PERSONAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 53, 8 July 1913, Page 5

PERSONAL.

Obituary: The Duchess of Northumberland—London cablegram.

Mr C. Meyenberg yesterday received news of the death in Sydney of j his son-in-law, Mr J. F. Moore.

The death of Mr Samuel Spence,, aged fifty-nine, an old resident, a well-known farmer, of lauranga, is, announced. Mr John Thorn ton, of Havelock j North, ex-headmaster at the Te Ante, College, died at Havelock on Sunday,' at tho age of 69, after a lingering ill-; ness. Miss Ellis, the holder of ticket number 666, has claimed the second prize gold nugget in connection with the Poultry Society’s art union.

Mr Harold Montgomery, the New Zealand Government agent in Sydney, died of syncope, following on influenza, states a Sydney message.

The Rev. Mr Williams, ex-presi-dent of the general conference of the Methodist Church of Australasia, is dead.—Melbourne cablegram.

Mr John Fraser, formerly Govern-1 ment Valuer for Wellington and ( Hawke’s Bay, died suddenly on Sunday from heart failure at the age of j 49 years. I

Mr V. Baird, of the New Plymouth branch of the Bank of Australasia, who proceeded this morning to take up his duties at the bank at Whangamomona, was last night the recipient of a presentation from ids fellow boarders at Chatswotth House.

Dr. Carbery forwarded the following letter to the Hospital Board, and it was read at this morning’s meeting Will you be good enough to expres to your Board my appreciation of their flattering resolution of Tuesday last, and convey to them my thanks for their good wishes regarding my journ% to England,

Mr J. Phelan, of Lepperton, who lias retired from the railway service on superannuation after a connection with the department extending over twenty-five years, was met by his friends at his house on Saturday and presented with a travelling rug. Mrs Phelan was the recipient of a handsome 'silver teapot and Miss A. K. Phelan received a ladies’ companion.

Pj-ofessor T. H. Easterfield, Professor of Chemistry at Victoria College, Wellington, was last evening presented by the Governor, on behalf of the New Zealand Institute, with the Hector medal for 1913 for chemistry inirecognition of re,searches. Professor Chilton, President of the Institute, mentioned that Professor Easterfield’s researches dealt with active principles of many New Zealand plants which had poisonous qualities. They had direct application in connection with medicine, and as a result of them, it was undoubted that new drugs would be discovered which would be useful in healing various diseases.

The death is announced from Paris of Mr J. C. Williamson, the wellknown theatrical enterpreneur. The late Mr Williamson arrived in Sydney in- 1876, where, playing himself with his talented wife, Miss Maggie Moore, he scored an instantaneous success in “Struck Oil” and “The Chinese Question.” Under Mr Harward’s management he returned to the Old Country in 1877, where he made a sensational hit in “Struck Oil.” He then returned to Australia, and founded the firm of Williamson, Garner and Musgrove. Messrs Garner and Mnsgrove have since dropped out of the firm, which has been promoted into a company, with Mr Williamson and Mr Hugh Ward at its head. A Sydney cablegram this morning states that wide expressions of sympathy are heard in connects* with Mr Williamson’s death which was due to kidney trouble with heart complications. A severe cyclone in the Pacific caused his condition to become serious before he landed at San Francisco. He was taken to the hospital and his health improved, and he proceeded to New York. He expressed a great wish to see bis family again. He was very ill when the relatives mot the boat at Havre. The Paris doctors were hope-; ful, and he made a brave struggle, but gradually weakened. He was conscious and discussed theatrical ventures until the end. His last hours were passed peacefully on Sunday afternoon with his wife and children.

The Right Honorable Alfred Lyttelton, whose death occurred on Sunday, made his reputation during tiie 1900 Parliament by the ability with which, as Colonial Minister, he dealt with the difficult task of re-scttling South Africa. When Mr Chamber! lain retired lie was brought straight from the back benches and placed in charge of the Colonial Office. It was a bold experiment, as people thought, but it “came off.” His first speech on Chinese labour made an all-round impression, and proved that the Prime Minister had secured a valuable colleague. He has not always been a Unionist—he was a nephew of the late Mr Gladstone—but, after being converted in the early ’nineties, he was sent to Warwick to heal a fierce Unionist quarrel by his candidature, and he kept the seat for ten years. Captain at Eton and Cambridge,. he has entertained both England and Australia to what has been called “the champagne of cricket,” and when he went into Parliament some said it was “a good ending for a great wicket-kee-per.” ‘ '