DEATH OF MR JOHN STEPHENSON.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11808, 10 August 1900, Page 6

DEATH OF MR JOHN STEPHENSON.

At 5.30 o'clock yesterday morning Mr John Stephenson, of the old-established firm of Wright, Stephenson, and Co., died at his residence rather suddenly. Mr Stephonson had been breaking up gradually ever since he had a stroke of paralysis about fifteen months ago. At the time, however, he made a wonderful recovery for so old a man, and survived a second stroke shortly after. On Tuesday night he was very cheerful, and stayed up till about 10 o'clock. Just before going to bed ho took a drink of puriri water and milk, and this seemed to cause a fit of cougb.ing. He had scarcely lain down in bed, before he was seized with a final paralytic stroke,- which eventually, proved fatal. He lay al! night unconscious, and passed away at the hour mentioned. When the news of his death was circulated in town during the inorning the flags of the chief mercantile houses were lowered to half-mas': out of respect.

Mr Stephonson was particularly well knov/n in Dunedin, and his long connection with the firm of Wright, Stephenson, and Co. brought him into contact with most of the ninholclers ancl pastoralists in the province. In addition to this, his prominence in racing circles made Mm, perhaps, one of the best known sporting men in Otago. He was born in the year 1830 at Everton, near Liverpool, but was brought up in Yorkshire, where Mr Stephensori, sen., was a farmer. He went to school at Nearfield Academy, Bawtry, in West Riding, but developing at an early age strong inclinations towards hunting and field sports, it was only natural that his rural surroundings should materially colour his future career. In 1854----he was attracted to the Australian goldfields, and came out in the ship Falcon, and tried his luck on the Ballarat diggings. Next he tried his hand at contracting, and executed some very good contracts for road-making on the Victorian goldfields. In 1856 he went into stock dealing;, at which he soon proved an expert, and he entered tb.o service of M'Pherson and Bird, who engaged him as a stock buyer for the firm. In this capacity he bought for the Melbourne markets on one side and the goldfields on the other. Old Australians will remember the great cattle runs in the sixties that extended from the Murray far up into the Kiveiina country, beyond the Lachlan, and where remains of the old stockyards may be seen to tins day. It was through tliis country that Mr Stephenson constantly made expeditions buying stock on account of his firm, and he continued to do so until Mr M'Pherson sold out of the firm to Mr Shudraoh Jones. The firm then became Jones and Bird, and, transferring their operations to New Zealand in 1861, Mr Stephenson came to Dunedin with thorn. Mr Bird, who remained a close friend of Mr Stephenson's up to the last, lias filled for many years tho position of chief steward at the Fernhill Club. Mr Stephenson did not remain long with Messrs Jones and Bird, but accepted the position of auctioneer to Messrs Wright, Robertson, and Co. On Mr Robertson's retirement from the firm, Mr Stephenson succeeded him, and the- firm has occupied a leading position among slock and station agents and wool brokers in Otago almost ever since. He married in Victoria, and Mrs Ste;>henson still

lives, the surviving children being Mrs A. P. Burns, Mrs W. Hazlett, Mrs W. F. Edmond, Miss Tui Stephenson, and Mr George Stephenson,. the latter being now auctioneer to the old firm, and well-known a-s a footballer. The oldest son, John, who will be remembered as another prominent footballer, died- some years ago. Mr Stephenson's connection with the I)tago Agricultural and Pastoral Society dates many years back. He was one of the promoters of a meeting called in 1876 with a view to forming some sort of society connected with pastoral and stock-breeding interests, and this was 'the beginning of the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Society. The late Mr Larnach was appointed first president, and Mr Stephenson succeeded him in the following year. Since then he. has frequently acted as one of the society's stewards and in other capacities. His expert knowledge in regard to all questions of stock-raising has often proved of value to the society. After arriving in Dunedin he joined the ranks of the pioneer racehorse owners, and had his colours borne by Poison and one or two other horses when the annual races were held on the hillside about Monteoillo. Mr Stephenson also helped to form the Otago Jockey Club, and it was his motion that created the Dunedin Jockey Club in 1870. The new club failed at the time to get up a race meeting; but a year later the promoters succeeded, and at the first of the club's meetings, held in 1871. Mr Stephenson officiated as judge. From 1875 to 1879 he was president of the Dunedin Jockey Club, and from that time to the period of his first serious illness, fifteen months ago, Mr Stephenson was continuously a steward, and for many years in succession acted as vice-president. His racing partnership with Mr James Hazlett began with the purchase of two Victorianbred colts, one afterwards known as Taiaroa (the other died); and then they bought Mata. after whom came a long string of well-known racers, including Hyacinth, Captain Webster, La Rose, Captain Cook. Lustre, Outpost, Forbury. Francdtte, Occident, Tempest, Hippomenes. and Gipsy Grand, the last of the partnership horses being Benson.