PERSONAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17217, 21 January 1918, Page 5

PERSONAL.

The Hon. Sir James Allen (Minister of Defence) paid an official visit to the forts at tlio Heads yesterday. He will be in. town to-day, and will return north to-mor-row morning. Mr Peter Cullen, who passed away early this month at his residence, Gore, at the age of 92. was a passenger in the ship Pladda, which arrived at Port Chalmers in 1950. After residing for a short time at Owhiro, he left for Gabriel's Gully rush, and afterwards settled in the North Taieri, where he was married in 1863. Twenty years after this event he sold out to Mr Robert Gawn, and removed to Burlington Farm, near Riverton. Later still > ho settled in the Pine Bush district for 16 years, after which ho purchased a farm near Gore, but ho sold out five years ago, when he removed to Gore. His widow, throe daughters, and seven sons survive him. One of the sons is at tho front.

Mr David Robertson, who died at Evansdale early in the month, had resided there for upwards of 40 years. A correspondent, who was employed under him on contracts in which ho was engaged and who offers a high tribute to his qualities, has supplied: us with some interesting notes regarding his career. " While Mr Robertson was working in the Albert Town district," ho writes, "he purchased on one occasion a ton of flour for, it was said, £100, from a person who arrived there with it and who subsequently turned out to be none other than the notorious Levy, of the Sullivan, Levy, and Burgess gang. Mr Robertson, after working at the Dunstan, carried his hut and tent poles on his back all the way to Dunedin, across tho Old Man Range—no joke in thoso days. I believe he was tho first railway station master at Port Chalmers. Afterwards he was manager for Mr D. Proudfoot on railway construction «works in New Zealand and Australia. He had charge of the construction of the Bondi sewer, Sydney, and was "manager afterwards for Messrs Miller and SmeEio, of Oaraaru, for whom ho supervised a good many railway construction contracts. Subsequently he was manager for Messrs J. and A. Anderson, of Christchurch, for whom he supervised tho erection of the Waiau bridge, on the road to tho Hanmer Plains, and the Waiteti contract on the Main Trunk line, and the Springfield section on tho Midland railway, this being the last work ho executed under tho old contract system. Ho then took in hand tho construction of dredges, water races, etc., amongst tho latt.pr being tho Deep Stream Company's water race and tho Alexandra Bonanza Company's race and reservoir in tho Greenland swamp. His last job of any note which ho carried out was the benchinpr and flaming contract for the Waipori Falls Syndicate. Mr Robertson wae more like a father to the navvies whom he employed than a ' boss.' In proof of this it need only bo said that when they knew he had a new job ho waa simply besieged 'with applications for work. This I can vouch for/after having -worked for 20 years under him."