OBITUARY

Pelorus Guardian and Miners' Advocate., Volume 22, Issue 66, 25 August 1911, Page 7

OBITUARY

Mr William Campbell, one of the very earliest identities of this district, died suddenly in the Masonic Hotel on Wednesday morning. Deceased had came across from Mr D. Wells’ homestead, where he has lived for several years, on the previous day to consult Mr Williams, dentist, and appeared to be in his usual robust health He was beard moving about his room early in the morning, but later was found lying dead on the bed, partly dressed. The coroner (Mr Floranee, S.M.) decided that an inquest was unnecessary, and the burial took place yesterday, at the local cemetary. Both Ministers being absent from Havelock ■ v a funeral service was read by Mr Powell. Deceased arrived in Nelson

from Glasgow, in 1858, and entered the service of the National Bank there, but tiring of an indoor occupation he found his way to Havelock in 1862. In that year Mr W. Parnell, sen., had a contract from the Superintendent of the Province to fall about four miles of bush to form a road from Manx’s Hill to the Kaituna Eiver, and Mr Campbell and a man named «Skipper” Smith worked on the contract till it was completed. Afterwards he worked at Brownlee’s mill in the Kaituna, and while there he “ grub-staked ” Mr C. Jackson in the prospecting expeditions that led eventually to the discovery of gold at Oullensville. For years the deceased lived in Long Valley, and used to express his conviction that there was a rich reef 'thereabouts. He was a kindly-hearted, st aightfo ward old chap, and, as “ Maori Campbell,” he will be remembered for many years as a fine type of the miners of the early .days. He has relatives in Ontario, Canada, and is supposed to have two brothers in the Auckland Province. He was 75 years of age.