PERSONAL ITEMS, »*.

Otago Witness, Issue 2848, 14 October 1908, Page 64

PERSONAL ITEMS, »*.

! Mr M'Curdy, clerk in the Clyde Railway . Station has (says the Dunetan Times) been , transferred to Dunodin. Mr Howes, of Mid'dlemaTcli, fills the- vacancy at Clyde. A London .message advises the death of Sir George Livesey, chairman of the South Metropolitan Gas Company ; aged seventyfour years. Sir George was the champion . of the profitsharing principle, which he I brought info operation, with complete sue- , cess, in the- business organisation of which S he was the head for so many years. Immediately after last Tuesday's meeting of the Otogo Centre, New Zealand Athletic Union, Mr Keast took the chair and said that it was his pleasant duty to present to Mr D. J. Corcoran, their honoured president, a 6m&ll token of the appreciation in which Jiis efforts. on behalf o£ the union was held. It was to Mr Corcoran that the Otago Centre owed its foundation, and- as it was well known that the Ofa#o Centre was one of tihe principal supports of the union, that was evidence enough of Mr Corcoran 's good work. In presenting Mr Corcoran with a handsome suitably- ' inscribed and engraved gold watch, Mr Keaa6 said those present would feel pleasure in doing honour to their worthy president. , Messrs Hobbs, Fenwick, W. Brady, W. i M'Donald, and D. F. M'Kay also added ' their testimony to Mr Corcoran'a good work in the cause of athletics. Mr Corcoran's health was then toasted with musical honours and the recipient suitably responded . | On the 6ih inst. Mr Edward Wilson, | a- well-known licensed victualler in the I Wellington district, died at the Club Hotel, Lambton quay, of which he was licensee, after a short illness. The deceased was (says the Press Association) born in Cum- I berJand, England, in 1840, a-nd was em- j ployed in a local mine at Whiteboume ! when hevwas only nine years old. After I working live years in the mines, he was I apprenticed as a collier mechanic. He went ) to British Columbia as a young man, and i became underground manager of a coal • mine at Nanaimo, Vancouver Island. The ! engagement was terminated, and Mr Wilson went to the United States, where he was for some tim© employed in the Canadian I Pacific Railway Company's works at , Nevada. Ho then returned to Briti6h ', Columbia, and engaged in gold mining. ' Mid ventures were successful, and he made a trip to England, where his wife died. I Circumstances compelled him to return to I his trade m Cumberland, where he remained until 1875 when he came out to Pert Chalmers. H o worked at the Otago foundry Dunedin. on what was claimed to bo the first railway engine turned out in -New Zealand. He then entered the Railway Department, and left it five years later owing to his strong view, on the ' \t to-7 Governm €nt retrenchment scheme Mr Wilson then took to hotelkeeping' occupying Wain's Hotel, Dunedin. H«w a Mlow-shopmato of the lato Mr Seddon "^s second wife eui-vives him The lady correspondent of' the Wellington Post states (according to our Wellington correspondent) that tlie marriage of , Mr Cyril Ward and Miss Davidson is fixed I for December 5, the da to of Sir Joseph j and Lady Ward's silver wedding. mUs \\ard and Mbs Gladys Wrbstcr arp to be bridesmaids ajid Mr Will Pro««e host man Mr F. T. Pert, telegraphist at Wyndham . tor the part 12 months, has received marching ordera for Hastings. His successor (says the Farmer) is Mr James Traynor, a member of a well-known Wyndham family, ' who presently moves from Uic head office, j Wellington. The town clerk of Invercargifl has just received from the Royal Human** Society of New Zealand a beautifully-framed in memoriam certificate, which has been awarded to the next-of-kin of Constable Lyons, in recognition of his bravery, courage and humanity of the constable in a ijallant, though fruitless, attempt to save the lives of two men who were attempting to grob* tk*. C±x*k. River i.n a caiioe c At t,b©

i council meeting on Thursday night his i Worship the Mayor will present the certi- ; fkate to Mr William Martin, who will receive it on behalf of the relatives of the i brave Constable Lyons. Detective Henderson, who is well known throughout the Dominion, was presented > with a puree of sovereigns at Auckland recently, on the oocasicu of his retirement on pension after +0 years' service. The ' presentation was made by Chief Detective Marsick, who referred to the excellent qualities possessed by Mr Henderson, both as a police officer and a man. Mr Henderson was in pcor health at the time of his retirement, and is" now seriously ill. Mr Frank M'Gregor, coach-driver betwesn Cambrian and OtuTehua, the mention of whese valuable services appeared some time back through our columns, was the recipient on Saturday, 3rd met., in St Bathans of a substantial purse of sovereigns and a handsome gold Maltese cross, subscribed by the residents of the district and by the city commercial travellers. Mr Walter Wilson, of Hawkchm Station, occupied the chair, and in making the presentation said he had presided over many such meetings, but never more heartily than 'over "this. He could speak for all the district" aTid the public generally, to whom Mr M'Gregor was known, in the highest appreciation of him for his unremitting courtesy and attention while '"on the read; ?> and more especially for Ilia heroic and successful efforts in bringing through mails . and passengers during the heavy snowfalls of the past winter, at the imminent risk of serious loss to himself. It was to recoup him in come small measure for actual loss, and to suitably recognise Mr M'Gregor's many kindnesses, his eelf-sacrifice. and pluck that the presentations were made. Mr M'Gregor had not only faithfully fulfilled his duties as mailman, he had also merited the esteem of all for his prompt and careful execution of commissions entrusted him. His obliging ways under trying conditions to himself and his horses had established a lasting reputation for him, and he (the speaker) had pleasure in givingpublic expression to the fact that Mr M'Gregor had earned great and wellmerited popularity. — (Applause.) The memento bears the following inscription: — " Presented with purso of sovereigns to Frank R. M'Gregor, for public services. St. Bathans, ?/10/08." Several others present spoke in laudatory terms of the good work done (especially during the past record winter) by Mr M'Gregor, and all hoped he might long remain in the district. The recipient's health was drunk with musical honours. Mr M'Gregor, in replying, thanked the district and the , commevoial travellers for their kind recognition of his work. •7* A very old identity passed away at Caversham on Thursday, Bth inst., in Mr Edwin Palmer at the age of 80 years. The late Mr Palmer was born in Australia, and went whaling at a very early age. Having, among o£her things, circumnavigated I the roasts of New Zealand, he eventually 1 settled at Taieri Mouth, and after a long residence there came recently to live at Caversham. This old .pioneer leaves a family of 12 and a number of grandchildren to lament his r decease. He had been ailing for some time. Mr T. M. Cunninghame, the retiring i town clerk of Oamaru, was entertained by I the Mayor and councillors on Tuesday, 6th inst. (writes our Oamaru correspondent). References were made by all the speakers (including other members of the council's staff) to the courtesy and consideration with which Mr Cunninghame had, during a t&vxn of liis office extending? over 31 years, conducted the duties of his position. On behalf of the council, the Mayor presented to Mr Cunninghame an easy ohair, and expressed the hope of all who had been associated with him that his retirement would be a long and happy one. Mr George C. Sawers, of "Victoria, and brother of Messrs Jas and Wm. Sawers (so well known in connection with the cheese industry of New Zealand) has been appointed cheese expert to the State of Victoria. He was manager of Cabrico Cheddar Company, Victoria, and acknowledged champion cheesemaker of the Commonwealth when the higher appointment was offered him, and his departure from Cobden was marked by a public- farewell and the presentation to him of a solid silver tea and coffee service. Mr Siawers learned his cheese-making in the Mataura ar.d Milton factories. A very pleasant function took place in the baKdroom at Waitahuna on Tuesday, 6tJi intt., when the conductor (Mr 6. B. Laidlaw), on the eve of his departure for BaUarat, was made the recipient of a handsome silver tea service Mr Fringle, the president, in making the presentation. €aid as Mr Laidlaw would be leaving the band {or a few weeks the members and supporters of the band desired to express their appreciation of the interest taken by him in. the band ever since its formation. They would watch with interest the Kaikorai Band at the Bailarat eon+est, and j confidently anticipated that most of tfe events would be annexed by f.hp band. The { tea service bore the following inscription. : " Presented by the Waitahuna Brass Band to G. B. Laidlaw, Esq., as a mark of appreciation and esteem, 1908." Mr Garden also referred to Mr Laidlaw and his work in connection with the band. Mr Laidlaw suitably replied, thanking the band for its handsome present and for the courtesy extended to him at all times by , its members. j The Mataura Prc6bytery has (says an Association message from Gore) decided to nominate the Rev. Mr M'Kenzie, of Nolpon, as^Mcdorator of the General Assembly. ■ The Wellington Presbytery has decided to i nominate the Rev. I. Jolly. I The Hone. G. M'L-san, J. R. Sinclair, i and G. Jones returned to their homes from j Wellington by the first express traiu on , Satnrda}'. ' There was an informal patherimr of the members of the Tuapcka Caledonian Society on Thursday evening (6aye the , Tuapeka Time*) for the purpose of making a presentation to Mr James Airev, who , ' has filled the position of secretary for the , : past nine years, and is leaving Lawrence i < in order to enter the service of the Rail- : way Department at Dunedin. Mr A. M. Eyes presided, and presented Mr Aircy with a travelling bag for himself and a handoome haiv brush for his wife. The Chairman said the gift* were accompanied , by the warmest wishes for Mr Airey's future, and these fcentiments wore echoed | by the other gentlemen present. . ' The news of tho death of Mr E. J. ■ Roughan. who has been a member ft£ tlio

i telegraph operating staff at Oamaru for the ■ past eight months, oamo as a great shock I to his brother officers. Mr Roughan had » contracted pneumonia, and had been iK ! but a week when death removed him. The i body, which was to be interred at LawI rence, was followed to the Railway Station by a number of the members of the > ( local post and telegraph staff > | News hos been received of the appoint- > men* of Mr A. «£. Acheson to the position. • of assistant professor ' of mechanical en1 gmeering at Syracuse University, New York. Mr Acheeonr who is a Southland ' t you™' received his training at the School ■of Engineering, Canterbury College. On. tne completion of his course he worked ; with the Westinghouse Air Brake Com- | pany, and with the Wellington-Manawatu • Company, and held a position in the Wellington Technical School. In 1900 Mr Acheeon joined the Westinghous© Electrical Manufacturing Company at Pitteburir. ._ United States. The Kaikoucra correspondent of the Press reports (says an Association message) that though a strict search has been made no trace has been found of the missing Government road overeoer (Mr Watson), who. disappeared on Tuesday week. There is lirtle .doubt that he has been drowned in the Clarence River, and the body washed ' out to sea. A Gisborn© message announces the death : of Mr Peter Niv«n, at the age of 80. He ha<t -lived. 4o years in the district, and had never left it. Mrs Sutherland, wife of Mr F. Suther- ' land, flaxm-ilkr, . of Nightoape, died -with pamful suddenness at Invercargill on. Friday afterncon. Heart failure ie understood to have been the cause. The deceased was 29 years of age. The late Mr Joseph Robinson, who died at Riverton last Wednesday, landed at the Bluff in 1863. He then proceeded to Invefcargill, and worked at hia trade for a year, when he went to Riverton, where he commenced business as plumber and tinsmith, in which he had worked up a wide connection. For a number of years deceased was a member of the Rivertom Borough Council, he was captain of the old Riverton Volunteer corps, eventually retiring with the commiseicn of lieutenant, and at the time of his demise was a member of tha School and AtSienaaum Committeee.