PERSONAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 237, 12 November 1909, Page 2

PERSONAL.

Messrs. !•'. \~. I'ugiia, C. A. Jones, and L. CI. I'. Spencer were passengers by the UltraWii fur Auckland last night, en route to Itussfll.

jlr. C. \V. rainier, uf Wellington, who is now visiting Ciislionic ami .Napier in I connection Willi -Navy U'aguc niailJTs, f will arrive in -New l'l.vinuulh by mail v train lu-iuurrutv evening, ll is oa in- ( vilalion uf the local executive commit- J tee tltat -Mr. Palmer visits New l'ly- ; nionl.li, and tlie main object will be to , ileal with formation of school branch is. A committee meeting will be held in I Lbe Alavor's room at the IJorough Coun- , til chambers this afternoon Ui make I arran"ements for Miniilnv, that l«'i»i! the only available day that Mr fainter can give at this centre.

At the meeting of tin: directors ol the Freezing Works Company uii Wednesday advantage was taken ul the "I'l 1 "'"- luiiilv of making " presentation m> Mr,l. W. Foreman. 'J J11• (lift, which L "" k llu: furin uf ii pair of ca.s.v clini.*, was chiollv fnmi tin- chairmen of daily companies in the Taranaki dUiru-t, mill was made iu «i»i»r«*i-ialion of tin- long services of Mr. |-'i.r.-nmii in conned ion Willi tin:dairying imln«try.- Mr. Mor-

ion, chairman of Uh- Freezing Work* toiiipaiiv made the presentation. Mr. | roi-enian, in acknowledging II"- presentation, said '.vhilnl lie liol l »-'» connected with tlie industry In- liail always endeavoured to ilo his bet on it, behalf, 'i'o him it liml l"-«n a malUir ol pleasure hv reason of tin- many kind friendv In- 'had mot II- would always remember with pleasure tin: many friendi ships In: had found in connection with I the dairying industry.

Particulars eanie to hand by last Auc'ralian mail of the death at Sydney of Mr Morris Asher. an erstwhile resident if Wellington, at the age of !)2 years. Mr. Asher had had an all-round experience of Australasia, having at one time o r other'hacl an accpiaintance with moot of the colonies. He had lived under liv? British Sovereigns- i.icorg,. 111., George IV. William IV., Queen Victoria, nnd Kill" Edward. He came to Australia in -the'Yirst merchant vessel that sailed to Port Adelaide, and was the lirst mcml>e> for the Hume in the first Parliament in ISM, under the new Electoral Act. There were scarcely a dozen houses in Adelaide when Mr. Asher lirst visited if, over 75 years ago. The deceased afterwards came to Svdney, and at that titn; the present sitc'of the Town Hall was a temetcrv. Some few months after reaching .Sydney he engaged to tako charge of ii number of bullock teams, with a view to bVinging a quantity of merchandise to Melbourne. He got as far as fiundagai with six assigned servants, but just about that time the blacks had been particularly busy, an I had killed a number of Mr. Chisholm's men. In the circumstances it was con-

sidcred rather rislty to pu,-h ahead. Indeed, ■while Mr. A*her and his jmriy waitcd, tli ( , blacks came up mid ordered them back. After"li'v<! months »f "ait ing, and the endurance of many hardshins, the party returned to Sydney. New Zealand was subsequently yisito.d ] by Mr. Ashcr. It tnnk eighteen days to cover the distance in a 00-ton schooner. The deceased was the first man to lraili! a brick house in Wellington. On the outbreak of the Maori war he helped to form a town guard, and he was one o' the fifty militiamen despatched to capture a chief named*" Robulla (Te Ranparaha). The mission was successful, and Robulla was placed on board 11.M.5. C'uliopc. Upon his return to Alburv 02 years ago, he erected the first steam flourmill, a boiling-down establishment, a tannery, a store, and n wool-washing bnrhicss." .Mr. Asher was the father of five sons and four daughter*, and his descendants include .14 grandchildren and a number of grcaTgrandchildren. lie took part in the ceremony attending the I'arliiiiuenlary jubilee of New South Wales, when he mad,, a speech that win: remarkable for its clearness and force.