DEATH OF AN OLD COLONIST.

Otago Witness, 25 January 1900, Page 47

DEATH OF AN OLD COLONIST.

Mr James Elder Brown, another of the vanishing band of pioneers, died at Milton on Tuesday. Mr Brown arrived in Otago by the Ajax on the Bth 184-9. He was at once engaged by the late Mr W. H. Valpy to take charge of the work of erecting sawmill machinery at the water of Leith, and worked the mill there for about 20 months. About the beginning of September, 1850, Mr James Blackie, the first teacher of a public school in Otago, who came here in the Philip Laing, became ill, and as an act of friendship Mr Brown agreed to take charge for a time, and complete Mr Blaokie's engngenicat

'to the end of November. Mr "Blackie died, hut > Mr Brown having made arrangements to settle in Anderson's Bay with his parents, brothers, , and sisters, who came here in December .in tha , Eden, could not continue the school, which/ was for a short time vacant. Though. 1 'he only occupied the position tempo* larily, Mr Brown justly claimed that jhe was the eldest living teacher of -an Otago public school. In 1852 Mr Brown's ! brother, who was a millwright, contracted with j the late Rev. Dr Burns to' erect a threshing j irachine, the first in the settlement, at Grant's l*i acs, for the first crops of wheat of any con1 siderable extent grown in the district. The? machine was made entirely of native materials, and the blacksmith work was done by the late. Mr Robeit Cramond, of Dunedin. In this work i Mr Brown jwas assisted by his sons Georga . Elder and James Elder Brown. A model of this machine was made by the latter and exhi-< . bited at the exhibition of 1889-90, and after- , wards accepted by the Museum. In addition, to the above, the family made about 25 winnow1 ing machines of several varieties. Several were made by Mr G. E. Brown alone, and a number were made' by Mr Geoige Brown and his son, James Elder Erown after they settled in Tokomairiro. , In 1856, under the new land regulations, Mr ; Brown and his father settled on 105 acres in the Tokomairiro district, adjoining the land taken up by the late Mr Peter M'Gill, for the purpose of erecting a flour mill on the river. • This they assisted to erect, and it was set; agoing in October, 1857. In ISGO Mr Brown sold to the late Mr W. H. Manaford half an, acre on the Main South road oil which to erect a store. This proved the beginning of the township of Milton. In the same year he surveyed 25 acres for Mr P. M'Gill into town lota, this being one of the earliest subdivisions deposited with the registrar of deeds, Dunedin. The goldfields discoveries caused great! activity on the Plain, and other subdivisions wera added to the town fioiu five properties, so much progress being made that in 1566 Milton was pioclaimed an incorporated town. Mi- Brown was lected the first mayor, and was re-elected in the two following j'enrs. After a first star! in laying out the towii works by the late Chas. O'Neil, C.E., Mr Brown executed all the sur\eys and engineering work for about 11 years. He also had a considerable practice in the district and neighbourhood. In 1882 Mr Brown letired from public employment, although he continued to be connected with many local institutions. He took considerable interest in the working oi the Edii cation Act, and was chairman of the School Committee for four years. He had been a member of the Bench of Magistrates for over 30 years.