PASSING OF A PIONEER

Gisborne Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 10266, 19 April 1926, Page 3

PASSING OF A PIONEER

MR ANDREW GRAHAM.

Death claimed another of Poverty Bay’s most respected pioneers on Saturday in the person of Mr Andrew Graham. Mr Graham was born at East Kilbride, near Glasgow, over eighty-three years ago and received his education a; the Glasgow. High School, and later on at the University of that city. He came to New Zealand at the ago of twenty-one, and for a. while was on the staff of a Napier firm, which, had business connections with this district. His first visit to Poverty Bay coincided with the district’s most troublous period at the time when Te Ivooti was abroad. The nows was > brought out to the vessel in the roadstead on which Mr Graham was a passenger by the late Bishop Williams. The vessel immediately returned to Napier, where Mr Graham joined up with a troop of volunteers that were sent up against the rebels. Tie remained in service until relief was sent up by the Government from Wellington. About four years later Mr Graham took up his residence in Gisborne, where he established in business on Iris own account and assumed a keen and active interest in j early development of Poverty Bay. Ho was connected with the establishment of several commercial firms, including the Poverty Bay : Herald, and was also prominent in public life. In the year 1887 ho represented the electorate in Parliament under the Atkinson Ministry. For some years he was chairman of the Cook County Council, and a member of the Borough Council. Pic was the first chairman of the Gisborne Harbor Board, and often told how inflamed public opinion was on the harbor question in those early clays. Immersed as lie was in business and public affairs, Mr Graham still found time to evince an active interest in all branches of sport, and the inauguration of the Gisborne Rowing Club in 1873 found him one of the most enthusiastic members. He was also a staunch supporter of the Presbyterian Church, and will he long remembered for the time and labor he spent in fostering that institution in its early days in this district. In 1873 Mr Graham married Miss Elizabeth Williams, and at their golden wedding about three years ago friends from all parts of the Dominion were present. It is a. coincidence that when Mr and Mrs Graham landed on the hanks of the Turanganui after their wedding they came ashore in the same surf boat as Mrs and the late Mr John Townley. Of a reticent hut kindly nature Mr Graham was always ready to lend a hand where it was needed, and Jie leaves behind him the respect and esteem of a host of friends in all sections of the community. Much sympathy will he extended to his sorrowing widow and family of seven, four sons and three daughters, who are left to mourn their loss. A brother, Mr ~\W. Graham, of Ormond, also servives him. The family consists of Mrs Todd (Wellington), Mrs Dobson (Ivaiti), Mrs Burnett (Wanganui), and Messrs J. C. Graham (Waimata), A. D. Graham (Ruakituri), P. H. Graham (Wellington), ; Win. Graham (Hick’s Bay), Stanley Graham (Detroit, U.S.A.). Malcolm Graham (Tolaga Bay), and J-. G. Graham (Gisborne). There are numerous grandchildren living, also one great grandchild. AN ELOQUENT TRIBUTE.

SERVICE AT ST. ANDREWS. The Rev. James Aitkon paid an. eloquent tribute to the life work ol the late Mr Graham in the course of a service at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church yesterday morning. “It is fitting that 1 should make reference this morning to the passing from us of one who has been so long associated with this congregation as Andrew Graham,” said Mr Aitkon. Mr Graham was one of the first- members when the congregation was formed fifty-three years ago. and ever his interest in all that affected its welfare was genuine and keen. Ido not know in how many offices he served — lie was Session Clerk for close on thirty years—hut I know, that whatever lie could do for St. Andrew’s lie was always willing and ready to do. The service of the Church was for him, as it should he for us all, the service of the-Master.. So long as he was able ho never missed being present at our Sabbath worship. Jt was a. grief to him when lie had to give up attendance in the evenings, and to the last" lie was with us whenever his strength permitted. “The Rev. Mr Asher, of Napier, Moderator of the Presbytery, rang me up last night and asked me to convey the sympathy of the Presbytery to tliis congregation, and to tell you in what high esteem Mr Graham was held by the brethren, and how in former days he acted as a sort of agent of the Presbytery in Poverty Bay, always ready to carry through any business for it and always wise in his counsel. The Church owes much to Ids diligence and foresight, liis generosity and fidelity. “In his time, too. Air Graham played his part in public life and in politics, serving in many capacities, as some of you know better than i do. He was reserved, not much given to reminiscence, and spoke hut little of what he had done in the past. I believe that liis business Ido was marked by a. high sense of honor and through all the long years of liis residence in this town he enjoyed the confidence and respect of the whole community. “The disturbing changes in the world and the Church which are characteristic of these days of ours, Mr Graham felt keenly. Sometimes 1 think they oppressed him unduly. But he never lost his faith in God. the God who reveals Himself to us in Jesus Christ, and reconciles us to Himself through Him. And now ho has passed to where beyond these voices there is peace. In his passing there is no real sadness. But the pain of parting falls on the members of his family,-and especially on her, the tried and faithful companion of his life. Our sympathy goes out. to her this morning and to all who share her sorrow. We commend them to the tender mercy of our Heavenly Father, whose alone knows how to solace all our griefs.

“When death removes a. familiar figure from our midst, we seize the occasion to dwell for a little upon the new conception of what death is, and upon the hope of life hereafter, which are the portion' of Christian men and wom-cn. And so I liavo chosen this passage for our meditation this morning: “Wherefore we faint not; hut though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. For our light afiilietiou, which is but for a moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly ah eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, hut at- the things which arc not seen; for the things wlr’ch arc seen are temporal, but the things-which are not seen are eternal. For we know' that if the. earthly house of our tabernacle he dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with .hands, eternal, in the heavens*” “Paul was not an old man. as we count old, when he wrote those words. So far as years went he was in his prime. But his had been a strenuous life, and the travail of tho years had told upon him. The , hardshins of his many journeys and the sufferings of.his many persecufifths*, •the anxieties.-and disappoiiitments'jfSrsociated with his care of all the churcheSr" the-; strain and the excite-' ment involved’ iu-lus proachihg and teaching, had made inroads upon an originally strong frame. He was conscious of the difference. He bad reached the stage when he was not

able to do what he once could: his powers of endurance were not what they had.been. He had to try to take his work a little more easily and not to spend his strength more . than he could help. The outward man was decaying: Paul realised that perfectly well, but he did not mourn over it. There were, compensations and more than compensations, for the gradual failure of his physical strength. The inward .mm was being renewed day by day. The same process which broke uown the body was building up the soul. His experience of life was bringing him wisdom and insight. He was rising above the power of temptation, so that certain temptations at least were being left behind, liis faith was growing ever more settled and steadfast, his principles were becoming imore' broadly established. His patience and liis courage were alike increased. He was learning to know his Master Christ more intimately. Ever a more glorious vision of the purposes of God was opening up to his understanding, and over a fuller measure of the peace of God was filling his heart and mind.

“It was not that liis troubles were by any means decreased. The burden of the care of all the churches grew. The opposition of the Jews in ! the cities of Asia Minor and Greece | became more bitter. The frailties of l the Christians in Ins different congregations filled him with dismay. The danger of persecution remained. And multitudes of problems and perplexities continued to arise. Pain, weariness, danger, disappointment, perplexity, care—he was never# free from them. An afflicted man; we would call him, a sorely harassed toiler. But he did not so regard himself. His afflictions—they wore light he said, after all: they lasted hut a moment. Not one of them hut was hound up with the things that pass away. Not one of them Imt was powerless to touch eternal interests. And all of them fraught with possibilities of good, capable of working out for him, more and more exceedingly, an eternal weight of glory. “For —this was his principle—he ala ays kept before his mind the difference between the tilings that belonged to time and those that belonged to eternity. That was a distinction of which he never allowed himself to lose sight. There were many things with which he laid to do, which nevertheless were passing and transitory, while there were also things with which he had to do which endured for ever. And he never allowed himself to attach to tile former the importance which belonged only to the latter. He was keenly conscious of the difference between temporal and eternal. His faith in a future file was not only strong, it was operative. It, controlled liis whole att:- j fade towards life The troubles and aflictions and anxieties which were involved in liis work as a missionary of lite Cross, no matter how severe they might be, were sure to come to an end. He could look beyond them and sustain liis spirit with the p.aspect of the peace and joy and glory ivrdch awaited him when his earthly ra"<; was run For we know, lie said, tilt*t if Hie earthly house of our tabernacle be dissolved, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, etcrrnl in the heavens. This knowledge gave him strength and courage and patience to meet all the trials which, in the providence oi God, might be liis portion here.

“The earthly house of our tabernacle. A tabernacle is a- tent. Paul spoke in a figure derived from liis own trade of a tent-maker. Many a time in his youth in Tarsus he had fashioned with liis own hands those tents of black haircloth for which Cilicia was famous. Many a time he had seen the camps of shepherds and travellers pitched in sheltered corners of the Cilieian valleys. Many a night he had passed under canvas in his own wanderings. The conditions of these temporary homes had appealed to him as well symbolising the conditions of life in the body. They were cramped for room and beset with inconveniences, just as in the flesh we are subject to limitations and best by hindrances on every side. They were exposed to storms as we are to tribulations. Huddled in nooks and crannies of the valleys they were shut in deprived of wide outlook or far leaching view, even as we too are circumscribed in vision and cannot behold, except by faith, the far reaches of God’s purposes or the realities of spiritual and eternal things. Most of all, those encampments were temporary resting places merely, sufficient for the stages of a journey ; hut each sojourner in them looked forward to a day when lie would arrive at liis journey’s end and rest in the comfort and safety of tli.e city where liis home was. To strike fho camp was no sorrow: to fold up the tent and lay it aside aas no deprivation. It was hut to exchange a frail and inconvenient shelter for a permanent- habitation. So, too, we have here no abiding dwelling place : and the folding aside of the flesh is for us no matter of regret, hut merely the passing from a narrow, troubled and storm swept camping ground, to the city which hath foundations, whose Builder and Maker is God.

“Wo know that these things arc so, says Paul. 1 like the magnificent ring of assurance in his words. There is no hint of doubt- or fear. There is no hesitation in his faith. He speaks as one who, for many years, has lived in the sure and certain hope of life eternal. He lias taken God at His word. He lias believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. To him the many mansions in the bather’s house are a reality, more real than the houses of Fpherus and Corinth. Aiid so most of the tilings which men worry about are trifles in his eyes. They are like the worries of children: when seen in the light of what lies before us not worthy of a care. So, too. many of the prizes which men strive for are not worth an effort. They are but. trifles when all is done. And so most of life’s trials lose their bitterness and cease to hare the aspect of trials at all. What can it matter when time is so short and eternity is drawing nigh Y On the other hand there are things ignored by the world at large which are of the utmost value and importance. They are not fleeting and transitory but enduring tilings of the spirit, ways of thinking, habits of feeling, principles of conduct, peace of mind, sympathy, love, purity, truth—these are heavenly treasures which moth and rust cannot corrupt, which the hand of death cannot steal. All Paul’s outlook on life, all his motives and impulses, all his aims and endeavors, were conditioned by his faith in immortality.

“My friends, there is the great Chris Jan hope 'and prospect. To the man of the world death is ,a tragedy, if not a terror. To the Christian iiis but an incident in a life which it shadows for a moment, but cannot harm, ft is ah awesome incident certainly—thero is no use minimising the awesomeness of death, hut it- is not to ho dreaded or deplored. It is as the folding up of a tent, the laying aside of the canvas, the stepping forth from the encampment to the city, from the temporary shelter to the permanent home. So let us think of death when our friends depart, and w-s fold up and lay aside' for over the frail tent which they inhabited in the valleys of time. While we hide it away out of sight, they themselves are. already opening theneves on the wonders and mysteries <>l the house not made with, hands. And so let us think of • death for ourselves, as the end of our journey, the end,of our pilgrimage, the end of our probation; the beginning of joy and peace and pure glad serviee in our Fatheif s liptne/’ ' c : '• .

At the conclusion of tho service the congregation stood in silence whiio tjie organist plaved the “Dead March” in “Saul.”

reeling reference to the late Mr Graham was made yesterday at St. David’s Church, Kuiti, in the morning, and at Knox Church, Mangapapa, in the evening, by the Dev. A. H. Nome,‘who laid special emphasis to the great loss the British and Foreign Bible Society would sustain, in which Mr Graham held ■:ho position of treasurer. THE FUNERAL.

A large number of mourners, including members of the Presbyterian Church, old settlers of the district, and representatives of local business houses, assembled yesterday afternoon to pay their last tribute to one who had so long been connected with the progress of the district. A short but impressive service was conducted at the house by the Rev. Jas. Aitken, and the funeral casket, draped wit many beautiful floral tributes, was followed to the Taruheru cemetery by a large cortege of cars. The-ser-vice at tho graveside was also conducted by Mr. Aitken. The pallbearers were Messrs. J., C. and E. Graham, It. Dobson, D. Todd and F. Foot©