PERSONAL ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2924, 30 March 1910, Page 29

PERSONAL ITEMS.

Rev. Father Lynch, who has been removed, to Gore, was met by the Rakahoaka parishioners prior to his departure, and presented with a. handsome address and a purse of sovereigns. An Auckland message states that the Rev. , Gray Dixon, minister of St. David's Persbyterian Church there, has received a call to the Presbyterian Church, Palmerston North, the vacancy being caused by the Rev. I. Jolly having accepted a call from St. Stephen's Presbyterian Church. Auck- ] land. j Mr W. M'F. M'Leod. who died at Opu-I nake recently, aged 74, was the last sur- ; yivor of David Livingstone's last expedition. He was one of the chief- mourners at the burial of Mrs Livingstone, away up the Zambesi River, in 1862. He was left in charge of the exioedition, and could recount many interesting incidents in connection with the great explorer. Mr M'Leod came to New Zealand in 1864. On March 17 (St. Patrick's Day) Miss Staunton (in religion, Sister M." Monica, lay sister), cf West Plains, Southland, made her profession in the chapel of the Immaculate Conception, St. Dominick's Priory, Dun■edin. His Lordship Di' Verdon, assisted by Rev. J Coffey, Adm., performed the ceremony. There were also present Rev. Fathers Vaughan (N.S.W.). Corcoran, Lis ton (Holy Cross College), J. O'Malley, and * D. O'Neill (South Dunedin), besides several relatives and friends of the newly-pro- j fessed sister.—N.Z. Tablet. Mr D. M'Neil, who for some time past | has been the lighthouse-keeper at Akaroa, ! Heads, and was for several years previously at Mokohinau, north of Auckland, has left for Sydney, where he 'will join the Orsova to travel to Great Britain. Mr M'Neil, who is accompanied by Mrs M'Neil. has six months' leave of absence, and will spend the greater part of his holiday '.n Scotland. Mr M'Neil has been in the lighthouse service of New Zealand, ; and shares, with one other keeper the dis- i tinction of the longest service. The death occurred on March 23 (reports the Press Association) of Cantain Humphreys, an eld resident of Nelson, at the \ age of 87. Captain Humphreys, who rose from the ranks, saw much service in India, and possessed several decorations. " Mr D. M. Cochrane, of Gore, was met on Saturday, March 19. by some 40 of hi* personal friends . and presented with a silver-mounted oak liqueur stand to celebrate his forthcoming marriage. Mr G. j J. Anderson, M.P. (reports the Standard), i made the presentation. Miss Dewar, who has rendered faithful I service as organist to the Gore Methodist Church for eight years, was en Sunday. March 20 nresented with a tea and coffee service. In addition a record of her work ' was placed in the books' of the church The appointment of a candidate to the vacant position, of head teacher of the i Strath-Taieri (Middlemarch) public school . took place on Monday evening- at a special meeting of the School called for ,the, .purpose. The choice of the committee fell upon Mr A. W. Tindail, at present head teacher at Blue Spur There were no fewer than 19 applicants for the position, the great majority of whom, j ranged from CI to B 3 in grade. A Press Association telegram states that Mr D. Petrie. chief inspector of the Auckland Board of Education for 17 years, has : resigned. His resignation was accepted with an acknowledgment of appreciation and j # regreb on. the part of the board. Mr Petrie was appointed chief inspector of schools in the Auckland district in 1894. He is well known in Otago, having been an inspector under the Otago Education Board from 1874 till 1694. On Thursday, 17th of Maa-ch 7 Mv Robert Morgan, of Thnaru. celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of his arrival there. Mv Morgan. arri%-ed. in Lyttelton in the year 1860, in the ship Clontarf. journeying thence to Timaru (after a 10 days' wait) in the little schooner of 50 tons that did all the maritime trade of Timaru at thai) time. When he took up his residence in Timaru there were no such things even is surf boats, wfoaring boate being used to . convey the little schooner's cargo to dry land. The only man now living who worked the old whaling boats to and troiif i the trading schooner, according- to th« knowledge oj Mr Morgan, is (says tlio . Post) Mr John Wild, who is still a resi dent of Timaru and whose age , is 85 ) years. ' ' Another old identity has passed awav by the death of Mrs T. S. Reeve, of King street, who arrived in the colony by the 6:s. Aldinga in .1861. The deceased Tady was highly" esteemed, and will be: sadly missed by a large circle of friends. She ' ieaves her husband, four sons, and five daughters. The death is announced of Mr J. T. MTntyre, of Otekaike, second son of. the late Mr Hugh . M'lntyre, Merino Downs. Mr M'lntyre left Waikoikoi about three years ago, principally on account of his health, and revisited the district about six

weeks ago in company with his wife. He twd ofietv Ail'ng fo- some year* past but ! ; .:: vendition was not considered jciiou; PI "• isceaiwd who was 62- year* of aa:e was a ii.'n o'l <<ei!inp. qualities, and' hjghlv as'/rein :a •by J* trbc knew him. •vL-i-o message Uom London states that Mi.: A. W. Whiielaw, of Auckland, has •';>o-.-ii -»;iiX>in:ed head mistress of Wycombe Aul-T/-..School. An Auckland message states ina.'. ~'j".\-5s White'.aw at present holds the

'josiiion of head mistress of the Auckland Gfi?"l ' Grammar School. She is an educationalist of great ability. Her career lias been one jf iininterrupted success, and she is now to assume-control of one. of the most important girls' schools in the. Empire. Miss Whitelaw was educated in Auckland, and was for nine years attached to the school to which she has just been appointed, being house mistress For six years. When the Auckland College and! Grammar School was divided into two sections she was chosen from a largo list of applicants to undertake.the work of organising and controlling the girls' section, and during the three and a-half years in which she has acted as head mistress splendid work has been accomplished. The Wycombe Abbey School, to which she now returns, was founded by Miss Dove iu 1896. The school is limited in numbers to about 230 pupils, all boarders, and these are divided into eight houses, "all in the grounds, which are some 33 acres in size. Excepting Cheltenham, the school is the largest girls' boawhng 6chool in England Mr R. A. Farquharson, B.A. (OxonJ M.Sc, P.G.S., the third New Zealand Rhodes scholar, is returning to the Dominion by the Orient liner Otway, via Sues. He is expected in Wellington next week, and will probably reach Dunedin by the end of the week.

The. Wyndham Farmer announces the death, at thd age of 29 years, of Mr Henry Jones, jun., from pneumonia. 'He was well-known throughout the Waimea Plainsand Eastern district as a brilliant and fearless horseman. ' '•'.»**• '

Sergeant Sfcagpoole, who is leaving Palmerston North .for Oamaru was (says the Press Association) tendered various presentations. He has received a Ma/sonic presentation, and on Saturday night Mrs Stagpoole was presented by the Mayor (on behalf of the citizens,; at a citizens' meeting) with a puree of sovereigns as a testimony of the esteem in which her husband is ! held. The president of the Rugby Union v also handed to her a-travelling rug as a memento of the-sergeant's services to the .Rugby Union, of'which he was a vice-pre-sident. *

A ' Feilding message states that Dr .Monckton. one of the oldest surgeons there, dropped dead at his gate on Friday afternoon, probably from heart disease. The deceased had been an' army surgeon in England, x He'came to New Zealand about 30 years ago, and lived at Invercargill. Whilst there he leased the Auckland Islands from the Government, and grazed sheep. Afterwards he lived at Greymouth. and then went to Feilding. He was Government vaccinator, and was mayor, in 1889. As a mark of the esteem in which Mr H. A. Martin is held in Gore, he was en Thursday ' afternoon (says the Southland Times) presented with a handsome gold watch and chain subscribed for by several townspeople, of Gore. The ceremony took place at Latham's Rooms, and Mr J. G. Anderson, M.P,, in , making the presentation, expressed, on behalf of all present, cordial wishes for Mr Martin's success in the North Island, whither he proceeds to assume the proprietorship of the newspaper at. Hunterville.

1 Mr George Stephenson, auctioneer at the Gore branch of Wright, Stephenson, and Co., was entertained at a social on Thursday for the purpose of bidding him farewell in connection with his forthcoming departure for Sydney. The Mayor of Gore (Mr A. A. Mac Gibbon) presided over a large and representative gathering, and alluded to Mr Stephenson's popularity in business circles in . the district. ' Mr Stephenson, who was presented with a travelling rug, a case of pipes, and silver sovereign case, suitably expressed appreciation of the gifts, and spoke of many sincere friendships he had made during his resi denes in Gore.

Mr and Mrs Johnston, of Waikouaiti, celebrated their golden wedding on Wednesday, the 23rd, the relatives present included seven daughters and several grandchildren, Mr E. Smith (son-in-law). Mr and, Mrs Tait (cousins), and Mr and Mrs J. \oung (Palmerston). The health of the aged couple was (says the Palmerston Times) proposed by the Re . S. J. Campbell, and Mr. Johnston suitably responded Mr and Mrs Johnston were married at Kuri (now Hampden) in 1860 by the Rev. Mr Johnston, whose parish at that time extended as far as the' Waitaki. At Wednesday's celebration Mr and Mrs Johnston were the recipients of many handsome and valuable presents.

•A large number of friends met at Islay Downs on Wednesday, 23rd inst., for the purpose of entertaining Miss Smith, who has been in charge of the Waihemo School for the past 12 months, and is leaving to take up a position in the Mornington School. During the evening Mr D. Fraser, oh behalf of those present, presented Miss Smith with ■ a handsome gold brooch as a small memento of her stay in the district, •and spoke in ■ eulogistio terms of the good qualities of the guest. On it becoming known that Mr and Mrs Niooll, after a residence of nearly half a century in the district had sold their fine home in Lancaster and lona streets with the intention of settling in Wellington, in order to be in proximity to their family, it was decided by a number of friends that they should not leave without taking with them tangible tokens of the high esteem in which they are held by the people of Lawrence and district. As the outcome of this decision, a subcommittee, consisting of Mr D. M'lntosh and others, waited upon Mr and Mrs Nicoll at, their residence on Tuesday night (says the Tuapeka Times) a.nd presented Mrs Nicoll with a beautiful gold-mounted umbrella (appropriately inscribed), and Mr Nicoll with a magnificent Mosgiel travelling rug and case of pipes (also bearing an inscription). Mr A. Gillies, oil and colour merchant, who has been a resident of Dunedin for 37 years, left by the - Victoria on : the 29th March, and will join the P. and O. Company's new steamer Morea, which will leave Auckland on April 13. Mr Gillies, who will be accompanied by Mrs i Gillies and daughter, will visit Rotorua prior to embarking for. Home. The death occurred on Friday, at Christj church, of Mr T. S. Asquith. ' He was an I early resident of Chrhtchurch, and was an

old and valued servant of the Christchurcli Press Company, having been in its employ tor over 40 years. Mr James Smith, one of the oldest journalists A note in Australia, died at Hawthorn (Melbourne) on March 19. He was 90 years of ago. He had been connected with the Victorian press for upwards ot 50 years. In 1854 he came out to Victoria, and a year later he joined the staff of the Age. An otter from the proprietors of the Argus drew him in 1856 to 'the editorial staff of that journal, for which he wrote Itsaders, literary articles, and dramatic (.-riticisiri.s.. He also contributed numerous arti«*es to the country press of Victoria. Some years ago his long' connection with the Argus was broken, and he resumed bis old place on the staff of tne Age with which lie was associated, principally as a literary writer and dramatic critic, up to the lime of his death.