PERSONAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 May 1917, Page 4

PERSONAL.

The appointineut of Mr. 0. J. H*vvkden, of Mokoia, as a member of Witt Board of Agriculture, is gazetted.

A Nelson telegram reports the death of Mr.s Thomas Bell, Mayor of Richmond and chairman of the- Nchon Hospital and Charitablo Aid Board. Mr. Bell, who was GO years of age, was an agent and formerly a leading settler of Murchison.

Mr. Vernon Stratton, secretary of Iho ITawera Jockey Club, underwent a ni-rions operation at a private hospital in Wellington, on Tuesday. It is feared (says the Dominion) that he will haw to undergo another operation at an early date, j

Air., John M. Martin, a South Canterbury pioneer, died at Terauka on Wednesday in his 81st year. He was born at Blairgowrie, Scotland, in 18S6, and in his youth and early manhood followed the sea. He arrived in Lyttolton in the barque Strathallan, fifty-eight yean ago.

At the Central Hotel, Eltham, oh Saturday, Mr. and Mrs. Busham were presented by the staff of th»- Elthain County Council, for which body Mr. Basham has for some time acted as engineer, with a silver tea service, prior to their leaving the district. Mr. Basham was also presented by the member* of the council with a case of pipes, and wished prosperity in his new sphere, In the casualties, among the New Zea* landers who have been serving with tn<! Imperial, Australian and' South. African forces are the following!— Killed in action, Charles Todd (next of kin Mr. William Hood, Inglewood); mißslng, A. Stephens (A. Stephens, Hawera, father); believed to be prisoner of war, Norman Cane (F.JGane, Normanby, father) ; wounded, Cmporal T, McDonald (Leonard Marsh, Hillsborough). The death occurred at Wanganui on Saturday of Mr. John Pawson, one of the best-known citizens of the town, *t the age of 85 years. He was born at Doncaster, England. In the early days he was in business as a butcher, and was noted for his philanthropic' spirit, He took a prominent part in amateur theatricals in the earlier days, and played the leading parts of popular plays with success. Mr. Pawson was one of the oldest Freemasons in the Dominion.

A Christchurch paper publishes a lilt of 11 men drawn in the latest ballot who have no right to. be there. - One of them is on servico in Egypt, another in at Home in the tr servioe, a doctor has been out and back again, a youth who registered is not of age and was turned out of camp, a young man has been twice rejected, and the other six> men are actually in France, several of them havi ing been wounded and returned to duty*

With reference to the announcement of the death of Captain George Gordon Everett, killed in action, it is interesting to know (says the Nelson Cqlobi Ist) that no fewer than five old Nel< son Collegians who have lost their liyea in the present war, have at various times filled the honorable position of "Head of the School." Theso were Major James Houlker (1000), Captain G. G. Everett. (1004), Captain C. HIR. Watts (1905), Captain L. S. Jennings (1900), and Lieutenant K. Munro (1909). A pleasant little ceremony took place at the New Plymouth tram sheds on Sunday morning, when Conductor Smith, who has been drawn in the ballot and goes into camp next Monday, was presented with a purse of sovereigns by the tramways staff. The maftager, Mr. Bartley, made the presentation, and expressed the good wishes of the Btaff for the recipient's future. Mr. Smith was farewelled at the railway station yesterday morning, when he left to accompany his wife to Duncdin, where her relatives rei side.

In the recent action off Dover b»« tween two British and six German destroyers, the splendid achievement! of the British officers and men have every* where won admiration, and a cable message on Friday morning announced that Commander Evans had received the Distinguished Service Order, and had been promoted to a captainoy, while Sto« ker Charles Williams received the Distinguished Service Medal. We are informed that Stoker Williams is the brother of Mrs. J. Riley, 'of High street, Hawcra, whose friends have been congratulating her on the distinction he has won by his bravery in the recent singularly brilliant naval action.—Star. The distinction recently conferred on Captain Evans, D.5.0., of H. M. S. Broke, is of especial interest to New Zealandcrs because ho was so well known here wh»n in command of the Terra Nova. Captain Evans' first wife was a daughter of Mr. T. G. Russell, of Christchuwh, and on her death he married a Norwegian beauty, well known in social circles of Christiania. Captain Evanspersonality was a very striking one, and many of his friends he-re still remember his trying journey after he had been forced to leave Scott's polar party, and had to return becauso he was suffering from that dread menace to sailormen—scurvy. His many New Zealand friwrids ■toe glad to hear of the gallant sailor's, promotion. A very old resident of Hawke's Bay, in the person of Mrs. Mary Ann Wylie, relict of the late Color-Sergeant Campbell Wylie, of the 14th Regiment, passed quietly away at the residence of her son, Macdonald street, Napier South, on Thursday evening. The late Mrs. Wylie's husband was in iV.a Imperial forces for practically twenty-one years, and was killed in the Afghan War in 1880, within a fortnight of the date which would have seen the completion of his twenty-one years of service. He look part in the Maori War, from 1861 to 1866. He had three medals. The late Mrs. Wylie arrived in Hawke's Bay in 1881, and had resided at Port Ahuriri. from that time until within a few weeks, of her death.