PIONEER SETTLERS.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 January 1923, Page 4

PIONEER SETTLERS.

HIRITUSING LONGEVITY. A ITKI.ANI). January 0. < The surprising longevity of early Auckland settlers is mad up] arent once again in a perusal of the ages of j old folk who died during the past year, lining the twelve months the deaths of -TB7 persons of 70 years and over have been recorded. The great majority of those wore early colonists ■>nd the fact that they died full of rears after a lifetime of hard wo, k and strenuous pioneering, speaks veil I" . the old-time custom of simple living, md nleidy of verk ami sleep. Ah si ,-i id em were ho: n in a far-off land ivit h much more rigorous conditions of climate than obtain in sunny NT w Zealand, hut coining, to a new country in on i'!y hnvliotjf! or vigorous youngs in mi- i hood, as most of the 'd pioneers did | tlmv found plenty 'J "ork to harden them.up and In mg out tin* strong powers of endurance which have steed so many of them in good stead in tlie 1 passing of over half a century. The same applies to women. Indeed, an interesting point revealed in any search of the longevity records is that, a great in anv of New Zealand pioneer vires and mothers have outlived its fathers. Til almost any list of obituary notices of old folk it will 1)0 found that Hie women, usually widow", outnumber the men. "During the past month, for list:,nee, of seven aged people, who died at upwards of 90 years, no fewer than six were women. Tire oldest of them nil was Airs Ann Robertson, aged OR. a pioneer of Hie "Rotorua- district. ATrs ATnrv Armstrong, who died op N»venihor Oth. at Hie age of OR. the widow of a member of the "IRth. "Royal Ti-idi Regiment, was another hardy veteran of the early days. Of a total 1 or 1 T old folks who have passed away during the past three months. 82 were which and fin men. The winter months June. • f"lv and A.-geA. mvariahlv take a heavy toll from 'he ranks of the old pinncci's. The deaths of over ion persons over 7.1 years of age were refolded last winter. The flier.test, age nttnined among those whose death- were recorded las! rear was that of Airs "Harriet ('■ s'ey. of Dmrv. who died u ~{ (he age of 101. Even this | was eclipsed in the previous voar. for in 1921 there were three deaths in New Zealand, of mill emu-inns— a man a I Wellington, who reached the groat age of HV>. and Iwo women -f

:es of Ififi Mill 10!