PERSONAL NOTES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLI, Issue 5, 29 July 1908, Page 8

PERSONAL NOTES.

The death is announced of Bishop Potter, of New York, in his 73rd year. The death of Sir W. R. Cremer, M.P., occurred on July 21 st. The Rev. Copeland, a pioneer missionary of the Presbyterian Church, died on July 22nd. Mr. William Percival, formerly secretary of the Auckland Racing Club, died at his residence, “Stibbington,” Epsom, on July 26, at the age of 66 years. Mr. Walter Empson, for 21 years headmaster of the Wanganui " Collegiate School, has resigned the position. The Rev. J. L. Dove, M.A., has been chosen as Mr. Empson’s successor, and will take over his duties next Easter. Mr. Donald McDonald, the well-known war correspondent, arrived in Auckland by the Wimmera on July 26, as special correspondent for the Melbourne—Argus’’ during Fleet Week in Auckland. Chief Judge Palmer and Judge Reeve, of the Native Land Court, have left Wellington for Christchurch to preside at a sitting of the Appellate Court in that city. On the conclusion of the sitting the Court will proceed to Auckland. Mr Thornton, of the Tauraaga staff of the Bank of New Zealand, has been transferred to Kaia-poi. Mr C. J. Clery, late of the Bank of New Zealand’s Whangarei staff, has been transferred to Tauranga. The Hon. R. McNab has consented to attend the opening of the extension of the Waikaia branch railway to Riversdalo (Southland) on August 12. This will mean his inability to attend the American fleet celebrations in Auckland. The Rev. G. Barclay, the pioneer Presbyterian clergyman of Southland and Canterbury, died at Waimate last week, after a short illness. Mr A. R. Barclay, M.P., and Dr. Barclay are sons of deceased. At the Ohiro Home, Wellington, the death took place of an old Maori war veteran, Mr William Haydn Flood, who was at one time a resident of New Plymouth. He was an able musician, and was organist at St. Mary’s Church for a while. He was a First Life Guardsman, and witnessed the funeral of the Duke of Wellington. Mrs Annie Besant, accompanied by three lady members of the Theosophical Society, arrived from Sydney on July 26, to cbmmence a very short lecturing tour in Now Zealand. Mrs Besant lias spent some two months in the Australian capitals, where she has addressed very, large and appreciative audiences. At the solicitation of New Zealand members of

the Society, of which she m now the president, she has extended her travels to this eountjy, though she suffers somewhat from the cold of our winter and the eieeomiorta of travelling. Atwtra lian newspapers say of her that she has lost none of the brilliancy, magnetic force and holding power over her audiences which she exhibited when hero some 14 years ago. Mrs Besant gives her first lecture on July 28, in the Royal Albert Hall, Auckland, on “Man, the Master of his Destiny.”