THE LATE T. S. PRATT.

Evening Star, Issue 4965, 31 January 1879, Page 1

THE LATE T. S. PRATT.

. [COXTHIBUTED BY A FRIEND.] ; '/ Death has been ver> busy of late with us. Several old and faniilar faces have been • called away from amongst us to join the 1 "' «. great majority." One by one' the old' NJaikouaiti residents are disappearing, leaving a blank that is not easily filled up or forgotten. Last week quite a gloom was casi over the entire County of. Waikouaiti, by . the sudden demise W> & Mr .Thomas- Slater -Pratt, which ' took*place at Christchurch o» the 21st instant,. after »a short "illness; ' event caused the most .poignant grief to the deceased's more intimate friends, and very general regret to his numerous acquaintances both;at .Waikouaiti,' Dunedin,- and L 'Christ-' church, where he-was welUfchown and de-■ servedly highly respected~for his many, ster- „ lmg qualities: He was a man of-the highest--integrity, strictly honorable." and upright'"', His word his boiftl, and if he promised" to do a thing he would go to any amount" of:.trouble-1 0 perform it. As a friend his : jeliatnlity was never'doubted. He was steadfast, truthful, and warmhearted, -and.V his principles were such as to win and retain-: the good opinion and esteem oi. others. r Where'he bestowed his friendship he proved as.-" true as the needle to the pole," and his liberal and kindly disposition: prompted him

to take~tne liveliest .interest in .everything that concerned? fcW welfare ofAfciel friends. Possessed of a^rell^regulated - imind, "."gifted with a /strong ■ intellect -'arid- retentive memory, and being of "a"* studious disposition, lie had a, .well-stocked granary of general information which 'often proved to hipYpf good servjce t 'in many, a jwsjli;ioug}i£ de))abe.*, "i''■:"„" I ,•■■. "i J3d'.«h'e ''death"of' 5 ijr Pratt .the,, County,' of Waikouaiti has lost a warm-hc-artei and truegfnjend ;-and : .those who. have; experienced his many, acts of kindness, and witnessed his noble atid'self-sacrificing spirit, feel as if a great; calamity bad befallen them. Their deep,, sympathy at,his. untimely removal is but,a just tribute..to the many valuable services :;he ,has unquestionably rendered the district/.-.eitendi.bg--over a considerable mimber;of l yeai:s; Although, living at Qhristchurc}],; the ; deceased took as lively and.keen an.interestin the prosperity of the Waikouaiti Qountyas the most public spirited and patriotic ofoits< residents;: iJis; previous intimate. connection with the district, had. so endeared him 'to it that he watched its pro-; greVs'with'as'much solicitude as if ho.still resided in it. To''many of us' the painful fact remaimf that a 1 Voice is hiished, no more to be heard, that was 1 never raised but..to advocate the besiTintereats of. those he became,identified with ; ancVthe hand is powerless that penned' and .produced to the public■the -,workings of aa- active and well--direptedi mind, in bringing, into prominence those .matters shaving for their objecfi the ad-vancement-1 of tha district; It •wasin'lS(>4 that Mr Pratt first visited Waikouaiti, 'with* the view of. establishing*iriocal newspaper, and the encouragement he received induced him to' : start the''''' Wajkouaiti Herald,' the first ;issus 7 of which .appeared as., a candidate for public favor in, October of the same year. From that time'-'up- to the latter end of IS7s—ejsven years—.with the exception of a few months, Mr Pratt acted as the responsible editor of the-paper; and by the vigorous style; of: his writing's and the mde- : pendenceand con3istencywhich characterised them; the '-Herald' was regarded as a' journal possessing considerable" merit and influence) and many concessions were madefor the district .throbghits advocacy. In IS6S Mr Pratt took'ah active part in endeavoring to; have the_ revenues arising within.ihe district locally expended, by getting it-.constituted a county ; and the Prpvincial.QoyeVn'ment felt considerable anxiety on ; tbe subject. Concessions liaying. been: obtained, .the ,matter was allowed to drop, bufcnqt : befof'e the action of the local paper had'caused some attention to be.directed-itq the .movement. 1 The most signal victory yet aphievSd in any election in the district was accomplished through the JaStion) of; th : £ v He'rald\ \ W^efer.*t<r th e ; return of Sfi'David Monro'as'represeniitive of the district in the Getieral Assembly. As a reward for the servicesf rendered to Mr Stafford's party b>;JNl,r Pratt, that-gqntjeman-(wh'o"; was, timej.^conferred upon, \ him the " commission ■of the. ; peace, which' he" retained ;'up. to his. death. 'J In politics Mb Pratt, -held decided opinions, and, having the lopal,, organ ;to enunciate them, they were made, kS&wn with no uncertain sound. He, nvas also very liberal in his views on the.:land .question and the amelioration of the condition of the working classes, and their settlement 'on the land had sympathy~antl advocacy. He alsdtook an active part in obtaining a grant from'the trustees pf the.late : Mr John' Jones of the present library site, and was afterwards! of Hh'e- Building Commi ttep, : ,to, whom'. :the; Waikouaiti public. are indebted for the fine.hall .theyinow pos-' sess. ;Mr Pratt-for many years-took a prominent part 'in municipal matters/ahd itwas : through the'advpeacy of the 'Herald;; that "thi^-form- '-'of'-local goyeinmeht : was lntibduced into the district. ' r He "further , gave. cadence of his belief, in. the'"'advantages'. conferrecVby "themunicipal' form?6f;gOverh-meny-itf offering 'hiniself 'for election as a Councillor for Beach Ward, West —«i"position'in ■yvldch.K'e spryed of two' years. He was th,en,-elected;mayor, ■and for live consecutive-years Ihe filled this honpi'able: and important position with credit to himseltcand th4to-\Vn;.overwhich, he pre-' sidecbasJcivitj-'hoad:' '.He--was indefatigable in promoting-the ;welUb'eirtg''of 'the' munici ! - palityy li'is long ternvbf "tiffiee;froiri J - Gohncil:' worked" with great j^aii'd'''"' ""cordiality' -together. Public,,.men—and the may be regarded ' ' during the whole of his connectipn, with Waikouaiti—do not always meet with'-the reward their disinterested services entitle them to ; and the-treatment-received—by-Mr -Pratt airthehands of some of those for whom he had labored hard and industriously to advance their interests, was not at all encouraging, and, probably becoming disgusted at the ingratitude <e£> Wan,,': hel "was '.inducecp to sell the plant aud goodwill of the ' Herald,' and _thusifeevef-. his;y connection -with" 1 the ■district, and abandon a. property it had taken eletveri-'years''to' improve. Having by,this act of.gratitude been.thrown upon the thrift'to" find a",.business congenial to his tasfe.'jthe. uecame •Gazette ' at Ohristchnrch ; but matters-did not go smoothly with him there. Through his in&tri;mL'ntiility:.the r .: paper ! became the proper ;y of a company, Mr Pratt retaining a large numbbpbf;shares: i -flere;- ; h r ow'ev'er; ! -liis ill-luck spitted'- ct'o'-i'Have 1 ; him, and by some moans he ultimately ceased to be connected with th« which was now called the ' Kew Zealand Sun,' and he came out of the transaction • a considerablehwrt-- r tothe surprise of -many.— In-wbat--•eyer venture;:the;.deceased .entered he met vrith disappointments and losses. He battled bravely however in striving against hope, being n man of dauntless energy and perseverance, and the tide ,Df gopd.fortune had just set in when the enjdyment-of it was denied him by the, inexorable hand .of. Death. The was about; to" occupy'a position of afiiuonce, but its realisation wasnoti'p lie. accomplishedj' ;His""allotted spah : hadr ; arriveti,. :and-,his .spirit . v. r as; removed from a world of pain,'suffering and trouble—of ingnitihidg and callousness—to.one, Jet us hopej, of j«y and everlasting "happiness.''" Tor if ever iftortaMeseryed this the deceased-did. Faultsatidfaihrfgs'hemighth^vehad— whohas virtues''and good qualities far °X er ???' llafli:e<l '^ Many- will remember with a'fee.lipg,,'of'rtjgret, the' pleasant 'social reuhipns afc Waikouaiti : "he,was instrumental m organi,fiing,,and experience, a pang of sorrow to think flat,,-in 7 this world he will -be knosvneto -them no ' moi^. : "Tis not in mortals -to command success,-'? neither is it possible -for theih to live without inaking have hb:,'hesitation in saymg that in: the; W,aik6uait'i. County' the decea'setf;.leaves- .not... a jingle '.individual who his' heart, speak an ill word against, .hmu .. He ; led.; a life' of usefulness,-.; . ; an.d,, ( .was :; exceedingly. temperate. Irmls and,.difficulties he-had to. encounter sufficient- to: quail .the stoutest heart, arid in his • efforts, to -overebme these it is feared • his;; ; health . suffered and his life was-, shortened: -fie . has gone,- 'however ■and; his Irieildly greeting .will be : heard' no more'),,-but thete.arc those, who will ,mourh his .loss, and '/cherish; his. .many admirable qualities.;.. Peace be to his ashes,.for-a man,sleeps. ,:'..... -.. '.' ..■>.'■'.. : ;""' °.,.,,., Waikouaiti,,January,2&.. '• • .' • ■■