LIFE OF ADVENTURE

Evening Star, Issue 19855, 2 May 1928, Page 5

LIFE OF ADVENTURE

AUCKLANDER HALE AT NINETYFIVE A REMARKABLE CAREER [Special to the ‘Star.’] AUCKLAND, May 1. Mr Cornelius Deverall, of Dexter avenue, Dominion road, celebrated his ninety-fifth birthday to-day. A veteran of the Crimean War, Mr Deverall has Jed «u adventurous and roving life, having visited Canada, the United States, and South Africa when they were in only the initial stages of development. , , , Although he has had numerous opportunities of acquiring wealth, Mr Deverall has been often robbed of promising fortunes by sheer ill-luck. Born in Trowbridge in 1833, Mr Deverall, at the ago of eighteen, ran away from home and walked to London. Ho remained for two years with an uncle there, and then went to New York. Subsequently ho returned to England and joined the Royal Engineers, in which he served for three years. On the outbreak of tho Crimean War he went to the front. One of Mr Deverall’s memories of the waf is Florence Nightingale, whom he frequently saw during a period when tho Engineers were stationed near the nursing division. . Accompanied by his wife, Mr Dcverali left for South _ Africa (in which country he lost his right eye in a blasting accident) in 1858. Eventually he settled down to farming near Kimberley, and was offered a large portion of tho land where tho richest diamonds were subsequently found for £2,000, a price which he considered too great for grazing land. What his iortuno would have amounted to had he made the purchase it is har,d to estimate. _ Some time later ho tried his luck in th« search for diamonds, but without sucCe Selling all his property, Mr Deverall returned once more to England, but found the winters too cold alter the wanner climate of South Africa, Returning in 1883, he bought a farm at Brakfontein, near Georgetown, but only worked it for a year. After another visit to England Mr Deverall left tor America, settling in Texas, where he acquired two farms. After two years he decided to realise, and handed the title deeds to a land agent, with instructions to dispose of the property. Mr Deverall left then for England, and never heard from the agent again, receiving not a penny for either farm. When he was in England he happened to pick up a newly-published book on New Zealand by Sir Julius Vogel, and decided to visit this country. Arriving in Nelson in 1887, he settled down there for some years, moving later to Avondale. For about fifteen years ho has been living in Mount Eden. Up to about seven years ago ho was accustomed to drive his motor car, while he still plays the organ. Some tinio ago ho fell from tho roof of jus house while carrying out plumbing work. He received a fracture of the thigh, a serious injury to a man aged ninety-three, but was discharged from the Auckland Hospital within three months of Ins admission.