THE LATE SIR W. CHAMBERS.

Kumara Times, Issue 2111, 5 June 1883, Page 2

THE LATE SIR W. CHAMBERS.

The death of Sir William Chambers has closed a career which in the benefit it has conferred on literature ia hardly equalled, and has certainly not been excelled. "William Chambers was born in Peebles in 1800, and at an early age both he and bis brother Robert, who died in 1871, devoted their boyish leisure to the art of printing. In 1818 Robert started a small periodical called the Kaleidoscope, which William set np in type and printed, and from this small beginning, after many other ventures they eventually produced the Edinburgh Journal, the Penny Magazine, and Chambers's Journal, this last very shortly attaining a circulation of 50,000 copies. Success attended their literary undertakings, and in 1849 William bought the estate of Glenormiston. In 1859 he established the Chambers's Institution at Peebles, and in 1865 became Lord Provost of Edinburgh, in which capacity he organised and carried out many useful measures and sanitary improvements. Continuing as partners, the brothers edited various useful popular works, crowning their success with " Chambers's En cyclopaedia." In 1869 Mr William Chambers was re-elected Lord Provost of Edinburgh, and received the degree of L.L.D. in 1872, and his great and successful efforts to promote the literature of his country were rewarded only a few days ago by a baronetcy. Sir W. Chambers took an active interest in the affairs of New Zealand, and especially in Dunedin, the name of that city being his suggestion. He was amongst the earliest donors to the Dunedin Athenaeum. On its being mentioned to him three years ago that the Dunedin Town Council would be pleased to have his portrait to hang in their Town Hall, he resolved to present the portrait which he considered the best likeness—that by Horsburg of him in his state dress as Lord Provost. This will now be cherished as a valuable memorial of the donor, and interesting from its historical value.