Arthur's Point.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1833, 21 August 1891, Page 2

Arthur's Point.

PKESENTATIONS. A very pleasing incident, or rather a series of pleasing incidents, took place on Friday evening last at the new Gospel Hall, the little building lieing crouded with numbers ot the general public aa well as employees of the Sew Hoy Big Beach Co. The occasion was the presentation of various souvenirs to Mr and Am D. Mason and daughter —the head of which family )uho had been for some time the popular manager of the Company) had n signed his position and was about to take his departure for another field of labor. It may be mentioned that snlist antial refreshments liberally provided by Mr Mason were greatly appreciated during the course of the evening—more especially hy those friends w ho came from a distance. The proceedings were commenced by Mr S. W. Wilson (of this town) dredgemaster of No. 3 dredge, who came forward and said : —Ladies and gentlemen—l do not think there is anyone in this room not perfectly well awaie of the reason for which we have met here to-night. If there is, I may say that we have been invited here to-night by our late manager, Mr Mason, to take a farewell of himself wife and daughter, upon the severing of his connection with the Sew Hoy Big Beach Co. lam pioud such a feeling exists between Mr Mason and ourselves that he should invite us here on such au occasion, aud I am id ad that his invitation has been so heartily responded to, for I do not think that there is anyone who could have attended but has done so. It is a pity that it could not have been arranged for the dredges to stop for an hour or two (but as this m not a Company affair it could not be expected) iu order to allow all hands to be here, as I am sure that those who are working are vexed that they are not amongst ns to enjoy themselves. I do not think there is a man on the Beach that can say there has been au angry world or ill-feeling betweeu them and, as far aa I am concerned i never had a boss that I got along with as well as I have done with our late one. But there is au old saying, that the best of friends must part, aud I suppose that is how we stand with Mr Mason. Before we part, however, I have a very pleasant little duty to perform, aud that is to present Mr Mason with a slight momeuto of our respect and esteem iu the shape of a gold albert which has peen subsscribed to by all the Europeans on the Beach except one—a fact that speaks volumes for our late manager. Mr Mason, 1 have great pleasure in presenting you with this token of our respect and esteem. Mav you live many long and happy years to wear it, and wherever your lot may be cast, should you at any time set your eye upon the trinket I hope you will remember that you have the best wishes of the Sew Hoy Big Beach crowd, and I feel certain that we have the same kindly feeling for yourself. As for Mrs and Miss Mason, I am sorry to say that I have not had the honor of their acquaintance, which is, I belie.e, my loss, as I have heard everyone say a good and kind word of them. I can can simply wish them the same as yourself, many yeais of health, wealth and happiness, and from the good feeling existing between us all, should we ever meet in this world again we will be able to extern! the warm hand of friendship. (The souvenir—which was procured from Stewart Dawson and Co.. Dunedin—consisted of a massive gold albert and shield-like pendant, the inscription on the latter being " Presented as a mark of esteem to David Mason by the of the Sew Hoy Big Beach Company, 1891." Mr Mason, in reply, said he was entirely taker, by surprise at tin very unexpected present made by the employees of the Company. He was tery sorry he had to leave them. In looking round he was pleased to see all the hands on the little dredge (No. 1) were still working in the claim—that dredge being the only one in existence when he first took the management of affairs. Since the three new dredges have been put on there had been many changes. New men have come and gone, but he was pleased to know that these changes had not been owing to any ill-feeling or differences between the men and himself, and taking things as a whole, Ire did- not think he had ever had such a good set of men under him duringTiis wjycjjjwas a large and extensive one. This would be the first time he had ever had a watcli chain to wear (it being felt by him as an almost unnecessary appendage to his ua'ch) and wherever fate might cast his lot he should -ilways look back with loudnir eyes to the happy time he had spent at Arthur's Point.

Mr Maxwell, on behalf of the ladies of Arthur's Poiut. also made neat and flattering speeches touching the invariable kindness and thougbtfnlness or Mrs and Miss Mason. He afterwtids presented them with souvenirs in token of the esteem in which they were held for the active part always taken by them in Ainndav School, in religious classes and o'her Church work during their too brief sojourn ot Arthur's P-»i--t. (The gift to Mrs Mason consisted of a handsome al>>um. and that to Miss Mas ma beautiful seal muff aud purse combined.) Mrs and Miss Mason briefly and suitably returned thanks —the first-named expressing regret that the album did uot contain the photographs of all the kind ionors. Thus ended one of the most pleasant re-uniou3 that have ever taken place at Arthur's Point. THE GOSPEL HALL. A duly convened meeting of subscibers to the Gospel Hall, Arthurs Point, was held in the building on Saturday evening, 15th instant, for the purpose of vesting the property in trustees and making other arrangements in connection with it, such as for Sunday School work, the services for which purpose it has been been very useful from the beginning. The residents, for whose special beufit the hall has been erected, have also the nucleus of a library of well selected hooks that had hitherto been kindly taken charge of by Mr Mason, but it was hoped that these could be placed permanently in the Hall, which might also probably, after a shor time, be utilised as a reading room. There was a fair attendance, Mr Mason presiding. After a short discussion, resolutions were unanimously carried to the effect:—That the following be elected trustees: —Messrs John Scott, runholder, John Scott, miner, Kdward A. Johnson, and Louis Anderson ; (2) That the residence area site on which the hnil'ling now stands be transferer! from Mr John Scott, miner, and vested in the al>ovementioned trustees; also that the fr tings and other articles belonging to th-> hall, be handed over to them as trustees ; aud (3) That the the Hall be used for the benefit of the residents of the Arthurs Point district and for the purposes of a Sunday School, Library, aud Go<pel services.