NELSON NEWS

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 22, 27 January 1931, Page 7

NELSON NEWS

A CHILD'S DEATH

PIONEER PASSES

" (From Our Own Correspondent.) NELSON, 26th January. • Daphne Norma Eves, aged one yeat and eight months, was accidentally; strangled at Wai-iti at 9.30 o 'clock this morning. The little girl put her head through a nightdress hanging on tha clotles-line, and could not release herself. Owing to heavy rain at lunch-tim«i on Saturday, no cricket fxtures wera; played. However, the afternoon and week-end were beautifully fine. The Nelson Defence Rifle Club fired over the 200 and 300 yards .ranges at •Wakapuaka last Saturday. The shoot' was the first of a series of three, twa, to count, for a trophy donated by Mr.T. Field. The shooting was quite 'good at1200 yards, but at 300 yards it was not up to the usual standard. Tha exceptional heat from the glaring bright sunshine following upon a severe rainstorm made sighting at this range extremely difficult. For tha championship Biflemen E. C. Busseli and S. Barnett each scored 91 points, the former taking tho feathers and silver spoon. The feathers and spoon: for handicap men were won by Rifleman li. Dixon. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hunter, of Bridge street, to-day celebrated the fif* tietb. anniversary of their wedding,which was performed in Nelson by tha late Key. Patrick Calder. Mr. Hunter is the eldest son of the late Mr. Alexander Hunter, and Mrs. Hunter is a! daughter of the late Mr. Walter Kerr, of Waimea West. There was a largo, family gathering to, celebrate thai golden wedding, and a large number; of congratulatory telegrams were re* ceived. The death is reported of Mr. Jas. Hughes, of "Conrass," Pelorus Valley. Born in County Monoghan over -19, years ago, Mr. Hughes left Ireland at an early age with his parents, the trip*1 out being in the boat Queen of th» Mersey. After a few years had been, spent near Christchurch, land was acquired iii the Pelorus district and successfully farmed for many years bj; Mr. Jas. Hughes, sen., and his family, who all bore their part in the hardships and strenuous times incidental to earlyj settlement. As a youth, it was part oS Mr. Hughes's work to deliver storet and produce to the miners on tha Wakamarina goldfield, tho mode orj transport to that area at the time being mostly by canoe and packhorse, from & spot in the lower Pelorus known a» tho Old Landing, where goods wera . brought from Nelson by a little sailing boat, The Venture, in charge, of Captain Dan Fraser. Another boat, named; Tho Dart, also made the trip, store* keepers in Nelson who supplied th* settlers being Messrs. Saunders, Edwards, Cock and Co., B. Levien, Fisheij and Co., and Davis and Co. It is in« teresting to recall that 'the mail was carried on horseback over the Maungai tapu track between Nelson and thaj Pelorus before the Whangamoa road was opened. • It was carried by nianjj of the pioneers of the 'sixties, including Mr. Hughes, who had the contract; when Mr. Sidney Dick was postmaster in Nelson. Others who had the con-* tract at different times were -Messra, John Hippolite, M'Artney, and Camp« bell. The telegraph poles were pit* sawn and sledged to their places' in thai upper Pelorus. Mr. James Hughes^ with his brothers, Messrs. John (nowi of Palmerston North) and Thomas (ol? Melbourne), also carried out several contracts of road formation in the Kail and Pelorus. Mr. Jas.1 Hughes married a 'daughter of the late Mr. Francis Severne, and is survived by a widovij and family of four: Messrs. Thomasl Hughes (Wellington), Bert (Eai), Fos» ter (Pelorus), and Mrs. E. J. Murraj] (Nelson). One-son, Eobert, lost hij life during the Great War. Mrs. Kictaw ard Jones, of Pelorus, is the only sum viving sister; two otherg, MesdameJ Eobort Jones, of Canvastown, Peloriqj. Valley, and Mrs. Gt. Empson, of Ham* ilton, having predeceased .him.