Mr Henniker Heaton.

Manawatu Herald, 28 March 1899, Page 2

Mr Henniker Heaton.

Everyone— that is, everyone who reads the cables— has heard of Mr Henniker-Heaten, the ex-Australian, who now represents Canterbury in the House of Commons, and who is the apostle-in-chief of Imperial penny pdjfc age. But what everyone does iM know is that less than fifteen years ago Heaton, M.P., was a canvasser for a Sydney weekly paper. An irreverent

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Adelaide journal, the Critic, has dug up the following chapers of Heatonian early history : — "Heaton, on his old white horse jogging round New South Wales backblocks, gathering in subscribers and advertisers for Sam Bennett's newlystarted Town and Country Journal, was for years a humorously pathetic figure. He, more than any other man on the staff, made that paper in the days of its ricketty infancy. If in the lone bush he heard of a cocky's wedding, he drew his dress suite from the swag on the saddle, negotiated for an invite to the ceremony, and before the party left the church had every man jack of them, booked for a year's subscription to the T. and C. So marvellous was his success that after one trip old Sara invited the energetic youngster to tea at his private house. Henniker there met Sam's eldest daughter, and before tea was over as good as won her. A little later the marriage came off, and, Sam Bennett dying, made his daughter a third shareholder in all his possessions — meaning something like £15,000 a year. So Henniker sailed for England became M.P. for Canterbury, the apostle of cheap postage, and the recipient of Queen Victoria's personal regards.