THE LATE MR ROBERT WILSON.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VI, Issue 893, 18 September 1879, Page 2

THE LATE MR ROBERT WILSON.

T , The late Mr Robert Wilson, who met 3Wth his desh ,1^ the. calamitous fire, jvas well kn&wii^h Dunedin and other parts of^jQ&igdf Although a man of great experience of the world, and. the possessor of a large fund of valuable knowledge of a most varied kind, lie was singularly retiring and unobtrusive m his disposition, and after righting the battle of life for neafly 60 years, he .was left with much' of' that simplicity of character- which. T i& one 5 , 6f tho, chief charms of childhood. A kindly, ' plea-sant-spoken old man — one whose very presence told of a guileless life, — those who were intimate with' him could not but think that he had never wittingly wronged a fellow .being. His circle of friends was perhaps not a large one, but it embraced many, who recognised in"' him qualities that must always command respect. In his religious views he was the roverse of orthodox, but he never obtruded his opinions upon those to whom they might have proved distasteful, and, setting a good • example to others of his own mind, he was gentle and considerate even m his unbelief, When the ruins of his dwelling were cleared away he was found with his head bowed upon his arms, with the remains of his wife and little ones huddled around him ; but his friends will know that when all hope of escape was lost, he met the inevitable m the full belief that the parting with those of his loved ones who might chance to survive was not for long. The brief journey from this to another world had no terrors for him, and it may safely be said, that he died, with peace and confidence m his heart. He wa3 a native of Ireland, and at a very eaily age went to A merica to seek his fortune, much against the advice of his friends. He first settled m Louisiana, where, we believe, he learned " the art dhd mystery " of printing. He was connected with several newspapers there, and eventuallly became the proprietor of one, and attained a very good position. After some years of success he was burned out, and then decided to go to Stockton, California, where he opened a large general store, and was again prosperous. At Stockton he was again a heairy loser by fire, and he was afterwards employed m collecting tree seeds. While, thus engaged he was a membev of one of the first partift of white men who entered and explored the now celebrated Yosemite Valley. He next devoted a Considerable time to , the study of agriculture, and then decided to try his fortune in ' Australia. He reached Sydney more than 25 years ago, and took again the printing trade. Before leaving- New South Wales he married the wife who died with him yesterday— then a girl of only 15 years —and shortly afterwards started for Victoria. After remaining a short time m Melbourne he went to Castleraaine, where he opened a stationer's called the Miner's Right. From Castlomaine, where he narrowly escaped loss by fire, he went to Inglewood, and : there made acquaintance of Sir Julius — then Mr---Yogel. When Mr Yogel left for Ne>Zealand Mr" Wilson became the proprietor of the Inglewood Advertiser, which he carried on untiP 1862, When he was again burnt out, and almost ruined by the great fire which nearly destroyed the whole township. Acting on Mr. Vogel's advice, he turned his attention to New Zealand, and arrived m Dunedin about the end of. 1862. The Daily Times -was then the property of Messrs. Yogel and Cutten^and' Mr; Wilson soon obtained the position of publisher, which he held until about three years and a-half ago, when he was appointed sub-editor Otago Witness. He was indefatigable, m the discharge of his duties, and is well known m various parts of the country as the author of a series of articles entitled " Chats with the Farmers." He has a a brother m Wellington, and a brother and sister m Gippsland,. Victoria. . We are glad to hear that his two surviving children, aged respectively 1G and 13, are now considered out : or danger"; but up to the present time they are ignorant of the fate of those who were so dear to them, and we are sure that m the great trial before them they will have the heartfelt sympathy of all who have read the sad story. Mr. Wilson's life Avas insured m the Government office for £100, and it is not at all probable that the rerunning members of his family are adequately provided for..

Twenty-ffve years ago a Missouri boy' left his home and started out to become President of the United States. He got as far as Cincinnati. Tho boy is now a man, and is one of the best shoemakers m the Ohio State Prison. A man was boasting that he had an elevator m his house.' "So he has," chimed m his wife, " and he keeps it m a cupboard m a bottle labelled 'sar» dines."' A wife at Portland, Me., oalls her hus-. band home at nights by firing a skyrocket from the roof of the house. When the rocket goes up he goes for home.