PERSONAL MATTERS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 44, 21 February 1907, Page 5

PERSONAL MATTERS.

Mr. J. C. Williamson returned from tho South this morning by the Rotomahana. Lieut. -Colonel Bauchop, Officer Commanding the Wellington Volunteer District, returned to town last night. Mr. F. Townsend, Mayor of Miramar, will leave on a twelve months' trip to the Old Country on 23rd March. By this morning's express train for the North Sir Robert Stout, Chief Justice, left for Napier on 1 business connected with the Native Land Commission. Mr. Edward Coombes, editor of the Sydney Referee, arrived in Wellington yesterday by the Monowai. He is en route to Christchurch to see the championship athletic meeting. Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Russell and Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Birch, of Hawkes Bay, who have been on a trip to the Old Country, returned to Wellington by the Monowai yesterday. Mr. W. K. Cimino, third son of Mr. Salvatore Cimino, died from heart failure at his parents' residence in Tinakoriroad last night. The late Mr. Cimino, who was only twenty-seven years of ago, was well-known in musical circles. The following officers for the currentyear were elected at the annual meeting of the Romney Sheep Breeders' AssDoiation, held m Masterton during the receat show: — President, Mr. G. Wheeler (Manawatu); vice-president, Mr. H. V. Fulton (Dnnedin); treasurer, Mr. W. F. Jacob. Bishop Grimes, of Christchurch, returned to Wellington yesterday by the Monowai, after ten months' absence in Rome, France, England, and the Holy Land. He was accompanied by the Rev. Father Bonetti, of Italy, and was welcomed back by the Yen. Archdeacon Devoy, the Very Rev. Father Lewis, and several others of the local Catholic clergy. Mr. Martin Kennedy is to be entertained this' evening at a social gathering, under the auspices of the local branch of the United Irish League, and he will also be the recipient of a presentation in recognition of his services to the cause of Home Rule for Ireland in connection with tha recent visit of Messrs. Devlin and Donovan. The function, which it to be held in Searl's Rooms, Cuba-street, promises to -be well -patronised, being the outcome of the general desire on tho part of the league members to mark their appreciation of all Mr. Kennedy has done towards making the visit of the delegates the great success it proved to be. Mr. F. W. Bills, a well known resident of Otaki, died in ihat town last night. Mr. Bills was a son of one of the original pioneers of Wellington, and was born in this city fifty-eight years ago. His life was passed on the west coast of this island as drover, horsedealer, hotelkeeper, storekeeper, aud farmer. He was a good stamp of tho hardy pioneer, who laughed at troubles and made his way by a steady belief in will and willingness. Mr. Bills leaves a wife and a son and daughter, all of whom are living in Otaki. Another old Otaki resident, Mrs. Jenkins, relict of the late Mr. William Jenkins, is also dead. A colonist with an exceptionally interesting career and record passed away at the home of his granddaughter (Mrs. Carter) in Daniel-street yesterday, in the person of Mr. Wm. Reeve, who was 97 years of age, and a resident of New Zealand for over sixty years. Mr. Reeve, who leaves a large family — five sons, four daughters, and 250 grand and great-grand-children — was active and sensible up till the last, and his illness began only on the day before death. He first went to -sea in 1850', and until he settled down in Foxton in 1869 he was always responding to the call of the deep. The greater part of his life at sea was spent in hunting the whale, his cruises taking him all over the waters of the South Pacific, and away into tho extreme of Behring Sea and the coast of Alaska. When trading between Sydney and New Zealand at the end of the thirties, Mr. Reeve's ship was wrecked at the Chatham Islands, and there he settled amongst the natives until 1844, broken only by a voyage to Wellington, where he married and returned to the Chathams. A trip to Tahiti, with a view to settling there, resulted in a whaling voyage of eighteen months, as the French were found to be in possession, and Mr. Reeve cared only for the Union Jack. In 1846 he was in Wellington with his family ; and he had been only a fortnight in possession of a piece of land at Johnsonville when all settlers in the district were called into Wellington for safety, owing to the Maoris proving troublesome. When peaceful times returned, Mr. Reeve went out to Johnsonville again, and resided there until 1869, in which year he settled in Foxton, which town he left eleven j years ago to live with his relatives in Wellington.