THE LATE MR PETER THOMSON.

Western Star, Issue 309, 9 August 1879, Page 2 (Supplement)

THE LATE MR PETER THOMSON.

s We regret to have to record the death of A . Mr Peter Thomson, of the ‘ Daily Times,’. which took place on Thursday morning at his ~ [ house in Queen street, Mr Thomson in nia [ early years was apprenticed to Messrs Neill j and Co., of Edinburgh, and afterwards he was for a short time in Liverpool, whete he ; ; commenced business as a printer. Conceiving ■ that the colonies offered a better field for ' 5 success, he ' determined to emigrate to Nq\<r‘ ‘ 3 Zealand; and, although his first intention was I .'. ■ to settle in the North Island, he ultimately' decided to seek a home in Otago. Forsaking • for a while the trade of ; a printer, l in which t he had been educated, he entered into al ! + i ; fishing speculation, foi: which at that time • there seemed a favorable opening. 1 ' ’ln r< respects this was employment suited to his i tastes, and it gave him opportunity of ; accu- i 'V i rate observation of the habits of many fishes, , which he afterwards embodied in a series of i interesting papers published in the ‘Daily 1 , • Times’ newspaper and the “Transactions • of the Otago Institute.” In' the 'year s 1863 Mr Thomson was appointed reader ,'; k to the * Daily Times ’ and ‘ Witness ’ l newspapers, the important^"duties of,, which he fulfilled to within a few months , of his decease. Mr Thomson was an ardent l naturalist and botanist. In pursuit of his ; favorite studies he was He > was the leading spirit of the Field Naturalist r Club, whose excursions he rarely failed to f join in, and for years before its formation r alone or in company he had visiAjpn foot the 3 most interesting distriotaof theprovince in i search of the picturesque or of geological, 3 botanical, or entomological specimens. He t generally published the accounts of his excurt sions in the ‘Daily Times’ under the signature a of “Pakeha.” Unfortunately on one of . these interesting pedestrian trips he was. 1 ■ b overtaken by heavy and continuous rain, and [ found no place where he could pass thelnight ;f r in comfort and dry his clothes. The conse-.* quence was a severe attack of cold and : rheumatism, to cast off which he trusted too f much to his viperous constitution. Not re>>7 i covering for some months he went to Wai* i wera, the tepid waters of which relieved him 1. I from rheumatism, but failed to heal., bis lungs. Gradually consumption dragged ■ down its victim, and yesterday, respected by : all.for his manly, kind, and amiable disposii tion, he died. He was twice married, and leaves a widow and several young children; ■> —‘ Dunedin Evening Star,’ August 1. V*