TOM POLLARD.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 August 1922, Page 2

TOM POLLARD.

AN APPRECIATION. The world will he the sadder because Tom Pollard has been called to At bis rest. My knowledge of him goes back to my school days when comicopera made its first appeal to me. That is nearly forty years ago, and all through the long interval Mr Pollard has been “going strong” as an entrepreneur. The late Mr Pollard became an acquaintance of mine when “ he was conducting the Liliputian n Opera Company. Tt was a remarkable organisation—perfectly, diseiplin-; ed and a purveyor of first-class enter- j tainment wonderfully put oil on tha ; small stages then existing. Mr Pol- i lard could always choose well, and lie ; trained no less well, for many of his. p iiivenies became stars of no mean :1 magnitude, and have graced London | f stages. What a great deal his apt i pupils owe to him! ; Mr Pollard, too, could handle ama- j teurs, and with discretion and firm; pleasantries he did his part Speak- , . ill it personally, the writer has always , regarded Mr Pollard as one of na-, ture’s noblemen. because my i i j pressions of him when controlling the , juveniles .associate him in act and, deed ns a gentleman in every sense of it , word. Mr Pollard loved his art | I Mud was an artist first and always. He j was a man of knowledge and wide un- j derstanding. One could not.tat £ . . We freelv everyone approacneu him for 1 advice, and how freely *t was e ven He delighted to help when he could.' He must have Riven thouands of benefits since the days the ETiSrs * ".i e s“ r" h; f pMP i, ™,w. i task of catering for it. He

m The WesTcoast owes a great deal to Mr Pollaixl.for his terprise m bringing A e . Coastwards, and in P” s pertoire of * this hitherto have remained ™ land , but for isolated part of Ne" " . d (Ji_ his capable manage pollard had rection. 5® 'future the ArP ,an f. Uinnel was available for "hat task will now pass to iinotbe" , . , a lwiWitl oi late

He had been most °Vom_ t() the have passed muiut> * , «i nv e nothing but Sml i«id admiration for the, dear old gentleman who kept young ‘ k _ days by his own environment of me. * ™ «-» ami bis place 1 , nt Tcnuvf,U. In closing, one may adapt son’s lines from “Crossing the Bai. .. For though from out our bourne of Time and Place The Hood raav bear hnn far, One feels he’ll see his Pdot face to When'he has crossed thc^har.”^