FUNERAL OF THE LATE MR. ARTHUR H. NATHAN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 12856, 3 May 1905, Page 6

FUNERAL OF THE LATE MR. ARTHUR H. NATHAN.

ADDRESS BY THE, RABBI.

AN IMPRESSIVE SERVICE.

T'hij funeral of the laic Mr. Arthur .'lt. Nathan took place yesterday, Hie place of interment being the Hebrew cemetery, Symonds-slrcet. The ceremony was conducted according to the. Jewish custom, and Mas very largely attended by co-religionists of the deceased, and .others of different beliefs.

The procession (started from the residence of the deceased, " Pembridgc," Princesstreet, and only gentlemen took part. When all -were in order, the procession moved at a walking pace down Princes-street, and hulled for a brief space at the synagogue, with which the late Mr. Nathan had been so intimately connected. It then passed along Waterloo Quadrant, passed into Sy-, inouds-street by Government House, and so on up feyinuods-street to the cemetery, where an unusually huge number of people had assembled, and the gates of which were reached shortly after two two p.m. Here the coffin was removed from the hearse, and carried on a bier by members of the Jewish faith to the small hall in the cemetery. The colliu was absolutely plain, without orua.-. meat of any .sort, it being the practice of Jews to have an absolutely simple casket, and the plainest of cerements for rich and poor alike, so that the body of a Rothschild would be placed in the grave with identically the same simple coflin and grave clothes as the poorest Jewish workman. A black cloth covered the coflin', and' on it was a floral device. On being taken into the cemetery hall the usual prayers were recited by the Rabbi, the Rev..S. A. Goldstein, who, upon the conclusion .' of the prayers, delivered a. brief address to the relatives arid friends of the late Mr. Nathan. The Reapev had again been in their midst, said the Rabbi, and they were once more brought face, to' 1 face ,vith death. It had pleased' Almighty God in His infinite wisdom to strike the community very hard of. late. They as-' sembled there that day to pay their tribute of respect to their departed brother Arthur H. Nathan, and were about to lay his mortal remains only in their last earthly resting place, but all who knew him were comforted with the thought that his soul, had.already winged its flight into,the. Kingdom of Light. The problems that perplexed those on earth were now made plain to their departed brother. It would be most unbecoming of him (the Rabbi) to pass a fulsome, eulogy oil the. late Mr. Nathan. All that could be done was to speak of him as he was known to his fellow men. He was a. man of the highest honour and integrity. It was only a few days ago that a gentleman who knew Mr. Nathan remarked to the speaker: '"I would as lief have his word his signature." Few higher tributes could be paid to their departed 'brother by the business men among whom he had lived and Worked. The late Mr. Nathan was a faithful and loving husband, and an affectionate and devoted father, and he was most exemplary as a communicant in the service and worship of the synagogue, and all connected with the Hebrew congregation would most sorely miss him. The city could not afford to lose men of the type of the late Mr. Arthur Nathan.

Addressing the sons of. the late Mr. Arthur Nathan, the Rabbi exhorted them to keep up the tradition of the family, and to do their share towards maintaining Judaism in their midst. He prayed that they would remain good sons, devoted brothers, and become citizens as honourable and upright as their father. The parting was a sad one. but their grief was assauged by the belief in the reunion of souls. Death, after all, was but the portal to the higher life. They were all consoled by the thought that whatever God did was right, because He could! not possibly do anything that was wrong, however hard it might 'be for them to realise this truth. It was in that spirit that they laid their beloved friend to rest. His life might have been brief, tout during these short years he did an immeasurable amount of good.

We live in deeds, not years; in thoughts, not breaths; In feelings, not in figures on a dial. We should count time by heart, throbs. He most lives , Who thinks moat, feels the noblest, acts the best.

The Rabbi concluded: "We now proceed to , lay the earthly remains of our beloved brother in the' grave." . The coffin was next: carried to the grave, where, after being lowered, the immediate relatives, in the order of their relationship, cast in a lew . spadesful of earth, and the sextons filled in the grave. The wreaths were then spread over the « grave, and the mourners returned to the hall, where prayers were said, and the chief mourners' returned to the house of mourning. The procession was headed by the hearse, and next came seven carriages, in. which were the chief mourners, near relatives of the late Mr,' Nathan, including his sons, Messrs. Chillies and Louis Nathan ; his brothers, Messrs. S. J. and Walter I). Nathan (Wellington); his cousin, Mr. Alfred Nathan; Mr. David. Nathan, Mr. A. B. Nathan, Mr. Lionel Benjamin, Mr. K. 1). Benjamin, Mr. J. A. Davis, and .Mr. K. Lewis. Following the hearse was an open landau filled with many very beautiful wreaths, and other floral tokens of respect and sympathy from members of every class and every faith in the community. Following the triages containing the chief mourners, walked two and two the employees, of the late Mr. Nathan's firm, to the number of 40, and behind them again came upwards of 50 vehicles, bearing members of the numerous com.rn.ce.kd institutions with which Mr. Nathan was connected, and representatives of public bodies, as well as his numerous personal friends.

Among those present at the funeral were: Hon. S. Thorn;.' George, Messrs. M. A. Clark, L. J. Bagnall, Arthur Myers, H. liorton.'and James Buttle (New Zealand Insurance Company), and Captain Anderson, Messrs. J. H. Upton,- C. Rhodes, C. Hanson, J. J. Ker, W. Laird, and K. If. Roney (Northern Steamship Company), of both of which companies the late Mr. Arthur Nathan wat a director; Messrs. R. Boesave (Consul for France), Carl Seegner (Consul for Germany), Hon. I'.'. Mitehelson (chairman of. the Harbour Board), of which Mr. Nathan was for some time chairman; Messrs. A. J.' Entrican, R. Farrell, and A. F. Glovei (members of the City Council). A. B. Roberton (chairman of the Chamber of Commerce), Hon. J, A. Tole, Messrs. E. W. Alison,

A. Kidd, and F. E. Baumel M.H.R.'s, C. C. Can, ,1. M. Brigham, W. 1?. Wilson, J. Ivirkci, A. Heatliei, A. Alison, Leo. Myers, J. Mowbray, 'J'.- S. Snell, A. Porter, W. 15. Puller," R. Cameron, J, Reid, ]•;. Morton, 11. Brett, H. Norton, C. C. .McMillan, D. W. Duthic, M. M. McCallum, Haslam, J. Clark, J-!. K. Russell, <!. W. S. Patterson, A. J. Dcnniston, H. Goulstone, W. Allen, J. Muir, J, M. Shera, T. Hodgson, S. Hughes. K. Davis, A. Davis, L.' Benjamin, T. Keesing, M. Keesing, Barry Keesing, It. M. Keesing. If. L. Possen'iskie, M. Goldwater, B. L. Gold water. L. 11. Neumegen, S. Hughes, H. Phillips, W: R. Blooniiield, M. 'Phil-' lips,-,). - Savage, L. "Lewis, G.Lewis.'A. Kohn.'W. Coleman, B. Kent, \V. S. Whillev, J. Marshall,. ti. Duune't. J.. Balder, W. C. Walker, R.,.Dayis, J. McK. Geddes, S. Coldicutt, D. R.:,Caldwell, A. Cohen, L. Moses, J. Kirkwood, H. T. Conic, M. Schneiderinann, A. Walker, W. Ware, -J. Graham, C. Ford, H. Edmonds, .1. Speers. C. V. Houghton. S. Ilcskcth, K. E. Isaacs, J. A. Beale, J. Rayues, F. Harrop, S. Kohn, Di. Sharman, Dr. Hope Lewis, Colonel Burton, Captain M. 'I. Clayton, Captain 'Strceter, Captain . Nearing, and many others. Carriages were provided for a very large following, but there was also..a huge number of representative persons present a> the cemetery;' who took no part in the procession, •