PERSONAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9638, 2 November 1909, Page 5

PERSONAL.

Mr W. E. Hammond, a well-known New Zealand journalist of tne old school, fast passing away, died recently in the Melbourne Hospital. The death is reported of Mrs Stephenson, widow of the late Mr John Stephenson, of the Dunedin firm of Wright and Stephenson. In connection with the changes in the Agricultural Department it is probable that Mr T. C. Webb, Inspector of Stock at Nelson, will be transferred to Masterton. Nurse Parker, who has been on the staff of the Greytown Hospital for some considerable time, left yesterday to take up her residence in Dunedin. The death is announced from Sydney of Mr Morris Asher, a former resident of New Zealand, at the age of 92. He participated in the Maori War, assisting in the capture of the chief "Robulla" (Rauparaha). It is also claimed that he built the first brick house in Wellington. Mr C. Petrie, who formerly resided at Rikiorangi, near Waikanae, died at Lockburn, near Christchurch, recently. The deceased had been ill for some six weeks, but his death was unexpected, and he passed away suddenly, just in the prime of life, his age being 47 years. Mr Arthur Ballance, the Wellington vocalist, who went to England nearly a year ago, has adopted the stage as a profession. When the last mail left he was touring the South of England with Bennett and Wray's Musical Comedy Company, playing "A Country Girl" (in which Mr Ballance had the principal baritone part, Geoffrey Challoner) and "Miss Hook of Holland " Mr J. K. Goudy, who is retiring on pension from the management of the Hawke's Bay and Poverty Bay division of the business of Dalgety and Co., Ltd., after over twenty years' service, was on Saturday pre sented by the company's Napier, Gisborne, Dannevirke and Wairoa staffs with an album of photographs and other tokens of esteem.