Personalities.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 440, 1 September 1904, Page 6

Personalities.

J«R AND WRS YANDERBILT. SOLDIER, breezy sailor and inventor, Mr Cornelieus Vanderbilt, who entertained the Gorman Emperor on board his yacht North Star at Syracuse recently, is one of the most strenuous of American millionaires. He is best known, perhaps, for his romantic marriage with Miss Grace Wilson, of Tennessee—romantic in that to accomplish it he gave up his assured position as future head of the family, braved his father's anger, and lost seven and a half millions sterling. Mr Vanderbilt, who has served in the army and navy, has also been a working engineer on the railway, and it was there that he invented a special boiler and fire-box which is now extensively used. The young couple, however, were not dependent on railway wages for their livelihood, for Cornelius' younger brothor, recognising the injustice of his father's will, gave him £1,500,000, the average share of younger sons. Mrs Vanderbilt, who is an exceedingly lovely woman, is a brilliant Society leader, and during the visit of Prince Henry of Prussia to America, entertained him at her beautiful residence. On another occasion she gave a gorgeous theatrical entertainment, engaging for that purpose the entire staff of the Knickerbocker Theatre, New York, at a price of £7OO. The total cost of the entertainment was between three and four thousand pounds.

PRINCESS LOUIS OF BATTENBERG. The eldest daughter of the late Princess Alice, Grand Duchess of Hesse, a niece of King Edward, a sister of the Empress of Russia, and sister-in-law and niece of Princess Henry of Battenberg, Princess Louis is a remarkable lady. Her husband, Prince Louis of Battenberg, a naturalised British subject, is one of the most distinguished, as he is one of the most efficient and brilliant sailors in the King's Navy, He occupies the position of Director of Naval Intelligence—a post which carries with it much heavy responsibility and many opportunities for the exercise of his abilities. Princess Louis is a true sailor's wife. She has accompanied her husband abroad whenever his naval duties have called him thither, and has never cared to make a settled home in any of the minor royal residences lent her by the late Queen. Prince Louis is, however, the owner of a charming old castle at Heiligenborg, in Hesse, where Princess Beatrice .has often been the guest of her brother-in-law and her niece. The Princo and Princess have four children—two sons and two daughters —the eldest of whom, Princess Alice, was last autumn married to Prince Andrew of Greece, The youngest child,' a son, was born in 1900.

LORD KELYIJ*. The New Chancellor of Glasgow University, Lord Kelvin, was a Professor at twenty-two, and retained the same Chair for fifty-three years. His elder brother, Dr. James Thompson, was also a professor in Glasgow, but turning his attention to engineering, he invented, among other things, a turbine. Lord Kelvin had for his fellow-students at Glasgow, Norman Macleod, David Livingstone, and the late Principal Caird; his master in astronomy was Professor Nichol, the friend of De Quincey; and his mathematical master was his own father, Dr. James Thompson, who had been transferred from Belfast.- At the lecture table Lord Kelvin displays characteristics all his own. Eggs, jellies, shoemaker's wax, all kinds of odd stuff, are used to illustrate his remarks, and experiments of the most homely order are recommended to the student. In the famous egg experiment Lord Kelvin shows what a difference is effected by boiling. Once, the result of a student's plot, raw eggs were substituted for the boiled ones, but science could discriminate, and the verdict was unhesitating, ' None of them boiled.' The appearance of the ballistic pendulum is always hailed with delight by the class, for one of the classical experiments is to be performed, the determination of the velocity of a bullet by firing it into the heavy wooden bob of the pendulum and noting the displacement produced. Arming himself with an old Jacob rifie, which he used ■ originally as a Volunteer, Lord Kelvin fires amid great excitement, and before the smoke has subsided is busy at the blackboard with his calculations. Lord Kelvin has innumerable degrees, but it is not generally known that that of 'M.D.' is amongst them. Some years ago, when he gave evidence in a famous electric belt case, the fact came out and caused some surprise. The explanation as given once by Lord Kelvin himself is somewhat amusing. Heidelberg, it appeared, wished to confer on him some honorary degree other than one which he already possessed, and this was the only one they could find.

MISS ROOSEVELT. The American President's daughter is a typical girl of the States. Like the President himself, she lives the strenuous life. She occupies a semi-public position, and her comings and goings are recorded in the American Press with elaborate particularity. The newspapers last year counted up the number of engagements fulfilled by Miss Roosevelt in twelve .months. They found that she had attended 408 dinuers, 680 teas, 271 receptions, and 171 dances. She had made 1,632 calls, and shaken hands with 32,000 people. And this in addition to all her private engagements. The President's daughter assists in the reception of guests at White House, and, indeed, not infrequently plays the part of hostess. Soon after her father succeeded the late President M'Kinley in the office of Chief Magistrate, Miss Roosevelt leapt into fame by reason of the invitation given to her by the Kaiser to christen his new yacht Meteor, which had been built in America. This she did with dignity and grace in the presence of Prince Henry of Russia, with whom she was afterwards photographed on board the Royal yacht.' Miss Roosevelt Has a keen mind, and knows how to express it.

COL. HAFDING. Col. Colin Harding, C.M.G., commandant in Barotscland, who is visiting England in connection with the Baroiso boundary question, which is to be submitted to the arbitration of the King of Italy, has distinguished himself in many ways. Col. Harding, who was born in 1863, is the eldest surviving son of the late Mr Charles Harding, of Montacutc Abbey, Somersetshire. He served in the Mashonaland Rebellion of 1896-7, first as galloper to Col. Anderson, and afterwards with' the British South African Police. In 1898 he recruited and equipped a force of police for Rhodesia, and in 1899 he was appointed Acting-Administrator for Barotscland. He acted as leader to King Lcwanika of Barotscland when ha came over to the King's Coronation, and introduced a welcome variety into the quiet life of his Somersetshire home by taking the King there. His Majosty was received with an artillery salute, and the church bells wore! rung in his honour. I