OBITUARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3783, 14 September 1926, Page 33

OBITUARY.

A Greymouth message announces the death of Mr Adam Blair, aged 75, the oldest member of the Grey County Council, a prominent sawmiller, and the oldest member of the Greymouth Jockey Club. He arrived on the West Coast in 1866. The death occurred last week at Napier of Mr Rangi Thompson, the well-known cross-country horseman. Mrs Elizabeth Mathewson, who was one of the pioneer settlers at Port Chalmers, died at Renwick, Blenheim, on Tuesday, in her seventy-eighth year. Her husband pre-deceased her a few years ago. She leaves a grown-up family. A Hastings telegram announces the death of Mr Braddell, sub-editor of the Hawke’s Bay Tribune, formerly a well-known journalist at Ashburton, Stratford, Hamilton, and Invercargill, and for some years editor of the Colonist, Nelson. Deceased was 43 years of age.

The death has occurred at Wellington of Captain Joseph Hyde, aged 95 years. As a gunner he was in the Crimea and helped to serve the two 181 b guns at the battle of Inkerman, which outmatched the Russian artillery and silenced it at a critical stage of the fight. Captain Hyde’s description of it wa9 that ‘‘we blew the Russian guns and gunners to pieces ” He arrived in New Zealand in 1876, and lived first in Nelson and latterly in Wellington. He leaves 76 descendants, including hi 3 widow and eight daughters. The announcement of the death of Mrs Florence Elizabeth Milne, which occurred on August 31, will be received with profound regret, not only in Christchurch and Lyttelton, but in Dunedin and on the West Coast (states the Christchurch Press). The late Mrs Milne, who was born in Christchurch was a daughter of the late Mr R. B. Denniston, the well-known mining engineer, who discovered the rich coalfields in the Buller district, and who opened the coal mines on the barren plateau near Westport, where sprang up the township which was called “Denniston,” in his honour. After her marriage to Mr Alexander Milne, who was formerly manager of the Lyttelton Harbour Board’s freezing works, Mrs Milne made her home in Lyttelton. Later she lived in Sumner, and when her husband, after many years of ill-health, died a few years ago. she moved to Opawa, and there, as in Lyttelton and Sumner, she soon won the esteem and affection of a large circle of friends. Her gracious manner, her loyalty, her ready sympathy and genuine, kindness of heart endeared her to many, and of her it can be truly said that she never lost a friend. The death 19 announced of Mrs Janet Boyvie. M.R.E., who passed at her residence, Spencer street, Milton, on Friday. in her eighty-first year. Mrs Bowie was known throughout the district for her unflagging interest in charitable works. During the war period she was an enthusiastic worker in the cause of the Red Cross, having band-knitted no fewer than 730 pairs of socks for the troops overseas. For her work in this connection she had conferred on her the honour of M.B.E. The death is announced of Mr William Halliday, Invercargill, at the advanced age of 86 *-e»re (reports our correspondent!. He was closely identified with the pioneering da vs of Otago and Southland, and was one of those present at Gabriel’s Gully. In later vears he was connected with the timber industrv in Southland, and recently had lived in retirement in Invercargill. Another of South Canterbury’s pioneers passed away on Thursday in the person of Mr Henry Dunford, aged 84 years, at the residence of his daughter, Mrs J. A. Fisher, Guild’s road, Temuka (reports our correspondent). Deceased was born in Kent, England, in 1843, and came to New Zealand with his parents in 1851 in the old clipper Cressy, from which he landed at Lyttelton. The family settled down at farming in the Rakaia district, and Mr Dunford removed from there to Temuka in the ’seventies, where he resided to the date of his death. During his long life he enjoyed remarkable

health, and continued to be active to the * end. A fortnight ago he attended the funeral of his brother Alfred at Christchurch. He is survived by a brother, Harry, of PoAone, and six children out of a family of 13. The surviving children are Mr George Dunford (Hamilton), Messrs Charles and Edward Dunford (Auckland), Mrs Fisher (Temuka), Mrs R. Cross (Geraldine), and Mrs Moss (Sydenham, Christchurch). The death occurred at Timaru on September 4 of one of the old Tuapeka miners in the person of Mr Andrew Ree. The deceased was born at Letham, Forfarshire, Scotland, and came out to Otago in 1864. Even at that remote period there was unemployment in Dunedin, for the first work Mr Ree secured was napping stones at 2s 6d a day, for the Main North road near Evansdale. In the spring of 1864 he made his way to Gabriel’s Gully, and shortly after he and three others bought out Anderson and Vernon’s claim at Tuapeka Flat, from which they secured good returns for a time. When the rush to the West Coast broke out, the late Mr Ree and two mates journeyed to the Coast by way of Weka Pass. They were unsuccessful on the new field, and returned to Tuapeka, afterwards making their wav to Campbell's and Potter's Gullies, on the Old Man Range. Here for over 50 years Mr Ree continue J mining. Every spring he left for the hills, returning at the end of April. In 1912 Mr Ree left Potter’s for Coal Creek Flat, where he resided until 1923. His friends then prevailed upon him to forsake mining, and he followed gardening pursuits at Cromwell until a couple of months ago, when an attack of pleurisy necessitated his entering the Cromwell Hospital, this being the first occasion in his life that he had required medical attention. After a week in the institution he departed for Timaru, where he was kindly attended by friends, but he passed away last Saturday at the nge of 84 years. Mr Hugh Hart Lusk, who was very well known in Auckland in bygone years, died on Wednesday at the advanced age of 89 years. He was the youngest brother of the late Major Lusk, and came to New Zealand in 1850. Mr Lusk was a barrister and solicitor, and in the early davs went in for a political career. A polished speaker, Mr Lusk was very strong in his advocacy of free education for children. He was a member of the Provincial Government, and ruined what bid fair to be a fine

political career by introducing proposals for a poll tax for educational purposes. This attempt at direct taxation roused the people, with the result that Mr Lusk's public life was ended for some time. In indirect taxation the people have since paid a far greater amount per annum for education than was proposed by Mr Lusk. Mr Lusk was a member of the House of Representatives for Franklin in 1807* 77. He went to Australia in 1890, and from there to the United States, where he remained for many years. Since returning to Auckland he had lived a retired life, and for some years had been almost blind. Mr Hugh Lusk, Crown solicitor, Napier, is a son of the deceased. The death occurred at Palmerston North on Tuesday evening of Mr Charles A. M. Hirtzel, a veteran of the Maori wars, and a survivor of the engagement, Te Ngutu o Te Manu, in which Major Von Tempsky was killed. Deceased had been curator of the museum for many years.