PERSONAL ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2932, 25 May 1910, Page 34

PERSONAL ITEMS.

The Temuka Leader reports that Dr Hayes is very seriously ill in Christchurch, where he will remain for some time to undergo medical treatment. The Weekly Herald (Wellington) says that Mr J. J. Meikle. who was injured at Taranaki street wharf recently, is still on the sick list, and by all appearances he will be permanently affected. He is making but small progress towards recovery. . Dr Hedgkinson, who at one time took an active part in Southland affairs, but has for many years been living in retirement in Invercargill, has reached the age of 93 years, and is still in the enjoyment of good health. Our Wellington correspondent reports that Mr H. D. Bell, K.C., is making satisfactory progress towards recovery from his recent illness. For some months past Mr George Laurenson, the member for Lyttelton, has been in an indifferent state of health, and his medical adviser has now ordered that he shall refraitr from platform speaking and from taking any active part in public business. It is hoped (says the Lyttelton Times) that with complete rest in the meantime he may be able to take his seat in the House of Representatives at the opening of the session, but a good deal will depend upon the progress he makes during the next few weeks. Mr Henry Burling, of Wa.ika.nae, was 110 years of age on May 7. He' was born at Stratford, England, in ' May, 1800, 'and landed in Wellington by the ship London in 1840—70 years ago. He has lived under six Sovereigns—George 111, George IV, William IV, Victoria, Edward VII, and George V. A month after Mr Burling was born Bonaparte defeated the Austrians at Marengo. He was scarcely a year old when the French were defeated at Afcoukhand Copenhagen was bombarded by Nelson. At the age, of five he heard the news of Nelson’s destruction of the French fleet at Trafalgar, a.nd of the defeat of the Austrians and Russians by Napoleon at Austerlitz. When Mr Burling was 10 years old news came of Wellington’s repulse of Mip,ssena at Busaco and Fuentes-de-Onoro, and, subsequently, the storming of Ciudad Rodrigo and ’ the taking of Badajoz by Wellington. Such stirring events as the defeat of Marmont at Salamanca and the burn'"rig of Moscow by the Russians took place jyhen he was 12, whilst at 15 he could remember Ney’s repulse at Quatre Bras and Napoleon’s final defeat at- Waterloo (1815). Mr Burling has brought up a family of 13, and his eldest son, a boy over 80, shares with his father good health and happiness. Mr E. G. Simms, Government Pomologist, who has been stationed at Palmerston North for some years (says the Wellington Post) is being transferred to the Otago district. His headquarters will be Dunedin. .The death is reported of Mr F. W. Delamain, one of the most notable of the oldtime racing men. Mr Delamain “came to Canterbury in the early days, and was for some time a member of the Provincial Council. During the early seventies he owned several racehorses, including Templeton and Pungawerewere. The wellknown Valdhurst farm was first taken up by Mr Delamain, who named it after his ' uncle’s place at Home. He gave up racing in: IS?8 The Bluff Press reports that a serious illness has befallen Mr R, Canuck, journalist. For a number of -years he hag made his home at the Golden Age Hotel, Blair, and has contributed largely to the columns of the Bluff Press. Last week his condition became such that he wasi conveyed to the Southland Hospital. Latest inquiries indicate no improvement in his health. Messrs John M‘Kay and James M‘Kay, who are about to remove to Melbourne, were entertained by the settlers at Rae’s Junction, and presented with a travelling rug, set of pipes, and walking stick each. The opinion was voiced that the local church and school would suffer material loss by the departure of the two gentlemen. The death is recorded in the Tapanui Courier of Mr Donald M'Kay, one of Southland’s earliest pioneers. Mr and Mrs M‘Kay landed at the Bluff is* 1862, and went to

Mr Matthew Scott’s station at Ofcautau, Mr < M'Kay being a shepherd, and remained there many years. Then lie became manager of Five Rivers Station, and on giving up station life returned to Dipton, where he died. His sister married Mr Davidson, for many years station master at Sawyers’ Bay, and first guard from Dunedin to Bal- ; clutha. _ 1 The Ross Junction correspondent of the j Tuapeka Times refers in sympathetic | terms to the death or Mrs (Jotter ill in . the Dunedin Hospital. Her decease came j about from the intrusion of some foreign body in one of her thumbs. I his resulted in blood poisoning. Amputation of tho left hand was resorted to, but fatal consequences could not be averted. Mrs Cotterill was 54 years of age. Mr Edward Sturgess, who has been engaged as guard on the Outram branch line of railway, having received notice of his transference to Christchurch, was entertained on tho 17th inst. at ■ a farewell social at Outram, when as many as 50 per- ; sons assembled to do him honour and to express their sense of the satisfaction with which he had performed his duties as a public officer in the district. A tangible expression of the esteem of the residents was handed to Mr Sturgess in the form of a gold-mounted cigar-holder, a silver cigarette-holder, a snake sk in _ tobacco pouch, and a purse containing 23 sovereigns, while Mrs Sturgess was the recipient of a Kaiapoi travelling rug and -a. silver-mounted morocco purse. Mi- Wills presided at the gathering, and songs were sung by several residents, Mr Sturgess, jun., acting as accompanist. A brother of the Yen. Archdeacon Richards, whom he had not seen for 25 years, arrived in Lawrence on the 17th, and (says the Tuapeka Times)_ ; n tends spending a fortnight with his relatives. Mr Richards, who is a mining engineer by pro- j f ess ion, is from India, where he has for many years past acted as consulting engineer to a, large- mining company. Members of the Military Stores Department assembled in full force in the Cabinet room on the 18th (says a Wellington message) to witness the presentation by tho | Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) to Ser-geant-major Walter Christie of the Imperial service medal, recently conferred upon him by the Horae authorities as a, mark of recognition of his long and meritorious services. Sergeant-major Christie, j said Sir Joseph Ward, was also holder of j the New Zealand war medal, the New Zea- i land long-service medal, and the Colonial I Auxiliary Forces’ long-service medal. He ! joined the forces in 18*3, and served with the. troops during the Maori war. During ■ the attack on Pua pa, Opotiki, he was \ stationed near Captain John* Percy, who ; was hit in the groin by a bullet. The i sergeant-major at great personal risk carried his officer into the nearest cover, rendered “first' aid” under fire, and then carried the officer to the ambulance party. It may be added that the Imperial Service medal was only instituted by his late King Edward v II towards the end of 1908, and that Sergeant-major Christie is the first person in New Zealand on whom it has been conferred. Amid applause. Sir Joseph Ward pinned the medal on the veteran’s breast. Miss H. K. Dairymnle, 8.A., has-been , appointed assistant mistress in the Napier | Girls’ High School. ■ Colonel F. Fox, an officer of the Indian Army, who is interested in astronomy, and | who came out to Hobart to witness the 1 eclipse of the sun, is at present visiting the Dominion. A very old identity named John Poison died at Cromwell on the 18th inst. (says our correspondent). He had been in the Tarras district for 46 years, working- cn Morven Hills station from the 'earliest days. He was greatly respected, and leaves several of a family, who have married and settled in the district. j Speaking at Ealclutha on the 19th, Mr j Malcolm, M.P., made feeling reference to the death of Mr Baume,. M.P. He had | known Mr Baum© for over 24 years, and ! regarded him as an'upright politician and , fearless speaker. Parliament could ill | afford to lose such a man, and those who i knew him and his wife would deeply regret the loss his country and his family bad sustained in his death, and the bereavement she had suffered. By the death of Mrs Lewis, of Waipori, another early and much-respected settler ■has passed over to the majority. Pier connection with colonial history dates back to the late fifties, when she arrived with her husband in Geelong. Thence they sailed to New Zealand, and were amongst the first to arrive in the Gabriel’s Gully goldfields. In 1862 they left Gabriels, and went to Waipori, where Mrs Lewis lived till 1900, when she came to live with her daughter, Mrs Kerr, at St. Clair. In the early days Waipori was a much populated place. Its inhabitants have drifted to all parts of the island, and the death of their old and respected friend will cause widespread grief amongst the diggers of New Zealand. Dr Mac Gibbon (son of Mr T. MacGibbqn, of Mataura), has disposed of his practice and interests in Plawera, and is Leaving for the Old Country at an early date (says the Hawera Star). After a look : round he proposes to specialise in surgical ! work in London and Paris. His succes- : sor will be Dr W. M. Thomson, holder of arts and professional degrees, of the University of New Zealand, who also holds rank as captain in the Indian' medical service. He is a son of Mr G. M. Thomson, M.P., and a brother of the first Rhodes scholar sent Home bv New Zealand. Miss Irene Murray, daughter of the Rev. D. J. Murray, of Woslev Church. Cargill road, was appointed on Monday night la-st to tho vacancy in the South Invercargill School as eighth, assistant. Mr W. S. Ferguson, who has been for some time a clerk _ in the Public Works Office at Catlin’s River, was on the occasion of his transfer to Dunedin presented (says the Free Press) bv the members of the staff with a ease of silver-mounted pipes , and a watch guard, the gifts showing the high esteem in which Mr Ferguson was held-. A representative gathering of the families resident in the Mimihau and IMokoreta Ridges districts met cm Thursday (says the Wyndham Farmer) to bid a forma] farewell to Miss F. E. Healey, \yhJ| recently resigned her appointment as local schoolmistress, and Mr and Mrs J. F. Healey, her parents. Tho t goodwill of the parents found expression ip silver tea and 1 coffee service and oaken tray for Miss Healey, a rug for Mrs Healey, and an Umbrella and pipe for Mr Healey. The Free Press records the death at Puerua of Miss Janet. Dunn, who arrived in Now Zealand, bv tho Edvard Pago* in 1856, accompanied 1 - V- K-P-r* J.-mrs

i and Peter and a. niece Isabella, her David bavins; arrived by the Rajah She was followed two years later . hoi" mother and her brothers John and George and a- sister-in-law. All the above, with the exception of one (Isabella), she sa.w laid to rest in the Puerua Cemetery. Miss : Dunn was 82 years of age. j ■ Mr and Mrs A. J. Kitchen, who are j leaving the Palmerston district to reside lat Herbert, were entertained by their I friends and neighbours in the Shag Valley j Hall on Wednesday evening. During the I evening (says the local Times) occasion was j taken to present Mr and Mrs Kitchen with j a valuable travelling rug as a porting gift. Mr Kitchen had taken a keen interest in all matters pertaining to the welfare of the district, and was secretary of the Caledonian Society. Mrs Kitchen was also a kindly neighbour. The conclusion of 25 years’ incumbency of the Balclutha Presbyterian Church by the Rev. S. W. Currie was marked, by a particularly enthusiastic demonstration by j his parishioners, during which he was the recipient of a handsome gold watch, suitably inscribed. The gift to Mrs Currie was a silver-mounted toilet set, also suitably inscribed. The chair was occupied by Mr C. Dallas (senior elder), who incidentally mentioned that bo was the only one left who was in office when Mr Currie camo amongst them. Addresses were given by Messrs W. M'Elrea, A. Hutton, T. Johnston, R. R. Grigor, D. T. Fleming, Rev. Mr Hashing (Methodist), Rev. Mr Blathwayt iAnglican), Rev. Mr Dairympie, Rev. P. B. Fraser, and Rev. Mr Brown. Mr Currie made a very feeling reply, in which he thanked them for their evident sincerity and goodwill, and' be expressed the hope .'hat they would go on working together so that the record in the- years to come would be yet more successful, i The death of Sir H Aubrey-Fletcher, j M.P. for Lowes (Sussex), is announced; he was 75 years of age One of the earliest arrivals in New Zeac land, in the person of Mrs J. S. Douglas, passed away at her residence, Castle street, on Saturday. Mrs Douglas arrived at Port Chalmers as far back as 1849. in the | ship Mariner, with her parents, who took up their residence in the North-East Valley, where her father, Mr Hugh M'Fadyen, was the first town clerk. Mrs Douglas has resided 'n Dunedin ever since, having been married 39 years •*-o. She was 62 years of ago at the time of her death, and leav.es her husband, six sons, and two daughters to mourn their loss A Wanganui telegram states that Daniel j Pavlov, a. very old . resident of Taranaki and Wanganui, died suddenly as the result of apoplexy early on Sunday morning. I The deceased, who was 75 years old. 'came ■ to Now Zealand when about five years of I age. and, with his family, was residing in Taranaki. He has been a. settler in Wanganui district for over 30 years. Miss Agnes Sinclair, of Port Chalmers, was on the 23rd appointed assistant in the j secondary department of Port Chalmers Dis- | trict High School, vice Miss Ward, resigned. A Reefton message reports the death of two old pioneers of the Coast—namely, Mr A. Brown and Mr T. M. I<ee. The former was the earliest mine manager on the Coast, and the latter was the earliest stockbroker : in Reefton. | We understand that Mr W. Sawers ha-s I been appointed manager for the Stirling Dairy Factory, having been approached by I the directors of the company to accept the j position. Previous to taking up farming 1 four ‘years ago Mr S-awers was manager of the Stirling Dairy Factory for 20 years. The Rev. Mr Uphill from Rockhampton, North Queensland, will (says the Mataura. Ensign) arrive at the end of this month to t.alm charge of the newly-formed Anglican parochial district of Waimea, including Lumsden, Balfour, Riverton, and Waikaia.