BLUFF

Southland Times, Issue 23337, 22 October 1937, Page 15

BLUFF

VESSEL TO START TRAWLING When conditions are suitable trawling, will be started about Te Wae Wae Bay with the steamer Marina, recently acquired by the Direct Fish and Oyster Supply Company to take the place of the motor-vessel Black Cat which was lost in a collision engaged in oystering last season. The Marina is in good shape, the hull being in particularly sound condition. The vessel is not new to trawling work in Southland waters, as she was previously engaged thus about the West Coast Sounds. More recently she has been used for trawling out of Tauranga. Next season she will, of course, join the Bluff oystering fleet. At the end of that season the Marina will be reconditioned with a Diesel engine. The alteration would be made sooner, but under present conditions abroad it would be impossible to get the required engine out in time for the opening of the oystering season in February. OBITUARY The late Mr William Aitken, sen., who died early this week in Invercargill at the advanced age of 91 years, was well known to older residents of Bluff and Ocean Beach. Coming across from Victoria, in which Australian state he was bom, he engaged in contracting and other work in various places in the south till in 1894 he took employment as a farm hand at Ocean Beach, his wife being engaged as house keeper for the staff at the works. Afterwards Mr Aitken was employed as horse driver during the killing season and in the slack season turned to contracting largely in the flax industry. Eventually Mrs Aitken took over the cookshop at Ocean Beach for a numbeof years and for some time her husband had a butchery business in Bluff. He was married twice and three children of the first marriage survive him, Mrs R. Wills (Orepuki) and Messrs William Aitken (Bluff) and Joseph Aitken. His second wife predeceased him by some years. There are several step-children, two of whom are Mr William Wills (Bluff) and Mr Robert Wills (Orepuki).