PERSONAL ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2545, 24 December 1902, Page 24

PERSONAL ITEMS.

A man named M'Kenzie was drowned in K t\\e> Otapiri River Southland, on the 16th. Nellie Forsyth Kaurihohore, aged 25, was found drowned in the Ngunguru River, Auckland, on the 16th. She was last seen at 4.30. Mr William Ah Ket,- a Chinese, has qualified at Melbourne as a barrister and solicitor, taking the Supreme Court prize of £40. It was his father's wish that he should become a lawyer in the interests of his countrymen. In his early 'teens he acted as interpreter in the Law Courts. Mr F. M. Dawson, before leaving Waikoikoi, was presented by friends in Waikoikoi, Benio, and Pukerau with a handsome purse, well filled with sovereigns. An old contributor to the Witness poetry columns, over the signature of "Lilian," intends to publish her poems in book form shortly under the title of "Songs and Ballads for Hearth and Home." The Rev. Alfred North, well known in Dunedin as pastor for many years of the Hanover Street Baptist Church, returned here with his wife and daughter by the s.s. Victoria on the 16th inst., after an absence of some two years in India. Mr North had an engagement for a period of three years, but was compelled to seek a change, as the climate threatened Mrs North's health. Mr North, who is nt present staying with Mr T. A. Maitland, of George street, intends to remain; in TJunedin until early in February next, when he will remove to the Auckland district to assume charge of the Ponsonby Baptist Church. ' Mr W. L. Simpson returned to Dunedin on the 16th froni a trip to the Home Country. The Rev. Andrew M'Queen, M.A., 8.D., who for the past 27 years has held ministerial charge of Holburn United Free Church, Aberdeen, is at present on a visit to the colony. He landed at the Bluff from the a.s. Victoria to visit his brother, Mr John M'Queen, managing director of the Southland F-rozen Meat Compary. Mr J. T. Martin, a very old resident of InvercaTgill, at one time in a large way of business as a brewer, died suddenly on the 16th inst. He was identified with all local movements in the early days. He leaves a family of five sons and six daughters, all grown up. Mr Thomas Mackenzie, ' M.H.R., left on Saturday for a fortnight's holiday among the mountains. Messrs John Loudon. (of the Farmers' Agency Company) and William Burnett have agreed, at the request of a, number- of influential* •citizens, to allow themselves to be nominated as members of the Dunedin Drainage Board. Mr W. J. P. Hodgkins, accountant of the Bank of New South Wales, who has just been transferred to Ashburton as manager of the branch of the bank in that township, was accorded a send-off on Friday by .a few friends piominent in mercantile circles. Messrs C. W. Rattray, C. P. M. Butterworth,' L. Wilson, R. S. M'Gowan, and W. F. Edmond were the leading spirits in the affair, and they wished Mr Hodgkins every success in his new sphere and congratulated him upon his well-deserved promotion. In addition to liis geniality and courtesy, -which have won him a host of friends amongst those associated with him in business, Mr Hodgkins is -well known in athletic circles, and as a rowing mau and a hockey champion he will be much missed. It may be truly said that in this 'case Dunedin's loss is Ashburton's gain. Miss N. Greensill, of Napier, has "been appointed teacher of the Queen Victoria School for Maori Girls, and Mrs Mirams, of Nelson, matron.

AN AUSTRALIAN EVANGELIST. Mr J. J. Virgo, whose picture appears in this issue, was born at Glenelg, South Australia, on the 22nd of April, 1865; educated at Glenelg Grammar School, of which Mr F. I. Caterer was the esteemed headmaster. Converted under the preaching of Mrs Baeyertz, at the age of eighteen, he quickly became associated with all the branches of Christian work in connection with the Glenelg Congregational Church, starting a Young Men's Mutual Christian Society, practically on V.M.C.A. lines. He was attracted to, the Young Men's Christian Association in Adelaide through the social department, and became immediately interested in its working. The figure "7" has played an important part in Mr Virgo's history. Leaving his then country home at seven to return to Glenelg for the better educational advantages that were provided, at fourteen he entered a leading business house as junior clerk, very speedily rising to the position of accountant and confidential clerk; at twenty-one he removed from Glenelg, and was appointed to the general secretaryship of the Adelaide V.M.C.A., receiving from his old friends in various departments of church work a very handsome illuminated address and purse of sovereigns. After seven years' work in the institution named, the strain of the work was rather great, and he had a trip round the world, During that trip many efforts were made to retain his services in England and America, but his love for Australia caused him to return, and for seven years longer he continued to occupy the position of leader amongst the young men at Adelaide. At the closo of his fourteenth year, however, he yielded to the pressing request of the British and Colonial Council, and consented to accept for a short term the office of organising secretary for Australasia. During the past two years he has formed quite a number of new associations in various parts of Australasia, and strengthened the existing organisations. It was no matter for great surprise, when Mr David Walker, who for 25 years was the general secretary of the Sydney Association, retired from that office, that although close upon a hundred applications were received for the post, the board decided to offer the position J«o Mr Virgo. Having accepted, he will commence his duties at the beginning of next year, but during the year opportunity will be given him of completing work that he has commenced in. Melbourne, Adelaide, Ballarat, and Brisbane. I At the time when Mr Virgo took up the I office at Adelaide, there was a debt upon the building of £21,000, or £1000 for every rear of his lifa. Hi> has often c aid that he

felt as though he owed the money himself, and he set to work to reduce that debt;} that he succeeded is shown by the fact thatr at the completion of his term the debt was) less than £9000, the annual income was £6000, out of which the mortgage was being reduced at the rate of £1000 per annum. The institution at Adelaide has often been spoken of as the most successful of its kindi south of the line, and at the farewell demonstration tended to Mr Virgo by all classes of the community, it was stated! freely by the speakers, who included the Chief Justice, Sir S. J. Way, D.C.L., the Bishop of Adelaide, the President . of the Chamber of Commerce, and! other prominent citizens, that ifc was owing undoubtedly to the indefatigable efforts and enthusiasm of the man who held the office of secretary fop i 14- years. This opinion has been endorsee! by the press in leading articles upon the - work that he did. As a singer Mr Virgo first made his public! appearance when he was seven years old,, and from that time his services were muchi sought after for the concert platform ; in- -- deed, at 18 years he sang the bass solos itt _ oratorio, and up to the time of his leaving: ' continued to do so. He was a member of' the Adelaide V.M.C.A. quartet, which took; . first prize against all comers at the annual - competition, and conduoted large choir -. choruses on several occasions, but was^particularly proud of his theatre choir, num- - bering about 50 voices. ~ ■> . From his earliest years- Mr Virgo took an; interest -in athletics, and for many seasons he was at the head of the averages in his •'- cricket team, both 'in bat-ting and bowling. ■-' He used to take part in the ' gymnasiumi -.. with the various classes, and was also r a member of swimming, bicycle, tennis, and. la crosse clubs. There are few Noncon- " formist churches in South Australia ' in. < which Mr Virgo has not preached, and foiv 14 years without intermission -he conducted! -. a service in the Adelaide Theatre Royal , after church hours on Sunday evenings, with ? wonderful results. , - ' •. He is said, however, to have prized more - than anything else his experience in personal work among young men, 'of whom 'for 1 . years past he has interviewed about 2009 annually. He was known in Adelaide popularly as "Jack" Virgo, and was ever regarded as the young man's friend. His mission to New Zealand on this occasion has been with a view to asaiat in the formation of branches at Wellington; and Nelson, but he also visited Palmerstoa North with the same objeot. He has limited himself largely at Wellington to meet-, ings for men, and has certainly proved that men in large numbers are willing to listen to manly talks from a manly man. Visi- . tors from America and Great Britain have ■ been able to draw large crowds, but it has remained for Mr Virgo to show that a colonial also is capable of drawing and holding the attention of crowds of men. Ifc has been a very encouraging ' thing to see the Opera House on Sundays and . the E^-. - change Hall on week nights filled with men, and there is abundant evidence that a very, great amount oK good has been accom-,-' plished in the short, time in which our yisi- ■ tor was in the. Empire City. ' He left; bjri.the Moeraki on Friday, December 12,-hav-.^ ing on the previous night- been farewellect by a- large - and enthusiastic, audience/ the greater part of which cov\siated of men.-Mr^ Virgo may be assured that he will always.receive a hearty welcome in New Zealand.'-