PERSONAL ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2861, 13 January 1909, Page 64

PERSONAL ITEMS.

The well-known football half back Oswald Crawfurd died on the sth at Wellington. Ho was a member of the Aihambra team in its palmy dajs, and was one of the idols of the football public. He represented Otago in 1889, 1890, 1891, 1892, and 1894. After he removed to Wellington ho played football there for a few seasons. Mr and Mrs Bastlake. well-known British artists who havo exhibited at the Royal Academy, will pay an extended visit to New Zealand. Mrs Eastlake is a sieter of Dr Bell, director of the N.Z. Geological Survey. Dr Bell's father and mother, who live in Canada, will also probably visit New Zealand in September next. The Outlook reports that the Rev. J. F. Gr. Orr, M.A., of Warepa, having continued his studies sin.cc coming to the Dominion five years ago, has secured the degree of B.D. from the London University. This is said to ba the first B.D. of the London Univeisity that has been won in the Dominion, if not in t-he colonies, and the Outlook suggests it should be an incentive to our students and younger ministers to pursue their theological" studies further and win the higher rewards of scholarship. Colonel Sir Theodore H. Brinekman has written to Mr T. E. Donne stating that he intends to visit New Zealand this month and will stay on for the deer-stalking season in March. Colonel Brinekman is the third baronet of the line* created in 1831. He was born in 1862, and succeeded to the title in 1905. He served in South Africa, and was mentioned in despatches twice, was created a f\B. in 1900, and woar 8 the King's and Queen's medals and the South African modal with three clasps. His regi- ( ment was the 3rd Battalion of the Buffs. Mr John L. Bonnin, who lips been teacher at Pukekireki for somo yean, has (.-u>s the CluUia Leader) retired from the profession, and is for the present taking up his residence at Anderson's Bay. Mr Bonnin hni i been a faithful servant to the board for j many yo.irs, and in his retirement carries I with him the best wishes of many fiiends and pupils. On New Year's Day there passed away suddenly an old settleT in the person of Mr John Wright, of 8 Alpha street, Roslyn j (fot-me-rlv of Warepa). Mr and Mre Wright came out in 1858 in the 6hip Gala, a-nd lived for a few ye-arts in the Tokomairiro district. Mr Wright tried his luck at | Gabriel's Gully and at the Nokomai goldfield. More than 40 years ago he took up a farm in the Warepa di-trict, from which ho'retired about two years ago with a view to spend Ins remaining jears in Dunedin. j In the Warepa district, where Mr Wright : was bc-fit known, he showed considerable in- _ torest in rehgiou= matter*., heuig for many | yea-rs an elder in tho Preobyteiian Ohuioh, and he displayed especij* yitcre&t m visiting the tick. Since his residence at Rcolytn he was elact-cd an elder in the Roslyn Presbjtenan Church. Mr Wright was highly esroemed in the Clutha district for his integrjfcv as well as for the kindly spirit he manifested. He iwi a brother of the Rev. William Wright, of Columba Church, Oams.ru, and of Mrs J. A. Torranre of j Dnnedin. He leaves a widow and fan-.ily i of two son B (Mr John Wright, of Waiwora ' South, and Mr James Wright, of Gore). > and tlirto daughters (Mrs J. Golding, of Gore, and two others who reside at home). | aiid a wide ciicle of friends, who will ; mourn their lose. The funeral took p'aco i on Mondaj at Warepa, ami the large | immber of settlers who took part showed how highly the -deceased was esteemed by the people of the <l:6trict In which he had epent th© best part of Irs life. I The death is announc:d of Mr William j Russell, town clerk of Wir.rcn, at the age | of 68 jeais. He was bom in Edinburgh, ' a.ixl came vvitii hit parent*, by the ship j Lady Nugent, to Pmt Chalmers in 1850. I He lived at Noith-Ea^t Valley, Dunedin, vrml 1862 when he settled at Ryal Bu6h, Southland, an<l com men cod farming with hi= father and brothers. Ton jears later he was appoinW] elork of the Makarewa . Road Boa.iv), and held thai office until the J 9vh DettrnL.r. ISU, v>hcn the bu%rd v>as.{

7 merged into the Southland County Council. |Mr Russell had been census enumerator j for the counties of Southland, Wallace, and I Stewart Island since 1886, olerk of the Winton River Board, secretary of ihe School Committee at Winton, registrar of electors for Arawa, and clerk of the Winton Borough Council. A Press Association message states that the death has occurred at Christohurch of Mr William Stringer. The deceased, who was in his eighty-second year, was the father of Mr T. "W. Stringer, K.C. The Rev. Father Coffey, Adm., received a cable message on the 4th from the Right j Rev Dr Verdon anouncing his arrival at Adelaide. His Lordship (says the N.Z. Tablet) will probably reach Dunedin. on, Tuesday, January 19. At the Gaelic Society's Ceilidh held on j ihe 6th inst. the Rev. D. Maclennan, who 1 has left Chalmers Church to respond to a call from Edendale, was presented' with a purse of sovereigns as an acknowledgment of the valuable services he has rendered to the society during the 3£ years he has been in charge of Chalmers Church. A Hastings message anounces the death of Mr James Collins, aged 73, the owner i of Homewood Station, Kaikora, ft well- | known breeder of Romney sheep. He arrived in Hawke's Bay 40 years ago, and in the early days was a teamster. His was the first plough used in. the province. He recently presented £100 for a shield for rifle shooting. At the meeting of the congregation of St. Paul's Presbyterian Church, Wanganuf, j on the 6th (reports the Press Association), the clerk of Presbytery reported that the congregation of First Church, Invercargill, had addressed a call to the Rev. R. M. Ryburn, pastor of St. Paul's congregation. After learning that Mr Ryburn wished to go to Invercargill, the meeting expressed regret at his removal, appreciation of his ministry during the past 11 years, and decided to acquiesce in the call. A private note received by the N.Z. I Tablet conveys the information that the ; Rev. Father M'Mullan, of Ranfurly, has i had an extensive and instructive trip i throiigh Continental Europe and the Holy , I>and. On November 22 he reached Port Said from Palestine, and 3ailed for Australia by the Messageries steamer tarra, 1 reaching Melbourne on Christmas Day. j After a stay in Australia Father McMuilan returns to New Zealand. Mr A. D. Ross, formerly of bhe Dunedin branch of the Bank of New Zealand, baa been promoted to the managership of the Royal Bank of Australia at Ballaxat. The death of Mr James Wilson, son of Mr Robert Wilson, is reported. Tha deceaeed, who was in his thirty-third year, was a native of Tokomairiro, and was educated at tbo local High School. la church matters he took a deep interest, and eventually entered into homo missionary work in connection with the Presbyterian | Church. Failnig health caused liim to leave | Mungaweka for Motueka, where he died on the 2nd inst. A Nelson message amnounoes the death of Mr J. T. Cat ley, who was for 40 years employed in the Lands Office and was Rei ceiver of Revenue. The death also occurred at Nelson of Archdeacon Wright (Anglican), after a long illness. | The remains of Pia Ihac'a, mother of the ' guides Maggie and Bella, were laid to xest in a family vault at Whakarewatewa, Jaet week, the Rev. F. A. Benr«tt conducting the funeral service. Fully 1000 people were present. j On Wednesday, 6th inst. ,(writes our . Naseby correspondent) a very large mm* j bar of people assembled in Naeeby to mark ! their appreciation of the services rendered to the county, the borough, and the various local bodies by Mr William Guffie, who, by J reaeon of advancing years, ie retiring from! public life. Mr Kitwiey (chairman of the Maniototo County Council) presented Mr j Guffie with a well-filled pureo of sovereigns, , and expressed the hope that the reoipiienfc { would be spared to live mamy yeare of happy smd useful life. Mr J. R. Sonith ~ , (Mayor of Naseby) and several others also i spoke of Mr Gufne's good qualities as a 1 public man, and after Mr Guffie had j thanked the donors for their handsome present, ho was accorded three cheers by those present. j The death is announced of Mrs Hurafc, I wife of Mr I. Hurst, who had been a I resident of Oamaru for the past 34 years, and for the last 45 years had resided in New Zealand. She arrived in the colony in 1863 by the ship Telegraph, and resided at Onehunga till 1875, when she came to Oamaru. There, with the exception of a brief period, she has resided since the year mentioned, and earned the respect and esteem of all who knew her. In a letter received by a resident of j Alexandra from Mr W. S. Laidlaw. the latter gentleman, who is~ now resident in I Scotland, states that his health has considerably improved as the result of his stay in the Old Country. Mr Laidlaw, who is accompanied by his wife, expects to sail for New Zealand in July next. On arrival in the Dominion Mr Laidlaw will (says the Herald) again take up his residence in Alexandra. The Alexandra Herald records the death of Mr Arthur Eustace, of Galloway Flat which occurred at Dunedin on Christmas Day after a short illness. About three weeks prior to his death the deceased went to Dunedin to undergo an operation for varicose veins, and although the operation was euccessfully performed death followed soon afterwards. The deceased gentlemen who was only 31 years of age, and who leaves a widow and five young children, was well known in the district, having worked on the Olrig dredge for a number of years right up to the time of his departure to undergo the operation. On Tuesday, sth inst., the staff of tne '" Dunedin Railway Goods " met to make a. presentation and bid farewell to Mir D. M'Phe.'ion, night clerk, who is retiring on superannuation after 35 years' roitinuous service. Mr M'Phor*on joined the " Dunedin and Port Chalmers Railway " in 1873, under the Piovin.-ial Government, \,pfore the opening of the lines north and < : outh, and ha? since bc>n in charge of Pelichet Bar, \Lbotsford, Clinton and Wsutahuna .Stations respectively, finishing vi on the clerical =taff at Duaadin. Mr D. Wallace, jjoo.ls a^ent, in a happy pp^eoh. nia-le the presentation, eon-hting of a Mosg:el vug, Gladstone bag, and a handsomely Uonnd volu'ne of TennjsorTs poems Mr I. W. Read and Mr W. R. S. Moarns a'f.,o spoke, voi< i'i^ the respect in which Mr M'Ph^rton w&s held by the entire staff. Mr M'Phereon feelingly replied, thanking the donors for their handsome and useful gifto, and indulged in <=ome racy reminiscences of the rariv railway da\« under the pro■vir.cial regime, cornea: mg the present ad-

Tinoed position of matters with those preTftiling in former times. After a vancanoy extending over some considerable time, the Presbyterian charge at Edendale is again possessed of a minister in the Rev. Duncan Maclennan, MA., late of Chalmers Church, Dunedin, who was inducted to the charge on Tuesday, 6th tnst. The induction service took place in Edendale Church, in tbe presence Of ft very large congregation. Three ministers of the Primitive Methodist Church of New Zealand are passengers by the Athenio, which leaves London this Week. One. the Rev. Knowles Smith, of Paisley, will be stationed at Dunedin, while another vacanoy to be filled is the charge of the ohuroh at Porirua, now being "supplied" by the Rev. J. Nixon, of Christchurch. The death occurred on the Bth inst. of Mr William Wood, proprietor of Wood's Private Hotel, dt his residence, No. 3 Rattray street. Mr Wood was only 58 years of age. He was well known in business circles, and took a large interest in mining matters. In addition to those Dunedinites already mentioned as being successful in the Christohurch competitions, the essay, "Does the abolition of licenses tead to the realisation of the highest social ideal?" was won by Mr £. G. Boraney, of this city. Colonel A. Penton, of the Ordnance Board, Woolwich Arsenal? and formerly Commandant of the New Zealand Forces, has been appointed to the command of the Royal Arftilery ak Malta, with the local rank of major-general. This is a very important artillery command. Malta is an Imperial fortress and a naval base ; it is garrisoned by about 7000 Imperial troops, of whom about 2000 are artillerymen. A Christohuxch message reports that Mr ~F. Waymouth has resigned his position as managing director of the Canterbury Frozen Meat Company. The resignation will take effect on let March next, when Mr Waymouth proceeds to England to attend to oertain matters on behalf of the company. A Press Association telegram 6tates that the position of Crown Prosecutor at New Plymouth, rendered vacant through Mr W. Kerr becoming a magistrate, has been filled by the appointment of Mr Thomas Weston. Mr Win. Austin proceeds to Chrietehureih next week to take over the management of ■Messrs Briscoe and Co.'s business there during the absence on holiday leave for 12 months of Mr Bruce. Mr Austin 13 president of the Dunedin Bowling Club and a member of the council of the New Zealand Bowling Association, and his i atsanee will bs regretted by his many bowling friends. A Press Association telegram from Ghristehurch reports the death of Mr John Baldwin, who from 18S2 up lill a few yeans ago occupied the position of head master of the Sydenham State School. The deceased gentleman, who was bore at ] Basingetoke, Hampshire, in 1840, arrived in New Zealand in 1874, having -beeai engaged by Lord Lyttelton for educational eorvioe in Canterbury. Mr Baldwin was for eight and a-haK years master at Brookside, and then 'took up the post at Sydenhejn, which he filled with such distinction and for so long. The deceased gentleman probably laid the foundations of the State School Cadet system, as it was his wont every year to take a large contingent of schoolboys over to Governors Bay for an encampment on military lines. The Sydney Morning Herald of January * announces the death of Mr Joseph O'Brien, a well-known, journalist, at tho i age of 67 years. Mr O'Brien was a native of King's County, Ireland, and when ho had left echool he joined the 14th Regiment, then under ordera for New Zealand, to take part in the Maori war. Having 6erved with distinction in that campaign, he remained in Victoria when his reg-i---ment wa« ordered Jionre, and svbscquent!;*; went to Sydney. He was leader-writer on one of the Bendigo dailies, and 1 aftei wards, returning to Sydney, he held the position of sub-editor of the Bulletin for eomc time. About 20 yeara ago he jcincd the staff of the Sydney Mai], and hie cultured writings in the "N'lmporte" column were a feature of that journal.