SOCIAL AND GENERAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11922, 21 December 1900, Page 2

SOCIAL AND GENERAL.

PERSONAL. Captain Richard Kelly, commander of the Shaw-Savill ship Westland, died during the passage from Liverpool three weeks after leaving port, l^o was buried at, sea the following day. The vessel was navigated out by Mr Samuel, chief mate. Captain Kelly, who was 43 years of age, had been with the company for ?5 years- —seven years as master of Ihn Westland. He was also in command of the Lutterworth, Hulcione, and other vessels. ! On ll\e occasion of liis marriage Mr Peter Barr. secretary of the Dmiedin Chamber of Commerce, was presented by thn members with a cheque as a substantial token of , esteem and good wishes. The Rev. A. Gordon, the newly-appointed minister of th» Hnnover street Baptist Church (late of the EaTcmont Church. Liverpool), reached Dnnedin on the 15Hi inst., and reached Ms fir=t sermon in the colony on |be following morning, making an excellent impression on a largo congregation. Mr Gorilin wns entertained at a welcome social on the lfith inst.. when the.ro wasn large attendant*. He was wnrmlv welcomed to the cM.y by ministers of other clf>7inminations. including the Ro.v. W. Saundors, president of the Council of ChumW. ' . j Diamond weddmors am of very rare occur- , renoo, but Mr and Mrs William Duff, of Mary Hill, Waihola, were fortunate enough to oeln- : brate the sixtieth anniversary of their wedding day on December 3. Owing to the fact that the - worthy couple bad just recovered from an attack of influenza, only the elder members of the family were present. Mr and Mrs Duff were, however, in excellent spirits, and many anecdotes were minted by the former as illustrating tho difficulties with wl'Hi the pioneer settlers, of which bo and his helpmeet are such fine examples, bad to contend. Dinner over, Mr James Strain, a son-in-law, proposed, tho health of Mr and Mrs Duff, . congratulating thorn upon the hapiiy celebration. The toast was drank with musical honours. In reply, Mr Duff expressed the great pleasure ho and Mrs Duff felt at seeing no many of their family present, and said he was highly gratified at their kind expressions of love and goodwill. He concluded by expressing a fervent hope that God's blessings ■ would rest on all those present. It may bo mentioned that Mr and Mrs Duff arc among tho early settlers in Otago, having arrived in April, 1848, by the Philip Laing. Alter two ' years' I'esidenee at Anderson's Bay they resided at Green Island for 12 years, when Mr Duff purchased the estate on which lie at present resides, and, along with his wife, enjoys to the full the evening of life, after having won golden opinions from very numerous friends, both young and old. | Many old settlers in Otago will regret to hear, of the death of Mr John Drummond, who passed away at the residence of his sou, Mr James Drummond, Gloucester street, Christcburch, on November 26. The late Mr Drummond came to Otago about'4o years ago to fill a position as mining surveyor under the Provincial Government, and, in conjunction with the late Mr Vincent Pyke, carried out several important schemes. Mr Drummond was subsequently appointed borough Enjfinesr at Lawrence, and held the position for some years. He married a daughter of ihe late Mr James MacKay, of Ti-tri. Valley, Waihola, and afterwards went to the North Island, subsequently settling at Gisborne, where he practised the profession of surveyor and civil engineer for many years. lie was born 'at Glasgow, and came to the colonies 50 or 60 years ago, landing at Adelaide. For several years bo was engaged in seeking for gold on the Australian goldfields, and was pro-, eoiit at the Eureka Stockade affair at Bal-

| la-rat. His name is associated with important public works in- different parts of the colony. Many old settlers and pioneers in Otago will remember him on account of his bright, happy, and genial good-nature and bis charitable disposition. He leaves n, widow, three 1 sons, and three daughters (all grown up) Ho . mourn their loss.

| Mr F. F. Watt, editor and proprietor of ' the Hot Lakes Chronicle, Rotorua, died a few days ago. Mr Watt, who was a native of Montroge, was the founder of the Glasgow Bailie, a flourishing weekly paper. His father . is said to have been the publisher of the first penny paper ever issued in Scotland. The members of the Law Society met at Wain's Hotel on November 28 to say farewell to Mr W. Wyinks, who was recently appointed district land registrar at Invercargill. Mr J. A. Cook (president of the society) occupied the chair, and there were present:—Messrs F. R. Chapman, D'Arcy HagKilt, G. .Moody, J. JF. Gallaway, .7. R. Sinclair, S. R Brent, J. White, F. J. Stilling ]'). Reid. W. (4. Riddcll. A. R. Gaseoigne. D. Cook, Elmslie, T. K. Sidey, W. C. MacGregor, H. Bnron, F. Z. Moore, A. H. Tonkinson : and apologies for absence were read from Messrs J. H. Hosking, J. B. Callan, and :A. C. Hanlon. After some complimentary speeches. Mr Wyinks's health was drunk with great cordiality, those present singing " For he'" a jolly good fellow." | Mr James Alexander Park, being the only ■ candidate nominated on Monday for election to the Conciliation Board to fill the vacancy ' caused by the resignation of Mr G. L. Sise, ■ as representative of employers, was declared | duly elected. I Another of New Zealand's veterans passed away on Saturday at Hindon (says the Southland Times) in the person of Mr William i Lovell, who was one of the small detachment of Imperial troops sent to New Zealand to protect the infant settlements in Cook Strait early in the forties. The son I of a. soldier, Lovell enlisted when he was 17. , and to nearly the end of his long life of 80 years carried himself erect and soldier-like. After leaving the service he found his way to the Victorian goldfields, but returned to j New Zealand in the first rush after the Otagan gold, and had been for many years resident at Hindon. Several of his descendants are resident in Southland. Another pioneer settler—William Orr— ; passed away at Napier on the 6th inst., aged ; 90 years. : The officers of the Land Titles and Deeds Registry Office, with Mr Treseder (retired chief draughtsman) and Mr Corliss (donutvrimmis?ion of stamps), met at noon on Thurs- | day in the office of the district registrar. Go- ' vernment Buildings, to take leave of Mr W. Wyinks, .-mistrmt registrar, on his promotion to the office of district land registrar at Inveroargill. Mr Tnrton. in a neat speech, pre- ■ scnted Mr Treseder with a. set in oak, con- | siptinsr of a tantalus (spirit) silver-mounted I tray,' biscuit barrel, leather bag, nnd silvermounted pipe.

CASUALTIES.

I Mrs Oulsmann, wife of an old settler, wa9 killed in the street at Woodville on the 12th inst. She was driving a young horse in a milk cart when the animal bolted. The trap struck ■ the kerb and capsized on top of Mrs Ouls- ' innnn, who was so badly injured that she only i lived 20 minutes. She leaves a number of . young children. ! On the 12th inst., James Noble, of Hodgkin- ! son, near Otautau, while watching his son putting a young horse from the show on a track in a Riding at the station, got close to nn incoming train, and the engine struck him on the head, fracturing his skull. He died in the hospital on Thursday morning. I A man about 35 years of age was found on the railway crossing near Lancaster Park,

Christchurcli, with his head and both legs nearly severed. Loiters found on the deceased lead to the belief that the Man is F. W. Waite, ; woolclas3er, of Ashburton. At the inquept a verdict of " Accidentally killed through I being run over by a railway train " was returned. A man named Samuel Trotter, a farm hand at Totara Flat, is supposed to have drowned himself on the 12th inst. while in a fit of temporary insanity. He had declared his intention of making away with himself, and the police had been communicated with, but before the constable could arrive Trotter was seen running madly towards the river, and : though he was immediately pursued, no trace I could be found of him, but his dog was found sitting beside a long water .hole. The river 1 has (says the Grey Star) siuee been diligently dragged and everywhere searched. | Robert Kcllv, aged 11 years, was drowned in Jacob's River (Southland) on the 14th. The body was recovered on Saturday. William Craig, aged eighteen, employed on Venlaw station, was drowned in the Mimihau

; R-ivpr f,n Monday, while batbine with others. 1 Our Pnlmerston correspondent reports that, n- young man of Macraes, named George Slater, 25 years of age, i mot with an accident on Monday morning which terminated fatally. He was in the employ of Mr Thomas Stanley, of Macraes, as waggoner. He was engaged with Mr Stanley in unharnessing the team at Dunback, after arrivi?ig from Macraes. The three horses first liberated had gone a short distance to a water trough, when they were startled by something. They .it 'once turned round and galloped towards the waggon. Stanley ran to the head of the leaders still in the waggon, while deceased seized hold of another of the team, as there was a danger that these horses might, take fright also. One of the loose horses collided with deceased, throwing him violently to the ground. It is supposed his hencl came in contact with a stone, as I a died about half an hour afterwards, never having regained consciousness. A. telegram was received in town on Monday that a man named David Scott. 60 years of ago, concerned in rabbiting, had been found dead at Skippers. He was last seen alive on Tuesdriv. the 11th inst. Our Wakatipu correspondent wired on the sth:—"On Tuesday e'/ening Mr Thomas Lister was found buried by a fall of grave! in his claim at Swiper's Oully, Arrow River. The deceased had been sluicing a narrow alley in some very deep pround, considerably upwards of 100 ft in depth. The ground was dangerous, and about five years ago a son of the deceased. 18 years of ago, lost his life in the same manner as his father. Lister's death must have been instantaneous, as his head was badly crushed by stones. Deceased was about 70 years of age, and . leaves a large family." A fatal drowning accident occurred at Lake Brunncr on the 7th. A young man named Bancfield was upset in a dingey on the lake with another man, who was saved. "F. Dryland, a young man, while driving a drny loaded with furniture at Auckland on the 7th inst., fell off, the wheel passing over his abdomen. He died in half an hour. Louis Edmond was killed at Stirling, near Elcntahuna, through a log rolling on him. John Davis, ,i settler in the Tokomaru district, on the Manawa.tu railway, has been found dead at Forty Cliff, which he had oviclontly fallen over. . , The const-nblo at Waihi reports that Anthony Rngora, a fisherman, was drowned on the 2nd inst. He went for a rail with Miss M'Lean. Near the landing the boat cap-' sized. Karara. placed Mias M'Lean on the bottom of the- oraft, and then altoranlecl to swim ashore, but came back without reaching it. On Hearing the boat he sank. Miss M'Lean was rescued. A boat containing five men from Potone capsized on the 3rd. Two of the four rescued were for some time in a dangerous state from exhaustion. The fifth mau.'W. H. Piper, 22 years of age, was drowned. A man named Andrew Crawford was lulled by a fall off a dray on the 27th ult., at Mangaohane station, 22 miles from Moawhango. News has'been received that a young mnn named John Thomas shot himself on Archdeacon "Williams's Te Aute station. He is dead. The seven-year-old daughter of James Curry died from the effects of burns caused by her clothes catching fire at her home in Woodville, K.I. The 12-months aid son of Mr 0. Lepper, of Petono, drank a solution of caustic, soda on the sth, while his mother's back was turned, and died shortly afterwards. A. man named Leith, aged 70, met with a shocking death in Salisbury street. Ohristchnrch, on the sth inst. He was dragged by a horse along the metalled road for some distance, face downwards, until the whole, of his features were dashed away, and his knees, arms, etc., were furrowed mi. At the inquest a verdict of accidentally killed was returned. Lottie Thorpe, aged' 14, was drowned at Pacroa,« Auckland. Several children, including the deceased, had been bathing in the river, and when returning in a boat from the other side one child, thipking the sand bank was reached, jumped out into the deep water. The deceased pluckily jumped in to save the child, and succeeded in doing so, but must have clung to one side .of the boat when lifting up the child. The boat, being over-weighted, capsized,on top of her, and then sank before assistance could bo given. The police and others are now dragging for the body. A. voiiHt named Georue Blincoe. aged 18, blew his brains out with a gun at Nelson. His body was found in a paddock on the 7th. Soigci'.ut Ciueriii, otiieer in ohargo of the police at Port Chalmers, was informed on the Ist by tho master of the schooner Zior that ono of the crew, named Gustaf Wahlberß, was washed overboard at about 11 a.m. on Saturday. Kvery effort was made to savo him, but without effect The infant son of Joseph H. Harries died at Woodvil'fl from the effects of swallowing snatch heads'.