CHARLES ROUS-MARTEN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2823, 29 April 1908, Page 29

CHARLES ROUS-MARTEN.

OHRISTCHURCH, April 22. Tho Press will publish in to-morrow's issue the following biographical notice of the late Mr Rous-Alarten :—"ln: — "In the death of Air Chaa-les Rous-Marten we have to deplore the loes of a very able journalist, who has been associated with the Press for many years as its corres>pondent, first in Wellington and subsequently in London. Mr Roua-Marfcen was born in England about 65 years ago, and came out to iSew Zealand with his parents when he was about 16 years of age. His father, Mr William Marten, F.S.A., was a merchant in the city of London, who came to the colony in consequence of a breakdown in healtn, and who took up land in Southland. Mr Rous-Marten engaged in journalism fairly Jate in life, joining the staff of tho Evening Post, Wellington, about 1876 or 1877. Being a man of wide reading and great energy, he soon made his mark in a profession which it was evident had great attractions for him, and he became successively sub-editor and editor of the Evening Post, then, a 6 now, one of the leading papers in New Zealand. He also did a good deal of correspondence work, and was Wellington representative not only for the Press, Otago Daily Times, and New Zealand Herald, but also of the Melbourne Argus and one or two English papers. He was a very sound and cultivated musician, possessing a library of musical works probably unequalled by any private collection in the colony, and_ his musical criticisms not only carried with them the slamp of authority based on his thorough knowledge of the subject and sound judgment, but were admirably written from the literary point of view. Mr Marten himself wa3 a cultivated singer, and for 6oroe years took the tenor solos in oratorios and other musical works of importance given in Wellington. Ho was a prominent member of the Anglican Church, and was for manv_ years one of the lay representatives, both In the Wellington Diocesan Synod and the General Synod. He took a great interest in scienceand engineering, and for an amateur he really had a remarkable knowledge of railway matters, especially of locomotive engineering. He was a frequent contributor to the engineering journals on technical subjects, and was often quoted as- a leading authority in regard to locomotive construction and running and railway practice. On. one occasion, we remember, he was 6O honoured in a leading article in The Times. He was a close student of meteorology, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society on the strength of some papers which he wrote during his residence in Southland, the observations being especially interesting as coming from what was at that time the most southern station of the world. Later on he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society on the motion of the late Sir Roderick Murchison. Mr Marten resigned the editorship of the Evening Post in 1884, and paid a visit to England. He subsequently returned to New Zealand, anrl became editor of the New Zealand Times, resuming hie correspondence for the Press and other journals. In 1690 he was appointed London correspondent of the Press, Ot-ago Daily Times, New Zealand Herald, and Wellington Evening Post, and carried out the duties with marked ability almost until the short illness which ended in his death. It woe his lot to witness many notable events, of which he sent out graphic descriptions to the papers he represented. We may especially recall the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, the scenes in London during the South African Avar, the

funeral of trie lale Queen, and the Coronation of the King. His skill as a musical critic was shown in the special notices which he sent from time to time of the leading events in the musical world of London. His loss will be severely felt by the journals with which he has been so long and honourably connected. He married Miss Emily Hickeon, daughter of a wellknown Wellington resident, and his wife survives him, but there were no children of the marriage. Mrs Roue-Marten, it may be added, shared her husband's interest in music, and will be remembered in Wellington as a fine performer on the pianoforte, especially as a most sympathetic accompanist.