PERSONAL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17913, 19 April 1920, Page 6

PERSONAL.

Mr A. C. Laing has been appointed secretary of the Balclutha Returned Soldiers' Association. A London cable message states that a Knighthood of the British Empire has been conferred on Paymaster Share, Viscount Julliooe's secretary. A New York cablegram states that General Townshcnd, hero of Kut, has arrived on a live months' Sight-seeing tour. The Rev. G. Clement, recently stationed at Invcrcargill, opened his new circuit at Port Chalmers by conducting the services in tho local Methodist Cnurch yesterday. Mr Clement succeeds the Rev. S. 11. iJoryman, who has been transferred to Oartcrton. Mr P. White-Parsons., acting manager of the Royal Exchange Assurance Corpora tion at Dunedm, has beon appointed to the position of inspector at the head office, and leaves for Wellington at the «nd of May to take up his now duties. He will be succeeded in Dunedin by Mr J. R. Callender, who for the past two years has been acting manager at Auckland. One ot the pioneers ot the province, in the person of Edward O'Connell (Dunedin), late of Hyde, died on Thursday evening at the residence of his son, Mr J. E. O'Connell, Frankton (wires our Queenstdwn correspondent). Tho deceased arrived in the d.strict the week before Easter on a visit, and shortly afterwards became a victim to influenza. This wae followed by bronchitis, to which he succumbed. The late Mr O'Connell, who was in his eightieth year, was born at Lietowol, County Kerry, Ireland. In his early manhood he embarked for Now Zealand in the ship Bengal, arriving in Otago in 1861. The gold fever attracted him to several of the well-known fields, including Wetherstones, Hog burn, Hamilton, tnd Mamiherikia; he also fou»d his way to tho West Coast in 1867. Mr O'Oounell settled in Hyde. There he still engaged in mining pursuits. Subsequently he went in for fanning at Rock and Pillar, where ho also had a sheep run. About a year ago he retired, and went to live with his daughter (Mrs Casey) in Dunedin. Tho other members of the family are Mr James O'Connell (Macraes), Father D. O'Connell (Oamaru), Messrs R. and M. O'Connell (Central Otago), and J. E. O'Connell (Frankton). Mrs O'Connell predeceased her husband exactly nine years ago. Tho remains were conveyed on Friday evening to Hyde, where the interment took place. Dr Alex. Stewart, who has practiocd in Wakatipu for the past nine v«ars and a-hali (wires our Queenstown correspondent), and who has received an important appointment at Canterbury, a suburb of Melbourne, leaves Queenstown on Monday. He and Mrs Stewart have been the subjects of several public and private presentations, including a substantial purse of sovereigns from the people of Queenstown district. The Arrowtown branch of the R.S.A. made Dr Stewart a gift of a case of Loewe pipes, and members of the Queenstown branch gave him a gold wristlet watch. On Saturday morning tho Queenstown Habitation ot the Young Helpers' League invited Mrs Stewart, who' has been president of the league since its inception, to meet them in the parish hall to say £ood;byc, and thej marked the occasion by pre|sentin<r her with a dainty silver sweets dish and half u dozen stainless knives.