PERSONAL

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 75, 15 August 1912, Page 4

PERSONAL

A Sydney cablegram announces the death of' tho Rev. John Auld, the wellknown Presbyterian minister. From fifty-six applications the Blenheim Borough Council selected Mr. John Sturrock, (1.E., at present borough engineer at Napier, to fill a similar position in Blenheim. Mr. Sturrock's first (* important work will be the installation 1 of the water and sewerage scheme, t New Zealand is shortly to receive as a settler a young English baronet, Sir Cecil I Moon, and his wife. Sir Cecil, who is forty-five years of age and is the second baronet, has sj.ent many years in Colorado. He expects to leave for his new ■ home in the course of a few months. The death occurred at Palmerston on Tuesday of an old resident named William Fraser. Deceased was SI years of ! age, and enjoyed excellent health until about a week ago, succumbing -finally to aneurism of the heart. He was born . on the famous battlefield of Culloden, in Inverness, and first came to the colonies fiftyseven years ago. He landed in Melbourne, and took part in the Eureka Stockade affair, subsequently coming to Dunedin, and afterwards participating in j the Gabriel's Cully and other noted gold J rushes. Then he went once more to the I \ ictorian goldfields, and back again to I Otago and Westland, following the i vicissitudes of the fields. Twentv-t'hrec yeara ago he, came to Palmerston "North, and settled there, engaging in storekeeping and other pursuits until his retirement some years ago. Mrs. Fraser I survives him.

Under date July 5, the London correspondent of New Zealand Times writes:—The youngest commander in the Royal Navy is, for the time being, our old friend, Lieutenant E. R. (j. R. Evans, R.X., who was second in command of Captain Scott's - Antarctic expedition. Lieutenant Evans arrived in England from New Zealand a few days ago, and at the King's command repaired to Cardiff, where lie was received by his Majesty on the Royal yacht, and, to his great gratification, received the intimation of his promotion to the rank of commander. Commander Evans was senior officer on board the Terra Nova on her outward voyage from New Zealand and accompanied Captain Scott on the southern journey, taking charge of the final supporting, .party. He was the last man to see Captain Scott, having left him on January 4, in latitude 87.35 south (145 geographical miles from the Pole). He intends to leave England in time to command the Terra Nova when sJie leaves in, December to pick up Captain Scott and liis> party, returning to New Zealand in March next. Dealing with Captain Scott's plans. Commander Evans says: '\l expect Scott reached the Pole two weeks after I left liini. When I parted from him his idea was to go to the Pole and back as soon as possible, so that T imagine he probably returned to Tint Point about March 10, just too late to send back his final news by the Terra Nova. The organisation of the southern journey was splendid, every detail having been thought out by Captain Scott."