PERSONAL ITEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2955, 2 November 1910, Page 38

PERSONAL ITEMS.

Mr G. R. Sykes (says a Masterton telegram) has definitely decided to contest the Masterton seat in the Opposition interest against Mr A. W. Hogg. Dr Ethel Orchard has joined Dr Rosa Collier in practice, alternately in Balclutha and Clinton and surrounding- districts. Dr Orchard was trained in Edinburgh with Dr , Collier, and has practised in Christchurch in conjunction with her brother, Dr Orchard, for the past five years. The invitation which the congregation of First Church has agreed to send to the Rev. Graham Balfour- has been numerously signed by officers and members, and in response to a cablegram which was sent to the rev. gentleman at Hongkong, starling the stops tliat have been taken, a favourable reply has been reo3ived. At a special meeting of the committee of the North-East Valley School, on the 24th, it. was decided to recommend Miss Mary H. Colquhoun and Miss Gertrude M. Blair for the positions of second and third assistants respectively id the school. The Tuapeka Times records the death of Mr James White, another of the pioneers of the district. He came to Gabriel's Gully in 1862, and settled there, remaining Till his death on the 19th inst. He was in his eighty-second year. To visitors to Gabriel's Gully who were fortunate to meet him he was a very interesting man to discourse with, and could recount man}' stirring incidents of early mining experiences, and it is matter for regret that he was not spared to take part in the QabriePs Gully jubilee celebrations next year. News from the Chatham* (states the Press Association) reports the death of Mr J. Engst, a member of the original German mission- bo the group in 18427 Mr Erngst was born in Germany in 1819. The mission settled first on Te Wakuru in 1842, and moved later to Waifcangi. Gradually the members drifted into trade, several of them engaging in the transport trade between the ChatEams and Kcw Zealand and Australia. At the time of the gold rushes. Mr Engst went into partnership with Mr Baueke, another member of the mi&siion, and exported sheep and produce to Australia, and bought Wharekauri Rum. Mr Baueke came to New Zealand in 1666, and Mr Engst remained at the Chathams, where latterly he had lived in retirement. There passed away quietlv early on the 24th inst.. at 93 St. Andrew street, a,n old and widely-known ra=ident of Dunedin, Mrs Walter, relict of H. J. Walter, in her eighty-second year. In the very early days of Dunedin Mr and Mrs Walter were the proprietors of the Occidental Hotel in Manse street. Mr Walter took an. active pari in civic affairs, and was Mayor of the city in 1875-76, aird again from 1878 till 1880. A number of years ago they removed to Wellington, where Mr Walter was in business for some years. About three years ago, after her husband's death, Mrs Walter came to reside in Dunedin. For more than two years past she had b?en an invalid, and had been confined to her bed, the result of a paralytic stroke, but one or two close friends showed a considerable interest in her right through her illness. Tho deceased lady was a woman of more than ordinary parts, a g-reat reader and thinker, and, owing to her charitable and kindly nature* had many warm friends.

At the conclusion of the practice on I the 18th instant the choir, at the invitation of Mr Patrick, choirmaster, met at his residence for the purpose of making I a presentation to Miss Gladys York, who, j with her parents, is leaving Waitahuna to I take ud her residence in Dunedin. Mr : Garden, on behalf of the choir, presented ! Miss York with a handsome purse, while | Mr Patrick performed a similar duty bv ! handing her a gold brooch, and in doing i so thanked her for services ever willingly j rendered, and exnressed his regret at her j departure from Waitahuna and his kindest I wishes for her future welfare. Mr York suitably acknowledged the gifts on behalf of his daughter The Mount Ida Chronicle reports that a deputation consisting of Messrs P. Kinney, M. Pre.idergast, W. D. Mason, T. Dowling, and J. M'Lean waited on Mr J. J. Ramsay. at Mr R. Trotter's residence (Pine Grove), for thn purpose of presenting him with a w-ell-filk-d nurse of sovereigns and an address. The address was of a sympathetic nature, expressive of regret at Mr Ramsay's enforced retirement owing to illhealth. The signatures to it were Messrs M. Prendergast (hon. sec), P. Kinney (treasurer), W. D. Mason, A. W. Tindall. J. M'Lean, T. M'Clintock, J Fowler, T. Dowling, and A. C. Gray. Orepuki Presbyterians have unanimously resolved to )>roeeed witli a call to Mr J. Lopdell to th" vacant charge (caused by Rev. H. T. Blair's translation to Matawhero, Poverty Bay), as soon as he was in a position to accept. Mr Lopdell was formerly in charge of Mokoreta-Waikawa mission, in which district he and his wife were held in the bgheat esteem. Mr Thomas Hartley died at Papakaio on the 25th October say* our Oamaru correspondent). The deceased gentleman for some time past had been in failing health, and last month had a paralytic stroke, gradually failing «irice then. He was born in Loighby. Yorkshire, in 1834, and was therefore in his seventy-seventh year. With his wife and young family he came to New Zealand, landing at Port Chalmers in February. 1863. From Port Chalmers he went direct to Oamaru. and for 17 years engaged in agricultural work. During that time he interested himself in the formation of the first horticultural society, and was also one of the founders of the pioneer cricket club of the district. In other sports he took an artive interest. In 1880 he went couth, and was engaged in farming in the Winton district for seven years. At the end of that time he returned to Oamaru and acquired a farm at Papakaio, where he has resided ever since, improving the farm bv a comnrehensive system of drainage. The deceased is , survived by Mrs Hartley, and he also leaves three sens (Mr John Hartley, of Papakaio, Mr Albeit Hartley, Invereargill, and Mi Witt. H. Hartley, of Oamaru), awl four daughters (Mrs R. Markland. of Oamaru. Mrs A. Kennedy, of Windsor, Mrs J. Frame, of Dunedin, and Mrs M'Leod, of Papakaio). His descendants also Include 31 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. The late Mrs A. S. Familton was a daughter of the decease*! gentleman. ! Mr Charles Sehilsky, examiner for Trinity College of Music, commences examining in Dunedin on November 10. The examination will occupy about, rrine days. 4 cablejfrasa beam Sydney armouries

the deaths of Major Morris, of the Royal | Australian Artillery, and Colonel Strong, Organiser of the New South Wales Owlets and for many years Commandant of the New South Wales School Cadets. Two ex-Cromwell young- men, Messrs H. Orr and C. Tizard, returned on October 22 (says the Argus), after a ihree years' sojourn in the dredging fields of South America and West Alrica. The Green Island School Committee has accepted with regret the resignation of Miss W. A. Valentine, who has occupied the position of fourth assistant with credit to herself and the school. Mrs Gardiner, wife of Mr- William Gardiner, died on Sunday evening. Mr Gardiner was making preparations to leave Mataura for Invercargill, and a great deal of sympathy is felt for him on account of his untimely loss An interesting fact mentioned by tho Rev. R. M. Ryburn at the jubilee conversazione in First Church, Invercargill, on Wednesday, October 26, was that two ladies who were present at the first communion held in the church (50 years ago) were present at the special jubilee service last Sunday morning. They were Miss Cochrane, of Invercargill, and Mrs Livingstone (daughter of Dr Burns), of Dunedin. The Rev. A. Watson, who is leaving Alexandra to take up new duties at Warepa-Chitha. was entertained at a farewell social by the Alexandra cong-regation on October 21. The chairman (Mr J. Smart), on behalf of the congregation, presented Mr Watson with an oak bookstand suitably inscribed. Mrs Watson was the recipient of a brooch. Mr Watson also received a leather letter-case from the Boy Scouts and a pocket letter-case from the Young Ladies' Bible Class, while Mrs Watson and Miss Stewart were presented with handsome nurses by the Ladies' Guild. Mr Watson, in reply, said he was much attached to the church, which was hTs first charge as a student four years ago, fresh from college. It was a sense of duty which had originally made him think of a change and a duty to the congregation, which he was of opinion would now be better for a change. The Gore papers report the death of Mr Carl Hagen, one of the oldest local old identities. Mr Hagen, who was a native of Lubeck. Germany, arrived at Fort Chalmers in 1866. After about two years he entered into partnership with Mr H. Reunert as travelling photographer, subsequently settling in Mosgiel, where he married. In 1878 he settled at Gore, and carried on business there till failing health caused his retirement' in 1891. Mr Hagen was a prominent Freemason and an old member of Lodge Harvev. He was respected by all who knew him as an upright, thoughtful, and unobtrusive man. He had been confined to his room for about eight months as the result of a paralytic stroke. He leaves a widow, but no family. The Rev. Mr Watson, the new minister of the Warepa and Puerua charge, was inducted at Warepa on Thursday. Mr Gideon Scott, formerly of Tahakopa, is to join Messrs Donald Redd and Oo.'s Balclutha agency in place of Mr Miller, who has" retired to commence business at Owaka. - At last week's meeting of the Tader'i County Council a motion instructing the clerk to convey an expression of the council's sympathy to the widow of Mr William Snow, a past chairman of the council, wa» passed by the members standing. The Presbyterian congregation of the Knapdale jjarish has extended a call to Mr Hardy, a divinity student, who has recently completed his theological course. A meeting of the Mataura Presbytery will be held on Tuesday next to consider the call. Mr W. J. Lory, who has acted as agyiit j»t Palmerston for Messrs Dalgety and Co. for the past four years, and who is shortly leaving the district, to take up the position of auctioneer in the Oamaru branch of the company, was entertained at a social on Monday, October 24, and presented with a handsome watch chain and sovereign case, the latter bearing a suitable inscription. The toast of the recipient's health was en thusiastically honoured, and clieens were given for Mr and Mrs Ixjry. Mr A. W. Lilly has been appointed organist and choirmaster at All Saints' Church. Mr Lilly ha*.-; held the position j of organist at St. Matthew's for the last i 20 vear-s.

On Wednesdiy, Oct. 26, there died suddenly at Hampden Mr Alexander Grant, of Ardgowan and Hampden, a. well-known and highly respected resident of the Oamaru district. The deceased gentleman was (says the Mail) apparently in good health in the morning, but in the afternoon, wJiilc attending with two of his men to the burning of gorse and scrub, be was observed to fall while rurning up the hill to extinguish the flames which had ,got hold of a ' neighbour's fence. When his men reached him they found him to be dead. Mr Grant was 68 years of age, and leaves a widow and grovin-up family. On October 11 there was celebrated in Naseby the golden wedding of Mr and Mrs John Lory. Mr and Mrs Lory arrived with six children at Port Chalmers by the ship' Dunedin about the beginning of December, 1879. and went direct to their farm at Eweburn, where (says the Mount Ida Chronicle) they spent the first 17 years of their life in New Zealand, and where their seventh child was born. From Ewcburn they moved to the Girnmerburn. and after seeing their boys launched out for themselves, and all their children with one exception married, they retired to Naseby, hoping to spend the remainder of their days near their children, the majority of whom had settled in the district. The Macandrew Road Schoo! Committee at a meeljng held on Fridav night decided to forward tha name of Miaa Margaret E. Hastings to the Education Board as the candidate selected by it for junior assistant in the school. A Napier message states that Superintendent William Lucas, of the Spit Fire Brigade, died on Saturday morning. He j was a gold medallist of the L T nited Fire ! Brigades' Association, and immediate past i president of that body. One of Nasebv's oldest and most re- j specled residents died at Dunedin last j week in the person of Mrs William Moore, j The deceased lady, who was in her eightvseventh year, had been a resident in ; Naseby for 43 years, and leaves two eons j and two married daughters (Mrs Burgess, New Plymouth.. and Mrs R, P Rotting, i Dunedin). The funeral took place at. ! Naseby on Thursday, and was attended , by her sons and daughters and a large j number of grandchildren and greatgrandchildren, i