WESTPORT NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIII, Issue 42, 14 February 1896, Page 18

WESTPORT NOTES AND COMMENTS.

(By Old Identity )

ST CANICE'S : 2HOOL re-opened on Monday last alter the Christmas vacation. It iB to be hoped that the pupils will resume their studies with renewed vigour, in order that the school might bear favourable imparison with other schools in the district when examined by the Government Inspector at the end of the year. THE CONVENT HIGH SCHOOL also re-opened on Monday last. Both Catholic and Protestant parents living in town art taking advantage of the excellent education afforded young ladies by this ecnool, but unfortunately thcß? residing in the country are to a certain extent debarred, thtre beiog no accommodation for boarders in the convent. However, I have not the least doubt but that this necessity will be provided for as soon as the presen' debt on the convent building is liquidated. The art-un'.oa, organised to raise the needful towards this end, will be

drawn at Easter. Tour correspondent has been shown lome of th« prizes and be can assure the readers of the Tablet that the investment of the modest earn of one shilling in a ticket is money well spent. Pome necessary outside improvements have ben made at tht convent during the past yrar, the most expensive of which was w new c-rrugatrd iron fence and the laying out of the grounds. ST PATBICK'S CHURCH. The tender of Mr John Dennehy ha 3 been accepted for repairs to St Patrick's Church, Charleston. ACCIDENTS. There is quite a chap'er of accidents to record, and I regret to say some of them were a't^ndei with most serious consequences. Mr John Monarty, a well-known and highly respected miner of Addison's Flat, met with a terrible accident whilst engaged blasting in bis claim on Monday las'.. The charge exploded, striking him full in |the t face, and it was feared at first the poor fellow would permanently lose his sight. He was immediately conveyed to the district hospital, and is recovering. Mr Moriarty is a brother of Mra Still, of the Club Hotel, and a nephew of Mr Patrick Sullivan, of this town, and Mr Michael Sullivan, farmer, of Patea, North Island. George Bull, miner, was drowned in Main Creek, Mokihinni, last week by the upsetting of a boat. His two mates, Peter Jansen and Reuben Williamson, managed to save their lives. Bull's body wis cast up on the beach yesterday, three miles north of Mokib'nni. Mrs Gramatica, injured on tbe Lyell Bridge a fortnight ago by a runaway horse, attached to a drag, died ia the West port District Hospital. Mr Martin Carrol! and Master D. Ryan, who .were also injured by the sime refracory animal, are progressing favourably. The former had one of his legs and arms broktn, and otherwise lacerated about the head. Carroll is under treatment at the district hospital, Master Ryan was internally injured by the wheel of the drag passing over hia stomach. He remained under the c»re of his parents at Lyell. Much sympathy is expressed for the sufferers, particularly for Mr and Mrs Ryan, it being only a abort time since they were bereaved of their eldest son, an ex-pupil of St Patrick's College, Wellington, and a promising young man. OBITUABY. Mrs Byrne, after a lingering illneei from cancer, died at her residence Back Lead, Charleston, lait week. Mr William Thompson, of "Thompson's Corner" fame, Charleston, died in the Hokitika Hospital a few days ago. The sad intelligence is to band of the death of Thomas Cantwell, a former resident of this district, from thirst in Westren Australia. His mate, Jerry O'Oonlan, an exReeftonite, shared the same fate. According to the Hannan's Herald ihe unfortunate men were on their way from Dundas to Coolgardie to receive the purchase money for a nef they had sold. Constable Brown and a black tracker, who were despatched in search of the missing men, found the two bodies c ose together on Christmas Eve and it was fouad necessary toint t them on the spot. From all appearances the pjor fellows had wandered about the trackless plain in a state of delirium, searching for wafer, and it was fnrther ascertained that they pas ed within 150 yards of the precious fluid that might hive caved both their lives. By the way, I ootice the Pressjagent at Perth studiously suppresses the harrowing particulars of miseTy and death endured by those seeking for tha "marvellous finds' 1 we hear so much about in Western Australia. — The many friends of Mr T. A. Peteikm, district railway manager here, will regretjto learn of the death of his eldest daughter (Julia), The deceased, who w»B 24 years of age, not feeling very well, went to Christchurch for a change of air, where she died last Friday week. JJjMiss Peteikin'a sunny nature had endeared her to all with whom she came in contact, and her untimely end is deeply deplored by all who had the pleasure of her acquaintance. Mr and Mrs Peteikin and family formerly lived in Dunedin. — It is with feelings of unfeigned sorrow that lam cilled upon to chronicle the death of a Mr William Nahr> brewer, of this town, which sad event took place at his residence this afternoon at 430 o'clock. The deceased hai beenJ'coDfined to bed since Tuesday last, having caught a chill the previous day coming from Djnoiston. His complaint developed into inflammation of the kidneys and despite the attentive nursing of his devoted wift and daughter (Mrs Douglass) and* the united medical skill of Doctors Willis, Mscdonnell and Simpson, Mr Nabr [passed away peacefully at the hour mentioned, in the presence of the family and Mr Charles Lempfert. The deceased was^universally respected, and when the melancholy news b ;ame generally known that the warm heart. of _" Bill " Nahr — as he was familiarly called— had ceased to throb, "and ha was no more, quite a gloom was cast over the town and district. Being a man of sound business principles, good tact, and full of enterprise, Mr Nahr was the mainspring of the commercial life of Westport, and his loss is reallj a calamitious one the welfare of this district. Hia acts of charity, irresptctive of creed or colour, were proverbial, and^hia friends and well-wishers legion, Heartfelt sjmpathyjis felt for Mrs Nahr and family in their irreparable loss. The l»te Mr Nabr wf a a native of Hamburg, Germany, and was 69 years of age ; 39 years of which he lived in the colonies. Coming to Charleston in 1868, thence on to Veetport a

ew years later, when he established the extensive brewery business which he has carried on np to the time of his deatb. In concluding this obituary notice, I think it would not be out of place to acknowledge the generosity of the late Mr Nahr towards Catholic institutions generally, although not a member of that community.