PASSING OF A PIONEER

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 73, 19 December 1919, Page 4

PASSING OF A PIONEER

(Contributed.) The, lato Mrs. M. Snelson, who passed away parly this week, was known as the "Mother oi Palmerston North," and was an early pioneer of Wellington, in whicli • city she was born 75 years ago. In 1815 she married and lived for some time in this city, her husband being in the employ of E. W. Mills and Co. .ironmongers. After the death of their daughter, and, 'nter their eon, Mr. and Mrs. Snelson '.'••ft Wellington to livo in Palmerston V ith, then but a Native clearing, no»- helped to lay the foundation of on? 01' tho flourishing towns of the DormnTi." by building tho first store on the w- l 'rn side of what is now called the SftTintc, To reach Palmerston in those days wa"= no easy matter, as there were no roa<ls formed' in 1870 Ijetween it and I'oxton; therefore travellers had to go by boat up the river, taking, at times, days to reach their destination. Nothing daunted by many set-backs, Mr. and Mrs. Snelson throw themselves into all publio enterprises, and, as well, held open house for all fresh arrivals,,ass'sted tho needy, and, encouraged the weary with a cheerfulness that never left thpm. It is worthy of nota that tho first piano in the district was imported there by Mi's. Snelson, the only other musical instrument to which many had danced being the useful concertina. The little shed they danced in was somewhere near tho picture palace on the eastern side of tho Square. Between that and tho opposite side (when it rained) was a primitive litt'e lake. There brag no churches in Palmerston North ; in 1875, the sorvioes were held in Mrs. Snelson'n •drawing-room, and the first Communion was; celebrated there. As these methods •of worship were only instituted for a beginning, this worthy couple started a campaign to secure a. site on which to build a church. This being done, 'Mrs. Snelson laid the foundat'on-stone of .ill faints' Church, September 29. 1875, and some yeAr.i later (Mr. Snelson became lay j reader, one of tho first ministers being tho Bev. Beavis, who afterwards went to Australia. Other needs of this growing district cropped up as time went on, and it was largely owing to Mrs. Snel';on's' untiring energy that the present Hospital was started, the district being worked for funds, as far down Ihe coast as Otaki These were only a few things thijt stand out in the useful life of the. deceased lady, for there was not a need that came to her notice that'she did not trv. to rolievo , nor any charitable effort made' which she did not in some way assist as long as she was able. In. 'Her. later days she worked hard for the, Belgian children. This unselfish work, however, impoverished her inepmo, and one who should have been wealthy died practically a poor woman, but leaving a record that many of the present day might try to cony. As Mayoress of Palmerston Worth, Mrs. Snelson with honour filled' 1 the position for many years up to the time of her husband's death. She leaves behind her many nieces and nephews, amongst them lieing Mesdnnies Charles Bownter (wife of the master of the Gonville State School, Waneanui) and Douglas, of Jla.wlce's Bay, and Henry, Horace, and Frank Bushs(brother's childTen), Mesdames H. A. Morris, S. .T. Gibbons, G. C. B. Harper, and A. J. Curtis, G. A., Dr., L. S„ and J. W. Wilmor M'Knwe (children of the late Mrs. T. W. M'Kenzie, her sister), and the. four children of her younger brother, and the children of her half-sister, Mrs. S. Levy, besides cousins too numerous to mention. Sho was laid to rest in. the Church of England, comotery at Terrace End, the service be'ng conducted in the.church, and at the grave, by the vicar of All Saints, two of the churchwardens acting as pall-bearers out of, respect to both Mr..and.Mrs. ; Snelson. The first person, and a. great friend of the deceased, to be buried thero was Alfred Mackenzie, a cousin of the New Zealand High Comnrtslone'r, nn3 Mr. James Mackenzie, of Karon.

A Home for Artists. 'it was recently announced in New York that Mr. Louis Comfort Tiffany, painter and collector, had given his home, Laurelton Hall, Oyster Bay, Long Island, with 80 acres and an endowment of more than ,£200,000 for the establishment of an art institution which, in the founder's words, shall "provido a place where artists who have had preliminary training and who show real ability can work in sympathetic surroundings. My hope is, by stimulating the love of beauty and imagination, to give free play to development without tho trammels of schools or' conventions." Included in t'ho gift are Mr. Tiffany's art collections and library. Mr. Tiffany, who studied art in New York and Paris, has been awarded many medals and honours for his work. Ho was the discoverer of tho decorative glass known as Tiffany-Favrile glass. He is 70, and a member of the-famous firm of Tiffany, and Co.' A Visit from. Father. Christmas. When it was "v/hispjred" to the girls of Standard VI of the Terrace School by the headmaster (Mr. D. E. Leslie) that Father Christmas would pay a visit to the infant department on ''breaking-up" day, the girls, under Miss S. Frasor, en. thiisiastically set to work to make a contribution to the hamper of that benevolent old gentleman. For a week with ,needle, pen, paints, and pencil the girls were engaged on their labour of love. .As a consequence, dollies' clotlies, golliwogs, pretty lollie-bags-, dainty Christmas booklets and cards- almost magically appeared; and when tiro well-beloved, whitehaired and boarded Father Christmas in his red robe did arrive at the Terrace School to the delighted little ones his hag seemed almost to weigh him, down. Ho was- given a most enthusiastic welcome by the children under Miss Fogellierg (infant mistress) and'her assistants. The delight of the children at receiving presents from . a real Father) Christmas was unbounded. Tho chairman of the .school committee (Mr, J. A. Thomson) congratulated Miss Fraser and tho girls upon their gracious action.