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Otago Witness, Issue 4033, 30 June 1931, Page 59

Stained with marks of age and cracked in parts, a violin, believed to be 200 years old, was taken into the shop of a Timaru music dealer the other day for repairs. The instrument obviously "had not been strung for many years, but when new strings were attached and adjusted it produced a remarkably mellow tone. The condition of the bow on which the adjusting pin was rammed so tightly that it could not be moved, was further testimony to the violin’s antiquity. In the interior were the name “ Jean Campbelton, 1733,”. and above was what appeared to be “ Mister Alexander.” Some other curious names, obviously foreign and almost illegible, were also written in the interior of the body of the instrument, and below was clearly the date “ 1867.” Pointing to the flag above his head, at a South African Veterans’. Association reunion at Wellington Major P. de B. Brandon, 0.8. E., V.D., drew the attention of those present to the fact that it was the flag of the South African veterans, and as such was now recognised throughout the Empire. The banner is a large edition of the ririands of the two war medals issued for the campaign. It is divided, vertically into two divisions, the one further from the staff being divided into vertical strips of orange, white, and green (the King’s South Africa medal), and the other, also striped downwards, is orange, flanked by blue’ and red (the Queen's South Africa medal). At the top of this is a Union Jack, as on an ensign.