PERSONAL ITEMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12000, 24 June 1902, Page 6

PERSONAL ITEMS.

Sir G. M. O'Rokkb was a passenger to Wellington yesterday by the Takapuna. Captain 0. E. Bird, harbourmaster at Sydney, is a passenger from Sydney to Napier by the Elingamite. Major Shepherd, Sergeant-at-Arms for ; the House of Representatives, left for Wellington yesterday by the Takapuna. ■' Mr. W. J. Napier, M.H.R., accompanied by Mrs. Napier and family, left for Wellington yesterday by the Takapuna. Our Thames correspondent states that Mr. • A. J. Kennedy, a prominent London journal- : ist, accompanied by his daughter, arrived > yesterday evening from Te Aroha, on a short Visit to Thames. ~ •

". Mr. J. Eraser, late chief engineer of the Burrumbeet, who is well known in New Zealand, is now chief engineer of the Elingamite, vice Mr. Sonnerdale, who has been transferred to the Burrumbeet.

Mr. J. McDonald, of the Railway Department, Wellington, has been promoted ,to be : chief clerk at Invercargil!. He will be succeeded as traffic inspector by Mr. W. P. Williams, of Auckland.

" Mr." Joe Brown, representing the World's Entertainers, has arrived in Auckland for the purpose of making the necessary arrangements for the opening of the season of this well-known company, which commences at the Opera House on July 1.;; ; \ A pleasing ceremony took place at the warehouse of Messrs. A. J. Entrican and Co., Custom-street East, on Saturday morning last, when Mr. George Murdoch was the recipient of two handsome presents on the occasion of his marriage, one from the firm and one from the employees, that of the firm being a complete dinner service. The friends of Mr. John Murrell, New Zealand manager for Messrs. Huddart-Par-ker and Co., will regret to learn that illhealth • has • compelled him to take an extended holiday. Mr. Murrell has been granted three months' leave of absence. _ In the interval his duties will be undertaken by Mr. Cecil Jones, of the Geelong branch of the company. ' A large number of the friends of Captain Walter M. Hipgrave, the popular commander of the s.s. Zealandia, visited him on board of the steamer yesterday, to congratulate him upon his appointment to the Melbourne pilot service, and wish him farewell. Captain Hipgrave resigns from the Zealandia on her arrival at Sydney, and pro- . ceeds to Melbourne at once to assume his Hew duties. '

The Rev. Jas. While, M.A., LL.D., whose death at Singleton, New South Wales, was announced by . cablegram a few days ago, •held the position- of pastor of the Presbyterian Church in that centre if or the past 56 years, i which is probably the Australian record. The deceased gentleman was 80 years of age, and was regarded as being one of the most scholarly ministers in Australia. He was the Moderator of the Synod of the Australian Church of Scotland, in 1859, and Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of New South Wales, in 1893. Deceased's father fought at the battle of Waterloo.