Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929), Monday 8 April 1912, page 4


CONCERNING PEOPLE.

Sr. Pearce (Minister for Defence), accom-panied by Mrs. Pearce, left Adelaide for Melbourne by the express on Saturday. He has quite reovered from the serious illness by which he was attacked in Western Aus-tralia. Rp. Roberts (Acting Minister for Home Affairs) also proceeded to Melbourne on Saturday. The appointment of Dr. J. A. Gilruth as Administrator of the Northern Territory was formally announced in the Common-wealth Government Gazette last week. The salary is £1.750 a year, with , £300 addi-tional a year as expenses. Mjr. H. Quilter, of the Governor-General's staff, returned on Saturday by the Orama after a brief visit to England. He left the vessel at the Outer Harbour, and caught the train to Melbourne.

Capt. W. H. Matthews (Chief Inspector of Mines) left Adelaide by the express for Melbourne on Saturday afternoon. He will accompany the party of Federal legis-lators who intend to make an itinerary of the Northern Territory. They will leave Melbourne on April 1. Capt. Matthews expects to be absent from this State for six or seven weeks. 'May he live to a million,' was the final utterance of Mr. J. J., Sharp (Secretary of the South Australian Rowing Associa-tion) in proposing the health of Sir Edwin Smith, K.C.M.C., at the official luncheon of the Murray Bridge Regatta on Saturday. VTo-day.' remarked Mr. Sharp, 'Sir Ed win-pone of the grandest sportsmen Aus tralia Tras ever known and a most patriotic patron of rowing— attains his eighty-second year. I ask you all .to drink to iis health. May he live to a million.' The toast was enthusiastically honoured. At the annual conference, of the United Commercial Tra vellers' Association in Latmceston it was de cided on Saturdav to send a congratulatory telegram to Sir Edwin Smith on the occa sion of hi3 ei»!ity-second birthday. At the last ? animal meeting of the Mercan tile Rowing Club, Sir Edwin Smith asked as a special favour to be relieved from office, and the members', by a unanimous vote, 'elected him a life member, and also decided to present him with a model of a boat, Sir Edwin Smith, with, 'which he presented them. The order was placed with one of the leading builders in Melbourne, and ar rived early last week. On Saturday- the opportunity was taken to present this model as a birthday gift to Sir Edwin. It is a wonderful piece of -workmanship, having taken six months to complete, and. is 3 miniature in. every detail of the racing boat

-ir umn. lt is built to . scale, contains nore than 300 different pieces5 and is said :o be one cf the finest models ever built in lustralia. ' Mr. Mervyn Bournes Higgins, son of Mr. Justice Higgins, who graduated at the Mel xmrne University, and was afterwards ad mitted at Lincoln's Inn,' will apply to the Full Court next month to be admitted to practice as a barrister in Victoria. Mr. Higgins is at present acting. as associate x- his father. . : ? \ ? Mr. J. W. Duck, a well-known resident of LiejglrCreek and one of the oldest identities at the north, died at , Church terrace, Walkerville, on Saturday, morning. The deceased recently underwent a severe ope-, ?ation at the Ku Rua Private Hospital. It was successful, and Mr: Duck had so far recovered that he was able to leave the'hos pital three weeks ago. His friends and relatives were rejoiced to see him appa rently regaining his old strength, and it will come as a great shock to all who knew him to hear that Mr. Duck Dassed away

in his sleep early on Saturday morning. Sir. Duck would have been 80 on Wednes day. He was in possession of his faculties ind took a keen interest in all private and State affairs. Four years ago The Register published an interesting account of Mr. Duck's career in South Australia. He was born at Marlborough, Wiltshire, England, on April 10, 1832. In 1S57 he arrived in South Australia in the ship Victory, in charge of the well-known horse, Witton, one of the biggest prizetakers of the, north of England, which Mr. Duck delivered to Mrl Joseph Gilbert, .of Pewsey Vale. He was then engaged to take charge of Mr. Gilbert's stud, and he remained, there for four years. In 1S6* be became storekeeper for the late Hon. J. Baker at Wirribunna and Punnana Station, where he stayed until he was the only man left during the terrible drought which started in 1866. ? He spent 12 years at Blinman, where he worked on mines and took mail contracts. Later he purchased Sliding Rock Hotel. At- that time the Government paid 6d. each for the scalps of kangaroo and euro, 4d. for wal laby, and £1 for wild dogs. Mr. Duck employed 14 men at scalping, and tound it a most profitable business. After eight years in the hotel he sold out, and bought tue business at Leigh Creek, where he was uni versal provider, general storekeeper, but cher, biker, wine and spirit merchant, and proprietor of livery and letting stables. He had also been postmaster and caretaker at the railway station, and had the mail con tract from Leiah Creel: to Yudnamutana. Mr. Duck had undisputed control at Leigh Creek. He owned the Victory Copper Mine — which he floated in Adelaide — and was director and part o\yner of the Elsie Adair Copper Mine— which he floated in Port Augusta. Up was an excellent judge of horses, and took keen interest in race meetings, both in South Australia and Mel bourne. With his horse Inferno, which was trained under his supervision, he won hurdle races at Hergott. He followed this up by winning hurdle races in succession at Farina. Quorn. and Port Augusta. MV. Duck married twice, and a widow survives him. All Mr. Duck's friend-; can recall some story' of remarkable interest which he has related of his experiences. These he told with marked vivacity. His family consist of four eons and one daughter— Mr. James Duck (of Wirrialpa Station), Mr. William Duck (of Leigh Creek), Mr. Harry Duck (of the Clarice and Dora Mine, Al berrie Creek), and Mrs. D. .T. Watts (of Lei^h Creek). There are 18 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. Recent letters from England record the death in London of Mr. G. T. Bean, who passed away on February 25, in his sixty-eighth year, after having undergone seve-

ral operations for cancer. The late Mr. Bean was in the seventies elected mem-ber of Parliament for West Torrens. He had first for his colleague the Hon. H. B. T. Strangways, and was the first South Australian-born member elected. The late Sir Richard Chaffey Baker entered the political arena a few days later. Mr. Bean was a vigorous speaker, and was popular in both politics and business. He was a member of the firm of Bean Bro-thers, leather, wool and produce brokers, and exporters of wattle bark — a firm which in one year shipped 8,000 tons of bark, at prices ranging from £10 to £13 a ton. A short time after he had entered Parlia-ment he went to London on business; and, instead of returning to Adelaide direct, as he had intended, visited the Cape diamond fields, where he remained for a considerable time, and was fairly successful. At the next election for West Torrens his elder brother (Mr. W. H. Bean) successfully stood for West Torrens, and had for his colleague Sir James Boucaut. During many years past Mr. G. T. Bean acted as a company promoter at Finsbury House, London, took a prominent part in the flota-tion of a large number of mining and in-dustrial companies, and was on the direc-torate and Chairman of several of them. He was a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and also of the Institute of Direc-tors in London. His two brothers— Messrs. W. H. Bean and Arthur Bean— survive him. The former has for several years resided in England, and the latter, who was a leather and wool merchant in Adelaide for a long time, is now in Sydney. Mr. T. N. Stephens (the Collector of Customs), who is lying seriously ill at the North Adelaide Private Hospital, passed a comfortable liigbt,. and is in a slightly better condition. A most 'enjoyable launch picnic was given by Mr. and Mrs. L. H.^Sholl and Miss Sholl to, their many Sydney friends on Thursday afternoon last. Mr. and Mrs. Sholl j with

their daugtcer. are holiday mature in Syd ney, and tlie picnic, which \wa?- held on Middle Harbour, was largely attended. In the afternoon tea was_ partaken , of among the ferns and rocks in one of the many beautiful coves. Mr., and Mrs. Sholl will return, home nest week. ' ? The Chairman of the Port Pirie Hospi tal Board (Cr. James Ramsay) recently re ceived an application from Sister Dunstan. (of the Adelaide Hospital) for an appoint ment at the local institution. There were two vacancies for -charge nurses at the time, but the board was then in communi cation with two other nurses with a view to filling the positions, so, consequently, Sister Dunstan's request was not accepted. Miss Margaret Cooper and company, con sisting of Mr. Scott Leslie (humorist) and Mr. Horace Witty (baritone), arrived by the Orama cm Saturday, and proceeded by train to Mdbomrne, where they will open, a season this evening. They will appear, in, Adelaide on May 7. . Dr. J. S. Farries, the recently appointed superintendent of Minda, Brighton, waf a passenger by the R.M.S. Orama. He was met at the Outer Harbour and .'welcomed by Sir Charles Goode. Dr. Fames, vho is 39 years of age, has had valued experience in 'the treatment and care of tlie feeble minded. He resiscned the post of resident medical superintendent of Sandfell Hall, Handswortb, in order to accept the Minda ?pjy7*Tlhmi»Ti-rr

Mr. S. R. Kennedy, who has acted as ac countant to the Howard Smith Company at Pore Pirie during the past 18 months, has been promoted to Melbourne, and left for that city on Wednesday. ? A number o£ friends gathered at the Barrier Hotel, Port Pirie, on Tuesday evening, to say farewell to Mr. Kennedy. On behalf of those present, Lieut* George Dey presented the guest with a case of pipes as a token of the esteem in which he was held. Speeches were also made by Messrs. A. D. Hewitt. S. Nock, H. Campbell, A. How, A. Sjostrom,' W. O'Brien, R. Cafiyn. and C. South, and Mr. Kennedy responded. Mr_ Edward Smerdon, a prominent Eng lish worker in connection with the Boy Scout' movement, is a passenger by the Orama to Sydney, where he intends to glean information concerning the compul sory training of cadets in New South Wales, with a view to writing a book.

A committee, with Messrs. J. F. Travers and R. F. C. Sullivan at its head, has been formed, with the object of obtaining sub scriptions for a memorial to be erected to the memory of the late Mr. P. Argyll, the well-known cricket umpire and enthusiast. Mr. W. S. Fry, aged 2-i. senior resident teacher at the Brighton Blind. Deaf, and Dumb Institution, died at Maylandfi. ?after a long illness, on Saturday night. He had been at the institution six years, and was highly esteemed by the teachers and stu dents alike. , Prior to the' Easter vacation Miss Cox, who has had charge: of the infants' class at the Woodville State School, was presented by Mr. Snell, on behalf of the teachers and pupDs. with a manicure set. The infants and the sinsing class bestowed bouquets upon .Miss Cox, who has been transferred to the Balaklava school. At the Wallaroo Mines Public School on Tuesday afternoon the members of the teaching staff met to bid farewell and make a presentation to Mr. W. J. Gunn (head teacher), who has been transferred to Petersburg. Mr. W. J. Barbary. in asking Mr. Gunn, to accept from the staff a barometer and thermometer, also an um-brella, referred to the happy relationships which had existed between them. and their

regret in having to say goodby to their chief. They, however, desired to congratu-late Mr. Gunn on his well-merited promo-tion, and also the town of Petersburg on the fact that it was receiving one of the finest teachers in the department. Mr. E. C. Hihginbottom (High School) supported. Mr. W. J. Gunn. in returning thanks, said that the period, though brief, winch he had spent at Wallaroo Mines had been most pleasant, owing to the cordial feeling which had existed between the members of the staff. Although he was in one sense sorry to say farewell, he felt that he could not refuse this, the second offer made to him to accept promotion. A London letter of Marrh 6 states ihat ''Miss Maude Puddy. 'Mus. Bie., gave a fiive performance of tlie Mendelssohn concerto in D minor at Le^chetisky's opening class of the season last week in Vienna.' The Kadina Taylor Street Methodist Church Lecture Hall was filled on \Vednes day evening, when a farewell social was tendered to the Rev. and Mrs. A. II. Game, and the Rev. and Mrs. J. P. H. Tilbrook, who; after having spent three years in the Kadina and Wallaroo Circnit, have been transferred to Norwood and Bordertown re spectively. The large and representative gathering, including officers and members of all the churches of the circuit, with an elo

quent testimony to the hi?li esteem m which the guests are held by those among whom they have been labouring. Mr. H. Daddow (senior circuit steward) presided. Appreciative references to the work of the departing ministers and good wishes for their continued success and prosperity were made by the Chairman, and the following representatives of the churcltes of the cir cuit: -Messrs. D. Bald (Taylor Stn*t. Ka dina), B. Crosby (Victoria Square, Kadina), J H Besanko (Wallaroo Mines), R. Ton kin (Wallaroo). J. Cowley (Wintarerta), A. Rodda (Copper Hill). L. E. Young (Paskeville). R. Pearce (Tickera), E. Lam mni'- (Thomas Pains), 11. Diiddow (Boors' Plains), and Rev. A. Motto (Wallaroo). On behalf of the members of the Methodist Ladies' Guild Mrs. J. H. Rosewarne handed Mis. Carne a dressing case, .is a token of their esteem, love, and good wishes. Mr. J Mitchell, on behalf of the members, adherents, and friends of the .Taylor Street Church, presented the Rev. A. H| Came with several books. The Rev. A. H. Oarne, who in addition to having the pastoral oversight of the two churches in the town, has also filled the position of superinten dent of the circuit, returned thanks for his wife and himself. The Rev. J P. H. Tilbrook, who has had the oversight of the Wallaroo Mines Church, and was referred to bv some of the speakers as 'the young people's minister,' also replied. During the evening a musical programme was, sub mitted bv a combined -choir, under the lea dership of Mr. R,. H. Paull, and by Miss I, Kempster and Mr. A. Bartle. Supper was provided by the ladies., and a .pleasant evening was spent. ,-? / ?