A STURDY PIONEER

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 7, 4 October 1920, Page 5

A STURDY PIONEER

THE LATE CAPTAIN JOHN CAMPBELL.

hi? ?J?l n i Ca mpbell, whe dfcd at re " dent *. Taonui, Feilding, on September 24, was in liis 80th year. He in Argyllshire, and spent his boyhood at Eothesav. He-went to sea. in his 14th year, and five years « th f Eothcsay lade, was atTho 'i° Australia by the gold fever. They sailed from the Clyde in the Monarch a long, narrow river steamer, which had been bought for Melbourne. The Mat had to bB strengthened by beams lashed to her side before she put to 6ea. Alter a long and trying voyage young Campbell and his companions reached tt hastened to the diggings. Ho had no luck at Bendigo, and eighteen months later returned to Melbourne and went to sea again. He arrived in Wellington at the close of 1855, and joined the regular East Coast . schooner, the Ksper. under tho late Captain A. Blair. After trading to Napier and the coast bays for some time, he became engaged in the boating business at Napier. Tho gold rushes in New Zealand drow him to Gabriel's Gully, and later 'to Collingwood, but he had little success, and ho returned to Napier, where he became owner and master of the 6mall cutter Hero, which hb sailed to Wuiroa anil other Hawke's Bay landings. During the Maori troubles von the East Coast lie was engaged carrying men and munitions along tho coast. The business had so developed by 1872 that lie decided to venture into steam, and ho had built in fiunedin that year the s.s. Fairy. He wont into partnership with the late G. E. G. Richardson, the firm being known as Richardson and Co. Within three years tho firm /ound the Fairy unable to keep pace with the trade, and it placed an order in Dunedin for a laTgfe steamer, the Jane Douglas, long familiar on the New Zealand coast. This vessel was eventually sold .to Wellington owners. Later the 6,5. Weka was built for thi> firm by Messrs. Luke and Sons,_ in Wellington. This vessel was fitted with freezing machinery and insulated chambers. Shortly afterwards the s.s. Tuna wa9 ordered from the Tyne. This boat was lost on the voyage to New Zealand and was Teplac«3"by the Kabu. In 18S7 the late Captain Campbell sold his interest in Itichardson and Co., and ■ with his 6on wont on to rough busli land, which he converted into an excellent farm. Ho lived there till his death. Mr. Campbell was very highly esteemed and respected by all who knew him, and thoss who knew him intimately had tie greatest appreciation of his worth. ,