PERSONALIA

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8363, 25 February 1913, Page 3

PERSONALIA

The Hon. W. H. Herries, who leaves for the north on Thursday, does not expect to return to Wellington till after Easter. ' The Hon. Mr Fraser arrived at Gore from Invercargill yesterday (states a Press Association message). He visited his constituents at Wendonside and vVaikaia, and received deputations on various- local matters. Mr R. W; Holmes, Engineer-iu-Chicf to the Public Works Department, reaches Otira to-day from Greymouth, and will go on to Christchurch, ai riving there to-night. Ho will return to Wellington on Thursday morning. The condition of the Hon. E. Mitcbelson, who was recently injured in a tramway accident at Takapuna, is, we regret to say, causing his friends some anxiety. An attack of congestion of the lungs has supervened on the injuries. Mr James Aitken, who was the first stationmaster appointed at Utiku, - Main Trunk line, six years ago, has received notice of transfer to Fcilding. Mr Aitken was deservedly popular, , and by bis courteous manner and genial disposition made many friends, who will regret his departure and at the same time congratulate him on his well-earned promotion. The Hon. W. H. Herries, now at v Wellington, will leave for Hastings on Thursday, en route to Gisborne and Auckland. The Hon. W. Fraser left Invercargill yesterday for Gore, Balclutha and Dunedin. He will also visit Central Otago before coming further north, and he' expects to arrive at Wellington on Sunday next. The Hon. F. M. B, Fisher left Wellington yesterday for Auckland, and will be absent about a fortnight. The Hons. A. L. Herdman, B. EL. Rhodes, W. F. Massey, and Dr. Pomare are at Wellington. The death occurred yesterday at Feilding of Mr William Henry Gardiner, at the age of eighty-four years. Mr Gardiner was one of the pioneers of the Rongotea district, having taken np a farm there nearly forty years ago (says the “Star.”) He carried on agricultural work for thirty years, and then retired to Feilding, where he had been living for the past seven years. Mrs Gardiner survives her husband, and there are two sons and two daughters. The sons are: William (Hastings) and Henry (Taibape); the daughters : Mrs Thomas Fraser (Petone) and Mrs Hobbs (Bulls). Mention is made with regret in the annual report of the Wellington District Law Society of the deaths- of a number of esteemed members during the year: “Mr E. H. Dean, a member of this council on several occasions, and for a considerable period its honorary treasurer, passed away after a long and distressing illness ; Mr C. R, Dix, also of Wellington, who visit- • ed Sydney for the benefit of his health, failed to recover from the effects of an operation performed there; and Mr G. A. Pownall, of Masterton, and Messrs John Prior and W. J. B. Trewin, of Feilding, _all of whom had practised- in-their -respective districts for many-years, also died.” : Dr. G. A. Harrison died at Bltham on Sunday morning. About a fortnight ago he attended a child patient and operated on an . acute abscess on the neck: When bandaging .the wound he slightly pricked tho thumb of his left hand, with a pin used for fastening the bandage. A few djiys later symptoms of blood poisoning were manifest and increased with alarming rapidity. A week ago the arm was amputated, and since then Dr. Harrison had been lying in a critical condition, causing great anxiety to his medical attendants, and he passed away at the age of forty-seven years. Dr. Harrison had been practising in the Eltham district for nearly twenty years, and was greatly esteemed by the people. Mr J. Russell French, the general, manager of the Bank of New. South Wales, entered the service of that institution on ' February 14th, 1863 fifty years ago on Friday, February 17th. On arriving at the bank at Sydney that morning he was;' met at the doors by the senior officers,' and was received with rounds of cheers by all the staff present. Mr Alford, on behalf of the staff, congratulated him upon ,the attainment of his jubilee in ihe service of the bank, and expressed their wish that ho would long continue, to bold the position he so ably filled. Mr French replied in a stirring speech, which was greatly applauded. During the day he was in receipt of messages of congratulations in hundreds, hot only from all parts of Australia, but also from beyond tbo seas. In 'B/2 Mr French was appointed to the inspectors’ staff in New Zealand, while in 1887 he was appointed as inspector of the head office in Sydney. He became chief inspector in 1891. and general manager on July Ist, 1894, upon the retirement of Mr George Miller, Writing of the death of Louis Becke, the Sydney “Telegraph” says: About four years ago Becke returned to Australia with the intention of visiting the Solomons, in the interests of the Royal Geographical Society, for the purpose of collecting folk lore, and securing records of the curious chants of the South Sea natives. Owing to some disagreement with another member of the party, Becke abandoned the idea, and visited, Fiji and New Zealand. ‘Ho stayed about twelve months in New Zealand, and about eighteen months ago returned to Sydney. Later, he fell into bad health, and became an inmate of a private hospital. He. recovered somewhat;, and for some time resided at the York Hotel. There was nothing apparently to intimate that ha was in a critical condition, and so the aews of his death has come somewhat is a shock. Writing of his experiences is supercargo of the Leonora with “Bully” Hayes, Becke said: “With riayes, my duties as recruiter and supercargo were multifarious very much so—bat 1 shall always look back upon those days, when he and 1 sailed vogorher throughout the north and south Pacific, as the halcyon time ol my life. Sometimes, indeed, 1 had' a • lesiro to give up the wild, restless dream —for I cannot call it by any ■ ther name—and at least return to see my people in Australia and my friends n Southern California. Hayes treated He util, paid me liberally, and reposed the greatest confidence in me, but when 1 even as much as threw out a hint that I would like a spell of six or twelve months, he would either give way to a burst of passion and terrify the whole ship’s company, or, what was worse for me, become silent, moody, and keep to himself. ‘Bully’ certainly had a temper.” His death removes one of the brightest, most picturesque, and entertaining writers that have yet graced Australia.