OBITUARY.

Colonist, Volume XLVIII, Issue 11674, 9 July 1906, Page 2

OBITUARY.

! MR. I. S. M. JACOBSEN. Early on Saturday morning Mr 1. S. M. Jacobsen, one of the pioneers of Nelson, passed away at the ripe old age of 84 years. He ariived in Nelson, from Hamburgh, where he was born, in the German ship St. Paul, m 1842. His father was an inspector of fire police in Hamburgh, and as a reward for some deed of merit, his son, the late Mr I.S M. Jacobsen, was placed in the position of receiving a splendid education. He served his time as a civil engineer and architect with the Hamburgh Harbor Board, and with a view to gaining a wider experience set about to visit various parts of the world. On arriving at Nelson, however, he decided to settle here, and with the now fast diminishing band of pioneers, he endured the hardships of life in the settlement in the early days. On one occasion, when famine threatened, the late Mr Jacobsen built a large open boat, and proceeded to Wellington for a cargo of flour, which was, on his return, largely sought after by the settlere. The flour bags, in fact, "were converted into clothing for some of the women and children, He also built, near Campbell's old mill, a vessel called the Maria Josephine, which afterwards became a regular trader between Nelson and Lyttelton. From the early days he followed the occupation of a contractor, and he built, among other places, tbe old Nelson Boys' College, Mr Richmond's house at the Cliffs, and "Newstead," the present residence of Mrs Renwick. For some years Mr Jacobsen resided in Christchurch. where he built many fine buildings, and he is credited witb designing the original scheme for tbe drainage of the City, of the Plains. Finding that the cli- , mate of the southern city did not suit his health, he returned to the , Nels6n district, settling in Takaka, ! where lie became interested in mining ' matters. From experiments made he ' claimed to have extracted gold from ; tbe large deposits at'Anatoki, now \ known as the Hidden Treasure Mine, j He also claimed to be the pioneer of j tbe eight hours system io the , Colony, and that his claim was j recognised is shown by the fact that -, he, not long ago, wa3 asked by one £ of the labor organisations in Mcl- *, bourne to forward his photograph, in order that it might be hungfalong j with tha photographs of other prominent leaders of labor affairs. One son, Mr Theo. Jacobsen, architect, of Auckland, and three daughters (Mrs Duval, of London, Mrs Keoghan and Mrs Haines, both of Takaka) survive their father, whose wife predeceased him some years ago. *" It is not so many years ago that tbe ' late Mr Jacobsen walked from 1 Christchurch to Nelson, a remark- £ able feat for an old man. Although ' he has been in 111-he&lth for some J time, his death was unexpected, and * will be learned with regret by his *{ relatives and friends. ' ** i ===_______======= „