ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE

Free Lance, Volume I, Issue 21, 24 November 1900, Page 3

ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE

IT will be remembered that a few weeks ago our banking authorities were warned to look out for Burglar Bill, Flash Frank, and Co., from London. Have they arrived in the colony? It would seem like it, but, instead ot burgling, the distinguished visitors have found burbling pockets better paying than breaking banks. The air, private and official, is full of stories of pocket-picking at Christchurcb. According to reports, there was such an epidemic' of thieving on the racecourse that when dividends were being paid out, the constant cry was— ♦'Beware of pickpockets !"— Perhaps raised by one of the gangl But the modus operandi was 'cute. All the victims were men who had drawn dividends. Apparently the lucky ones were watched when they pocketed their gains, the pocket noted, then, when busy watching the next race, the deed was done. And among the victims were some of the keenest men that ever pocketed a dividend. A well-known Wairarapa Maori who had gone halves with the Native Minister on a winner, drew the £15 and, before he could "cut it up" with "Timi," the money was gone. An ex- Wellington journalist had his hip pocket slit and a dividend removed. A smart Jew from Ashburton was relieved of JE2O, -and several commission agents— as keen as such men we .made—" fell in." A Wellington "Robert," on leave, was standing near the "tote" during one pay-out, when suddenly an elderly gentleman standing alongside of him whipped round, gripped a respectable-looking farmer-like man standing behind, and yelled out " Police - Ihief— he's got my purse ! " * * • The man struggled and protested, bnt Ernest Fitts, who " happened to be there" on the spot, said he saw the t'armer-like one pull the purse out of the other fellow's pocket. The purse was found on the ground, the Wellington bobby took the accused in charge— and the latter, like the bad coin, is there yet. When his lodgings were searched a very large quantity of linen was found, but no names. As asked in the beginning of this story, has the gang arrived ? For the landlady told the police that during the three weeks her lodger had been there, three men had called for him every evening, and the quartette then went for a walk ! • * * Lord Eanfurly thoroughly enjoyed himself at a Bohemian evening at the Christchurch Savage Club during the period of the Exhibition festivities. His Excellency let himself go so thoroughly that he took a turn as an entertainer and astonished the Savages with some clever card tricks. (" Such a thing he'd never done in Wellington !" remarked an Empire City man who was there). Later on in the evening the Governor was, on the motion of genial Sir George Clifford —the King of the Savages— made a Savage and in a humorous speech Lord Eanfurly gave the Committee another surprise by informing them that he had during his young days been captured by Arabs, and held captive by them for some weeks. That experience, said His Excellency, entitled him to take rank and wear the sign of the hatchet.

It is no small compliment to clever young Alf. Hill, formerly of Wellington, but now of Sydney, that he has been engaged by the Highland Society of New South Wales to set to music an " Ode of Welcome to- the Australian Commonwealth," which has been written by Hugh Macdonald, a New South Wales legislator. The ode is to be heard at the annual concert of the Highland Society on the 2nd of January. * * * One M.H.R., while protesting his loyalty, characterises Premier Seddon's proposal to endeavour to get the next session of Parliament opened by the Duke of York as an excessively foolish thing. The idea of calling members together two months earlier than usual for the object mentioned is, he says, preposterous; there is enough of flummery and fuss and feathers without an unduly hurried meeting of Parliament. » • * ' Mr Karl (they call him Charles away from the Fatherland) Nees and his good frau celebrated their golden wedding in Wellington last Saturday. The aged couple, who are well up in the seventies, invited their friends to the celebration per advertisement in the Post, and a ready response resulted. Mr Nees has had an exceptionally changeful life, and away back in the fifties, when he came out to the colonies, he moved his camp every two years over Australia and New Zealand until his settlement in Wellington in 1875, since which time th« one-time rolling stone has gathered moss. He had in his young manhood seen revolutions in both Paris and Berlin, and throughout his life he appears to have been fortunate in business and unlucky in speculation, particularly mining specs at Ballarat, and on our coalangolden West Coast. * • • He has a brother who is a prosperous business man in Dunedin, in which city Karl Nees started Otago's first sash and door factory, about which time Mr Guthrie (afterwards a member of the great firm of Guthrie and Larnach) was stacking timber in Nees's yards, and Messrs Stewart and Greenfield, who afterwards won success in Wellington, also worked in the same yards. Along about 1867, when he was a great man on the West Coast, Mr Nees was offered a seat in the Legislative Council by both Premier Stafford and Governor Sir George Grey. Mr Nees thought the place was only to be occupied by men who had nothing better to do, and he recommended an old friend, Mr Bonar (father of the Hon. Bonar, M.L.C.). By some mistake Bonar junior was appointed, and he has occupied the seat ever since. * * * As a West Coaster, Mr Nees was on very friendly terms with Premier Seddon until the tune of the elections when Sir Robert Stout won a seat in Wellington. After giving his vote on the clay of the election, Karl was met by Sir Robert (a very old friend), who took the old man's arm and walked thus with him up the street. During the walk they came face to face with the Premier — who has not known his old friend since. An authorit\ upon the colony's timber, upon which subiect he has written a great deal, Mr Nees was offered the position of timber expert some years ago, but declined as he was doing too well in his business. la 1875 he began life over again as what he terms a ' saw doctor," and has risen up to prominence as an importer of sawmilling and manufacturers' machinery, and is°a deservedly popular man of the city, and well-known throughout the length and breadth of both islands. The Lanck wishes the Golden Couple continued health and prosperity.

Dr Mason, the newly-appointed Health Officer for the Colony, has taken a house at Khandallah, and Mrs Mason and the family will reside there. As for the doctor, he expects to spend most of his time passing up and down the colony chasing peculiar and wrigglesome microbes to their habitat. Won't he and Gilruth delight in collaborating in the culture of rare gems ? It is whispered that they are hunting lor a new microbe, with the intention of giving it the name of Seddomcus Jayarribuster Gibnasonruthii. # * * Returned contingenters — may their numbers increase, for we all want to see the boys back again— tell good stories as to the plentiful supply of the " Bill Adams " element at Capetown. The man who carried the message for reinforcements at Spionkop is in every other bar at Durban, Maritzburg, and even at Capetown. As for the "Bill Adams" the second, the South African variety is recognised in the man who won Elands Laagte "on his own." :,: V V " Harry " Warner, who is to represent the Wellington and South African members of the Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners at the conference in England, is well known in several parts of this colony. As a politico-labour agitator he has an aggressive reputation in both Dunedin (early in the " nineties") and Wellington. " Harry " would rather run. an election than push a plane Any day. He was employed in the Government carpentering shops for some time, and then went away to the Cape in charge of the fitting-up gang on one of the troopships. It must have been during this recent visit to the Cape that he impressed the Cape carpenters sufficiently to secure election as their delegate to the Old Country. • • » Mr T. W. Russell, late Parliamentary Secretary to the Imperial Local Government Board, is no relation to the late Lord Russell of Killowen, Lord Chief Justice of England. Up till lately, if not now, the late parliamentary secretary kept a private temperance hotel in Stephen's Green, Dublin. It may seem rather astonishing that a man in such a position could obtain to Ministerial rank in an English Conservative Ministry, but Russell married well. His wife is a daughter of the late Colonel Keown, 15th Hussars, and niece of a famous Irish prelate, Dr. Alexander, Primate of Ireland, and formerly Bishop of Londonderry. Present writer remembers Mr Russell as a humble temperance lecturer in the West of Ireland many years ago. » * • Last week's steamer from Sydney brought across a most interesting party of wandering Maorilanders. There was Mr Fred. Haybittle, author of the widelycirculated story, "How I Shook Hands with the Prince of Wales." Next in point ot interest came Mr Thos. Dwan, "the Groat Liberal and President of the Eighty Club," whose " tower " round the world is something many people will want to heai a good deal about when T.D. is in the humour. Mr James Godber's most picturesque reminiscence referred to his visit to St Peter's (Rome), where he " saw the Pope, and was astonished to find Leo such a sweet-faced old gentleman." Mr Godber's Home trip developed an hitherto unsuspected power of description which has become the talk of his family aud connections. Then Mr T. Gale also returned after many days, also Mr Veitch (of Veitch and Allan's) and Mr John Blundell (senior member of the Post propi ietary). Altogether a merry and influential paity ot WellingtonianB.

There is evidently some mystery about the Czar's illness. It is officially said to be typhoid, but it ran for a month before the news leaked out. Was it a case of poisoning 9 The Nihilists are still a force to be reckoned with, and, it would not be surprising were it to turn out that they have been at their fiendish work again. • * • The Rev. C. Sheldon, author of "In His Steps/ 1 is seeking appointment »sChief of Police at Topeka, Kansas. Hi» object is to conduct a fight for the enforcement of the prohibitory law against liquor selling. This would be a much easier undertaking than trying to run a. paper without worldly advertisements. • • • Julian Balph, the American correspondent, says that Lord Methven is distinguished for a degree of bravery which, leads one to imagine that he would fight a lion with a pocket knife rather than show the animal his back. By all accounts though, he lacks judgment. • * * Miss Williamson, of Wanganui, who has passed successfully in all subjects connected with the recent Pharmacy Board examinations, makes the third duly qualified lady pharmaceutical chemist in. New Zealand. Miss Williamson was one of five out of about sixty candidates whogot through in all subjects. • * * John possesses a pretty spirit of repartee sometimes. The other day a milkman met a Celestial toiling up Aurora Terrace with a big basket of " cabbagee, lettucee," etc., and thought he would chaff him " Hello, John," he said, " we're goin' totake China from you Chows." " Welly good," replied John, quite placidly* " Tloo blackfeller Governor take Austlalia fum you." John evidently readsthe daily papers. • « * It appears that the regicide Bresci slayer of King Humbert, has numerous apologists amongst the Italian clergy, whohave been publicly condoning his crime. The authorities are dealing severely with these people ; eight priests have suffered for their pulpit opinions, the latest beingDon Arrius, parish priest at San Giovanni* Sardinia, who said " it was no sin to put an end to the King; it was only an attempt to bring in the republic, and under the republic the clergy would get better treatment than they did under monarchy." These sentiments secured for their utterer six months in prison, & heavy fine, and the forfeiture to the State of one year's pay. • # • Politics don't pay a really able man who has a good business depending upon his personal control. The ex-Premier of Victoria (Mac Lean), who was ousted last week by Sir George Turner, says that when he went into politics his business returned a profit of JGBOOO a year. Mr Mac Lean aays he wishes it returned half that amount now. Wonder how much our present New Zealand Ministers made before they tackled the political game? Something less than JEBOOO a year, we guess. # A West Coast young lady is just now congratulating herself- on a lucky escape. She had been engaged for some time to an eccentric individal who occupied a good position, and they were to have been married three weeks ago. But the young man got worse latterly. The Boer war upset his mental balance, and he went round at night shooting stray cats and dogs with a pistol. The tronble in the Orient helped to fan the flame, and after he had half killed a Chinese vegetable hawker they rushed him into an asylum.

They say over in Melbourne that the much-talked-of theatrical fight between ■Williamson and Musgrove is all a "plant," that the ex-partners, whilst threatening a continuance of the present rivalry, are in reality the best of friends, and that the projected cross actions are all " off." All the* same, the fact that when Musgrove puts up " The Scarlet Feather," with Nellie Stewart in the part she played in London, at the Princess 5 , Williamsons staging rival comic opera (" Floradora ") at Her Majesty's doesn't look like agreement. # # • A Southern journalist of pro-Boer sympathies wrote to Kruger in a moment of wild delirium, making various observations concerning war matters generally, and Maoriland warriors in particular. He has since received an acknowledgment from the elderly gentleman with the monkey shave, " thanking him for the advocacy of his cause." As the pressman belongs to a staunch loyalist paper he had no opportunity of " assisting" Mr Kruger, and public avowal of his pro-Boerism -would have meant hospital. Still, he thought that as so much Transvaal gold was being ladled out to certain newspapers Kruger might have sent him sufficient of the loot to drink his health "with. • # * A Fiji merchant writes to a Wellington iriend : — " One thing that is good might come out of federation with New Zealand. There are a lot of New Zealand runaway bankrupts, wife deserters, and bad eggs generally down here, who would have to ■clear out." • * • Sir George Turner's return to power in Victoria will be hailed with approval in New Zealand. During Sir George's regime Victoria made extraordinary progress, and the turn of the political pendulum which left him in the cold of Oppo.sition, -was only one of those unaccountable swerves in political life which overtake, at times, the most successful and conscientious public men. Financially, Sir G. Turner found his colony in a state of chaos, and when, by wise statesmanship, which carefully declined to operate on the old free-and-easy borrowing system, he was turned out of office, the •colony was comparatively on a sound footing. * * • The Government sometimes makes bad appointments, but it has got the right man for the right place in Dr Mason as head of the new Department of Public Health. The doctor is a skilled bactereologist, and, what is not generally known, is a member of the English bar, as well as a skilled medico. As questions of legal importance may not improbably crop up in connection with sanitary problems, the medico -legal combination may be useful. Dr Mason was at ,one time connected with a Royal Commission set up by the Imperial Government to investigate an outbreak of cholera in India. He should make a very useful official, if only he gets a sufficiently free hand. • * # The Hon. John McKenzie continues to mend. The Hon. Mr Duncan, " Meenister •o' Lans," told the Carterton Leader the other day that he had been to see his " old friend John," and was not only astonished but fairly delighted at the great change for the better and the promise for the future in Mr McKenzies condition. Of ■course the burly frame that once was is but a shadow ; but the eye is as bright and keen as the intellect. Mr McKenzie has actually brought himself abreast of what is doing, and what has been done, and he talked matters over with his old friend in a way — as Mr Duncan expressed it — that made his heart warm. The Observer does not hesitate to say that next session the Hon. John McKenzie will be once more in Parliament with a seat in the Legislative Council. There is not a member of either Chamber who would not give him " Cead rnille Failthe." * # m Wellington was paid a return visit last week by Mr Stafford Ransome, a muchtravelled London journalist who is touring the world as special commissionei for Pearson's Daily Express and Clement Shorter's Sphere. Shorter was the first editor of the SJcetcJi, was last year badly treated by the Ingrains, and started in, with a big backing, to create an illustrated weekly which was to beat all others. And the Spliere has been a great success. It 23 reported that Mr Ransome has appointed correspondents for the two journals he represents in Perth (West Australia), Melbourne (H. H. Champion, of the Age editorial staff being one of the Express specials), and Wellington. Mr Ransome has spent a great deal of his time in the East, and is the author of a book upon China. He left again for Australia on Friday last, after interviewing the Premier and other members of the Ministry.

The best description extant of the last act in the life of George Steevens, war correspondent, is believed to be from the pen of Conan Doyle :— " W. T. Maud, who nursed him night after night till he himself became a wreck, broke the news of the approaching end. ' I think, old man,' he said, ' we had better send a telegram to your wife. The doctors say you aye not so well to-day.' ' Well,' said Steevens, ' you write the telegram and I'll censor it.' Maud wrote : — ' Husband not so well, condition serious.' Steevens took it in his hand. After a pause — ' You mean I'm going to die ? ' ' Well, the doctor says you are a good deal worn.' ' Come, if I'm going to die you'd better tell me.' Maud said it was so. ' Soon?' ' Yes, not long.' Another pause, and then : ' What a strange bj -path out of a besieged city,' said Steevens ; and added later, ' Send for a bottle of champagne.' Maud sent, though he knew that a case of whisky had just fetched J6145 at a guinea raffle, and poured out a glass for each of them. Steevens drank ; Maud, overcome, sat before his glass. • Buck up, man, buck up ; drink,' said Steevens, and he remained so bright that Maud began to doubt the doctors' verdict and countermanded the telegrams. At 4.30 he was still cheerful ; at six, dead.

G. W. Russell's paper, the Spectator, is responsible for the statement that although the Right Hon. R. J. Seddon, P.C., and his wife and daughter were visiting Christchurch during Carnival week, and also the Hon. J. G. Ward, they were not invited to the Canterbury Jockey Club Ball. From which story, if it is true and the omission was intentional, we conclude that caddishness looms large in the management of the Canterbury Jockey Club. • * » The same paper is responsible for the statement that " at the Show Dinner the seats of honour were allotted thus : — On the right hand of the President, (1) the Governor, (2) the Captain of the Mildura, (3) the Mayor of Christchurch, (4) the Premier, which was, of course, a downright snub for Mr Seddon, as he certainly stands, in view of his position, next to the Queen's representative. Judging from this treatment," says the paper, "it is evident that the game Mr Seddon has been playing of trying to put himself at the head of the Tory Party of Maoriland, has not come off— not in Canterbury, at any rate." But has Mr Seddon been trying to put himself at the head of the Tory Party ? G. W. Russell, being one of his followers, ought surely to know.

Fred Haybittle is being elevated to the dignity of a hero by the country newspapers, which are retailing that episode of " How I shook hands with the Prince of Wales," with variations, and which seem determined to place Fred on as high a plane as the Premier, who achieved unparalleled distinction for a colonial by being allowed to ride m the Queen's carriage. *, * * Premier Seddon knows his way about all right. At the Catholic Imperial Carnival at Chrisfcchurch, after a sweet little dot in white had danced joyously before the vast crowd, she was called up and sweetly kissed by the Premier before the whole" assemblage. A well-known colonial politician, now some time dead, used to win his elections by making a point of kissing every baby in his electorate before polling day. Mr Seddon goes one better than that. Pretty little girls, especially when they are dancing fairies, are much more kissable than babies. * * * Facts that have since come to our knowledge discount completely the story in our last issue that to a commission agent was due much of the credit for tracing and locating the man Lillywhite, accused of the Colchester murder. If kudos is due to anyone, it is solely to Detective Nixon, who took the initiative in this case four yeays ago, and who never wavered from that time till the arrest in his belief that Lillywhite was Blatch. Those who know the circumstances say that Nixon's skill and assiduity in following up the clues from the time suspicion was first aroused till the moment of the arrest were worthy of Scotland Yard.

What does New Zealand spend annually on cigarettes ? It must be a heavy sum. Great Britain, it is said, wastes no less than eighteen million sterling a year on the fascinating little paper tubes with their nicotian contents. Of course, the faddist who presumes that because he doesn't smoke, no one else should be allowed to do so, will grieve over this item. Some years ago the Lancet denounced the cigarette as one of the most pernicious enemies of longevity, but, sad for that argument;, Great Britain's death rate has steadily gone down, and five or six years added to the average length of life. That is something for the temperance and antitobacco people to slowly chew over. # * * In the list of winners of the Wellington Education Board's scholarships, jnst published, appears the name of a Kilbirnie scholar, Annie Keasberry, a girl of 14, who has a remarkable record. She had been brought up from infancy until her 12th year in a bush district in this province, during which time she had no more than six months' schooling. When her family came to Kilbirnie, two years ago, Annie was placed in the First Standard. She made such rapid progress that at the end of her first year the master of the school (Mr Worboys) saw that he had a " prize " pupil, and during the next year gave Annie special attention. She came out far ahead of all other scholars at the annual examinations of the school, and was dux of the school. She then entered for a scholarship — and scores one. The other day Annie also secured a pass in the Trinity College musical examination. Is not her case a strong argument for those people who claim that we begin the school trainingof our childrenat too tender an age ?