A ROMANTIC BEGINNING

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 150, 4 October 1910, Page 8

A ROMANTIC BEGINNING

AND A TRAGIC END. | Referring to the pathetic story (recently published in the "Daily News") regarding the death of Mr. Hunter Blair on Little Barrier Island, the Hunterville Ex- < press states: —"A member of our staff, who was at one time employed in the head office .of the Government Tourist Department Wellington, where deceased acted in the capacity of messenger and general utility hand, states that-Robert Hunter Blair was of aristocratic Scottish descent, and closely connected with a namesake of his who acted as aide-de-: camp to one of New Zealand's Govern-1 ors. The deceased, wtoo was of a roving nature, followed the occupation of a J miner in South America, where Ihe amass-1

Ed a considerable fortune, only to see it vanish in further speculative mining enterprises. Later Dame Fortune smiled once more at him, and left in a state of affluence. But the wilds of unexplored country kept a-callisg, and be went back prospecting and speculating, finally, t-0 spend his last pound a mine in Central Otago. Some five years ago ihe was by the Government Tourist department for wort on the cutting of tihe overland track to Milford Sound, and it was there that romance not of gold, but of love, -entered his life. A few months prior to tihe event which we are about to relate, a young woman,- arrived from Scotland and secured employment as a general servant at the Government Tourist Department's accommodation bouse at Milford. It was a lonely life for that young woman, and one morning in desperation she started to make the then rough journey on foot iftpusdea—lfcough dense bush, deep ravines, &fis rivers. About four miles from Milford shd came on Hunter Blair, at work on the track 1 . It WAS raining hard, and being ill and distressed flihe told her story to ihim. In couf§§ of. conversation, it was discovered that it&ej came from the same place in Scotlafldv Hunter Blair left the young woman at has camp, returned to the accommodation 'house, and obtained her outfit, and on returning to the camp resumed the long and arduous journey to Lumsden. It took nigh on three days to do it, most of whicth time Hunter Blair had to carry his companion, as owing to her exposure she had developed pleurisy. Medical treatment and kindly nursing at Lums-

den rapidly restored her to Itealth, and she immediately became Mrs. Hunter Blair. A romantic wooing, truly, with a tragic endings Hunter Blair was a man of aibout 52 years of age—much travelled and deeply read. With his intaenti love of lonely spots and adventure,, it ' seems meet that he should have passed * away On a lonely islet, with seabirdss screaming a requiem." '