OBITUARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2471, 24 July 1901, Page 19

OBITUARY.

JAMES MILLER

The Otago early settlors are a fa-t diminishing band. Although not oae of the pioneers. Mr James Miller, of Port Molyneux, who died on the 7th in.-t., came to New Zealand in 1865, in the <~hip Electric. He was born at the Shore, Stirling, Scotland, and was educated ,tt the Stirling High School. After leading school he devoted' himself to farming pursuits on the farm of his ancestors tit Kmfauch hi Blackford. Before coming to the colony he married Margaret Miller, daughter of Mr Miller, of Comlie Burn, Blackford. who survives him. After coming to New Zealand Mr Miller . obtained employment successively with Mr Chalmer.l '(of Moa Flat). Mr Stevenson (of" L^Maungatua), and latteily on the- Clydevale estate. Mr Miller took considerable interest in public matters, and was a member of the first Clydevale Road Board, along with Mr John Douglas and others, wiio were well known in public life in the Clutha in earlier 1 times. He acted as auditor for the Clydevale Road Boaid ior some years, his well* known uprightiic-s of character fitting him; to fill the position with, satisfaction to all concerned. Some years= ago he left Clydevale and took up a farm at Port Molyneux, i wheie he lived \i\) till the time of his depth. I Mr Miller was a typical Scotchman, whose humour and witty sarcasm was enjoyed by his friends. He had a good education, and I a splendid command of incisive Anglo-Saxon, and whoever had the temerity to enter into 'wordy warfare with him generally received his quietus very quickly. So intimate was he | with the works of the poet Burn 13 that had every copy been destroyed Mr Miller could have reproduced them from memory, and his knowledge of theology quite fitted him to fill the role of some of lan Maclaren's characters. His memory was, indeed, prodigious, and the speeches delivered on the occasion of the controversy between Dr Cook (of Belfast) and Dr Ritchie \oi Edinburgh) he had at his finger ends Mr Miller's sympathies were always with the Established Church of Scotland, and, like many more of his class, he was a -terling, upright man and worthy colonist. He leave- a wiclov. and five sons "and five daughters to moi'in theii loss. Mr David Baird, a very old resident of Patearoa. passed away at the Na-cby Hospital on Tuesday (tay- the Chronicle) at the age of 74 'years. Mr Baird. wlio for 30 or 40 years followed the occupation of a miner in the Patearoa district, vva- a member of the well-known Victorian party. He left off work, about three year, ago. "The death is announced <>f Mr-. Su.itfovJ, wife of Mr H. A. Stratford, S.a'., af'.cr a long and painful illness. 1^- Another of (he sturdy band of pioneers, in the person of Mr Jno. Grant, passed ovvav last Wednesday at his re-ide; ( p. Forth s'.reet, Dunedin, where he has rc-Idcd since landing here m October. 1856. The deceased was a iiati\e ot Cromtlalc, Strat'ip« y- Scotland, hn\'ii£- Wen born on Chri ctmas Day, 1825. In 1856 he and Mrs Grant, with their two chi'dien. -ailed in the Glentanner tor Nev Zealand They aimed first at Lyltelton, and were these Unshipped in the Kate Kearney tor Diinedin, ariiving in due course as above. A few days after landing. Mr Grant bou°ht a. section in Forth -trc^t, where he built hi- house, and worked a- a caropnter for many years. Besides being an elder in Knox Church for upwards of 20 vcars, he took an active ijiterest in the w ork of the Sunday school, and was the tr under of the Pchcheb Bay bianch of the Knox Church Sunday School. Hp was a]-o at one time a member of the Dunedin City Council. Ol a kind and generous disposition, he will be missed by a laroe circle ot tiieiid*. Death was clue to heart trouble, and all through a long and painful illness the deceased was lovingly luu—ed by hia daughter and granddaughter- His wife predeceased him over a year a^o. and the son (now in America) and the daughter (Miv J. Falconer, Waikouaiti) are left to mourn their father's death. Theic are al-o nine grandchildren and tour gieat grandchildren.

Mon«. H. Eitaka Jab-orere has returned tf» Sydney from New Caledonia, and reportthat he has been succe-oinl in settling the strike among Ins countrymen in the French possession . Rye Giain, Cape Bai'ov, etc , oi in mo quality anil ot now season's giovtn, Uu *n(umn and spimg sowing is ncn< juociu.tbla from Xijijio and B-Liin, L»uu«.d v.