Mr. E. Purcell Cohen

Death of Highly Esteemed Commercial Man.

LARGE numbers of people, both European and Polynesian, learned with deep regret in October of the death of Mr, E. Purcell Cohen, who for 40 years had been engaged in com mercial enterprises in Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. Mr. Cohen died on October 20, at his home in Sydney, at the age of 73.

He was the youngest son of the late Mr. P. J. Cohen. The latter, a Cambridge man, entered the shipping business in Sydney in the early days and, under a special license from the Chief Rabbi, was the first man to con duct the services of the Jewish Church in Sydney. The late Mr. Purcell Cohen probably became associated with the Islands in the first place through his brother-in-law, the late Sir J. E. Salo mons, who was interested in Fiji. For very many years Mr. Cohen was the Islands agent for a number of leading Australian manufacturers —particularly Messrs. Tooth & Co., Brunton & Co., Nestle’s Ltd., Ford Sherington, Syd ney Meat Preserving Co., Spicer & Dettmold, W. D. & H. O. Wills, D. & W.

Murray, Enoch Taylor—and he regu larly visited every town in the Central Pacific. In this way he made the acquaintance of the great majority of the European population in those Island territories, and he was universally respected and esteemed. He was a successful business man, and a splendid type of citizen. He was noted

for his bright and cheery outlook, his breadth of vision and his charitable ness of heart —it was said of him that he would speak no evil of any man, no matter what injury had been done him.

The late Mr. Cohen cherished many remarkable friendships with the lead ing natives of the three Territories.

He counted some of the most famous high chiefs of Western Samoa among his personal friends; he had been ad mitted to the most secret councils of the Fijian chiefs —and, in fact, he ranked among them as a chief, while the enlightened nobles of Tonga delighted to honor him. The famous Tuivakanua, who occasionally visited Sydney when Premier of Tonga, spent much time at Mr. Cohen’s hospitable house in Elizabeth Bay.

Among Mr. Cohen’s most treasured memories was his association with Robert Louis Stevenson, during the time that that famous man lived at Vailima. Mr. Cohen, at his home in Sydney, had an extraordinary collec tion of old and priceless South Sea curios—and the most valuable section of this collection was given to him personally by R.L.S., not long before the death of the great writer.

Mr. Cohen married Miss Molly Rosen thal, member of a well-known Sydney family (Raphael Street, near Circular Quay, Sydney, is named after her grandfather) and his home life was particularly happy. His widow sur vives him. His eldest son, Dr. Rupert Purcell Cohen, died in 1917 from war injuries. There are two other sons — Mr. Neville Cohen, a solicitor, and Mr.

Oram Cohen —and one daughter. It is likely that Mr. Oram Cohen will take up his late father’s interests in the Pacific Islands, and will represent the Sydney firms referred to.

The late Mr. Cohen was buried on October 21; and a remarkable gather ing of representatives of Sydney com mercial interests came to do honor to the memory of one who was universally held in high regard.

The late Mr. Cohen.