The Late Mr Amos Burr.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 36, 24 May 1906, Page 2

The Late Mr Amos Burr.

Mr Amos Burr, whose death at Wellington, was chronicled last week, was one of the earn'C st settlers in the Manawatu. He came out from the Old Country in the surveying vessel, the Cuba, which reached Wellington in 1840, He was then only eighteen years of age. He resided in Wellington for some time, and while there had the misfortune to lose his arms in the following manner: —A few weeks after her arrival the Cuba was ordered down to the Cha l hams with the company’s attorney, Mr R. D. Hansen, to negotiate the purchase of the group from the Maori owners. Before leaving she fired a salute of a few guns. Burr was serving one of the guns, and had almost finished loading when it went off, mangling both his arms, wind had to be amputated. Subse fin.enl'lv be tsquippol himself with wooden arms and received an appointment by the Government in the rhblio Works Department, .and in that capacity proceeded to Foxton. He there carried out the duties of Inspector of Works under Mr J. T. Stewart, then the Government engineer for the Manawatu district." Mr Burr, it may be noted, had charge of all the most important public works (roads and bridges) which were carried out at that time. When these were all finished he retired from the service and took up fanning at Moutoa. In those days he did a great deal of trading with the of that district. At one time he kept the hotefat Foxton which afterwards was occupied by Mr T. Cook. Some twenty years ago he unsuccessfully stood lor Parliament foi the Manawatu district, the other candidates being Messrs Snelson and Halcombe. In the early fifties, when Mr E. J. Wakefield made an overland journey to Wanganui, he found Burr established near Foxton in charge of an accommodation house and a ferry on the Manawatn. The first hotel erected in Palmerston was put up to Mr Burr’s orden It was situated near the site of the present Masonic < Hotel. Mr Burr was 84 years old at the time of his death,—Manawatu Standard.