DR. BURNS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2802, 30 January 1871, Page 3

DR. BURNS.

\ Sir—The demise of Dr. Burns, the last of ;the three principal projectors and promoters pf the old original Otago Association, that dwelt in our midst, marks, surely an era in. the history ol the' settlement. ,/With the passing away of the venerated and venerable gentleman-who has up to this time: gone, in and-out amongst'-ns^Us quiet( gait anjd dignified bearing a speaking contrast, not wanting in moral significance, to the hurry and-bustle of a perhaps too fast. age—the first epoch of dur history may be said to have closed. Nob that the earlier settlers are all gone : for of those among them who arrived in the colony in the prime of life there may remain: a goodly: sprinkling .fo*. twenty or thirty years, of longer, yet to come. • But the fathers of that r generation are disappearing, and the father-founders—the respected trio who led, and taught, and ruled, Messrs Cargill, Burnß, and M'Glashan—have each, after a solemn interval of years, gone to his rest; afld with the last the last sentences of the first chapter of the'history of the province of Otago closes. .Ta. it not the proper 4ime then, to gather the records and the traditions, thus far gone and completed,, and put. them together, while they are still fresh in the memories pf many, and ere they grow dim* or are altogether lost ? ' I think it is. fi not done now it will soon be too late, and the opportunity of preserving many oral floating memorials be lost. And I would suggest that subject to the seleotion of an editor, qualified by. literary ability and the sine que non of 1 Old Identityism, chapters varied in their topics might be contributed by Old Identities in'town and country. Some of the raciest and most interesting wonld be reminiscences, anecdotal, and .redolent of the Otago phase of early colonial hfe—that life which has so much in common every where* and which yet presents in every particular country a character, peculiarly its own. The Scotch Free Kirk :\ Qtagoites were J' canny, awfu' strict, gaej siccar," and just " a wee bit bigoted" From] unthought of sources, if such were solicited! through the press, I have no doubt manychapters of such memorabilia would come in, While the editor "would. Ibave no difficulty in allocating a number of chapters on the early history;, the ecclesiastical and educational peculiarities of "the soheme," and how they worked j the legal and criminal records, with the eccentricities of a Judge and a gaoler—to. various gentlemen amongst us, whose main, interests and. associations have, been linked with that of the province since its very commencement. It would not be difficult to name a score of Buch j and if the necessary interest could he but awakened, and they engaged in it, I am sure it would be at a cost of trouble that would be rendered nil by the pleasure which the doing of it would be sure to afford. And the result, I am equally confident, would be a natty and unique little record of? our embryo state of existence.. I throw out the hint, and wait to see if it is followed by any suggestion or response.— I am, &c., An 1849 Old. Identity.