THE DEATH ROLL OF 1912.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 190, 31 December 1912, Page 5

THE DEATH ROLL OF 1912.

SOME ILLUSTRIOUS MEN. (Specially Written for the News.) The death-roll of the year which close: to-day is exceptionally heavy. It in eludes the names of emperors, states men, theologians, journalists, reformer and philanthropists so renowned tlnv their passing away is almost like thi disappearance of stars from the sky In January, Rev. T). Borrie, one of th< most cultured, genial and saintly of tin clergy of Otago, an ex-Moderator of tht Presbyterian Church of New Zealand died in Dunedin at the age of 65. In March a gloom was cast all over Great Britain by death of Dr A. M. Pairbairn, who was probably the greatest theologian of the century. He was thf author of those immortal works, "Christ in Modern Theology," "The Philosophy of the Christian Religion," ■'■' Catholicism, Romanism and Anglicanism." But tlie supreme achievement of his life was the foundation of Mansfield College, Oxford, of which he was principal for over 30 years. His fame as a lecturer extended at once to America in the West and to India in the Far East. It was said, indeed, that no European ever produced such a profound impression upon the thought of India as that made by his masterly lectures delivered there. His scholarship won him early in life the friendship of W. E. Gladstone. He ' was as gentle as he was great. For over half a century he used to work lfi hours a day. His culture was so broad that on the occasion of his last voyage to America two commercials made a bet as to whether it, was possible to start the subject of a conversation' of which lie was not the master. That night at dinner he was asked his opinion about leather, and immediately poured out a stream o: information on the subject which held every one at the table spell-hound. His old pupils are scattered abroad all over the earth, and include several of the greatest preachers and authors living. He passed away at the ago of 73, honored and beloved by all who knew him. The month of June will ever be memorable as that of the greatest tragedy of the sea on record, the wreck of the Titanic. It is doubtful if we shall ever know liow many illustrious lives cut short by that terrible disaster. But probably no one of its victims bore such a name which will go down to history with greater honor than that of W. T. Stead, the prince of English journalists, known W1 over the world as the editor of the R&riew of Reviews. Mr. Stead is said to have had a presentiment that lie would lose his life at sea. The closing of such a distinguished career at the early age of G3 seems at first inexpressibly sad. But his death surrounds his memory with a wreath more imperishable than any of the achievements of his life; for, according to the testimony of numerous eye-witnesses, he was so busy to the last moment of his life helping others to escape that he never gave a single thought to his own danger. Mr. Stead made mistakes which the world will soon forget, and had faults which it will easily forgive. But the one thing it will never forget is the fact that while he lived the greatest joy of his life was to lend a helping hand to the weak, to redress the cause of the wronged, to' fight the battle of the oppressed, and that the last act of his life was to give itself away to save others from the watery grave to which he sank so nobly and so proudly. The month of July witnessed the passing away almost simultaneously of three great celebrities, two of them in the Far East and one in our own Dominion. The first of these was the Mikado of Japan, whose long reign marked the rise of Japan from comparative obscurity to the role of a great world empire; and though the reserve in which his personal life and character are shrouded makes it dillienlt to say how far Ills influence contributed directly to that rise, there is 'little' doubt that it wa* one of the factors in bringing it about, lie lived to see his nation become the conqueror of Russia and the ally of Great Britain. And it is scarcely too much to say that he helped to make her what she, became. Armies do not fight heroically, nor do statesmen work loyally for weak and worthless rulers. The devotion of the servants is a striking—nay, an irresistible —tribute to the greatness of the masters. And there is one specially powerful element in that tribute borne by the fact that on the day of the Mikado's funeral General Nogi and his wife committed suicide. To the Western mind that tragic act seems a gratuitous folly, bordering hard on a stupendous crime. But by the Japs it was universally looked upon as the noblest homage that could be paid_ to the memory of a revered sovereign. And shocking as it must be to our ideas of right and wrong, it still remains an impressive illustration of that self-sup-pression which is the key-note of the Japanese, character. The idea born in the mind of every Jap that his life belongs not to himself but to his nation, is, after all, the supreme secret of the strength:, which has raised Japan to such a pinnacle amongst the nations of the earth. Within a fortnight of the death of the Mikado there passed away a man of a very different but equally commanding character. Griffith John was the last and not the least of the triumvirate of Britons who have made a mark on China, which time will never efface, the other two being, of course, Robert Morrison and Sir Robert Hart. Grillith John was incomparably the greatest missionary of China, if not of the world. Bom' in 1820. ordained in 1855, he spent 55 .years of service in China, broken only by two brief furloughs of eighteen mdnths or two years spent in the Old Country. His character was a wonderful compound of those three elements so rarely blended in the same individual strength, sanctity and sweetness. Physically he looked a typical John Bull,'with'his leonine head, broad shoulders and burly frame. But lie had none of the swagger so common; ly associated with the possession of such an iron frame and such an inflexible will. His genial bonhommie and gracious gentleness made him at once adored at home and beloved abroad. In China lie was as popular as Sir Robert ITart. Tn Great Britain he was as popular as W. E. Gladstone. His tact and administrative, ability would have made him almost a Chatham if lie had eared to devote himself to politics. But having once set his hand to the plough of mission work he never looked back. He rapidiy rose to be the Archbishop of the L.M.S. in China. He founded scores of churches', one of which had a communion roll of 400 members. Three times he w;;s eallcd home to be chairman of the Congregational .-'Union of England and Wales.' But each time his answer was the same: "Send me more ploughmen." At last, when worn out, he returned just in time to die peacefully in London at the ripe age of 83. lint, the best known of all J.he great, nlen who died that same mohtli to us in Xew Zealand wi>s Sir.-J J. Logan Campbell, the Father of Auckland. \ T o figure was more familiar in the streets of the Queen City of the Pacific than the courtly, gracious form of . .Sir I. Logaitf' Campbell. The events of Ilia life are too well known to all our readers to 'need any recapitulation. But, of course, the crowning monument to his memory is his munificieiit princely gift to the people of Auckland of Cornwall Park, probably the stateliest park in the Southern Hemisphere; one, indeed, which will almost bear comparison with

the world-renowned Greenwich Park in the Old Lund. Right in the centre of that park rises the famous One Tre# Hill, commanding one of the finest views in the world. On the top of that hill liei the grave to which Sir. J. Campbell was followed by the longest procession ever seen in Auckland. No more appropriate resting-place could have been chosen for him than theheari of that noble park, his gift to the people lie loved so well. Ho reached the ripe old age of 95. If greatness is to be measured by service, there can bp little doubt that the greatest of all the great men removed from us during the year was General .Booth, who laid down bit sword last August at the age of 88. The Salvation Army has fought its way through contempt to admiration, througk admiration to veneration. It commands to-day the homage of the whole civilised world. It has proved itself til* most beneficient philanthropic organisation ever launched upon the world. And [ this noble crusade was the creation of a single mind, was sustained hy the force of a single will. It may be doubted whether any man in this world ever wirlled a more powerful influence than, did General Booth. He was incomparably the most influential man of the. century. The edicts issued from the dark" ness of his study commanded a loyalty which Napoleon might have envied, and carried a force which even Cromwell never attained. The profound reverence for his memory cherished by tl» Army is shown by the fact that his appointment of his son Bramwell as his successor was silently anil unanimously accepted without a word of thought or question. Xo pope, no emperor, no millionaire ever left behind such a will as that contained in the sealed envelope ' left in the desk of one whose worldly wealth was less than that which many a laboring man bequeathed to his ( family. No tomb in Westminste'r Abbey is surrounded by a brighter aureole of honor than the grave in Abney Park, the resting place of William Booth. The samo month was marked by the death of Sir George White, the gallant defender of Ladysmith, who in the darkest hour of the struggle in South Africa never despaired of the eventual victory of hit country, and whose indomitable heroism did mueh towards bringing that victory about. In September, Rev. W. H. Judkins, the editor of the Australian edition of the Review of Reviews, died ia middle age after a two years' struggle with a subtle combination of painful diseases, borne with heroic fortitude. The courage and patience of his per sonal character enhances the honor won by, his ability as an editor. We cannot pass over the month of October without reference to the death which took place during it of our beloved and honored townsman, Mr. Thomas Riches Hodder. He lived a quiet life. He took .no prominent part in politics. He attained*, no high place in commerce. But he be-! longed to a noble family. He was tW# ' first-born and last to die of the family J of Hodder. . His brother Matthew was head of the great publishing firm of, Hodder and Stoughton. Another of his ; brothers, Edwin, attained considerable fame as an author. And though it was not granted to him to share their renown, it may truthfully be said that he was worthy of" the name he bore. . His character was a fine,,blending "of , strongth 'and sweetness. Always trut ! to his own convictions, he was ever gra> 1 cious and gentle ,to thoso ,who. differed from him. He lived and died a brave-, man, a true gentleman, a simple, humble, happy Christian. He left behind him a large family o/ children and great : grandchildren. There never breathed a, { kindlier father or a more faithful friend.' The death roll of the year closes with ' two names little known outside their t own church, but universally honored-! within it, Rev. 'W. Will, of Bast Taierl, ' who died in Otago at the good age of ,i 87, and the Rev. J. Ross, of Wanganui, : who passed peacefully away in thafc.l town the last week in November at t the green old age of 84. We follow the " memory of such men with songs as well,) as tears, with more songs than ever ' tears: '

For though oft depressed and lonely, All our years are laid aside When we but remember only Such as these have lived and died.