PERSONAL.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVII, Issue 140, 16 June 1913, Page 5

PERSONAL.

Mr William Coleman (Mayor of Richmond) who has been seriously ill, is making satisfactory progress, towards recovery. A London cablegram states that Mr W. Smith, of Wellington, has passed part I, section 3, of the Institute of Actuaries examination. Messrs Herbert Jones and J. Jellyman; who left Blenheim some time ago to take up their residence in the Waikato district, . are visitors to Blenheim. ; I" Sergt.-Major Weston, who' has been connected with the local Defence Department for some months, has received notice of transfer to Nelson. His successor locally has not yet been appointed. Sergt.-Major Salt, who has been stationed at Motueka since his departure from Blenheim;'has been transferred to the Marlborough area. Mr Henry Otterson, C.M.G., in acknowledging the congratulations offered to him by the Member for the district in behalf of the residents of Marlborough on the titular distinction recently conferred on him, added : that he valued these especially as they came from his old place of residence. I Lieutenant H. Redmond, N.Z.S.C., who has been transferred to Oamaru, j left Nelson on Saturday for his new ! station. During his long stay in Nel- ! eon, Lieutenant Redmond, who is a ! capable and efficient officer, has made ! himself deservedly popular with all ' ranks (states the Colonist) and his de- | parture from this district will be i generally regretted. A Dunedin Press Association message reports the death of ex-Sergeant Conn, aged 69 years, who was one of the pioneers of the West Coast, and who worked in the next tent to the I late Mr R. J. Seddon. The deceased served as a police officer in various i parts of the Dominion, and retired j four years ago under the age limit. A Sydney cablegram advises that I Dr Charles "Pattison and his wife have i arrived, en route for Fiji. Dr Pattii son has been appointed to conduct rei search work amongst the lepers on i the Island of Makogai. He has de- ' voted most of his life to the study of > tropical diseases, and has had a S lengthy experience amongst the lepers ;of Africa. He confidently anticipates ' that a cure will ultimately be found. ■ His wife is a trained nurse and will I participate in her husband's work.

.It is an il] wind that blows nobody any good. The recent fierce storm at Hokitika removed the surface from large stretches of beach, and left exposed the black sand, which is nearly always gold-bearing. Regardless of the■ heavy rain and the wild gale which had been blowing all .day, parties_ of men were at work on the beach skimming off the black sand and carting vt out of the /reach of the waves. So quickly does the beach formation change that the next tide might bury the black sand with several feet of ordinary sand.