MR A. STEWART HONOURED.

Otago Witness, Issue 2805, 18 December 1907, Page 16

MR A . STEW ART HONOU RED.

REUNION OF SCHOOL PUPILS. PRESENTATION OF SUBSTANTIAL , CHEQUE. , Knox Church Halt was the scene on the Srd inst. of a unique gathering. It was a reunten-r:of"the" ex-pupils of the old stone icliool and its successor, the Union Street School, to do 'honour to their late head master, who this . year retired from the profession after, 45 years of continuous sere yice as head maAer in the one scholastic (institution. - Mr James Edgar presided, and amongst jfche many old pupils present were a large ' number who may fairly bo, amongst the j&thers r.nd matrons of -the 1 jboiunrahfty. "Certainly there were not wantnng those who hoH high positions in comanerciaJ. and mercantile circles in the city, 'Others engaged in c' io and general politics, pin the control of education, medicine and iarr, and a host of others in all the walks of life- who have in the days of their youth xxaseed through the . hands of Dunedin's »6teran i^ad master, Mr < Alexander Stewart.' The gathering first assembled in Stuart Hall, where 'the proceedings were opened, but the bounds of Stuart Hall were yoon taxed beyond the capacity of comfort, and a migration to ih« larger hall was made. . • . - - • - . -'■• . The Chairman expressed the high, sense of honour he felt at being privileged to g*r<*ide at, such a gathering -to do honour |t6 their friend. and respected late teacher, (whose retirement marked a,,Ap*n- of 45 gftars of continuous service 'in the cause iof ieduoalion in this city As.fajMjae-he could l«arn, that constituted a record in education matters. — (Applause.) After a pianoforte Sauet had been played by Mies Gibson and B^Jiss Mttheson, The Chairman said : Mr Stewart, ladies and fcentlemen and fellow ex-sohola.r3,— We are Spero assembled to do honour .to our retopectcd teacher and fiiend, Mr Alex. Stewart, and to show him our appreciation toj his long and untiring services, and to (assure him that, ti&wib many years have tassed since many of . us were privileged o receive a strapping at his hands, we still etain a feeline of lov.e for himself and kindly recollections of happy -days spent it the oW school in JUTlion street. — (Aptlause.) Tlie Chairman went on to say hat the honour of initiating the movement Mlontfed to Mr P. Smeaton, an ex-scholar. 'liming to the boys trho had passed irough Mr Stewart's hands,- the- Chairian said: — Tn the Chief Justice of Ifhis Dominion, Sir Robert Stout. f.C.M.6.. wp have : itn ol» and respect**! , teacher of the old stone school— (loud Applause).— a gentleman" who has done yeoman's service to the Dominion, and much n the cause of „acd to .hie en- ; Jeavoure we are, in a gre3f measure, mJebted for our present free and secular System-.' We dip into«*he-l«<?al arena, and |»re find many ex-«cholar6 who have made )names for themselves. *!' mis*t mention JMr Saul Solojnon. recently honoured by feeing aiipojnkd a Kin«"s Counsel ; Mr Geo. ; JMondy, Mr P. S. K. Macassev (Crown Prosecutor), Mr Phineas Levj. of Wellini?jton. and many others.— (Loud applause.) In jpur Parliament we are represented by Mr EChos. Mackenzie, who has cfbne good serv-

ice there, and besides fills many onerous positions, including that of chairman of our Education Board. — (Applause.) In the Chur_ch we are. well represented, and I may mention the names of Rev. Andrew Oame- . -ron and Rev. Jrio. Collie. In the medical profession we have Dr Church, Dr Fitzgeralu, Dr Barnett, and others. — (ApplauSe.) | Whom do we find called to the position of I commandant of our forces? Why, an old ' ex-scholar, Colonel Robin, C.B. — a. man we 1 are all mighty proud of. — (Loud applause.) 1 In the education prof ession , we found fullya score of old scholars — men - and ■ women i doing yeoman's service for their country. — (Renewed applause.) In Geo. Stewart, secretary to the Education Board of Wellington, we have an old scholar; while we know , ♦nAioespect our worthy, friend 1 , Mr Samuel Park, Of the Dunedin Education bffece. , We found that our school was splendidly ; represented in the higher branches of the , mechanics— Mr Arch. Walker is the local Government inspector of machinery, Mr Jas, Marchbanks is' engineer-hvojuef ( to' the ; Manawatu Railway Company, and there we I very many others. In the maritime profes- . sion we found old scholars in Captain Thos. i Moffatt, of the N.Z.S. Company, and Captain' Alec. Carson, of the U.S.S. Company, besides others. We found, sir, that very many old scholars occupy very prominent positions in the mercantile world, but .1 will not weary you with names, for they are legion. They are to be found all over the Commonwealth and this Dominionmen of -sterling Principles and upright characters.— (Applause.) I fear you will think I have taken up too much of your time in these details, but I considered you should know them; and how much do these men and women owe to the solid grounding they received from Mr Stewart? In the work of the testimonial, I desire to particularly thank the following for their very great assistance to me:— Miss Rodger, Mr 1 Samuel Strain (of Ohristchurch), Mr C. D. I S^?? rt (of Na P je -)< Mr Pet er Thomson (of | Wellington), Mr S. Wynne (of Dunedin), Mr Peter Stewart (head master of Union Street School), and the members of the committee. I have in my possession hundreds of letters expressing goodwill, but I will oonfine myself to reading only one or two. I [Amongst those read was one from Sir Robert Stout, Chief Justice of the Do- ' minion, given below.] Mr Stewart, I wish you to accept this gift as an expression of love and goodwill from the subscribers, and we earnestly trust that you will be spared ' for many years to come to enjoy, with your I respected wife and family, the quiet of 3 our retirement, and that the evenine of ! , your life may, if it is possible, be even more | , enjoyable than the days you have been ' spared to witness. . . Amidst a scene of great enthusiasm Mr ■ v i. g^r en handed to Mr Stewart, on | ; behalf of the ex-pupils of the school now ' located in Dunedin and all parts oi Auetralia and New Zealand, a cheque for over ' £160. The Chairman, concluding his speech. | gave several very amusing excerpts from the old records of the school, which had been unearthed in the committee's researches The following? is the letter, dated from the Judge's Chambers, Wellington, November 28, of the Chief Justice, Sir Robert 6earches, * ,

My Dear Mr Edgar, — I ' am very sorry ' that public business will prevent me attending the meeting for the presentation of the testimonial to our old friend Mr Alexander Stewart. I would have liked to be present because of the days of " Auld lang syne." I look back on th« time that I spent in the stono school- with great satisfaction. They were joyous days. The earth was young to us all, and we were full of hope. Many of , our dreams Save been reolisd, but some have not come true. The fact that in' tie stone school were many who have distinguished - themselves in New •Zaaland. must always give all the teachers supreme ' satisfaction. In my room there was the late Miss Helen Connon, afterwards Mrs Macmill»n Brown, who was the first lady, I believe, in a British University to, obtain th« M.A. degree with honours j. I need not recall other ptjpils who have become -known throughout; '"the colony. Will you 'be good enough to express to Mr Stewart my regret at my inability to attend, and my best wishes for his future health and happiness, and . you might also convey to the old pupils present my - best wish«s for them aIL I ieel gratified -that the old pupils have not forgotten* Mr Stewart, who did loyal work for them -all and ' for the State. He was ever -anxious to do what he could to further the interests, of his pupils, and he was never idle i:sV welld_aing. Bobbbt Stout. Mr Stewart, who, on rising, was greeted with enthusiastic cheers, expressed his sincere and heartfelt gratitude for the kind words of appreciation of his services that had been expressed, and for the handsome presentation that had been made to him by the ex-pupile and teachers of his old school. That was more than he had done a year ago, when the scholars attending the Uiflon .Street Sohool had presented him with a nice chair and picture, and a clock for Mrs Stewart, for in his flurryhe had actually forgotten to thank them at all.— (Laughter.) He did not know that he had ever done anything worthy of remark, but he had always tried to do his duty, oertaiily — (applause), — and he did not see that he had accomplished anything more or greater than other people had done. Mr Stewart went on to give a brief history of his connection with education in Dunedin and of the Union Street School. His first pupils were the children of Dr Purdie and Mr C. Kettle, then chief surveyor. He referred to the difficulties which had to be faced by those attending the school in the early days in the way of i unformed streets and swamps, despite which ! the attendance was very regular. He related I some anecdotes in connection with the | school, and in conclusion he again I returned_ heartfelt thanks for the eni thusiastic and kindly feeling shown . towards him and for the presentation that had been made. So long as he lived they could be assured he would ! never forget their kindness to himself and his wife. — (Enthusiastic applause.) Mr T. Mackenzie, M.P., congratulated the chairman on the splendid success he had made of the movement culminating in the presentation that night. No doubt Mr Smeaton, who was one of the bestbeloved boye in the school, would have done as muoh had he been able, but, as it was, the main task had developed upon Mr Edgar. He had been deeply interested in hearing the long list of old school fellows and the positions they had attained to.

The chairman, however, had left ownname out, but Mr Edgar was as much'''tobe congratulated on the position he had attained as was any other old pupil of the school. After having given some reminiscences of early school days and fellow' pupik, Mr Mackenzie said that Mr Stewart had the happy quality of drawing out ' the reflective and perceptive qualities of his pupils, and he ventured to say that no school in the colony had turned . out, a greater number of practical, energetic, and capable boys and girls, who had left their imprint on all the institutions with, which they had been or were connected,! and that that was so was due to the fact that they had been taught to think and act- for themselves - by Mr Stewart. — (Applause.) He trusted that Mr and Mrs Stewart would be spared ifor many -years lo enjoy their retirement 'from active labours "and receive the respect and love of their large circle of friends. Speaking as chairman of the Otago Education Board, Mr Mackenzie said no teacher had been in their service who 'was more respected and honoured than the ex-head master of the • Union Street School. He carried into his retirement the very best wishes of every member of the board and of every officer ' in connection with the board. The name of Dr Hislop had been mentioned, and he would like to say that no two men were ever more welcome to the youngsters of the stone school than Dr flislop and Dr Stuart.— (Applause.) Their presence waa like a gleam of sunshine. They had a wonderful power of putting children at once at their ease and of getting out of them all that was in them — an attribute that should be made a sine qua non in the appointment of any school inspector. In conclusion, Mr Mackenzie said it gave him great pleasure to take part in the demonstration and add his tribute of respect to his old and beloved schoolmaster. — (Applause.) Dr Church, an ex-pupil of the latter years of the old stone school and of the earlier years of the Union Street School, and also a member of the school teaching staff,- was the next speaker, and was accorded an enthusiastic reception. He said Dr Findlay, the present Attorney-general, had been an ex-pupil of the old stone school, and reoalled the fact that another ex-pupil was Stewardess Miss M'Ouaid, the heroine of the wreck of the Wairarapa, an announcement that was enthusiastically received. The speaker concluded with a warm eulogy of Mr Stewart and his many services to him as master and friend. Mr D. Whito, M.A., head master of the Normal Sohool, and an old stone school teacher, had a great reception. He said that since 1862 he had had a close personal friendship with Mr and Mrs Stewart. His first introduction to the teaching profession waa due to Mr Stewart, who, in 1874, sent him a note stating that he was going to recommend him for the position of fourth assistant in the stone sohool. He wished to say that his experience of Mr Stewart was that he was ever a man of sound judgment in regard to the members of his staff, and always knew when a teacher was doing conscientious work. Those who had been on Ihe staff in the early days could not possibly forget the ifreat kindness and cheery welcome they had always reoeived '

.from .Mrs Stewart at the annual gatherings of the teachers and ex-pupils, which were frequent in those days^— (Loud applause.) The recollection of the pleasant days spent in the old school would .Terna in with him for all time, an.d Whenever that old school was thought of there always arose in pne'a memory, a centra}, personality, and thai wai the. guest .of , Jho .evening.— (Loud applause.) . 'Bjjr G. C. Israel, - one- of the longesttenuied members of the Union Street School Committee, also added, on behalf of the corhmitteees of the Union Street .and- of the city schools-, a graceful tribute <tb Mr Stewart* '-yeomen services in the oaus© of education, adding that "tfheir guest had proved himself an ideal of what a head-master should be. During an interval .-efreshments were handed, round" by the. \adies. of the committee.. The. proceeding? were also , interspersed by very enjoyable items, contributed bj Misses Alexander, Gibson, and , Matheeon, and Messrs J. Alexander, A. Wright, W. Wright, and J. S. Searte. Mrs J. Waddell ' Smith efficiently acted «• accompanist. ■ • " ' ' On the motion of the chairman a hearty vote of thanks was accorded all 7 ho had contributed to the evening's entertainment, and the proceedings were brought to a close with the singing of "Auld hvnjrsyne" and hearty cheers for Mr and Mrs Stewart and the committee.