The Late Mr Donald Me-Kinnon.

Huntly Press and District Gazette, Volume 2, Issue 42, 27 June 1913, Page 2

The Late Mr Donald MeKinnon.

The sad news that Mr Donald McKinn vn ha 1 breathed his hist at the age of 73, at his residence near Ohinewai, last Thursday night had a depressing effect, on his numerous friends and acquaintances in the mining town where he was so well known an 1 so highly esteemed. Though for the past four years he had not been in the most robust health, he made so wonderful a recovery from a stroke of j) iraly sis th it he appeared to have many years of use!illness in store; but about Wednesday internal complications supervened and a somewhat sudden and unexpected demise was the result Born in 1840, at Strathard, in tho Isle of Skye, Mr McKinnon spent his early d ivs and the firstyears of manhood amid the lovely scenery of the romantic island, gaining there that knowledg > <<f practical fanning and sheeprearing which he turned to such good account when he settled in the Antipodes. Leaving tho old home in 1834 the deceased, who was accompanied by his brother and four sisters, intended to set tie beside his relatives who war * large runholders in Australia, hut oil reaching the island continent, the pi m> w re changed, and the immigrants c mtamed the voyage to Now Zvilund. landing at Lyttlet >n 1 iter in the same yea-. The family t Aup land in Cuntarbury, and having improved ir, the two broth went in for railway c ultra? , their various undertakings being attended with that success which is the usual con sequent of hard and careful work. After a lime tho family sold nut, and eventually settled down it Riverdnlo, near Ohinewai. Aft Twards there vva ' purchascd-the large eM.it * in the Pukemiro district which for soma time has been man iga 1 so well by Mr Alex. McKinnon. Suck was their energy that the ti-trea, fern, and swamp lands were soon transformed int > the smiling pastures on which thousands of sheep and mobs of shorthorns fatten * 1 and multiplied, and from which there were sent to the various shows the Romney Marsh sheep and th • cattle that not only gained prizes, hut made the namekiftlie growers familiar to settlers throughout the length and breadth of the island. Lt whs n >t so much as a farmer but as a breeder of racehorses that the name of Mr Donald M e Kinnon became best known. From the date of his first big success, the winning of tho Hawk *’s Bay Gup with l)v *.unland, Mr McKinnon, whenever his col >urs were up, hid alvvavs a strong following who knew that his horses were always meant to win, if they could, and that backers would always get a straight run for their m >ney. _ r

n i Such equities as Loch Nos*., Maria, Cymry, Lieutenant, Sc >t n Free, Loch Fyne.aud Landlock r ■ e call memories of gall int victories ~ and as gal la >t defeats, and show y as a rule, trained by tho genial \ sportsman. To the last he niiiu1S t lined a strong interest in inat--0 tors relating to the turf, and his , figure was well known Li the J various courses where he was wont to meet former friends with whom he fought the old battles e over again, and discussed J learnedly and with knowledge a the history of New Zealand i- racing. g Though lie took no active y ; part in local p ditics li s infiueiic- • I was such that ho was able l > - i mould local opinion, an 1 genern I ally to guid j it int i a proper an I \ ! wise channel. He was an ar--1 dent freo-mason, and up to the y | tim *of h s death was a member i|of L >dge Manuk.ui, in* ;L--bo in ■; | a charter member and th > second y | worshipful nnk -r of Lodge Taupiri. P dit'ealiy, Mr M*cTCi*rioa j was a life-long supp irter o'' i!i * e I party at pres uu i ,) > .ve •, aid a great admirer of Mr Ma.-sey for : whom lie entj-rlaini* 1 the wa-.n " feeling that was duly recinr >- r spoken opponent of the policy f enunciated and advocated by th * j 1 late Mr Bedim an Iby Sir Carroll, the decea I 1 not blind to the qualities which y raised them to eminence, n.i 1 > thus lived on terms of personal '• friendship with both. Mr McKinnon, as a typical ' Highlander, poss v-s *d the pc >- • nounced virtu ! : race rsation was . loyalty to clan an 1 to country, his knowledge of the legendj and traditions of the former being on a par with his devotion to the , best literature of th e lat er. H >s--3 pit-able to a fauL. impulsive, generous, genial and kin liy, h * j was a warm friend and an ideal settler, and the fact that j the natives regarded his 3 word as his bond, and trusted I him implicitly, speaks volumes r for the pioneer settler whus-e loss , is generally deplored and wlis * . death leaves a blank that will be . hard to fill. The l irge assembly that . gathered round the open grave nn Sunday to piy the last sal tribute of respect to the deceased, ' eloquently testified to the s n ■ of personal loss experienced by i tho mourners, while the sub l ie ! tones and hushed v >iu ;s ■>!' these* who saw ail that was mortal ol their friend return? ! t > the earth j from which h • sprui ?. evinced a grief an 1 a sorrow that was n>t of an ovane.ce.i; aware. Tho handsome casket \vn ho ne to the grave by his nephews and relatives who acted as pall bearers, while the service which was according the rites of the Presbyterian Church, was conducted by the Rev. J. Richards. The funeral arrangements were efficiently carried out by Mr C. Porter. I