PERSONAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 January 1918, Page 4

PERSONAL.

Captain Bone, marine superintendent of the New Zealand Shipping Company, is on a short visit to New Plymouth. Private T. Cleland, of Kaponga, a wellknown footballer, who was severely wounded at Bellcvuo Spur, has been awarded the Military Medal.

A Melbourne cable states that Mr. E. A. Eva, formerly manager of the Union Steamship Company's branch in Fiji, has been appointed manager of the Commonwealth Steamship Line. Mr. L. Sattler, of Waitui, has received word that his son, Frank, who was wounded at Messines, 19 returning to New Zealand on January 5.

A Christchurch Press Association message says that during a Methodist Church service held at Broadfields on Sunday, Mr Neil Johnston, a veteran local preacher, over 70 years of age, was about to address the children when he collapsed and expired in a few minutes. Mr. Johnston was a native of Denmark, and was a widower.

The Cambridge police received advice on Monday from the manager of the electric power station at Hora Hora that Mr. B. J. Fenn, a member of the firm of Stewart and Fenn, electricians, was swimming in the Waikato" River about noon when he was drawn into a whirlpool and disappeared. Sir. Fenn is well known as a consulting engineer in Auckland. He left there recently on a holiday, with Mrs. Fenn, for Cambridge and Aratiatia.

News has been received of the death of Private W. T. Webb, son of Mr. Tims, and Mrs. Webb, of Palmerston North, and late of Bird road, Stratford. Mr. and Mrs. Webb had gone to Wellington to meet their son, but the telegram announcing his death came to Palmerston after they left. Private Webb, who was born at Peione twenty-eight years ago, left with the Kith Reinforcements. He had been some time in hospital, suffering from pneumonia, but in his last letter he said he was making good progress. Mr. A. Erskine, of Nelson, who lias completed 40 years' service in the Post and Telegraph Department, is retiring on superannuation (reports the Katipo, the Post Office magazine). Mr. Erskine lias a record unique in the service, and it could probably be said of almost any service. For practically the whole of the forty years lie has walked in from his home at Wakupuaka and out again, and during that time has covered something over 100,000 miles on foot. For many years Mr. Erskine has done night work at the office, finishing up about i a.m., and then walking home. All the members of the family of the late Mr. John Stevens, of Palmerston North, who died in 1910, are at present engaged in war work, and one of them (Laurie) recently made the supreme sacrifice. Of the others, Messrs. liu.'rel! and Ken are serving at present in Palestine; Mrs. Dalrymple (Nora), who also served in the South African War, is in charge of the English nurses at Rouen, and her husband, Dr. Dalrymple, is now a Lieutenant-Colonel, and' is in charge of a large ambulance train which runs up to the tiring-line. Mioses Ethel and Hilda, are at English military camps; Miss Daisy is stationed eight'miles behind the French lines, ami Miss Aileen is in the Soldiers' Club and Red Cross rooms iii Wellington.