THE LATE MR. MICHAEL STUDHOLME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIII, Issue 7761, 6 October 1886, Page 6

THE LATE MR. MICHAEL STUDHOLME.

Thb Lyttelton Times, of September 29, has a biographical notice of Mr. M. Studholme, from which "we ' extract the following :— "The death of Mr. Michael Stadholme, at the comparatively early age of fifty-three, which took place yesterday, has deprived New Zealand of another of those early piofleere , who" did so much to establish the reputation of the Colony as a home for the enterprising * settler.'".' Though not among the Pilgrims, ,, the Messrs Studholme— John, Michael, and Paul—the sons of a gentleman'farmer in Cumberland; came out to New ■ Zealand some thirty-eight years : ago, and soon , 'took up a run at the Kakaia. Successful there they went further south, to Waimate;- "where John and Michael took up-a. Ration, the freehold' of which they nave since acquired —an estate which the Lincoln delegates, after having visited and inspected the land throughout the'colonies, pronounced to be the very tines t in ( New Zealand, if not in , the Southern I Hemisphere. So rich -is a large portion of the land that it is said to be able to carry a bullock to the acre. We have said that the brothers " boob- took np a run. . Thephrase hardly does justice to the work done'by such pioneers as- the. Messrs. 'Studholme. .When they undertook to look for country there was literally nothing for them to depend upon. The land before them , was a pertecc wilderness of plain, swamp, and mountain,, Under and , beyond the haze that met their eye, as they took their first survey from the summit of the - .fort Hills, lay. great stretches of unknown waste; treacherous, swift, deep rivers of ice-cold water, the number of which no man'could tell, barred the way j fuel was scarce, and the certainties of hardships and privations were many. In these " comfortable days men travel smoothly along in the express train, admiring the landscape, envying, as their eyes fall on fine houses among .great trees, the pleasant lot of those who were so fortunate as to secure early a share of the unclaimed good things of the earth. Those who know the early struggles of the pioneer life know that the proportion of the army of pioneers who settled down and endured to competence was exceedingly small. For themwere no comfortable inns, no pleasant carriages, no rails, no roads : swimming was their only bridge; uign of ■ human life was there none to cheer them on their lonely way. Their gifts were exceptional c oura » exceptional strength, exceptional power ot. endurance. And,when these. were present they were useless without clear ; judgment, cautious prudence, great discrimination, at indomitable perseverance., Thu a equipped, the . brothers Studholme set fort 1 * ln .t° • the wilderness. to find-their run. Their first lodgment -was at the Rakaia,. but BOon they went further south, eventually bringing up at Waimate. Between, the tw° periode they travelled over the greater * rtloa of the Middle Island, doing most of the dista nce on foot, observing witn practised ev e and surveying with care.' The excellce of their judgment is 'attested by the"* final selection of the best atretch of country in the whole island. • Their success came to them fast, and faster' as the colony grew, and in that they reaped the legitimate reward of their hardy enterprise and longheaded belief *in • the future of the wilder-ness-they, bo pluokily set out < to conquer. Ik is, perhaps, as a successful breeder of stock, and a lover of ■ sport, that Mr. Studholme will be best remembered. The breeding of prize stock was his hobby, and the animals from the Waimate i Estate have figured largely in the prize lists of the Agricultural Shows of Canterbury. 'To him, it niay.fair.ly.be claimed, is due much of the success which New Zealand wool has achieved in the home market, where t..e Waimate bell brand was well known 'and highly appreciated. In the early days of the -Province, Mr. Studholme took a prominent part in sporting matters. He imported several thoroughbred horses, notably Sledmere and Caledou, the sires of many distinguished winners. His chief . successes on the turf were obtained through the agency of Knottingly, whose brilliant performances fifteen or sixteen years ago will be well remembered by many of our sporting readers. Blunt in manner, he was a generous and warm-hearted friend. Mr. Studholme was severely injured many years ago by a fall from his horse, the animal rolling over him, and he has never been quite the same man | since. For the last few years he has been in failing health, but until Monday last no serious danger was feared. On that day his illness took a sudden change for the worse, and yesterday morning he peacefully breathed his last.' He leaves a widow and a family of ten, six eons and four daughters, to mourn hie loss.' tvr> ; !, k'')f ~.-!]• rri