PERSONALIA

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6490, 9 April 1908, Page 5

PERSONALIA

Tho Prime Minister, who is touring Central Otago, arrived at Cromwell lust evening.

Mr \V. F. Massey, M.P.. leader of the Opposition, left Auckland, for Wellington yesterday. Cabled advice from London states that tho net value of the estate of the late Lord Kelvin is £155,053.

The Gisborne Borough Council has decided to employ Mr Hav, C.E., Dunedin, to defmo tho level© in, the borough.

Mr William H. George, of Messrs George and Kersley, returned to Wellington yesterday from Melbourne. Captain Munro, of the Canterbury Steamship Companv. arrived from Sydney yesterday on the Ulimnroa, and left in the evening for tho South.

Mr P. .1. O'Regan will probably be a candidate for the Wellington Central seat at tho general election, as a Government supporter. Mr Alexander Shand, who has resided for tho past fifty years in tho Chatham Islands, is at present on a visit to Wellington. Mr Shand was born at Wellington in 18-40, and first arrived at the Chathams in 1855.

Mr W. Ryan, who has been a prominent figure in Palmerston for 21 years, ♦and who has always been regarded as a "boss organiser" in connection with local body elections, has decided to take up his residence in Wellington, where ho has considerable property. Mr J. R. Palmer, Town Clerk of Wellington, enjoyed u month's holiday in Australia, and has returned looking ae if he had thoroughly benefited from the rest and change. Mrs Palmer, who left Wellington with him. is staying a little longer in Sydney. The death is announced by cable fioin London of Lieutenant-General DruryLowe, aged seventy-eight years. The deceased served in tho Crimean war, the Indian Mutiny, tl|o Zulu campaign, tho South African war of 1881-83, and the Egyptian campaign.

Mr Robert Parker, organist of St. Paul’s, left for New Plymouth yesterday afternoon. Ho is to open the new organ in tho Church of the Nativity there, and will also give recitals on Thursday end Friday. Mr Parker will return, to Wellington on Saturday. The Hon. James McGowan (Minister of Mines) loaves Wellington on Monday for Auckland on business relating to the Mines and Roads Departments, which are under his control. Ho intends visiting Thames, Waihi and other mining centres, and does not expect to return before tho end of the month.

Mr T. M. Wilford, H.P., was waited upon yesterday afternoon by a deputation of residents of Wadestown and district requesting him to deliver a political address at Wadestown nt an early date. Mr Wilford, in acceding to tie request, stated that he # would, in addition to making a political speech, take tho opportunity of saying good-bye to his former constituents of Wadestown, Khandallah, ICaiwarra. and’ Ngahauranga, which districts are how separated from hia constituency. On Saturday Mr and Mrs Robert Marshall, of Styx, neUr Christchurch, celebrated their golden wedding with a family gathering. They were married on April 4, 1858, and five years later decided to try their fortunes in New Zealand. They Ibnded in Lyttelton on September 5, 1863, and after spending two years in the vicinity of Christchurch, settled at Oust, where they resided for about twenty-seven years, and then removed to Styx. The Rev. W. Marshall, ' minister of the Presbyterian Church, Hutt, Wellington, ib one of their sons. The Wellington Ministers' Association passed tho following resolution in connection with the departure of tho Rev. P. W. Fairolough : —"The members of , this association desire to place on record our appreciation of Mr Fairclough’s manly Christian character and moral earnestness. We have much enjoyed the, thoughtful and studious papers which he , has from time to time read before the association. He has always shown a fine brotherly spirit, and wo trust that in tho service of the church to which he has consecrated his life he may still have the blessing of his Master resting upon his work as preacher, pastor, and leader/’

Mr H. C. Wilton was yesterday afternoon married to Mias Dorothy Carrington, daughter of Mr C. K. Carrington, of Wellington. The wedding was celebrated in the Donald McLean street Primitive Methodist Church, the Lev. J. Dawson officiating. The bridesmaids wore Misses J. B. and M. Carrington (the bride’s sisters), Miss P. Wilton (bister of the bridegroom), and three nieces of the bridegroom. Mr Frank Alpe was best man and Mr L. Armstrong groomsman. Mr Wilton was made the recipient of a souvenir by his fellow-em-ployees in the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company. Bride and bridegroom were entertained on Monday evening at a social gathering in the Methodist Schoolroom.

The present Surveyor-General, Mr T. Humphries, holds rather *a unique record in the Civil Service, being perhaps tho only officer who has been in the service for half a century, uir Humphries is 67 years of age, and joined the service as a cadet in the Survey Department 51 years ago. He served through the Maori wars in Taranaki, and in 1875 bertime inspector of surveys under the General Government. He became chief surveyor and commissioner in Taranaki in 1885, •and filled the same position in Auckland, Hawke’s Bay, Nelson, and _ Canterbury before succeeding to the position of Sur-veyor-uenCral in 1906. Sir Humphries is one of a small batch of officers m the same department who hold the New Zealand war medal. The Under-Secretary (Mr Kensington) is another. Tho remains of Murdoch Gillies, victim cf the me tor-car accident at Lower Hutt on Sunday, were brought to the city yesterday afternoon, and transferred to tho Maori, on rente to Tapanni, where tho interment will take place. Tho members of the Post and Telegraph Corps-—of which deceased was an active and prominent member—paraded in uniform out of respect to their late comrade. They met the heareo as it approached the city, the body was transferred to a gnn carriage provided for the purpose by tho Permanent Artillery, and the corps acted as an escort through tho city to the Maori. There was a good muster, under command of Captain Harton. Tho procession was headed by the Cadet Band. Mr J. A. Gillies and Miss Gillies, who had como to Wellington, from Tapanni, were passengers for the South bv. the Maori last evening. The nows of the death of Mr David Thomas, who accompanied the bowling team to Australia, was received yesterday at Ashburton. Deceased, who was one of the pioneers of Ashburton, and one of tho most respected residents of the county, arrived there in 1866, and started as a sheep drover. After managing a sheep station for some years he crossed over to Australia, but returned to tho Dominion in 1877 as manager and auctioneer for Matson and Co., Christchurch. In 1882 he went back to Ashburton, ns residing partner in the firm of Matson, Cox and Co., and on that firm relinquishing operations in 1887 Mr Thomas took the business over, and conducted it very successfully, until he sold it to tho National Mortgage and Agency Company six months ago. Deceased entered tho Borough Council in 1882, and was a member of that body at tho time of his death, having also been Mayor for two consecutive terms. He was also chairman of the High School Board when he died, and in addition had been a member of practically all the local bodies. Ho always took a keen interest in all classes of sport, being president of the Amateur Athletic Club and the School Sports Association, ns weU as an enthusiastic bowler. Mr Thomas was sixty-six years of age. Ho leaves a widow, six cons, and two daughters.