OBITUARY

Southland Times, Issue 21089, 22 May 1930, Page 3

OBITUARY

MR JOSEPH SMITH. A VETERAN SAWMILLER. One of Southland’s oldest, most experienced and respected sawmill hands passed away at Dunedin on the 14th instant in the person of Mr Joseph Smith at the age of 78 years. . To his many associates in the timber world the news of his death will come as a considerable shock, for the late Mr Smith, “Joe,” as he was intimately known far and wide,, was of a kindly and unassuming nature which won for him the highest regard. Friendships .formed between men of the bush when proved true are everlasting, and this was the case with the late Mr Smith, who might justifiably be called the “Grand Old Man” of the bush. He devoted a lifetime amid the rasp of the cross-cut saw and the ring of the axe into stout timber,* and during that time he made many fast friends. There is scarcely a sawmilling centre in Southland and Otago where his name is not known, and the passing of one of Nature’s gentlemen, as an intimate friend, Mr Tom O’Byrne, described the late Mr Smith, will be deeply mourned. It is a far cry back to the days when Mr Smith, at the age of 12 years, landed in New Zealand with his parents from Cumberland, England. Three years later he commenced sawmilling and was continuously employed in the timber industry in different parts of Otago and Southland for 58 years. During the course of that, time he became well-known as “the knight of the bullock whip.” Latterly he was engaged for a number of years' as head tramway hand for Mr Bauchop, sawmiller, of Tokanui, and there he ended his active in the timber industry at the age of 73 years after an. exceptionally long period of faithful service, during which time he was ever ready and willing to assist his brother workers. Since then he letl a retired life with his family in Dunedin.

The late Mr Smith is survived by his wife and family 'of six sons and three daughters, who live in various parts of the South and North Islands, the sons being Tom and George, Invercargill, James, Timaru, Charlie, Dunedin, and Jack and Joe, North Island. He is also survived by three sisters, Mrs W. Dryden, Owaka, Mrs Anderson, Balclutha, and Mrs C. Painter, Otago, and three brothers,' Isaac . Smith, Glenomaru, Janies<,Smith, Port Molyneux, and William Smith, North Island. James "and Isaac, who are well-known knights of the axe and saw in Southland and the Catlins River district, are at present engaged as road contractors in the Clutha Count.v. The remains of the late Mr Smith were interred in the Anderson’s Bay Cemetery, Dunedin.