THE LATE J. NUGENT WOOD.

Lake County Press, Issue 2115, 26 April 1906, Page 5

THE LATE J. NUGENT WOOD.

<!- The remains of the late J. Kugent Wood, who died at the residence of his son at Orepuki on Monday afternoon, 16th inst., wore interred in St John’s Cemetery, Invercargill, on Thursday. Mr Wood was born in Middlowick, Chesliire, England, in 182 G. As a lad he went to sea for a number of years, and landed in Australia in 1849. For some years he followed pastoral pursuits at Mount Gambior (South Australia), and in the days of the Victoria goldfields he became clerk to the “Bendigo Mac,” warden of the Bendigo goldfield, who took an active part on tho side of the miners in the Eureka stockade riots. In 1801 Mr Wood came to Otago with Major Broker to assist in organising the official staff on tho discovery of gold at Gabriel’s Gully. In the following yoar he was appointed warden, and was stationed at Fox’s (Arrovvlown). In 18G8 ho was appointed warden tit Switzers, and officiated over an extensive district, comprising Nokomai, Waikawa and Orepuki. From that time onward he acted as warden on most of the Otago and Southland gold-fields, including Riverton, Queenstown being his last station. Owing to a severe buggy accident he was compelled to retire at Easter, 1891. Mr Wood was married in 1854 to Miss Susan Lapham, daughter of tho late Mr Samuel Lapham, (Tasmania). Mrs Wood who was known as a pleasing and versatile writer of prose and verse, died in 18SD, leaving two sons. When stationed in tlie Lakes district a storekeeper was murdered under particularly brutal circumstances, and a large quantity of gold which the victim of the tragedy was known to have in his possession disappeared. A miner named Johnston was arrested and the police authorities were satisfied they had the right man till Mr Wood canto forward i and showed beyond any doubt that the man could not have been in the portion of the district where tho murder was committed at tho time the deed was done. Mr Wood was generally popular and as a warden particularly he rendered valuable service not only judicially, but by the exercise of tact which ho possessed in marked degree and found invaluable when dealing with miners in the contentions digging days. When a difference was submitted to him for settlement the parties wore invariably satisfied with his judgment, and a characteristic of all his work was the amount of common sense lie brought to bear. Deceased, who had a fine constitution in his young days, cheerfully undertook any task that was committed to him, and administered the affairs of the warden’s and magistrate’s courts over largo areas involving on occasions little rest without tho semblance of complaint. Ho was in short one of the band of early settlers, to whoso untiring energy and sense of duty is largely attributable tho rapid advance made in this colony during tho past forty odd years, and it can truthfully ho said that his life had been one rich in deeds that will never bo effaced from the minds of old settlers, many of whom survive to speak in admiration ofltho deceased's fine qualities as a man and public servant.—lnvercargill Daily News.