PERSONAL ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2719, 25 April 1906, Page 23

PERSONAL ITEMS.

Among the passengers on the R.M.S. Omrah, which arrived at Fremantle on Thursday last from London, was MiFrank T. Bullen,. th e well-known author and lecturer. Mr Keith Russel- (Melbourne) and Mr H. Styche were among the passengers by the north express on the 17th. •« The new curator of the Canterbury Museum (Mr Edgar R. W-aite) arrived in Christohurch. on Good Friday from Sydney. Nurse Lindsay, of the Southland Hoipital staff, has been appointed to tOie Dunedin Hospital, with the rank' of sister. The appointment of adjuifcant for the Otago Militia, and Volunteer -District- has been conferred on Captain S. V. Trask, at present acting as district adjutant at Kelson. He begins duty here on Mtiy 1. The Riverton correspondent of the Mataura Ensign reports the death of Mr J. Nugent Wood, one of the oldest wardens in New Zealand, and particularly well known throughout Otago, who died at the residence of his son ?.t Orepuki on Monday afternoon. Mr "Wood was born in Midd-lewick, Cheshire, England, in 1826. As a lad he went to sea ioi a number of years, and landed in Australia in 1849. For some years he followed pastoral pursuits at Mount Gambler (Sout'li Australia), and in the early daye of the Victcrian goldfields he became clerk to " Bendigo Mac," warden of the Bendigo goldfield. In 1861 Mr Wood came to Otago witih Major Choker to assist in organising the official staff on the discovery of gold at Gabriel's G'Uilly. In the following year he was appointed warden, and was stationed at Fox's (Arrowtown). From that time onward he aoted as warden on most of the Otago and Southland goidfields, Queenstown being his last station. Owing to a severe buggy accident he was compelled to retire at Easter, 1891. Mr Wood was married in 1854 to Miss Susan Lapham, daughter of the late Mr. Samuel Xiapliam (Tasmania). Mts Wood, who wot known as a pleasing and versatile*sjriter of prose and verso., died in 1880. leaving two sons. She yea 3 a highly- valued and very popular contributor to the Otago Witness in the early sixties, and published a small book of poems, which attracted favourable actice throughout New Zealand. News reached Chris.tchurch on Monday of the death of Mr John O'Malley at his son's residence, Geraldine. Previous to his arrival in Lyttelton in 1861, Mr O'Malley had served with Garibaldi's army, and had a medal for bravery in action. After working for Sir 2r«u>roft Wilson for somet ime; he joined the \rmed Constabulary in Chrietchurch, and ifterwards became & member oi the -Dunedin Dolice force, retiring in 1868, and afterwards tiling various appointments in Canterbtiry Fhe deceased, who was 69 years' of age at the iin-j of his death, was married in Dunedin n 1865. but his wife predeceased him. He ea.re3 a family of three sons and two laughters. We learn that the Rev. Mr Watson, of Stratford, who was recently appointed to the ■icarage of St, John's, Ros'-yn, has decided lot to take up the duties of the charge. 3reat disappointment at Mr Watson's deision i 3 felt by his prospective congregation, s they were congratulating themselves on the ippointment of a, thoroughly satisfactory suc•eseor to Canon Mayne. under whose charge >t. John's parish had made g»od progress. The Hastings Presbyterian Church congre■ation unanimously decided to send a call 0 the Rev. Donald M'lvor, of Herbert, Otago. Mr J. Gibson, for some time ganger at the <lo3giel quarry, lias been^ transferred to tavensbourne. Before taking his departure, iis fellow employees presented him with a aluable and handsome clock. At the Mosgiel Railway Station Mr M'Kear:ey, -who has been transferred to Dunedin, ras (says the Taieri Advocate) presented with 1 sentl-eman's dressing case by is fellow employees. His fellow members of he Mosgiel Catholic Church choir also preented him with a silver-mounted malacca ane, suitably inscribed. A London cablegram announces the death f Sir George O'Brien, K.C.M.G., late rovernor of Fiji. Sir George, who was born i 1844, was a son of the late Bishop O'Brien, [c was educated at Westminster and Trinity !ollege, Cambridge, and became a writer in - to Ceylon civil service. In 1867 he was ppointed additional police magistrate at luruMegaila, and later at Harrispattu and olombo. After holding several other appointlents, he became Treasurer in 1886, and uditor-general in 1890. He was transferred 3 .Colonial Secretary to Cyprus in 1891, and :om 1892 to 1895 lie held a similar position at

r Hongkong. In 1597 he was appointed" i Governor of Fiji and High Commissioner for,' " the Western Pacific, which position he,hel4 until 1902. ' , - ,* ' f Mr Alexander Macintosh, who has recently] 5 retired from the general management of the j Bank of j£ew Zealand, has arrived in Sydney, with the intention of settling in Xe-.v South Wales. i Mr Edgar C. Hazlett, well-known in coinj mercial' circles, left on Thursday afternoon by; the ilondwai on an extended trip abroad. His' first port of call is Sydney. From there ho I goes to Xew Guinea, Singapore, Hongkong, aud Yokohama. After spending some time in : ihe Far East Mr Hazlett will journey to Van- , couver and through the United States to New York, and across to London. Mr Hazlett anticipates tbat his trip will occupy about 12 months. 1 , The Mount Benger Mail reports the 'death of Mr Edward, Tufeman, of Buiabarton, at the age oi 73 years. The deceased, who was bornin the County of Cavan, 'lreland, came out to Victoria in the Conrmaderi Perry in May, 1857. Six years later he crossed the Tasman, Sea, and settled in* the Roxburgh district. Like most of ihe , early settlers, he was for a time engaged in mining atiNaseby. Butcher's Gully, -Poniahaka, and Boxburgh, and later on he devoted his attention io farming-pursuits A Wellington -telegram states that Mr Lawrence Hutchison, of Wellington, jvho has been studying at the Hoyal School df Mines', London, for the past three years, has graduated with honours from the Technical College, - Sheffield, and has now passed first in his final examination. Mr Hutchison passed jal ' tor/ • " of 160 students. " " _ . The Bey D. J Murray, the ; newly-appointed ', ' minister to l£orningto'n Methodist Church', '. arrived in-Dunedm" on Thursday evening,; anil was welcomed by'~ 'the- officers of -the church. '_-• Mr Murray -is here, -having^ Tielc! "~ the position of superintendent of the Morning- '„, ton 'circuit' some SW years ago." Mr comes.now fronv^Masterton,, where his ministry ,- lasted five years.' -^ ~ ' i ' ' , " , ' , -r' Mi r ' E. C. Cuvten' -was re-elected Mayor -of Xaseby. , \- The resignation of the Registrar of Friendly , Societies (Mr George Leslie) has bpen received' by th« Government. It is said to be due to private reasons. , A Sydney, cable announces the, death of-M-Robert Brough, the well-known manager and actor. He had been ailing for some time, " aud died from heart affection. Mr Brough first visited New Zealand when he" was inpartnership with Mr Boucicault, and afterwards on several occasions when managing on his own account. Recently he joined forces' with Mr Herbert Flemming, and they visited , this colony with " Beauty and the Barge and other comedies. A Sydney message states that a cablegram has been received announcing the death of Mr Tom Fitzgerald, the well-known circus proprietor, who died in Burmah. The deceased and his brother Dan, whose death was reported only a few months ago, were well-known throughout the Australasian colonies. Mr ' Fitzgerald took a keen interest in politic; , an «T was a member of the New South Walt s Legislative Assembly a few years ago. A New York message states: — '"In connection with the bicentenary of Benjamin Fr?nklin, the University of Pennsylvania' has conferred the honorary degree on King Edward. " Mr T. W. Whitson, secretary of the Union. Stpani Ship Company, relieves Mr Irvine in the -management of the Auckland- office for. a '. few weeks, and for that purpose will leave • for the north on Friday- next. " Professor Salniond has been- re-elected uu- > opposed to represent the Otago District Court.-'.;; of Convocation .in tne Senate of the University . of New Zealand. tDr Salrnoud was ncmiiwtted -- by Mr H. D. Bedford, M.A. . .• It is the intention of a number of the. ''". friends of,, Mr T. Barclay mine manager " \ of the Kaitangaja mine) to tender that.gentfe- , v man a- complimentary smoke concert in . the '* Masonic Hall, Kaitangata, on Saturday even- - ing next. Mr T. F. Dunhill concluded~~iiis musical , examinations in Dunedin on Saturday afternoon, and left by the evening express for Gore, where lie conducted similar examinations on Monday. Arrangements have been made to conduct the musical examinations in Invercargil? on Tuesday, and at then conclusion Mr Dunhil! will spend the remainder of the week in a holiday sojourn at Queenstown, returning to Dunedin on Saturday next in order to catch the Sydney steamer at Wellington on Tuesday for the purpose of conducting the . Associated Board's musical examinations in the Commonwealth States. Mrs Elizaleth Styles, whose death occurred as Orepuki on Saturday, was closely associated with pioneer railway work in Victoria vciQ. Otago. As a young woman she accompanied her late husband to Victoria in the eailj fifties, and saw the building of the MelbourneBendigo *' road." In 1662 she landed in Dunedin with Mr Styles, and was with him, geneially in camp, while he wan engaged as contractor and manager on the I)unedin-Port Chalme>3 railway, the Dunedin tramways, and the Dunedin waterworks. The Styles wer« a railway family. Of the two sons, one (Henry) is locomotive superintendent on the,; • Chilian (South American) railways, and the other (the lato Mr W. F. Styles) was traffic manager of the Greymouth section of the New Zealand railways at the time of his death some 12 months ago. ' -" The Manawatu Daily Times says: — ".Mi. „" W. J. O'Dwyer, a fitter in the service of 'tUv ' -" Railway Department at Palmerston,, lias re- ' ceived advice by cable from his father that * ' he and. a twin sipier are to receive between '~ them £19,750, under the will of an aunt, oil their attaining the age of 21 years. "MV - O'Dwyer, who is barely 20 years of age, intends severing his connection with the Bai! : way Department and leaving for London in January next, in order" to take possession o§ - his property when, he gain his majority.