AN OLD SETTLER MISSING.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 764, 22 October 1886, Page 9

AN OLD SETTLER MISSING.

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION. 1 Woodvilre, October 14,

Mr ,C. H. Weber, engineer, of Napier, an old settler, who left the town for Pahiatua on Tuesday week to inspect the land in the MaDgat3inokfc block, with a view to purchase, has not been heard-of siuce. Grave fears areentertained as to his safety, as, the rivers were in flood at the time. A search party was out yesterday, but got no tidings of him. Another party has gone out to day to make a further search. October 15. A large search party visited all the cam; s in the neighborhood of Pahiatua yesterday, but failed to find any trace of Mr C. H. Weber. A strong party will search the bush thoroughly to-day. The report that Weber was seen in Mauriceville has no foundation. Woodville, October 18. “ Oa Saturday a large party thoroughly searched the bush and the adjoining swamp at Pahiatua, but failed to find the least trace of Mr Weber. No further search will be made. Up to yesterday morning no trace of Mr Weber, who was lost last week iu the Seventy Mile Bush, had been found. A reward of £2O is now offered by Mr Ellison for any tidings of him, or for finding his body. Mr Weber, whose full name was Carl Hermann Weber, had a most eventful life. He was born in the Grand Duchy of Hesse Cassel in 1823. In his youth he entered the army of his native state, and attained the rank of Captain of Engineers, but having, during the revolutionary time of 1843, refused to fire oa the people, he was cashiered. He left for America in the latter part of 1848, and was engaged with General Fremont in the expedition across , the Rocky Mountains. The Weber River, and the Weber canon bear his name to this day. Afterward he was engaged in the bSahe-de-mer and sandalwood trades in the South Sea Islands. Then he went to New South Wales, where he bought a

large cattle run, but the difficulty of finding hands at the time of the gold fever and other difficulties forced him to give it up. Next, he went to Sydney, and passed his examination as a surveyor. In 1860, when the new province of Hawkea Bay was founded, Mr Edward Wright, who was the first Provincial Engineer, was sent to New South Wales to engage surveyors for the Government service, and succeeded in engaging Mr Weber and two others. Mr Weber came over to New Zealand iu the steamer Lord Worsley, and was appointed District Surveyor at Ruataniwha Plains, his family residing at Waipawa. In 1866 he was appointed Provincial Engineer Engineer of Hawkes Bay by the late Sir Donald McLean, then Superintendent, a position which he held till 1870. , In that year he left the Government service, and for a time tried his hand at private mercantile pursuits. Iu 1871 he joined the Public Works Department, and he was employed on the preliminary survey of the Manawatu railway line. He ako advised Mr Ormond to lay out a Scandinavian settlement in Hawkes Bay. At a later time he superintended the building of the Napier breakwater, but he was strongly opposed to the new harbor scheme there, being fully conviuced that it was unwise, though from the situation of his property it was bound to be of benefit to him. For the last ten years Mr

Weber had retired from the public service, and duriDg that time be took a great interest m the welfare of Woodville and the Surrounding district. He was a married man and leaves a widow and thiee eons and two daughters. His eldest daughter is the wife of Mr'pulton* assistant engineer to tbe Welling, ton and Manawatu Railway Co. Mr Weber was a man much liked and respected, and some of his friends almost cling against hope to the belief that he may still be alive.