PERSONAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 237, 16 March 1915, Page 4

PERSONAL.

A Melbourne cablegram reports flw death of Mr. Richard Baker, el-Miniate» of Customs. ■ "Banjo" Paterson, who left with tho Australian troops 0 n behalf of a synji, [ cate of newspapers, is returning to Sydney on board the Euripides. A Petrograd message roporta the death of Count Wittc, a former Russian Minister, who was responsible for the Ports* mouth Treaty, which ended the RussoDapaneso war. A Brisbane cablegram reports that tha new Governor of Queensland, Major Sir Hamilton Uoold-Adayus, was sworn in yesterday. • Mr Hubert Burnett, solicitor, of Woodville. spent the week-end at New Plymouth. Mr Burnett was up here principally to look after Mr Rowc Fennell of YVoodville, who is seriously ill in a convalescent home at Fitzroy.'

The death occurred at a late hour last night of Mrs. Alice Clark, relict of the late Kdward Thomas Clark, at tho age of 70 years. The deceased lady arrived in New Zealand to join her husband in June, 187£>, by the barque Hannibal. A son and a daughter are left to mourn her loss.

The death is reported from Westport of Mr Thomas Corcoran i an old resident of the district. Horn in Tipperaiy, Ireland, he. came out i a young man, to Australia. Taking a keen interest in polities, lie was elected a member of the Victorian Tarliament for a Ballarat constituency, and sat for a full term. It is forty years since he arrived in New Zealand.

Professor E. E. ;Prince, Commissioner of Fisheries for Canada, who visited the Dominion last year and reported on tile fisheries here. gave a lecture before the Qttdwa Field Naturalists' Club recently on "The New Zealand Peripatus, the Most Ancient and Wonderful of Living Aiiiinals."

Thomas Alexander Browne, the novelist, known as "J'olf lioldrewood," is dead. He was born in London in 1826. and arrived iu New South Wales witli liis father in 1830. He was educated at Sydney College, and was a pioneer pastoralist in Port .Fairy district, Victoria, from IS-14 to 1858. Owing to the droughts he abandoned pastoral pursuits in ISO!). He was police Magistrate and Warden of (ioldfields in New South Wales from IS7O to ISDS. lie made a popular hit with "Robbery Under Arms'", in ISSS, and since then has 'published atsporting reminiscences. At 78 he produced "The Last Chance: A Tale of the Golden W T cst."

Mr John Swift, a member of tlfe liead- ;■ quarters civil staff of the Defence Department, and a very old public servant, died the other day in a .private hospital •- f !' ou ! an a 'tack qf blood poisnoing. Mr r Swift entered the Public Service as far back as June 1. 1883, a 3 a clerk in the a Justice Department, and saw service in quite a number of Government Depart-' tl ments up to the present date, and as he only left his office a few days previous i- to his death, lie may be said to liaye' e practically died in harness. ' For 13 years I- lie was a member of the audit staff, and I- for the last iy s years he has been a' t clerk in the Defence Department. [. Much regret is felt in shipping circles y and in many parts of New Zealand at t the newg of the death of Lieutenant Jxobcrt L. Melsome, R.N.'R., who was drowned in the Admiralty tug Char, near '1 the Goodwin Rands, on January 17th, Lieutenant Melsome ivag serving in thfl 1 tugs employed on special service in conr nection with the Dover .patrol, other f; officers with him being Lieutenant H. G, * Hatch well, lIA'P., 0 f Lyttelton, fors merly of the Tainui, and Lieutenant A> S E. A\ idler. R.N.1?., formerly of the - lonic. The Char went to the" assistance v of the Belgian oil-tank steamer Erivan, e and was holed in going alongside. Thtf y I ': nv,ln Ivils damaged, and unable to as- '' * lst t,le ( ' ,l «i". which was lost with all s hands. Lieutenant Melsome was for e Rome years in the service of the New i, Zealand Shipping Company, a nd. had serI ved as second officer of the liimutaka' li nnu other vessels, - ;