Widespread sorrow was felt in town on Monday morning when a cablegram reached here from the Fiji Islands announcing the death of Mr. Dan Pursel, who had spent the past nine years there.

The message caused the utmost grief and astonishment in his family as only on Saturday a letter had been received from him, written in good health and spirits and conveying the information that he was going to take a trip to New Zealand to join his wife, who is visiting relatives there.

The cablegram was sent by Mr. Johnson, his uncle, who visited here a couple of years ago, and contained the bare information that Mr. Pursel had passed away at Tonga, which is on the route to New Zealand.

The length of his illness and the cause of death will therefore not be known here for at least four weeks.