The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, MAY 9. 1876.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XI, Issue 117, 9 May 1876, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. TUESDAY, MAY 9. 1876.

mlt is with feelings of the deepest regrei gthafc we are' called qpon to-day to fflannourice th,e death of Mr Lucas, \the s senior proprietor of this journal. Last awinter he was attacked by dropsy, 9 which laid him up for several months, sHduring which time he was a great Igsufferer. As the summer approached She became much better, and for three aor four months was able at intervals to Hpttend to "his business, but about six || weeks ago he was again laid prostrate Hby the same disease, and his constitution nbeing unable to resist this second attack She gradually sank beneath it, until, gafter a night ot much pain, he passed away, at; five o'clock, thie Hmorning. .-Mr Lucas was born at LangSport in Somersetshire in *1817, and at Han early age was apprenticed to the Sprinting business, in which he received Hhis finishing instructions at Mr Wright's Sprinting office in Bristol, of which, he, Bin the course of time, rose to be Sraanager, Mr Wright frequently seodffling him to overlook bis branch establishments in other parts of England. Sin 1843, Mr Lucas, who was always Hpossessed of strong religious tendencies, Sjoined the Wesleyan Mission at Sierra M Leone as assistant missionary, and at Sthe same time managed a small printing llplant attached to the mission, but the Hclimate was altogether unsuited to him, jiand aftef a residence of only eighteen ffl months in a district which has proved Isfche grave of so many noble spirits, he M was compelled by ill-health to return to jiEngiand. He then set up on his own ||account in the printing business in H Bristol, where he remained until 1859, llwhen he emigrated to Nelson. Having llwith him a small plant he commenced iiprinting here, and in 1865, seeing aD Sopening for a daily paper, he Btarted Sthe Evening Mail, of which he has Hover since s been the proprietor. Mr jSLucas has always been a prominent and Bactitfe member of the Wesleyan Church, having been Steward of the Circuit for many years. A zealous servant of his great Master he -spared neither labor nor time in promoting the cause of Christianity both here and elsewhere. Of a kindly genial disposition, and liberal with his purse in all matters connected with his church br with any deserving- charity .Mr Lucas was I one of those whom a small community such as ours can ill afford to lose. The regret which we so sincerely feel at his death will, we are sure, be largely shared in by very many residents in Nelson, who will deeply sympathise with his widow and children in their sad bereavement.

:a inimimn »Miinwij«MMiiiiw»i-H'i-iwi miiii—p«»iiiiiinimp< a