PERSONAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 244, 21 February 1911, Page 4

PERSONAL.

Mr. A. N. Bewlcy is indisposed, and will be absent from business for some weeks. The Rev. J. fl. Chapman left for the Methodist Conference at Christchurch yesterday. Mr. E. Broad, manager of the Bank of New Zealand at Marion, is on a short visit to New Plymouth. M. Nouffard, French Resident in the New Hebrides, has been appointed Lieu-tenant-Governor of Senegal. Captain Cornwall, of the Kaiparo, which is lying in the Waitara roadstead, is visiting relatives in New Plymouth. Mr. Russell Baker, of the New Zealand Insurance Company, left last night on transfer to the company's Auckland branch. Mr. Joseph M'Cluggage has been regazetted as ono of the Government representatives on the Taranaki Land B6ard. Mr. J. Gibson, representative of the New Plymouth circuit at the Methodist Conference, will leave by this morning's express. Dr. Maclagan leaves Kaponga in about a week's time. He will sail for the Okl Country probably in the course of a teVt weeks. Dr. and Mrs. Walker loave by tomorrow's mail train for Wellington en „ route to England. They hope to return in November. Mr. John Veale, of Auckland, was in New Plymouth yesterday, en ronte for G'hristeliureh, wliero ho will attend the Methodist Conference. Mr. .T. Liddell Kelly, well known in journalistic circles in the Dominion, haa accepted the editorship of the Ashburton Mail, and takes up his duties in April. Mr. H. Temple, the well-known Au»tralian scientific metallurgist, of Sydney, spent the week-end in New PlyI mouth, and left for Napier yesterday.

The Rev. J. Wilkinson and Rev. A. R. Kempthorne left by the Rarawa last night for Auckland to attend the special session of Synod for the election of a Bishop.

The Rev. A. H. Colvilc, late of New Plymouth, and now in Auckland, has recovered from his indisposition, and will conduct a mission in the diocese of Chr'istchurch during May. It was reported at the last mebting of the Waimatc West County Council that the Hon. R. Mackenzie (Minister of Public Works) would be in the Tarnnaki district in about three weeks' time.

Miss Preston, one of St Mary's' Sunday School teachers, was the recipient of a prayer-book last week from the scholars prior to her departure from Now Plymouth to reside in Dannevirke.

A Press Association message states that an old Auckland boy has just been honored by the city of Brisbane. Thin is Mr. H. J. Diddams, who has been elected to the Mayoral chair of the city for 1911.

Mr. J. D. Henry, the oil expert, is at present visiting Gisborne' and investigating the oil fields of the district. He will remain there till Wednesday, and will be bunquctted in New Plymouth before taking his departure from the Dominion.

A Sydney cablegram state* that Prince Leopold of Battenbcrg has been uawell since his arrival from New Zealand, and has become an inmate of a private hospital. His condition is causing his medical attendants some uneasiness, though a slight improvement was reported last night. The nature of hj» illness is not disclosed.

Miss Devenish was -the recipient on Thursday of a silver-backed brush and comb from the scholars of the infant division of St. Mary'a Sunday School. Mr. Shaw, in making the' presentation on behalf of the scholars, mentioned that Miss Devenish had been in charge of the infant section of the school for many years past and had been remarkably successful. The foundation fhe cliildren got there was one of the greatest assets not only to the Sunday School but also to the Church. The Eev. X Wilkinson, acting-Vicar, also spoke in eulogistic terms of the good work being done by Miss Ucvenish as superintendent of the morning school. At the Annual prize distribution ceremony in connection with St; Mary's Sunday School tho Superintendent, Mr. S. \V. Shaw, on behalf of the scholars and teachers, presented the Rer. F. GL. and Mrs. Evans witli a handsome solid oak folding afternoon tea tible. Mr. Shaw in the course of his speech mentioned the good feeling which had always existed between the Vicar and the Sunday School, and said that whenever possible Mr. Evans was always in attendance. Mrs. Evans entered the school as a child and had been closely identified with it ever since. Mr. Shaw also presented the Vicar with a silvermounted walking stick suitably inscribed on behalf of the school. Tfie gifts were feelingly acknowledged. Dr. Steven, who has accepted the position of medical superintendent at tfte Stratford Hospital, began his education at the Papnkaio public scbool (OtagoV, after leaving which institution he proceeded to the Waitaki Boys' High School, where he hold first a Macandrew and thou a senior Education Board scholar, ship, lie gained "credit" in the general University Scholarship examination and passed through his medical course at Otago University in the minimum time of live years, passing also the first seclion of the li.Sc. degree and gaining lir.st-elass certificates in the more important medical subjects. Having passed ihe final examination for the M.H. and Cli.l!. degrees he immediately obtained an appointment at the Christchiireh Hospital, acting for six months as house physician. While thus engaged he wasinvited by Dr. .T. If. Xewell to take charge of his practice at Lyttelton during 11)10. • Since February. ION), Dr. Steven has been in charge of Dr. Xewell's praetico.—Post.

Another of Taranaki'a pioneers passed away at Wellington last week in the person of Mr. Francis Stevens, who came to Xew Zen land at the end of 1859, and j to Taranaki just before the commencement of the first Taranaki war. He wan appointed ckicf signalman at the Omata Stockade, and later on wns in charge of the Commissariat Stores, and took part in the actions at Waireka, Rihi-Kihi, Warca, etc., and afterwards was in charge of commissariat contracts between Auckland and the Waikato. In February, 1802, he was appointed to the Deputy Adjutant General's office in Auckland, which was merged into the Defence Office on the removal of the scat of Government to Wellington. He remained as ahiei clerk in the Defence Office for many years, until transferred to chief clerk in the General Crown Lands, where he remained for several years; lie retired on pension in 1592, a»d for several years was staff sccrclnry at,the colonial prize-firing held annually in different parts of the colony. On the Government declining to continue (lie system. "Mr. Slovens started the New Zealand Uille Association, and was for several years its secretary.