PERSONAL ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2771, 24 April 1907, Page 30

PERSONAL ITEMS.

The death of a venerable Si6ter of Mercy, Mary Magdalene, at St. Mary's Convent, Ponsonby, Auckland, is reported. The deceased was a eister of the late Daniel Lynch, of Mangere and Poneonby. She was born in County Tyrone, Ireland, and was in her eighty-second year at the time of her death. She had spent over 46 years in the convent at Pcnsonby. a' N-apier Association message states that out of 16 applican-ts the Hospital Trustees appointed Miss Florence Edwards to the position 'of matron of the hospital. The Rev. J. N. Russell, wiio died at Gourock, Scotland, on February 25, was for some years siiinister of the Presbyterian Church at Caverbham in the early days. After leaving Dunedin he settled as immster cl a Port Glasgow church, where he has laboured up tiil two years ago, when he retired to live at Gourcck. Iherc was a large gathering at the South Road Methodist Ciiuxch, New Plymouth, on Thursday on tne occasion of a farewell eocial to the Her. R. Williams, who is leaving for Ms new station, St. Ki!da, shorty. During the three years Mr Williams has been stationed in New Plymouth he has made himseK very popular among all sections of the community, and this was manifest in a marked degree by the many expressions of regret at bis departure. During the evening Mx TVilliaan wa3 fcli« recipient of a presentation, consisting cf a combined photograph of the church choir end crgau, suitably replied. A quiet and impressive ceiemony took place in the Presbyterian Church, Caversham road, Readin-g. England, recently, when Mr Cable, of Dunedin, was marrie.l to Miss Elsie Savage, of Reading. At the conclusion of the ceremony i-he happy couple were congratulated by a large number of friends. On the previous evening Mr Cable was the recipient of a liaad"on:e ivory sliding rule and silver fruit tray from the "men and Ins fellow employees on the tramways. Mr D. Bums, M I.C E., manager and engineer, on making tlie- presentation, spoke most eloquently of Mr Cable's capabilities and bis great popularity amongst the men.

Mr F. W. Platts, of Port Chalmers, left ou the 18th on a business trip to Vancouver and Great Britain. Mr Piatts expects to be absent from this colony for about six months.

The Rev. "W. Thomson, well known to this community as a controversialist m temperance matters, has decided to pay a vi«it to Gieat Britain and the United States, his principal ojoject being io study the temperance problem in those countries. Mr Ihomeon intends to Lp absent pbcut c ix or eight mouths, and will again take up hi« residence in Dunedin.

Mr W. B. Buller, who will be well icmembered as manager of the Bank of New Z?alaad in Dunedin for about six years from 15 to 20 years since, and who has for some years been manager at Auckland, is at present on a visit to Dunedin. Mr Buller, with his wife and family, has recently returned irora a 12 months' visit to Great Britain and tbe Continent He will shortly retire from the service of the bank on his pension, and ir.Unrls to settle m Auckland.

At ■Wili&wby on the 13th inst. the congregation of the Methodist Church assembled to bid farewell to the Rev. T. G. Walhs and family prior to their departure for Roslyn, to which circuit Mr Waliis has been appointed. During the evening Mr Walhs was presented with a travelling rug, Mrs Walhs with a silver cane-stand, and Miss Jiinn.e AValhs with a silver-mounted scent bottle.

Sir Robert Stout, Chief Justice, is suffering from ptomaine poisoning, in consequence ef eating cheese. A Press Association telegram from Wellington states that he was better on the 18th inst.

On ihe 15th inst. (says our Milton correspondent) the Methodist congregation met in lie Presbyterian Hall to bid farewell to its late minister, the Rev. C. H. Standage, who has been transferred to the VTillowby circuit in Canterbury. Mr D. Reid (Mayor) occupied the chair, aLfl there were present repre=eniatives from every church. Mr Standage was presented with a well-filled purse of sovereigns, Mrs Standage with a silver afternoon tea service, and Miss Standage with a gold bangle from their many friends in Milton.

A Press Association telegTam states that the members of the Auckland City Council presented Mt A. M. Myers (Mayor of Auckland) with a silver cradle on the 18th to mark tho occasion of the birth of a son during bis present term of office.

At a meeting of the Maori Hill Presbyterian, congregation, held on the 18th. it was resolved to extend a call to the Rev W. Macdonald, Hate in charge of Eaiapoi. The call was very largely sfgned by those present. Our Milton correspondent writes as follows: On the 16th inst there was a large pnd representative gathering at St. Joseph's Schoolroom in honour of the Rev. Father O'Neill's &"> years of priesthood. The Mayor (Mr D. Reid) occupied the chair, and referred to Fa-ther O'Ncill'a great capabilities as a clergyman and bos kmduess and avinjuatlictic nature

as a citizen of Milton The congregation preserted him with an llhinunai^d address, and trusted that he would be spar?d to &cc his golden years as their paster. The Rev. Father O'Neill has baen 23 years in Milton. Dr Bagley, who has boen acting as locum t-cnejis during I>r Hodges's absence fi-om Port Chalmers, has, been appointed medical efficor for the Si. Bathans district, and proceeds to assume his new duties in a few days.

Major Blewitt, a visitor from England, axrived at Pembroke y«*t«rday ai'tsr a sucoe&sfu! shooting expedition in the Hawea di I*trict,1 *- trict, having secured a number of excellent

Mt E. G. Reid, who has been stationmaster at IHinback for the past three ye-irs, was

eiitei-tained at Moir's Hotel by a large number of the residenis of the district on the ove

of his departure to Henley station. During thy; time Mr Reid has bc-sn at DunbacV he ha.s made him&eJf very popular among all eectk'iis of ihe community, and this was manifested in a marked degree by the many expressions of regret at his departure from the d^otrici. Mr and Mirs Reid were the recijjieats of a handson:c dinner sen ice and Doulton ware fruit driahos from the residenls of the district, and Mr Wilson, on behalf of the Waihemo branch of the railway gangs, presented Mx Reid with a set of pipes.

A Press Association telegram from Auck-

land states ;hat Dr Josen Coustoa died suddenly from heart disease at Waiuku on Satur- ! day morning. | Our Wellington eorresponde/ii states thtvt j Six Robert Stout, who has been suffering frcni ! ptomaine poisoning, was woll enough to take I a drive on the 20th inst. j On the IJHh inst. another old colonist, Mrs • Bratby, wife of Mr J. H. Bnatby, gaoler at

. Dunedin, paesed away at her residence after | a painful and lingering illness Ihe deceased I lady came to the colony in 1802, ai.d was for < many years matron cf the Auckland Prison. When son:« 20 years ago Mr Bratby was promoted to the Invercargi'l gaolorship, she was

appointed matron of the prison there, which

petition =he he'-d for abcnt 15 year=. Sub^eiquent'y, upon Mr Bratbv's transference to Dunodin. she retired from the service Of an armab'e and undemonstrative disposition, she j was he'd in high esteem by all who knew her. j She was also much lespectcd by the women who ce.ine undnr her change bvih in the uonli I and suuth. and many cf them profited by t.be- ; quiet, yet sirong, influence for gccxl <=ac was able to exert upon them. She lea\es her husj band and one daughter to mourn their loss. j The death of Mr John Weddorspoon, of : Roslyn, who parsed away on the 2Cth after [ a lingering illness, will be regieit"d by a largo I c.rcle of lriends. Mr \Veiidei c pcoii, u"{jo was j m his 74th year, was born m Kdnibuigh, and I was brought up at Trinit^gask He was apprenticed to the whee \\ right <-nd joinay trade in Perth ajid Glasgow, »nd remained m ti".a latter city for seven years. In 18&3 Le came to Port Chalnier3 in the ship Piadda, and after workirg for several contractors Ue accepted the position of fsctcry manager for

Messrs Findlay and Co. (now Messrs J

doch and Co ) in 1872, remaining with the firm ever since. Mr Wedderspjon was a life director of the Dunedin Caledonian Society, in

which he has fitted the offices of president and vice-presideut. He was v.ell known in bo\vni:g circles, having been an enthufeiasuc member oMhe Caledonian Club for many yaars, and he was also a member of the Ros.yn Borough Council a few years ago The deceased who was married in Glasgow, leaves a family of two sons and two daughter?.

Our Oamaiu correspondent telegraphed a<j follows on the 20th. "Dining the i>a>t week there pa«ed away another of ihe early settlers of this province, the mention of the name in thi« case carrying the memory of old residents back to the days when Xorih Otago consisted of only a fey.- sheep runs. Mrs G. T Fenwick. widow of th° late Mr G. T. Fenwick, of Waianakarua, was born in 1821 in Denmark, where she married Mr Fenwick, and continued to reside for some yeaxs. Mr Fenwick's brothers were already largo runholders in North Otago, whe-n he with his wife and family arrived in Port Chalmers in March. 1665, by the ship General Wyndham. Mr Fenvnck took up land at Waianakarua later on, and resided there for some years, subsequently removing to Oamaru, where he died. His widow was very much esteemed by all who knew her, and bhe was very generous to every charrtablo cau=e brought under her notice. Even at her advanced years she worked untiringly for bazaaxs up till the last few month*. She is survived by two eons — ilr Percy Fenwick (a resident of Dunedin) and Mr George Fenwick (a bank manager at Featherston). Her daughters are: Mrs A. H. Maude (Oamaru), Mrs E. Ca\e (Napier), and MIS 3 Fenwick (Oamaru)."

A "Wellington telegram states that Jud^e Fisher, of the Native Land Court, has been appointed Under-secretary for Native Affairs. The Oamaru South School Committee has selected iliss Margaret ML. Garry, at present sole teacher at Livingstone, for appointment as junior assistant.

A£r John Smyth Fleming, proprietor of the Clutha Leader, died at nis residence, Bstlclutha, on the 22nd mst. Previous to his connection with the Leader Mr Fleming was a resident cf Milton, where he held the position of edjtiox of the Bruce Uiw>i!<U ajA he* was

also secretary of the Tokomairiro Farmers' Club. In conjunction with Messrs W. M'Girr. R Wilgoai. and H. E. Muir, he afterwards established the Cmtiha Leader, tha first nevspaper published in the Clutha district, and some time later, afier the paper beeam.3 t.lie property cf a company, Jir Fleming acquired it. The deceased gentleman was a painstaking lit-ernry worker, and took a keen interest in all questions that affeeved the farming interes 1 !. He wp-y a justice of t>he peace and acting coroner U~r his di&trict. Dr Fleming, of Balclutha, is a son of the deceased, and his only daughter is the wife of a Presbyterian clergyman well known in the Glutha district.

A Pi ess Association message frcm Auckland states that Mr Cordes, aged 70, became peiicusly ill in Wellesley street on the 22nd. and expired before medical aid could be obtained.

From Auckland it is telegraphed by ihe association thau the Rev. Charles Worbo>"3 died on Sunday. He wa9 formerly minister of tho Free Mc^hcdist Church, and lai-er he joined the- Presbyterian Church, aiid held charges at Auckland, Christchurch, and Opoukii. He retired from active ministerial v/ork five years ago.

Miss Agces Weston, of Westport. states a Wellington Press Association telegram, daed suddenly after an illness of a couple of days. OUier deaths announced are. tho&s of James William Blacklock. well known in cricket circles, aged 51, and J. O'Neill, proprietor of the Masonic Hotel, formerly of Oamaru, eged 51.

Mr James Anderson, who died at Ecslyn on t-he lSfch met., at the age of 73 years, was bom in Berwickshire, and arrived in Melbourne in 1354, taking up canving to the Bendigo diggings. He came tc New Zealand in 1862, ancl brought a cargo of Clydesdale horses over in the Onieo. Mr Anderson started business in Princes street in company with Mow at and Campbell as a general storekeeper, and he afterwards went into the milling trade, and built the Manor place and Water of Loith mill 5 , Dunedn , a store and lijil] at "Waikcuaii:, and a 1 so the first turbine mill at Oamaru He was one of the first to start trading v/iih schooners, and was part owner of ihe Jessie Paterson, Kate Brain, Isabella Anderson, and several others. He was one of the promoters of ihe Standard Insurance Company, a"d also worked hard for the Caledonian Society with the late Mr D. Baxter and John Edmonds When the bank called ur> the pocipty's overdraft the gentlemen named canvassed the town, and what tl;ey cou'd not gel, they became responsible for. Ho was a ■\ery kean bowler, and belonged to the Du:ieclin green from its opening, winning many trophies. In company with others. Mr Anderpon started the curling <it Woodhaugh, but when he left DuneJin it fell through. In 1630 he took up farming in Southland, but owing to his failing health he sold out and came baok to Dunedin m 1£99, and took up hir, residence in I?o«lyn. He leaves a widow, o.ie son, a>-d one daughter