PERSONAL.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 92, 18 April 1908, Page 5

PERSONAL.

Mr John Arthur Bartrum has been gazetted assistant Government geologist.

. Mr George Hyde, the Rifle Champion, accompanied by Mr Cameron, also a well-known Dominion marksman, and both of Masterton, are spending a few days in Blenheim. Mr Hyde had not seen the town of his birth for sixteen years.

Detective Connolly, _of Wellington, is at present in Blenheim for the purpose of making inquiries into the death of Mr Scott Harding. Mr Connolly *was sent over at the request of Sergt.-Major Mason.

A pleasing little ceremony took place in the stationmaster's room at the railway station on Thursday night, when Mr Conn, the populaf Blenheim stationmaster, who is shortly leaving for Christchurch, was presented by the railway employees with a silvermounted pipe and an oaken salad bowl with silver mount suitably engraved, for Mrs Conn and'himself. The presentation was to have been made by Mr Couch, Traffic Manager at Picton, but in his unavoidable absence it was made by Mr Ci W. Millington, who, in a neat little speech, presented the gifts on behalf of the Blenheim, Picton and Seddon staffs. Mr' Conn suitably responded, referring to the good relations that had always existed between him and the staffs.

Some changes are being made in connection with -the/ old-established firm of E- W. Dee and. Sons, Nelson. Mr Geo. Dee, who, with, his brothers, Messrs W. and A. Dee;, has carried on the business for some years, past, is withdrawing from the partnership. For some time past Mr G. Dee has not enjoyed the best of health, arid he has decided to adopt an out-door occupation, haying purchased an orchard property in the i^ity. Messrs W. and A. Dee will continue the business as partners. It is. of interest to mention (says, the Mail) that the firm was established 49 year,s ago by the late Mr E. W. Dee, father of the present proprietors, and the jubilee of the business will, next year, be celebrated in a fitting manner.

The Colonist regrets, to record the death of Mr Harold Light, musician, which occurred at Auckland on Tuesday night: Mr Light .some time back had a severe! attack .of rheumatic fever, which left him very weak, and his friends believe that his death was mainly due to this attack. Mr Light was'a very" young man, only twenty-five , and it will be remembered that it was in Nelson, as a boy, that he held- his first position as organist. He subsequently went to Europe to study, and for a consideraßle time he has been organist at Pitt Street Methodist Church, Auckland.1 He' was a musician of 'considerable attainments antj. promise/1 and there are many in: Nelson who will sorrow for the lift cut short, and sympathise with his,;xelatives. Mr Light leaves a widow and one child. .; John Moore, Inspector of Stock in Maryborough, who will be retiring on pension at the end of June, joined the service 25 years ago. He was nrst stationed at Motueka, where he spent five years, and from' that place was transferred to Kaikoura, , where his service of five years saw the last Of the scab. At that time sheep-scab and rabbits were the onljr.*''cares of the Stock Department's field* Officers—now they have many and varied duties. Mr Moore's term of service in the Blenheim office has-run into fifteen years, and perhaps never before has an official having the thankless tand onerous duties of inspection and pest eradication upon his shoulders earned such a measure of goodwill from all classes of farmers. Red-tape was a thing abhorrent to the mind 6i Mr Moore, and the result of his synlp'atnetic but firm insistence on the eradication of rabbits and other pests has been the virtual cleansing of a once badly-in-fested district. Before [succeeding Mr Richardson at the Blenheim office Mr Moore underwent some rough experiences in the Kaikouras1 and round about the Tophouse. country, where the killing-off of wild sheep had to be (undertaken. Mr Moore, who is a keen naturalist^ speaks in glowing terms of the beauty of the scenery and the richness and variety of the avifauna met with on' the saddle track that used to serve instead of a road between Clarence bridge and Kaikoura. ..^ , ■>.-"■