PERSONAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9105, 29 December 1909, Page 5

PERSONAL.

A cable to-day announces the death in London of Mr Louis Artlvjr Nathan, a New Zealander.

Mr and Mrs Pilgrim, who have been residing- in. Palmerston for the past two years, have decided to return to tneir home near Auckland. The Hon. J. A. Millar, Minister of Railways, will visit Australia early 1 March with a view to inspecting trie various railway services oi ic monwealth. He will be accompli ed bj an officer of the Railway Depaitmcnt. The death is cabled of ■ Mr Bowdler Sharpe, assistant department ot Toology, , ■ ■ t Museum and a famous ornit t p Berlin cable reports the death of Paul Mendelssohn Barthaldy, head of Mendelssohn's Bank, Berlin. Dr. Harold A. Cooper son of Mr. lustice Cooper, who has been studying medicine ir/ London and Dublin, was a passenger by the Cormthic winch ,u----rived in Wellington last, week, lie is on a visit of three months to New Zealand. and will return to talve up an appointment at Newcastle-on-lyne. Mr James 11. Chappell, father of Mrs Duncan Whisker and Mrs Dave Whisker, Feilding, died at the residence oi tlie lormer lady, Sandon road, on Sunday. Deceased came to New Zealand in 1041. in the Burmah, and landed'at Wellington. He resided at that city up till 1906, when he came to Feilding. i;or many years he followed the occupation of a builder and contractor, and he saw Wellington grow from a small collection of huts to its present metropolitan dimensions.

Miss Muriel Bcvan, daughter of Mr and Mrs T. Bevan, junr., Manakau, who is attending St. Mary's Convent, Wellington, met with a good deal of success in her studies last year. At the distribution of prizes last week Miss Be\an was awarded Lad;, Ward s gold medal for painting and Father 1 copies : O olu medal for Christian doctrine while on ordinary school work she had the tinction of gaining no less than seven prizes, a result which reflected grea credit on pupil and teachcrs.

Last Friday a very enjoyable afternoon was spent at Mrs Washington'Stewart» residence, in honour of Miss Hilda Col lins, who is shortly to bo married. It was an "all sorts" afternoon, which meant the guests could pring what thej chose, the result was. the gifts were costly, pretty, and useful. Afternoon tea was laid in the dining room, the tables beinc decorated with sweet peas and a marriage bell, made of the same flowers, was also suspended from the ceiling. After Miss Collins had thanked those present for their kindness competitions were indulged in.

Capt. Butt, a well-known coastal pilot, died at Wellington on Monday. La P t - Butt was a familiar figure to all seafaring men in the North and South Islands. His knowledge of the «ajs of the great waters about Ncv. Ztaland was a very extensive one, and nis cx perience very varied. He leaves a widow, who is 76 years of age, and a family of six—five sons and one tlalH,hter. Three years ago Captain Butt celebrated their golden wcddt«„. it is related of Capt Butt that vvh'lc charge of the paddle steamer Lvttelton many Years ago, it took this craft six weeks to reach Foxton from 11 ' ngto " n On that journey, while the boat lay in Porirua Harbour, her anchor \\ ent and Captain Butt was forced to travel overland to Wellington for one to replace it.

Mr Angus Mackay, one of the oldest and most respected residents of Dannevirke. died yesterday morning, at the advanced age of 90 years. Descended from a Highland family who had migrated from Sutherlandshire, he wasborn in the Nova Scotian town of Pictou, about the year 1820 In 1853 thci migratory spirit seized him, and lie came out to Melbourne, where he met the Highland colonists who. under the Re . Air M'Leod, were making their way to Waipu, north of Auckland. He remained in Melbourne until 1865. when he too came to New Zealand m order to erect in conjunction with the late ilr I-lector M'Kenzie, the large wharf at Mokomoko, near Invercargill, a work costing soinethirig like £30.000. Subscauently Mr Mackay was employed by the Government as inspector over the Panmure bridge, and over the erection of the new post office and supreme court buildings. In 1873 he was engaged by Messrs Brogden Bros, to supervise in connection with their New Zealand railway contracts. The first .work undertaken by them in the Dominion was the construction of the short line between Picton and Blenheim. From there Mr Mackav transferred to New Plymouth, whither he went to supervise and manage the construction of the line between Sentry Hill and Inglewood for Messis Henderson and Davies. )101 ' 11C \ saw him supervising Ihe construction of the groins in the harbour, and %\hen these were out of hand he entered upon the career of a contractor on his own account. His first work.was the building of the bridge over the Ngaruroro river at Clive. He followed the business of contracting in Napier for some time, but once more fell >to his avocation as inspector over railway construction, coming into Southern Hawke s Bay district for the first time to superintend th" construction of the line between Matamau and Woodville. Aftci . ing in bridge-building for a time Mr Mackay settled in Dannevirke and was its first Mayor. As a of j Peace, as Registrar of Electors ! School Committee work, as a member of the Licensing Committee and Doma n Board, the late Mr Mackay did useful work in the early days. As illustrating the longevity of Mr Mackay s family, the Advocate mentions that at a family gathering held at Halifax quit recently two of Mr Mackay's brothers IZe present, aged 96 and 94 respectively, but still in possession of all tneir faculties.