HAPPENINGS IN THE CAPITAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1763, 1 June 1906, Page 3

HAPPENINGS IN THE CAPITAL.

(I>Y rKNKLOI'K.)

Wellington. Tho ovont of tho week is most do* [ cidedly tho visit of Mr Lornarn. He has impressod us with a duo sonso of th» value of our organ, and, indood, let it bo whisporod, wo woro beginning to bo a littlo blaso about it, so surfeited woro wo by many and various porformors. Evon those who gavo tho recitals thou, and who havo since heard Mr Lomaro, gonorously confoss tho organ has not boou played beforo. Ho is a simply magnificent musician, with tho tondorost sympathy and tho most vivid passion in his playing. His first recital was a feast of delight to the musical world horo, though many frankly admitted such classical compositions were above their comprehension, and they preferred somo:hing they could whistle. Thoro woro others who agreed with tho heroino of the “Four-’orse Shanabang,” "Sioh 'igh-olass muslo is a lootlo melancholy, But it’s allers so refined.” Outside the Town Hall—and Mr Lemaro is pleased also with the large concert hall—tho wind, icy-cold, howled and shrieked, and clattered an inartistic obligato accompammont with tho ventilators. It evon crept inside, and fluttered our best concert toupees, and made tho men, who had sworn | strange oaths at having to put on evening dress, shiver and turn up thoir coat-collars. An interesting feature of Mr Lemare’s recital was his accepting, from anyone in the audience, a theme or a few bars round which to I weave improvisation. Out of those I handed up, tho organist chose that of Mr Wicks, who is agent here for the Trinity College of Music, and ho produced a charming little morceau- His own compositions, of which he played two, were perfect, and in Mendelsohn’s Sonata Ho I, he captivated his audience by his use of what the old lady called the nux vomica stop. Shutting your eyes, you cruld imagine yourself in a great cathedral with a choir of sweet boyish voices singing divinely. The silence in that crowded hall, where two thousand listening faces were turned towards the great | organ, was something to be remembered, as the delicious strains floated out. Only when Paderewski was playing to the packed Opera House was there ever such an absolutely rapt audience in Wellington. Then a poor man who happened to sneeze was nearly turned out, and glared at so fiercely that he wished he could havo got under the seat. THE TRIALS OF A MUSICIAN, Mr Lamars and his wife had many weird experiences on their way to New Zealand, Indeed, when, after muob anxiety, they gained the Moana and got to Honolulu, it was only then they found that the boat w is to eome here and not to Australia, as at first intended. Mrs Lemare is a slight delicate woman, almost a girl, with the loveliest brown eyes, and mnoh dark hah. It is fortunat* she was not exposed to the horrors of that awful day in ’Frisco, and it was averted by their making a slight detour of a day to Salt Lake City, thns they arrived at .Oakland, in the evening, and though they were told they must go across to ’Frisoo, where, by the way, they ooold see seven miles of water-frontage ablaze, Mr Lemare absolutely refused, knowing his wife’s delioaoy, so afier mnoh persuasion they were permitted to sleep that night in the railway carriage, and got breakfast in a haphazard way. The next day they managed to get away to Saoramento, and finally, after sometime, to the Moana and New Zealand. And even here, remote l't'le pink island as we are, they probably feel a little uneasy, for we have recounted to them many tales of earthquake doiDgs in Wellington, Mr Lemare’s p9opb--who are French if we go far enough back—live in the Isle of Wight. He and his wife are keen motorists—he has three, I believe — and he is food of billiards, as was his rival on another instrnm-nS Paierewski. Hs is not at all artistioaPy grotesquo in rppearaoce, wearing nei.hcr long hair nor turn-down limp collars, nor wide flowing neckties. His smooth fair hair—be is a youDg man in appearance—is parted at one side, and his moustache is quite conventional, and perhaps the only part of his attire at all out of the ordinary in bis big, roomy big ulster, with its belt and , large buttons. Me Lemare is a photographer as we'l as a musician. EPISODES OF THE EARTHQUAKE. ; A most astonishing letter has arrived from Mr Fulton, who was in ’Frisco during the earthquake. He was awakened by the falling of plaster and the crashing ( of glass—some of the plaster from the ( ceiling fell on his bed—but, thinking pro ' sumably it was a common or garden or Wellington “ shake,” he calmly went to sleep again for an hour. When he was aroused to a sense of danger, he managed to get his trunk out and to hire a sled, and for five hours ho dragged that sled, gaining a place of safety three miles off. For a spell he used to sit on his box, and, if a posse of police came near, forcing men to clear away rubbish and do work, he assumed a jaded and weary air, which his hasty toilette, stained with toil, quite bore out. Mrs Lemare told of two Australian girls, fellow-passengers of theirs on the Moana, who by hard work and “ grit ” saved, with the help of their maid, every bit of their luggage. Without help they dragged it down the many stairs and out into the street, and from thence, with many restings on top of the trunks, into a place of safety. A well-known American, an English University man, also a fellow passenger of Mr Lemare’s, found himself adrift in the Presidio Park with no rug or blanket the night after the earthquake. A Chinaman, just falling to sleep under his blanket, saw him, and invitingly hold out half of his covering, and side by side the cultured man of letters and the heathen Chinee slept peacefully till morning broke. THE COLLIER DRAMATIC CO. There is mnoh disappointment ovi r our not being fortunate enough to see this Company, as we had hoped. It has only come to Auckland, lat-, to go back to Sydney whore it takes up its engagements. Its plans —lke many other matters —have been turned topay-turvey—by the earthquake, which the Company were in—well in. Miss Tilly Ferry—her namo is spelt phonetically—is tho leading lady, a dainty -little gi'l of nineteen, bright and vivacious, and the comedian, Mr Barrymore, is intensely diverting;,-. There is on imp-riant little pfraonega in the Company—the small motherless daughter oE Mr Stewart, who writes maDy of the plays they aot. Everyone on Ibe Moana fell in lovo with the pretty ways and talk of this little maid?n. She and her father are devoted to each other, aDd, when the catastrope occurred, he managed to get away with her on a motor, making for the safety of the hills. On a very sleep ascent, eomctbiog went wrong, and the car whizzed down the hill backwards, the brakes refusing to act. The little girl set quite quiet, and never said a word, but olutohed her father's hand. Fortuna’ely the driver managed to steer backwards, and what might bavo been a terrible accident was averted. Mr Collier is a remarkab'y clover actor, and vesatilo to a degree. Wellington is sad at missing this Company. It seems a long t'mo since wo havo bad anything to laugh at across the footlights. 11 Sinbad the Sailor,” now on at toe Opera Houeo, is mainly speotaoular, and tho organ-recitals, though uplifting, are not mirthful. ABOUT PEOPLE.

By tbo lonic, which left onFiiday morning, wont Miss Elsie Maotavish and Mrs E. Richmond, of Wellington, Mrs CBineroD, who was a month aso Miss WiDifred Whitson, of Dunedin, Mr and Mrs CommoD, and Mr Philip Kenway, of Gisborne and Mr D, Lecren, of Timaro, brother of Mrs Michie, whose husband i» the Bank Inepeotor. The lonic is a most beautiful boaq exquisitely kept and most luxuriously-fitted op. The roomy oabirr, oomp'ete even to linen wall pockets and wardrobes, are fresh and bright, and there ia a bath-room for ovary four. Tho writ-

log and oard-roam la oouooDtratad oouifort, and altogether, blazing with lights and pooplcd with soft-footod nitnblo stowards, tbo lonio looked a moat templing habitation, with a reservation, of course. I hear that somo of the modern thinkora havo triumphed over the evils of sea aioknoes. 000 Now Zealand lady not only ourod I herself on a rough trip, but her oabin mates also—a victory of mind over mattor, They 101 l a tale of on entbusiaet’o woman I who ant in a trern eamutsoring ovor and over a etrango formula, 11 Leg. go d >wn,” * 1 Jog, go down.” It turood oufc that the man opposite her had ouo leg shorter than tho other, and tho bouovolont lady was on leavoring, by foroa of will, to rqualizo them. The story cnda hero ! Dr Platts Mills baa gono to Dunedin, whore Miss Cbatfield is staying at present. M'ss FIBr i: don is on a visit to Miss Owen Williams, of Sydney. Lady Hector has had her nhoee from Marlboroogh, the M. 83 Dillons, stayiog with her. They havo bsou very busy in somo of tho lovely chiffons with which tho shops are full.

Dr and Mrs BkeuuaD, from Marton, kavo boon visiting Dr Ausod. Qaptaio ar.d Mrs Rose loft for Auckland, wboro thoy are spending some works with their daughter, Mrs Houghton, before going Homo via Vancouver. Dr and Mrs Ohapplo sailed in the Dorset last week for England, to bo away a year at the least. Miss Darling, from Dunedin, Is a guest of Mrs J. His.'op, of Hobson streot. Mrs Tweed and her daughter bavo gone to Sydney, and so have Mrs Martin Kennedy and her girls. Mrs Duihio and Miss Horton, both from Auokland, have just come back from Aus* tralia.