PERSONAL NOTES.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLV, Issue 19, 10 May 1911, Page 6

PERSONAL NOTES.

A Dunedin telegram records tire death of Mr. John Richard Jones, director of the Union Company, and son of one of Otago’s earliest and most prominent settlers.— (Press Association.)

Captain Thomas Chrisp, formerly harbourmaster of Gisborne, and a very old resident of the town, passed away last week at the age of 74 years. He is survived by a widow, one daughter, and four sons, one of whom is Captain E. Chrisp,' of the Union Company. At the first meeting of the Mount Albert ' Borough Council last week a hearty vote of thanks was passed to the Hon. G. Fowlds and to Mr. J. Bollard, M.P., for past assistance in furthering the interests of the district, and tho Town Clerk was instructed to send a congratulatory telegram to’Mr. Bollard on the occasion of the celebration of his golden wedding next week. Sir James Mills, managing director of the Union Steamship Company, was a passenger by the Maitai on Saturday for San Francisco, en route to Great Britain. Lady. Mills left Wellington a few days ago by the Arawa, and will join her husband in London.

Mr. John NeilJ died last week at his residence, Norman’s Hill, Onehunga, at the comparatively early . age. of 53 years. For some time past deceased has suffered indifferent health, the immediate cause of death being heart failure. The late Mr. Neill was for over 20 years employed by the Kauri Timber Company, first at Hokiauga and afterwards as man-

agerof the Onehunga mill, where he waa in ebarge for some 17 years. When the Onehungit Sawmilling Company took over the mill deceased was manager for some years. He had recently started in business in Auckland on his own account. He was widely respected for hi* many sterling qualities. A number of members supported the resolution, and pointed out that there are at present KMI men working at the Top Mine, employed at development works, without suitable accommod** tion. Mr. Gordon Fraser, of New Plymouth, who has been on a brief visit to Auckland, stopping at the Grand Hotel, left last week for Rotorua. Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert M. Watt, of Cambridge, and Mr. and Mrs. A. Madill, of Pukekohe, and their daughter, were passengers by tlie Marama on Wednesday on a tour round the world. An old and highly esteemed Albertlander, Mr. William Hetford, died last week, aged 85. He arrived at Auckland in 1862 in the ship Hanover. Ha was born in Linbourne, Northamptonshire. Mr. Lawrence Birks, who has been engineer in charge at Rotorua, and lately has been appointed to the position ot assistant engineer of the hydro-electrio schemes to be carried out by the Government under an Act of last session, passed through Auckland to-day on his way to Whangarei, where he will investigate the possibilities of the Wairoa Falls. Passengers sailing by the. steamer Maitai, which left Wellington last week for San Francisco, via Auckland, include Father Quinn, Mr. John Dythie . (Wellington), and Mrs. F. E. Baume and three s.ons. The Rev. Edward, Walker gnd Mrs. Walker and family (Halcombej are passengers for Rarotonga, en route to San Francisco, where they intend to settle for a time. . ■ Mr W. C. Souiers, of Auckland, returned by the Maheno on Sunday from a visit to Australia. . Mr. Lysnar, Mayor of Gisborne, who underwent in. operation to one of his .eyes at Wellington last week, is reported to be making a good recovery. ~ , Dean Grogan, of Wanganui, who has been on a tour of the Islands, returned via Sydney by the Maheno on Sunday, and will remain about a week in Auckland before proceeding home. Mrs. Lisbeth McKinley, aged 70, wife of William MeKonley. an old and higfly respected resident of Huntly, died very suddenly early on Sunday morning from heart failure. Mr. Robert Wardrop, n prominent resident of Motueka for many years, and for several years a member of the Harbour Board there, died in a private hospital in Welington last week, lie underwent an operation last Tuesday, from which he failed to rally. Deceased was 50 years of age. Mr. John Bowman Chubbin McEwan, formerly a member of the firm of McEwan. Brown and Kitto. Wellington, and who left New Zealand eight, or nine years ago, died at sea on October 2$ last, according to news received in Wellington from Ketehiken, Alaska. Deceased who was 55 years .of age, fell down the companionway of the steamer North Western, and died from shock to the heart, lie leaves a wife in Auckland. Captain Colin McDonald, of the Union Steam Ship Company, w ao is proceeding Home in connection with the construc,tion of new steamers for that company, was met on Thursday last at the Otago Club by a number of his friends the captains and engineers in Dunedin; and presented with a souvenir of their .regard as a parting gift. Mr. A. Morrison, Lloyd’s surveyor, presided at the gathering, and among those present were the Hon. J. A. Millar (who made the presentation) and Mr. C. Holdsworth, general manager of the Union Steam Ship Company. Mr. Weaver has been elected ehairman of the Whangarei Harbour Board, A private telegram received in Auckland last week states that Mr. W. Belcher (Secretary of the Seamen’s Union) who headed the poll in the Harbour Board election at Dunedin by a majority of 1100 votes, It is been elected to the chairmanship of the Board. Archdeacon Harper was cordially welcomed back to Timaru last week', after a prolonged holiday in the Old World. He was met by a large gathering of parishioners on Friday, when regret- was expressed at his resignation.. Ho explained that he was entering his 79th year, and felt that the parish was so important that it should be handed to A younger man. Archdeacon Harper’*. r<-

•Ignction does not take effect for eight months.;- - - - Mr.. James Langford died at Coromandel on Wednesdiy; formerly he lived at Parnell, "and surveyed the,, ofd horae trama for Auckland. He was engaged • nt alluvial diggings at the Tiki some 40 years baek, and was one of the first claim and battery owners at the Thames. In the very early days he was surveying in the South Island, and had to do with alluvial mining there. Mr. Langford • patented the first process for success fully treating the black sands on the West Coast of the South Island. He Aras one of the syndicate to take up dredging at Coromandel. For some years , Mr. Langford managed the Waihi Gladstone mine. . . Mr. George George (Director of Technical Education) has been elected president' of the Auckland Society of Arts in succession to the late Mr. E. W. G. Rathbone. At a meeting of the Com- .- mittee last week, it was resolved to place a memorial tablet in the Society’s Ruildings recording the services rendered . to art in Auckland by the late president. .It was also decided to forward a letter of -condolence to Mrs. Rathbone. Death of a Well-known Journalist. —Mr. E. W. G. Rathbone. It is with the very greatest regret that we record the death of Mr E. W. G. Rathbone, who was for so many years ‘ the editor of this paper. He was educated at Clifton, under the present Bishop of Hereford, and he always took the keenest interest in the many old Cliftonians who have found a home in New Zealand. As a journalist, he possessed a light and humorous touch. He was perhaps at his best when gently- and kindly satirising the foibles of society. He never wrote an unkind line in his life, and he was ever ready to advise any who were aspiring to literary fame. He was a keen critic, and one who quickly detected ' faults; but he had always a word of encouragement and praise for writing that shows any worth. He did a great deal to encourage art and music in Auckland. He was a great believer in the ■ ; possibilities that lay before local artists. But those, who knew him best, will not remember him only as a writer or art critic, they will remember him as the truest and best of friends; one who had a large and- tender '•'heart; one who was ever generous towards all. In the last sermon he ■ preached in the school chapel. Dr Perci- ■ ' val said: "Our desire has been that all Clifton boys should grow to a character, liberal minded, sympathetic, tolerant, yet not indifferent, or wanting in earnestness or enthusiasm. We would fain - see them distinguished by independence, by courage, and by their accompanying ■' simplicity and naturalness, by freedom from affectation, either of fashion or k " So-called knowledge of the world, or conventional hardness. We trust to see them recognising ami remembering that 1 the only life of any worth is that which is distinguished by thoughtfulness, by the consciousness of surroundings and possibilities higher than ourselves, and a call to realise some of these in our own life here and hereafter, in boyhood, youth and manhood.” In this ideal Mr Rathbone lived; and we may well add in • the memorable words of Tacitus: “Admiratione te potius' quarn temporalibus laudibus, et si natura suppeditet, aemulatione deeoremus. Is verus honos.” The youngest son of the late Mr, Philip Rathbone, a prominent 1 "shipowner" and' merchant of Liverpool, and a brother of the late of tlie late Mr. Philip Rathbone, a pro- , mipent -shipowner and merchant of ” Liverpool, and a brother of the late Alfred R. Rathbone, who himself was' for many years connected with" journalism in Auckland, having founded the ‘‘New . Zealand Observer," the late Mr. Wilfred Rathbone entered- the ranks of journal- ,. ism at an early age by joining the staff - of the "London Star," previous to which the spent some time i-.-.nching in South America, where his father had large interests. He arrived in Auckland in the year 1890, and joined the reporting staff of the "Auckland Star," with which paper and the "New Zealand Graphic" he had _ been associated ever since, holding the . position of editor of the "Graphic” for a number of years. About two years ago indifferent health decided him to resign the editorship, and after a visit to the Old Country lie returned some months baek greatly improved in his ' health and rejoiued his old office, taking up a position on the editorial staff of the “Auckland Star,” on which pa pet he was engaged up to within a few days of his death. As a journalist he had a light

and graceful pen, and was well known for his intimate acquavntance with art and drama, while as a man none in Auckland could claim such popularity among the fellow-members of his profession.

The late Mr. Rathbone identified himself actively with a number of local institutions, taking an especial interest in the development of the Auckland Society of Arts. Both as member and president, which position he had held for the past two years, he was enthusiastic in furthering the welfare of the society, and was largely instrumental in the establishment of a fund which the society now administers for the purchase of works painted by New Zealand artists. For several years he was also president of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Institute of Journalists, while he was a keen yachtsman and ongrer, and an enthusiastic supporter of rowing, having been a commodore of the St. George’s Rowing Club. ,As a Mason he was a prominent member of Lodge Te Awamutu, Parnell, and at one time occupied a seat on the Parnell Borough Council. He was a member of the Auckland Club, the flag of which was flown at halfmast to-day as a mark of respect to the memory of its late member. But among those who will miss him none will feel greater regret than the many who have cause to remember his manifold acts of charity and kindliness of heart. Each Christmas as it came round as surely visited the cots of th- children at the Auckland Hospital with toys and good cheer, of which Mr. Rathbone was the Santa Claus, while his general disposition was such that never a case for help that came under his notice would be allowed to pass without what comfort he could render. Some years ago he married the second daughter of Major Lusk, his widow being left with two young daughters.

The funeral took .place on Thursday, the cortege leaving, bis late residence, Gladstone-road, Parnell, for Purewa Cemetery shortly before three o’clock. Although it had been intended that the interment should be private, so many requests were received from friends and associates of the deceased for permission to be present at the obsequies that the original intention was abandoned, the result being that representatives were present from all the various clubs and societies with which Mr. Rathbone had been connected. The floral tributes to his memory were particularly numerous and beautiful, while telegraphic and other messages of Sympathy with the bereaved widow and children were received from all over the Dominion. The Rev. Canon Mac Murray conducted the funeral service, the pallbearers being supplied by Masonic Lodge. Te Awamutu, of which Mr. Rathbone was an old member.