OBITUARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2309, 2 June 1898, Page 55

OBITUARY.

JAMES HARROLD, JEt. 85.

It was bufc the other d?y the Jubilee of OUgo was celebrated, when there were gathered in procession s, large number cf the early -settlers. Bufc since then death L.&S thienrd the ranks of Otago's pioneers, and of those who were 'with us oniy a few weeks. ago not a few have crossed to that bourne whence no traveller '.return?.. SfciiL arotber well-known figure amongst the old identities in the early days of the Otsgo settlement has been removed from o«r midst by drath, m (he person of Mr James Harroid.'who died" on Surday at Halfmoon Bay, Stewart Island, at thQ age of 85_years. He was a native cf tbe Orkney Islands, and cama to Otsgo iv the fhip Bsrnicia, in 184-3 'Nut long after his -arrival, and when the country districts were first beginning to become settled, James Haxrold took ctwrge of the Taieri Ferry, ; which he kept till a yepr or co before the ! discovery of the Tuapeka diggings. When he j first teltied afc tbe Taieri, for a time be traded ! to Duned'n, along wilh his Lalf- brother, tSi | Richard Craigie, in An open boat. While, f.'o ! Taieri Ferry he built a two-storey residene?, wtich at tbe time was considered both stylish and large, and which stood fclU a few years ago j not far from the new 'traffic bridge over the ! river on the Main South "road. After leaving ■ Taieri Ferry Mr Harrold wecb to Stewart; Island and engaged fn the fish-curing industry, •which he made remunerative ; but; desiring a wider field for his enterprise he purchased a ■■efcooner, with vhicb Jie traded to Melbourne with timber from Stewart Island. Ib was characteristic of the man that he was soon able to dispense with a sailing master and " shake the sun" himself, as-some of bis friends were wont to facetiously remark. Tiring of a seafaring life he afterwards settled at Half-moon Bay, S&ewaxt Idaud, wbc-re he kept a boarding house up till the time of his death. Ha leav< s a widow and one son. His -wife was of Amer can birtb, and it was quite late in life thai ber only child was born. James Harrold was always energetic •and enterprising, but somehow his various enterprises never made him rich. Although tie always managed to make a comfortable livh g,~ still, he had to work till the end. While at Taieri Ferry he was well liked "by the travelling public, and had he suppressed his roaming spirit he could hare earned much more than a living there, especially during tbe rush to. Gabriels and afterwards to the Wakatipu, when the punts alone earned large sums of money daily. His brother, Sinclair Harrold,who eanae to .Qtsgo at the .same time, predeceased him some years egv, and- his halfbrother. Mr Richard Craigie, is still living near Taieri Ferry.