late Mr.,'Duncan Cameron, who also took ft; great interest; in the work of local government; Ho was- for many years a member of the Ashburton County Council aridPßf'thb Mount Somors and Mount Hutt' Road Boards. Ho J ?life-' member''of the Canterbury and- Ashburton A. and P. Associations. v