ABOUT PEOPLE

Southland Times, Issue 22139, 6 October 1933, Page 6

ABOUT PEOPLE

Mr A. R. Dunlop, the retiring president, was unanimously elected a lifemember of the High Schools’ Ex-Pupils’ Swimming Club at the annual meeting last evening. Guests at the Grand Hotel include Messrs S. A. Smith (Sydney), W. E. Tingey (Christchurch), W. McKinley (Lawrence), W. McLean (Mosgiel) and Dr M. Hunter (Dunedin).

Mr H. T. Armstrong, M.P., of Christchurch, who is suffering from an attack of influenza, will be confined to his bed until the end of the week, but expects to return to Wellington on Monday next.

The president (Mr W. Grieve) and Mr C. B. Tapley were appointed by the council of the Invercargill Chamber of Commerce yesterday to represent the chamber at the annual conference of the Associated Chambers of Commerce at Wanganui on Octobei 1 26 and 27. The death was reported yesterday at his home in Mirimar of Captain James Wills at the age of 85 years. Captain Wills was a skipper of the old school and until his retirement seven years ago served for 40 years with Levin and Co. He was master of the steamer Wakatu for 25 years and was one of the best known nautical men in the Dominion.—Wellington Press Association message. / Mr F. F. Mcßryde, assistant general manager of the A.M.P. Society, has entered upon long service leave before his retirement, which will take effect on March 23, 1934. He has been associated with the society for 55 years. Mr Mcßryde is a native of Sydney, and was educated at the Balmain Public School. He joined the society’s service at the head office as a junior clerk on September 1, 1878, and, after filling executive -positions in South Australia, Victoria, Queensland, and New Zealand, was appointed assistant general manager in 1930. At the last meeting of the Riverton Borough Council, the following motion proposed by the Mayor was carried, the clerk being instructed to forward Mr J. C. Thomson a copy: “The Riverton Borough Council wishes to convey its sympathy with you in your illness and to express the fervent hope that you will soon be restored to health and able to continue your activities in the public and social work of the community in which you have so long laboured with conspicuous and outstanding ability to the admiration and everlasting gratitude of your fellow citizens and most intimate friends.”— Riverton correspondent. Ninety years of travel and of pioneering work have been closed by the death of Mr James Crosbery, a Channel Islander who came to New Zealand as a boy, took part in several famous gold rushes, and was well known all over New Zealand as a bridge-builder and roadmaker. In his latter years he was a servant of the Christchurch City Council. Mr Crosbery was born on October 13, 1842, in the island of Jersey, and nine years later sailed in company with an aunt, in the ship Lancashire Witch for the colony of New Zealand. Starting work on arrival in Otago as a milk-boy, he graduated as an expert shearer and harvester. The Gabriel’s Gully and Dunstan gold rushes attracted him, and he was one of the early arrivals on the Ballarat (Victoria) field. On his return to New Zealand, at the age of 32, he married Miss Catherine Connor, of Oamaru, abandoning gold-digging and taking up bridge-building and road formation work, with shearing and harvesting as side-lines. These occupations took him into all parts of the Dominion. At the age of 76 Mr Crosbery contracted his second marriage, to Miss Mary Connor. His second wife survives him. There are two sons, Messrs M. J. Crosbery, a landscape gardener, of Masterton, and Thomas Crosbery (Auckland) and three daughters, Mesdames G. W. Lamb, A. Poppelwell and J. Howison, all of Christchurch.