OBITUARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 1903, 24 July 1890, Page 20

OBITUARY.

SAMUEL WOOLLEI,

Aged 82.

There is comparatively little inducement left now for old identities of Otago to travel the province in the hope of meeting old familiar friends and acquaintances, and renewing friendships growing hoary headed. It was accounted no hardship or difficulty in '.those famous .early days to set out on horseback over Flagstaff on a morning as cold as thisjis, and with a snowy mantle wreathing the head of the old mountain much deeper than present today. We had light heartß, were animated by unaffected and sincere friendship, and if hospitality were encroached on or refused the caee was exceptional.

Another of the Northern attractions has been taken away in the person of Samuel Woolley, a name as familiar in early days as any household word. His house constituted a resting place for the traveller ; whether the poiition occupied was that of a servant or the landlord, Sam's house gave a hearty welcome. The period of Mr Woolley's residence in Otago has been 41$ years, so that he 'reckons as almost < ne of theoldest originals. Born at Melton Mowbray, in Leicestershire, in 1808, he, along with his wifeand family, arrived by the ship Ajax iv Otago as January 8, 1849, having had the misfortune to lose one of his children onthevoyage. There were Beveral disadvantages the old man used to recount under which he laboured in coming here. As a start, he mentioned bis birthplace, world- renownedjfor its pork pies and the central point for the meets of several of the celebrated Engliah hunts, at which nothing but mirth and jollity could be found. Leaving there and coming to a wild, uncultivated, savage country, more celebrated for cold missionary feeds than epicurean dishes of a civilised community, he did not feel so Banguine as he would have liked, but his stout heart aud ready bands kept his spirits from desponding. Again, it was most unlikely that he could obtain employment at the trade with whioh he was familiar, and accordingly he resolved to take the obance of the first thing that turned up. Furthermore, he was landing amid a lot ot half-naked Scotchmen, more aooustomed to cattledrivingandwhiskystillingthan other of the arts of more refined existence. Allthese circumstances were present to his mind before taking the resolve to leave home and country for an unknown land, which must be made similar If not superior to what he was leaving, and now abreast of the oiroumstances they appeared far more formidable than before. A touch of the magic wand " Experience " removed them, causing them to vanish like the morning mists before the resplendant sun. On landing he found the people not much different from hlmselt, speaking an intelligible language, in coarse but proper dress, holding out a right hand of welcome, and some even talking in language in no respect diverse from hiß own, The result was that he took kindly to all his surroundings, and in the course of 48 hours took a contract at 6s per 100 for splitting shingles a- trade at whioh he was as unfamiliar as if tie bad been asked to take a luna on the voyage out.^Hls son and himself tackled to right manfully, and found that before md day they had earned 9s apiece, a splendid opening and bright sunshine contrasted with what they|had turned their backs on at Home. Almoit constant work succeeded fora couple of year*— busk clearing, in the NorthEast Valley, of which he tells a good story. Axes were common enough— the difficulty, a grindstone on which to grind them One had been fixed by the flrit surveyors on the beach, where the Colonial Bank now stands, but by constant use had been reduced to the size of a full moon, causing considerable delay when Johnnie Jones came to the rescue and provided a new stone, around which 10 or 20 fellows would be found congregated of a morning waiting their turn. These raeu did not do as their fucceHßors do- deny that they have an axe to grind (politically) ; on the contrary, the fact was openly declared by themselves. Hence the popularity the institution now holding the site obtains Rmougst the mercant-le public, as numerous axes are sought to be ground therein daily.

Mrs Woolley being an expert hand at dairying, her services were soon called into requisition for a station iv the North, and hence they migrated. The first consignment of cheese coming down to Mr Joues proved so satisfactory that the merchant made the maker a handsome present as in appreciation of her services ; and the gift was well recouped, jib the ton of cheeie landed in Sydney realised a fabulous profit. In the Northern parfc of the province Mr Woolley has continued to reside, although

not always in the same locality, but wheresoever he was located the same good repute attended him, and his name was in as high respeot among the Sulsteds, Fen wicks, Dausya, Juliuses, Joneses, and other Northern squatters as that of the renowned Joe Beal himself, whilst primitive times prevailed, and as it has been in the more modern times, when our friend settled down in his hotel at Waikouaiti. The arrival of tue train at a station does not pr >duce th<> stir which in former days ensued on the arrival of Che coach, when landlord, hostlers, post-boys, and gazers-on crowded around and made their different exploits, so that In and about the Railway Station Hotel, Hawksbury, little bustle cou.d be seen either when travelling North or South. The old gentlemaß was, however, always iv or about to receive visitors.

Mr Woolley had been a widower for s >me years, but he leaves behind him a sufficient number of ohildren and grandchildren to entitle him to claim the position of one of the fathers of the settlement. Many incidents in his history could be relattd did time and space permit, but this notice must close by recording the demise of one of the most genial of our colonists, who during the long period of his existence and his lengthy colonial career has led a mojt exemplary life, endearing himself to his relations and commanding the respeot of his neighbours, and during whose whole career a sterling principle actuated him, and a steady, stralghforward course was pursued, closing his career, not without a spot or blur on his escutcheon, but with fewer than more promiuont and promising men in our midst present.