OBITUARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2456, 17 April 1901, Page 28

OBITUARY.

A cad sequel to a regrettable incident (writes our Gore correspondent) occurred at the Invercargill Hospital on Thursday morning, Dr Ward, of Riversdale, succumbing to the shock received last week while attempting to take his own life. The wound Inflicted in his throat was in itself nothing, but the continual use of drugs for the alleviation of some mental trouble left him in such a -weak state that his treatment at the Invercargill Hospital was without avail, and he elowly sank and succumbed after a week's •treatment. The doctor was a man intellectually endowed, — a student of literature mud a man whom it was profitable to know. sWhy a man so highly educated should attempt to take his own life it is impossible too understand, as the statement that he was financially embarrassed warrants little evidence, there being absolutely no confirmation of it. Those within the doctor's immediate J«ircle of acquaintances noticed in his apjpearanee and manner an unwonted despondency after his return from the North Island j recently, and no doubt he attempted to do away with himself while in a brooding 'date, bordering almost on temporary inMMSuty. The doctor was 64 years of age, trie, once married and stated to be a Jwi<!bwer, and leaves one son, residing at preeent on the Continent. The death is announced of another early colonist in the person of Mr F. G. Wayne, who passed away on Wednesday last. Mr iWayne's health had been causing his friends come anxiety, and as a result of a consultartifra between Dr Sutherland and Dr Menlies (Milton) and Dr Brown (Dunedin) it was decided to perform an operation, which < was accordingly done on Wednesday. The patient rallied wonderfully at first, but. suffering a relapse, passed away as above stated. He leaves -a widow and a family of four sons and a daughter The Palmerston Times reports the death of another old settler of the province in the person of Mr John Black, of Shag Valley, •whose" demise occurred rather suddenly on the Bth. Mr Black* who had reached the age -of 70 years, was a native of Shotts, Scotland, and came out to -^Otago, with his wife and three daughters, an the ship Storm Cload, in IS6I. After icmaining in Dunedm for some time, he -engaged by the Provincial Government **n connection with road formation in the Moeraki district. On the land in Shag Valley %eing surveyed and cut up into farms in 1563, the deceased took up his present holdinj?. and was, in fact, the first settler in the /Valley. He was a practical farmer, having 3>een brought up to farming at Home, and fcad naturally acquired a taste for agricultural pursuits. Mr Black was not in any ■ense a public man, but wa« regarded as an excellent neighbour and settler. He leaves a wife and 11 children — seven sons and four slaughters, all grown up, three sons and *&ree daughters being married — and 32 grandchildren to mourn their loss. ; Referring to the late Mr Robert Shand, "fho died at Waikouaiti on Sunday. 7th. the 3*jjmcrston aru J Waikouaiti Times states that %c was a native of Caithness, Scotland, and 'sSanded in Victoria, in 1853. After residing ■there for nine years he came to "New Zealand in 1662, and entered the employment 'jni Messrs T. Anderson and Co., carrying on >%aeineg6 in Dunedin a? millers, etc This 'firm having opened a flour mill and arrain «nd produce store at Waitouaiti in 186 i* €he deceased was entrusted with the management of the business there, in which capacity 3ie continued for 24- years. Some 12 years ago Mr Shand Purchased the mill and property, since which time he, assisted "by his '--''Sons, has been carrying on a profitable business as a miller and produce merchant. Mr Shand. who was of a retiring disposition, Va« well known in the district, and was Universally respected. His wife predeceased feim by some 28 years, but he leaves a irrown-up family of two sons (one of whom is married) and four daughters (all married) to mourn their loss. r Mr Frederick Wayne, who died at Milton last week.' was born in Derbyshire, England. in 1635, his people belonging to an old 'family in the county. He was educated at Cambridge with the intention of becoming a doctor, "but changed his plans and went '50 Ireland, where he joined Colonel Kitchener, father of Lord Kitchener, in the .partnership of a large property, known as ■the Kerry estate, in County Derry. not far from Tralee. Here hunureds of men were employed in draining a large bog, with the result that in a few years the waste land was yielding hundreds of bushels of the best wheat in Ireland, and greatly improved the condition of the people. Early in the sixties Mr Wayne came to New Zealand, and, in conjunction with Messrs 1 Rowley find Hamilton, purchased a station in the Shag Valley. After some time the was dissolved, and he managed «he run most successfully for a number of years, but scab breaking out amongst his sheen, resulting in a loss of £20,000, he was forced to dispose of his property. which he did to his old partner, Colonel Kitchener, who managed the run for several years and ultimately went back Home. In 1863, while at Shag Valley, Mr Wayne was elected to the House of Representatives for Hampden, which seat he represenied until a dissolution of Parliament took plaoe in January. 1866, when he re--tired, and Mr C. E. Haucrhton become his successor. In 1871 Mr Wpyne lef+ Shag Valley for Tokomairiro, ha via g purchased the Glenledi estate, near the Akatore coast. He paid a visit to the Home country in "1880. and brought back with him a large number of the latest farming implements and machinery. Unfortunately, the Glenledi estate did not turn out the success anticipated, and in 1886 he gave up the property. Since then Mr Wayne has resided in Milton Though not a member of any of the local bodies, he took an acHve interest in all public affairs, and was ever ready to assist any movement for the advancement and progress of the di=fcriet. He was one of the oldest by-readers of the Church of England in Otapo In fact, he was a lay-reader at Shag Valley when there were only two Eng'ish churches in the province— i.e.. at Dunedin and Waikouaiti. He was al=o one of the oldest justices of the peace in Otago, having be^n Appointed shortly ofter his arrival in the rolonv. The Bruce Herald, in chronicling his tleath, states trm* the disMct loses a .roan who was conspicuous d-uriug- his life for hi* iip-ight and unostentatious rl'.arsc+erT on<» of whom it can be truly said t'mt he " did .good by '/eal+h, and blushed to 'find it fame " Mr Wayne was universa^y rp^peecod an 1 C3*eeired by til] who knew him. and his dea r h removes one of the kmdl'Pat nnd most -upright men \\l:c o\c rk lived in Tokomairiro. T-,c is mrvi r-d by a widow, four "ons (Frederick, Herman, Ivhvard, and Henry). a*id one dniichter (llary). The funeral took place on Friday.

The body was carried to the church, where the service was conducted by the Rev. J. C. Small, and was interred at the Fairfax Cemetery. -*- One of the earliest settlers in the Taieri — Mr Robert Todd, of Jobnstone Farm, Mosgiel — passed over to the great majority on Thursday last at the comparatively early age of 56 years Mr Todd arrived in the colony with his parents in 1851 by the ship Simla, being only about six years of age at the time. His parents settled down on Johnstone Farm, where Mr Todd lived until the day of his death. He was an active man, and in his early days he took part in nearly everything. He was one of the first members of the East Taieri Rifles, one of the first members of the Taieri Agricultural Society (of which he was made a life member), a steward of the Taieri Amateur Turf Club, and he took his share of work in road boards and pchool com- . mittees. At the old-time ploughing matches lie was always a prominent figure. For the Taieri Agricultural Society Mr Todd did yeoman's service for many years, and it was characteristic of him that whatever public work he took in hand he did it thoroughly. Mr Todd, who was of an exceedingly kind and genial disposition, was in delicate health for two or three years past, and for several months prior to his decease was confined to his room. He is survived by his, wife., two daughters (one married), and one son. The funeral, which took place yesterday, was one of the largest ever seen in the Taieri district, a l?rg^ number of friends from as far south »& '_ Invercai'fcill. from the north, and from prac- 1 tically the whole of the Taieri, assembling to pay respect to the deceased. The Rev.G. B. Hall officiated at the grave.'