PERSONAL ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Volume 14, Issue 2648, 14 December 1904, Page 23

PERSONAL ITEMS.

A complimentary smoke concert and supper, promoted by the 1 Dunedin Amateur Boating Club and favoured with the patronage- of the 0.R.A., was held in theD.A.B.C.'s social hall on Wednesday evening in honour of Mr J. James, who was recently promoted 1 to th© position of postmaster at Naseby. Mr S. Solomon" (president of the club) occupied the chair, and amongst the company, which numbered about 60 persons. At the Chief Telegraph Office during the evening, in the- presence of a large and representative gathering of office! s, Mr J. &. Ballard, officer in charge, made a presentation (on behalf of the local telegraph staff) of a massive sideboard) to Mr James. Mr Ballard askad Mr James's acceptance. <ff the gift, and in doing so referred to the recipient's popularity, and stated that such an efficient officer could be badly spared. Mr James had performed 27 years' faithful service, and had set a good example to younger officers. Miss Woods, A.T.O.L, was tendered a complimentary concert at Lawrence on Wednesday evening, end on behalf of the citizens the Mayor (Mr Jeffery) presented her with a purs© of sovereigns. Miss Woods proceeds to Europe to pursue her musical studies in the higher branches. Mr E. C. W. Porter, captain of the Queenstown Rifle Volunteers, was presented by the company with a purse of sovereigns on Thursday evening, on the occasion of his severing his connection with the corps. Mr Porter was also entertained at a smoke concert at EicSardt's hotel the same evening, and general regret was expressed that he was leaving the town. — Wakatipu Mail. The Wellington secretary of the Associated Board of the Royal Academy and the Royal College of Music has wired to Dr Ogston. local representative, that Miss Myra Montague, of Dunedin, wins the silver medal (advanced grade) in the board's just-concluded musical examinations in this colony. A Blenheim wire says:—lnformation has been received that Miss Violet M'lntosh, of Blenheim, won the gold medal for New Zealand this year in the Associated Board's examinations, conducted by Mr Graham Moore. She gained 146 marks out, of a possible 150 in the advanced grade for* singing. Miss M'lntosh, who is a contralto, 1 , is the daughter of Mr G. W. M'lntosh. manager of the National Bank. Mr W. G. Riddell, S.M., is gazetted, as a wardsa under section 7 of "The Mining Act, 1898." Mr Riddell has also been appointed chairman of the Licensing Committee for the districts of Invercargill, Wallace, and Awarau, vice Mr S. E. M'Carfchy, S.M.

Mr Cyril Edward Gudgeon is gazetted as deputy-official' assignee at Queenstown, vies F. W. F. Geisow, deceased.

Mr F. G. Cray has been returned as the representative of the Palmerston, Hawksbury, Port ChalmerSj and West Harbour Borough Councils on the Hospital and Charitable Aid Boards for the ensuing year. Mr Edmondson, the Oamaru manager of the Union Bank of Australia, is leaving Dunedin by the Waikare on Sunday next on a holiday trip to Victoria. Mr Edmondson will be absent for about three months, and his duties here will be taken up in the meantime by Mr W. G. Cave-France, of Palmerston North.

Constable Findlay, who has been transferred from Green Island to Glenavy, was waited upou at his home at Green Island on the 6th by a number of residents, who expressed regret at his departure, and who conveyed to him an expression of the respect and esteem in which he is held by the residents of the district. As a slight token of the regard in which her husband is held by Green Island residents, the Mayor (Mr J. Jenkins) presented Mrs Fiudlay with a Mosgiel rug and eiderdown quilt and several other articles, and expressed a hope that Mrs Findlay's health, which has not been all thai could be wished, would improve considerably in the district to -which the family were removing. Constable Findlay, in reply, thanked his wellwishers for their kind expressions of goodwill to himself, and also for the presentation to Mrs Findlay, and humorously remaiked that if any of the residents visited. Glenavy during his residence there Mrs Findlay and himself would endeavour to provide them with a. welcome and accommodation superior to that_ usually extended to visitors at a, police station. The New Zealand Times of a recent date contained a report of a recital given to invited guests in Wellington by Master Arthur Isaacs, a youthful pianist, 13 years of age. It will be remembered that Master Isaacs, who is a son of Mr A. L. Isaacs, of St. Clair, carried all before him in the pfanoforte items at the Dunedin competitions last year. He is a pupil of Mr Maughan Barnett, of Wellington. Concerning the recital, the New Zealand Times said : — " Master Isaacs plays with great intelligence, and is remarkably advanced in his technique, whilst in his manner at the keyboard he is commendably unostentatious. Saturday's programme was sufficiently varied to test his powers of discrimination. It included Beethoven's Sonata in F (opus 10), agavotte and mazurka by Saint-Saens, two of Field's nocb.u-nes (E fiat and B flat), Schubert's Impromptu in E flat, a Romance by Moszkowski * and a bourree-by Silas. In all these Master Isaacs displayed spirit and address, and won loud applause. Being recalled at the end of the programme, he repeated part of the last item. Mr J. W. Joynt, in proposing a vote of thanks, voiced the feelings of those present when he said that the young pianist had shown remarkable capacity for one of his age, and had pleased his audience greatly by his quiet, unaffected style. The death is announced from Paterson (N.S.W.) of Mr Michael Maher, who was 104 years of age. - Constables E. Bosworth, who has been stationed at Port Chalmers for several years past, has been removed to Green Island. Constable Boswoith during his sojourn in the Port gained a host of friends,, whose best wishes attend him. A Wanganui telegram states that Mr C. C. Kettle, S.M., of Auckland, underwent a successful surgical operation there on Thursday. ! Mr Cjril jNT. W. Gudgeon, of the Railway Department, Kingston, has been notified of his success in gaining the diptloma ol the Inter-

national Correspondence Schools of Scranton for the metal mining course. Mr R. W. Godfrey, who for many years has represented Messrs R. Wilson and Co. in Southland, has been appointed manager of the Tima.ru branch, the firm having purchased the business of Mr R. R. Taylor in that town.

Miss Amy Murphy, now in Wellington, is fulfilling an engagement with the Musical Union in connection with the musical festival in the Town Hall, taking soprano solos in *" The Spectre's Bride " and " Hiawatha." She also sings in Palmerston North in conjunction with the Musical Union, and on her way south sings at a concert at Waimate, and assists the Oaniaru Choral Society in " The Messiah."

The engagement is announced of Miss Ethel Neill, elder daughter of the late Mr W. G. Neill and Mrs Neill, now of JcSianckenberg House, Wynberg 1 , Capetown, to Mr J. Gentleman, of the Bank of Africa, Capetown.

The. call from Fortrose in favour of the Rev. W. F. Findlay, Waikaka, was sustained at Tuesday's meeting of the Southland Presbyter y. The Rev. James Lymburn was appointed to prosecute the call before the Mataura Presbyery. At the .same meeting of presbytery the Rev. A. Gray, M.A., stated that he had accepted the call to Riverton, and that the induction had been fixed for Wednesday, 21st December. The Rev. E. Bissett was appointed to preach the Oteramika charge vacant, and act as moderator pro tern. District Judge Ward, whose jurisdiction included the South Island and portion of the North Island, has been granted extended leave of absence, which will commence almost immediately. During his absence Mr W. R. Haselden, S.M., of Christchurch, will carry out the duties of district judge. Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M., will probably take tip Mr Haselden's duties.

Mr J. Lethbridge, manager for Messrs Dalgety and Co. (Limited), returned to Dunedin on Friday after a visit -to England. Mr F. E. Brittain, district secretary of the Mutual Life Association of Australasia, in Dunedin, has received the gratifying information that he has been appointed to the position of secretary for the South Australian branch of the association. Mr Brittain's headquarters will be at Adelaide, and we learn that he wil l leave Dunedin early in the new year to take up his new duties. Mr Brittain has been associated with a number of public bodies during Ms nine years' residence m Dunedm, ard has rendered valuable help m many deserving objects, and his removal will cause widespread regret. „ A Greymouth message states that Father Herbert was, on Sunday evening, after the service, presented by Mi&s Felia Campbell on behalf of the congregation, with an address and well-filled purso "of sovereigns prior to his departure for Sydney. Sir J. G. Ward was engaged on Monday on departmental business. On Monday evening lie attended ths performance at the Princess Theatre, and he left for I^^,^ day morning to-be present at the Southland show.