THE FATHER OF AUCKLAND.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVII, Issue 257, 3 November 1906, Page 6

THE FATHER OF AUCKLAND.

i '■MANY HAPPY RETURNS OF THE DAY." Sir John Logan Campbell, whose beneficent interest for upwards of half a century in our growing city of the North, hae well earned for him the affectionate title from its citizens, '"Father of Auckland." was the recipient today of, shoals of heartfelt congratulations, expressed in person, or, where distance prohibited a personal visit, by the more formal but no less well-wish-ing written remembrance, for to-day Sir John entered on his ninetieth year, and those who delight to visit our doyen and worthiest citizen, and assure themselves that he is still, in spite of his lengthy tale of years, hale and cheerful in our midst, found him seated, as he has been regularly this many years past, at his desk in the Shortland-street office.

Leaning forward a little, and shading his eyes with his hand the better to focus bis wandering sight, Sir John looked this morning, with the frailty of great years evident upon him and the frost of many winters crowning his head with their dignity, like one who peered out of the past wonderingly into the present, but the warm and still firm handshake soon dispelled any suspicion of extreme feebleness, while the even, fulltoned voice, and the mental alertness and vigour still apparent in his words were equally incompatible with one"s idea of the feebleness oE such advanced years. "Yes, I aiu still feeling well,"' smiled Sir John, to the orthodox inquiry; "in fact, I have never felt otherwise all my life. It seems strange to most folk, perhaps, but do you know, I have never in all my eighty-nme years and a day— you must note I am not yet ninety, you know, although this is my ninetieth birthday—never been obliged to take my breakfast in bed, which means, of course, that 1 have never been sick, never had an ache or pain of any kind." "Not even toothaehp, .Sir John?"— ••"Ah, that reminds mc. J did think j once that I was suffering from toothache, so I* went along to a dentist in Queen-street and he bojran to examine my mouth. He was such a time about it that I began to think I was seriously in for it. Finally he released mc, and while I was wondering whether it was possible that he had. perhaps, operated without my knowledge of it, he broke out thankfully 'Ah, it's a, good job for us dentists that everyone htvsn't such a mouth as you.' It was just a little bit of inflammation at the foot of the gum that 1 had. and not an unsound tooth in my head," and he chuckled at the remembrance. "They're all false now," he added, "hut the original ones just dropped out through shrinkage of the gums, every one sound." "No, I have not always been very careful, either," said Sir John to the next question. "When I landed in Auckland in the early part of IS40 —long time ago, eh?—l took up my quarters at ■fitrst down at Brownfs Island, you know. There was a house there, certainly, but many a time have I unrolled myself from my blanket in the morning, when travelling in the bush, and ■wrung about a bucket of water out of it. And yet I have never suffered any ill effects from that sort of experience. I suppose it is that I have had a strong circulation, and it just made the effect the same as a' warm bath would lm for weaker folk. Wet through! 1 wonder how many times I have been wet through. Aye, and slept in my wet clothes. Oh, well, I was fortunate in •having a constitution to withstand it." Fresh callers now "broke the thread of conversation, and the next moment the "Father of Auckland" was exchanging greetings with more old friends. During the morning upwards of 60 callers waited upon Sir John Campbell at his office, among the visitors being representatives of all classes of the community, in public and private eapaoities.