OBITUARY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3899, 4 December 1928, Page 66

OBITUARY.

The death is announced of Mr James Muir Barr, aged 69, formerly manager of the Auckland Savings Bank. A cablegram from Sydney announces the death of Mr R. H. Cambage, a distinguished scientist and formerly Undersecretary of Mines for New South Wales, aged 69 years. A veteran of the Crimean War and the Indian Mutiny, Mr Charles William Eyre, died at Tauranga, aged 94 years. After receiving his discharge in England he came to New Zealand 45 years ago, and settled in the Gate Pa district, where he had since resided. His wife died in March last, and there is no family. Her many friends in Dunedin will learn with regret of the death of Mrs John Maclean, who passed away in Wellington, yesterday. Mrs Maclean, after the death of her husband, lived for many years in Royal terrace, and subsequently left Dunedin to reside in Wellington. Of her family of five, three sons, Alexander, Donald and John, predeceased her, and she is survived by a daugliter, who is at present resident in Wellington, and a son, Mr W. M. Maclean, who is well known in commercial circles throughout New Zealand, and was at one time prominently connected w’ith cricket in Dunedin, having been one of the founders of the Dunedin Club. Lieutenant-colonel C. E. Andrews, 0.8. E., A.A. and Q.M.G., of the Northern Command, was found dead at his home at Remuera on Thusday morning. He had not been on duty since Friday. His wife is absent in the South Island. Lieutenant-colonel Andrews was assistant adjutant and quartermaster-general, Nothern Command. Born in 1875, the deceased officer served 15 years in various branches of the volunteer movement, and was first appointed to commisioned rank in March, 1911. In the late war he saw service in France, Belgium, Egypt, and Gallipoli, and attained the rank of major. He was promoted to his present rank in 1927. From March 1, 1916. to July 5 Colonel Andrews was second in command of the Otago Regiment, N.Z.E.F. He was awarded the 0.8. E., and was once mentioned in despatches. There passed away at his residence at Pa’merston North a very old colonist in the person of Mr Thomas Ross. Born in Ross-shite, Scot’and, in 1840 he had attained his eighty-eighth year. With his parents and their family the late Mr Ross to New Zealand in 1862, taking up land in Otago at the Taieri. where he lived for 38 years. In 1900 he left Otago for Palmerston North, taking up land again in Manawatu. Having retired some years ago the remaining years of his life were spent in Palmerston North. He took an active interest in St. Andrew’s and St. David’s Presbyterian Churches, having been an elder of both. A man of very exceptional capabilities lie lent a l.Jping hand to many. Two of his sons were killed in the Great War at the Battle of the Somme in 1916. He is survived by his widow, his son (Mr L. Ross. Wanganui), and daughters (Mrs E. Pullyn, Taumarunui, and Misses E. and O. Ross, Palmerston North).

A prominent figure in the Maniototo district for oyer 50 years passed away at Mosgiel in the person of Mr James Mitchell. Born in Glasgow in 1851. Mr Mitchell came to New Zealand in 1871 and set up business in Naseby as a builder. For many years he was closely identified with public affairs, being a member of the Naseby Borough Council, the Hospital Board, the Licensing Committee and numerous other local committees. Some 20 years ago Mr Mitchell removed his business and residence to Ranfurly, where he continued to take an active interest in public affairs. Many of the settlers in the Maniototo were indebted to Mr Mitchell for assistance in the early days when times were hard and money scarce. The deceased married Miss Elizabeth Currie, who predeceased him some two years ago. He is survived by three children—Mr Thomas Mitchell, of Ranfurly, Dr Garfield Mitchell, of Hednesford, England, and Mrs G. H. Shaw, of Mosgiel. The death occurred recently at Waipahi, of Mrs William M'Callum, who, having come to New Zealand by the s.s. Elizabeth Fleming, which arrived at Port Chalmers in 1867, had resided in the Dominion for 61 years. Her maiden name was Tait, and she was born at Altarstone, Peebleshire, in 1836. She was married in Dunedin and with her husband settled at the Salmon Ponds on the Waiwera River. After remaining there for some time they removed to Mr W. A. Tolmie’s Waipahi station, being taken across country in a wagon. Some years later Mr M'Callum was appointed manager of Mr James Logan’s Popotunoa Estate at Clinton, and remained in that position until the cutting up of the estate in 1894. Mr M'Callum, having acquired a portion of the estate at Waipahi, removed there. He passed away in 1911. His widow had a wonderful memory, which she

retained almost to the end, enabling her to recount the doings and hardships that were endured by the pioneers in the early days of the settlement. She is survived by two sons and a daughter. Mr W. H. Smeal, who died a few days ago at the age of 89, had resided in Otago since 1861, when as a young man he arrived by the ship Pladda. A shipwright by trade, be assisted in 1862 in building the Betsy Douglas, which was the first steamer built in Otago, and sailed on her maiden voyage to Taieri River and Lake Waihola on July 22. Mr Smeal was employed as a ship’s carpenter on board. For some years afterwards he worked at his trade in Port Chalmers. In 1873 he remove. 1 to Oamaru to assist in building the breakwater at that port. In 1877 lie joined the railway service in Oamaru under Mr Burnett, railway engineer, and for nearly 30 years he remained in the service, and assisted in building many of the railway bridges in Otago. He retired from the railway in 1905, in which year he had the misfortune to lose his wife. Subsequently he paid a visit to the Homeland, and on his return settled down quietly, making his home with members of 'his family—chiefly with his daughter, Mrs Whitburn, in this city, in whose residence he died. He was of a quiet and retiring disposition, of a kindly nature, and was highly respected by all who knew him. He was a member of Knox Church continuously from 1861 until the time of his death. He had a family of nine sons and one daughter. Mr Richard Norman writes: “ I notice, with regret, the death of my old friend. Mr Thoma: John Pearce, of Mount Bark. -. Pembroke. His father and mother came from England to Victoria in very early times, and soon after the gold mining broke out in Otago his father came over to try his luck, and at Cardrona he struck -a good cla'in, which on one particular occasion yielded a little

■ pocket ’ containing a bucketful of washdirt, in which there was several ounces of gold. Mrs Pearce and the family came over about 1866, three more being born at Cardrona. A few years afterwards Mr Pearce died in the Clyde Hospital after a lingering illness, and Thomas John, who was the eldest, remained at home, and led a very industrious, steady life. In November, 1877, Mount Barker block was opened for selection, and T. J. and his brother-in-law, the late John Bovett, obtained homesteads therg, and T. J. has resided there ever He planted a large number of trees round the house, and there is a fine avenue of trees from the house to the gate that would be v. distinctive ornament to a castle grounds. Mr Pearce was a very prominent churchgoer, taking the record for regular attendance, and when the glican Church was built he was the churchwarden; and when the district no longer supported a e’ergynian Mr Pearce was lav reader till his health failed. He leaves a brother and a sister and a number of nephews and nieces to sorrow over their 10.,5. On one occasion he took a holiday to Victoria in company with his youngest sister, Miss Rebecca, and subsequently got married to Miss Hodge, from there, but she died about a couple of years afterwards. He will be missed for many a day.”

MR G. W. MTNTOSH. The death occurred suddenly at his home in Wellington, at about 7 o’clock on Wednesday morning, of Mr G. W. MTnvosh, general manager of the national Bank of New Zealand. He was well known throughout New Zealand, particularly in banking and business circles, and was due to retire from active association with the bank at the end of next month. Mr Gorman William MTntosh was of Irish birth, but Scots parentage. He was born in Dublin in 1858, and went out from Liverpool to Melbourne in the ship Try with his parents when a small boy. The voyage took six months. After living for some time at Kyneton, Victoria, where his father died, Mr MTntosh, then aged 10, came to New Zealand with his mother, settling first in Invercargill. Later, the family lived in Dunedin, and afterwards moved to the West Coast. Mr MTntosh's great problem, young a« he was then, lav in supporting the household. This left but little time for school, college o r uni versity, or social entertainments. How ever, the greater the obstacles the more was he determined by night school and in other ways to improve his education, working as a lad in various occupations quite foreign to high finance. In March, 1875, two years after its foundation, he joined the staff of the National Bank as accountant at the Greymouth branch. His salary was then £l5O a year. Mr M Intosh s subsequent promotions were: —Sub-accountant at Dunedin, April, 1880 • accountant at Christchurch, September, 1882; accountant at Wellington, November, 1883; manager of the Te Aro branch, Wellington, October, 1889, and of Blenheim in December of the same year. He was interim manager at Wellington from April, 1897, to January, 1898, and inspector until December, 1898. He was appointed manager at Invercargill in July, 1907; at Dunedin three years later; interim manager at Auckland in February, 1923; and chief inspector, stationed in Wellington, from August, 1923, until in that same month of 1925 he was appointed acting general manager on the death of Mr A. Jolly He held the position of general manager of the bank from January 1, 1926. Mr MTntosh’s banking career was thus confined to New Zealand, and from first to last he remained in the service of the National Bank.

Mr MTntosh led a very active life apart from his industry as a business man, his chief recreations being fishl.ig and shoot ing, of which he was a very enthusiastic devotee. He was long connected with the acclimatisation societies of New Zealand, and was president of the Otago Society from 1911 until 1924. a member of the council of the New Zealand Association of Acclimatisation Societies, and a

member of the council of the Wellington Acclimatisation Society since 1924. During his stay in Dunedin, Mr MTntosh, besides his connection with the Acclimatisation Society, was prominently associated with the Competitions Society and the Orphans Club. He was an executive officer of both bodies, and was a past president of each. He-is survived by his wife, who resides in Wellington, and leaves a family of four grown-up daughters —Mrs J. F. Ewen (of Auckland), Mrs Tuppen (wife of Commander Tuppen, of ( H.M.S. Diomede, now resident in England), and two who are unmarried. At the executive meeting of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce on Wednesfeeling reference was made to the death of Mr MTntosh. A motion of sympathy was passed, members standing as a mark of respect. A letter of sympathy has been forwarded to Mrs MTntosh and family.

At a meeting of the Executive and Finance Committee of the Otago A. and P. Society, held on Tuesday afternoon, the following resolution was passed :- ‘".That this meeting places on record its great the sudden death of Mr G W MTntosh, late general manager of the National Bank, and its high appreciation of the valuable services he had rendered to the business community, and desires to extend to his wife and family its sincere sympathy in their sad bereavement.” MONSIGNOR O’DONNELL. We regret to record the death, which occurred at Invercargill on Sunday night, of the A ery Rev. Monsignor Patrick O’Donnell, of that town. This event was not unexpected, for Monsignor O’Donnell had to undergo a serious operation about three months ago, and, while he was subsequently able to visit Australia, it was recognised that there was no possibility of his recovery and he returned to NewZealand in order that he might spend his last days in the country in which he had lived for 40 years. He was born at Poulmanuc, County Tipperary, and was educated at Mount Mellaray for the priesthood. Upon his arrival in New Zealand he was stationed at St. Joseph’s Cathedral, in this city. The first parish that was entrusted to his care was that of Port Chalmers. Later, he was transferred to Gore, where he remained for many years and became a popular as well as a familiar figure, enjoying the respect of the non-Catholic community as well as the affection of the members of his own denomination. Two years ago he was transferred to Invercargill, and his elevation to the rank of monsignor was announced about the same time. Monsignop O’Donnell was recognised as a sound theologian, and was a member of the diocesan council and was also a diocesan examiner. Requiem mass will be held in Invercargill, and the funeral will take place in Gore.