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Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1081, 21 March 1911, Page 6

Mr. Thomas Ballantyne, of Ivaiapoi, who died on Saturday, belonged'to a well-known iamily of Londonderry (fays our Christclmrch correspondent), and was born there in 1810. At the age of ',!! ho emigrated to Melbourne, njid for a year was gold-mining at Beeciiworth. He iheu left tor'lhe West Coast of New Zealand, being attracted by the gold discoveries. After spending somo time in gold-digging, he with four others, took a contract io make what was known as the Big 'Dam at Kinnara. It was whilst; this contract was in progress that; the late Prime Minister (the Hon. H. J. Seddon) arrived on the coast, and Mr. Ballantyno was nblo to claim that it was ho who gave .Mr, Seddon his first work in New Zealand. An uncle of Mr. Seddon's went to Mr. Ballantyno and said that ho had a nephew—a young man just arrived, who wanted employment. Mr. Ballantvne told him to send the younir fellow along, and it was not long before Mr. Seddon w"s at work with the shovel with a vigour that won the approbation of his employer. In fact, according to a Christchurcll paper, Mr. Ballantyno was wont' to say that; he never had a better workman in all his Ions: experh nee. A Warm friendship was farmed between the two, and Mr. Seddon, on his visits to North Canlerbury, never failed to look up his old friend. He more than once pressed him to accent a position under the Public Works Department, but lie steadiiy refused, preferring to remain his own master. After six years on the Coast Mir. liallartlyne came'to Canterbury, and bein? an- expert in concrete work, he at on# time, or another was employed bv almost every local body in North Canterbury in the construction of euncreto and culverts. Mr. Ballantyno was an enthusiastic, member of the Oraivre Society, and was alfO a member of tho Mawnic .Order

Ollicial returns show that duriv.R 1010 tlie exports' of manufactured iron mid stool from U.S.A. wcrq valued at 200,0110,009 dollars, thus surpassing all previous i'lKures. The ship's cat which was roscucil from (ho wrcrl; at Wnlmor of (lie South American schooner Flows has, by exhibition and sale, realised lis. for tho Mission to Lepers,