OBITUARY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 119, 10 November 1911, Page 8

OBITUARY.

MR. S. M. MACKAY. FATHER OF Till': WEST COAST

By Telegraph—Press Association. Greymouth, Last Xight

Mr. Samuel Maggitt Mackay. "father! of the West Coast," is dead. He was d native of Leeds (Yorkshire), ami arrived at Nelson in 1854. tie came to the West Coast in 1857, where ho met Mr. .lames 'Mackay. jun., in IStiO. who bought from eight" to ten .'of land from the natives for £l5O cash, a ton of flour, aiid half a ton of sugar—a.ltogitjjer valued at £|::00. Mr. llackay witnessed the signatures. He subsequently visited Okarito, finding gold on the beach and in 1 the Buller river. He visited Christ-1 churchln lißli3 and wrote a letter to the i' Lyttelton Times which caused a rush to. set, in. He bought 2200 acres iu the Little Gray Valley, which he improved' ai'.Kl resided on. It has since carried 1800 sluep and ">OO head of cattle. The building is like an English farmhouse. lie visited England in 1886, and subsequently • i bought 2000 acres at Pakarae, Poverty' Bay. but sold it recently at an enormous profit as it was vastly improved. He, leaves a widow, four sons and six daugh-j ters, including Mrs, Janus Marshall,! wife of Mr. Marshall, M..L.C. Mr. Mackay died peacefully, aged 82. • ' Ml. ALEX. HENDERSON. EXl'TliEiS AT SOCIAL GATIIERIXG. ] Cliristchurch. Last Night, j Mr. Alex. Henderson, chief of the Scottish iSocie,t|y, diedl suddenly at a social gathering of the .society to-night, over which lie presided. He had given ant address on the aims and objects of the society, and had sat down for n few minutes while some letters from Scotland were .being rend, 'when lie was seized with a fit and was removed to an i ante room, wlier he died a few minutes after. He had been attended lately for heart trouble, lie was 57 years of age, ' and! formerly Cliristchurch manager for ; Ross and Glendinning, but had retired about two years ago.