ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE

Free Lance, Volume I, Issue 43, 27 April 1901, Page 3

ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE

MR. ALFRED S. RATHBONK, whose death, in London, has been cabled out to the oolony, was a well-known journalist in Auckland twenty years ago. He started upon the "Star" reporting staff, and, after gaining some colonial experience, he launched in 1880 "The Observer," the first society journal established in the colony, and also the first illustrated lournal. He modelled it upon lines which had just been found highly successful in London, and the chatty, vivacious, outspoken style of dealing with current events and social news that he introduced made the new paper welcome everywhere. * • * After a few years, failing health obliged Mr. Rathbone to seek a change, and parting with his interest in the "Observer," he went Home, and founded in London the Colonial Press Agency, with which he has been identified ever since. For many years past one paper in each of the four centres ot the colony, and several papers in Australia, have been kept supplied with crisp, reliable, and thoroughly up-to-date Home news through that medium • * • Mr. Rathbone had the journalistic instinct strongly developed, and he had the still rarer faculty of seizing almost intuitively the really interesting features of a subject and presenting them to the public with graphic force and dramatic effect He never prosed. His matter was always bnght, animated, and picturesque, and he never wearied his readers. In private life he was retiring, and highly esteemed among his brethren of the pen His uncle, Mr. Wm. Rathbone, was for many years one of Liverpool's representatives in the House of Commons, and a younger brother, Mi Wilfred Rathbone, is at present editor of the Auckland "Graphic." • • • The Victorian pilot service gains a good man, and the New Zealand coastal servico'loses an experienced and popular sailor, in Captain A. F. Anthony. The captain was known in every seaport in the colony, for, since 1884, he has served on the fleets of the Westport Coal Company and the Union S.S. Company. In 1886, he joined the red-funriel fleet as a fourth officer, and was for ten >ears under Captain Sinclair, on the Tarawera A year later he had succeeded to a command, and successivel> had the Rotokino, the Dingadee. the Rotorua, and the Pukaki. Some two years ago he went on to the West Coast of Tasmania, trading in command of the Kawatiri. * ♦ • Captain Anthony was in no fewer than twenty-six of the Union S S Company's excursions to the Sounds, and it was during the Tarawera's trip to Milford Sound in 1892 that he won some fame for a plucky act. A boat, containing four seamen, was swamped whilst being lowered. Two of the men, who had on their heavy seahoots, were threatened with drowning, when Anthony threw off his coat, and plunged in. A heavy sea was running, so Henry, another officer, went in after his brother officer to lend a hand. The help was timely, and all the- men who had got into troubled waters were rescued. Captain Anthony is now located at Williamstown, Melbourne, and has always a hail for New Zealanders.

Eric John Hussey Freke has been aptly called a Freke of fortune " He was one of the A B's. on the pleasure\<icht Anadne, which was stranded near Oamaru the other day, and, ,iust. after giving his evidence at the magisterial inquiry into the wreck, he received a cable message informing him that an aunt had died and left him £72,000 It was only a few w eeks ago that young Eric Freke was himself stranded in Sydney and, seeing the Anadne lying in Neutral Bay, he went to the owner (Mr. Keiry, of Auckland), and, reminding him that the Duke of Manchester had introduced them (Freke and Kerry) m tho Old Country , asked him for a job to keep him alive. * * * Kerry remembered that Freke had been an apprentice on the mammoth White Star liner Medic when the introduction was made, and so gave the youngster a job as A.8., with charge of the stores on board the yacht. Freke, prior to joining the Medic, had served on the training ship Conway. He was apprenticed as a middy on the White Star liner, and, after serving two years, ran away from her whilst she was at Sydney. Having great expectations, he, apparently, preferred to knock about the colonies, like a ne'er-do-well, until realisation came. And it arrived at Oamaru at an opportune time- — so opportune that the story is hardly credible outside of the covers of a story-book. -» k *■ By the way, there was one other interesting "guest" on board the Anadne, in the person of Mr. Clement Wragge, son of the brainy meteorologist. Wragge, junior, had only been to sea once before in a sailer, and does not seem to be much impressed with the business. He has spent a few years assisting his father in weather forecasting, and says he would sooner prophesy a gale than face it. Trooper Waldie is still meandenng through the far South lectunng m khaki on the war in South Africa, and turning on the limelight at appropriate mteivals. The Dunedin morning paper w rites up the show in the style of a man who is trying hard to look serious, and feels the odds are against him. It says that Waldie owns a strong \ oice, also that he has plenty of confidence, and likewise that by the time he readies the end of a sentence one can ffoncrallj- tell what he is aiming at Waldie's strong point, how e\er, appears to be unconscious liumoui It wells out of him like w ater from an inexhaustible spring. • • • Two examples will suffice. For instance, lie spoke of "a number of British killed and w ounded being picked up and made as comfortable as possible." He remarked, too, that on one occasion the prisoners at Waterval 'took possession of a number of a farmel's cattle, killed them, and then roasted them alive." He also told a story about the Canadians that possesses some novel features. The first men to return to Capetown, ho said, were 600 Canadians, who ran riot m the city. In a pubhehouse they would amuse themselves by shooting the heads off the bottles behind the counter, and, on the barman decamping "quick and lively," one of their number took his place and supplied his mates with anything they required. For tho damage they did the Canadian Government had subsequently to pay £'300. Mr. Walter Bruce, the shipping reporter of the Auckland "Herald," is a wide-awake young man, but he was tripped up all rignt on the Ist of Apnl. It was the purser of the s.s. Zealandia who laid the snare, and he wrapped it up very neatly in the passenger-list with which he furnished the unsuspicious reporter This is how it read, in the cold light of plain type, next day, and there was no possibility of explaining it away — Weir, Pullau, Walters, Legge (2)", Day."

How very sudden and unexpected was the passing away of Geoffrey Barclay, at Gisborne, at the end of last week. As the son of Captain Barclay (a veteran warrior, journalist, civil servant, and musician), "Geoff" was well known in Wellington banking and athletic circles prior to his departure North. He was employed in the Bank of Australasia, and, being the son of a military man, was naturally anxious to go with our troops to South Africa. But his people could not spare him, and so he stayed on, only to be taken off by typhoid fever, instead of enteric or a Mauser. He was about to visit his relatives in Wellington when stricken down. The deceased, who was in his twenty-fourth year, has a brother on the reporting staff of the "Evening Post." • • • It is a mystery to many Wellingtonians why Mr. James Caterer Godber came out for the City Council. He had grown grey in his business in Cuba-street, and never, through all the years, did he give any indication of inclination for public life. Mrs. Godber, on the other hand, has always been interested in politics. Well, quit© recently Mr. Godber took a trip to the Old Country, and the travel-letters he sent out to his family were eye-openers to them. "We never suspected him of possessing such descriptive powers!" was the Godber household saying thenceforth. It was those letters which gave him municipal aspirations. His friends had "discovered" Mr. Godber, and, willy-nilly he had to be exhibited to the people. And. on the platform, he surprised many old friends. He spoke as though he had had years of platform training. * * * Native Doctor Pomare, the recentlvappointed Sanitary Inspector among the Maoris, knows just what he is talking about Here is a slab of commonsense from Ins advice to the natives — "Open your houses, and let the pure, fresh air come in and purify your blood. That will make good tissue, good tissue will ensure better brains ; good brains mean good thoughts and good thoughts mean good lives. Hence, the letting in of an abundance of good, pure air will make good men of you." Much better this than a string of scientific phrases. ♦ • • The Premier told a good story about the Governor, w hile speaking at the flag-unfurling ceremony at Palmerston Noi'th the other day. He said that on the occasion of a welcome which was given to Lord Ranfurly at a certain seaport town in tins colony, an arch was displayed with the word ' Welcome" on it, and a line of flags suspended abovo it. As the Governor is <\n authority, on nautical signalling, lie gl.uiccd at the line of flags, and, to Ins dismay, read, "Beware of &us>piciou& strangers '" * * * Once again the rumour ha.s got abroad that Mr. W. T. Wood, of Palmerston North, is to be elevated to the Upper House, and it is generally beheved in Palmerston that such is hkelv to be the case. Mr. Wood, who lived there v hen the place was nearly all wood, and little else, is certainly agieat friend of the Premier's, and Mr. Seddon depended upon him to oust Mr. Pirani last election. However, the little journalist succeeded in more than holding his own. It is now a considerable time since that contest took place, but it was only the other day that Mr. Wood's lady admirers, who worked on his committee, presented him with quite a number of costly articles, in recogni tion of his many good qualities — political and otherwise A lapse of sixteen months did not in any way detract from the ceremony, however, and, from the vipw -point of the recipient, it was certainly for him better late than never. The Premier happened to be on a visit to the town at the time — happy coincidence — and delivered a spirited, "fighting" address to the fair sex in his characteristic wav, advising them to "hang togethei" in the great Liberal cau&e.

West Coasters are telling the latest good thing about their King of Kumara with much gusto. It has to do with the Premier's recent hurried visit down the Coast. When he arrived at Greymouth, Mr. Seddon found invitations awaiting him for both the Hokitika and the Kumara race-meetings, which were fixed for the same day. Hokitika had jumped Kumara's dates, and, consequently, there was bitterness of spirit felt by the latter towards the other district. This made the Premier's position awkward, for to appear on one racecourse, and not on the other (there being eleven miles between the two) would "raise a Cain", which not even he might be able to lay. But he was equal to the emergency. It was not known yet that he was in the district. So he got out a special train, and slipped off to Kumara, and astonished and delighted his townies there by dropping in unawares. After the last race had been run, the Premier slipped back towards Greymouth. got out at a flag-station, and passed the night quietly at the home of his son-in-law. Next day he was expected to spend in Greymouth, but again he took flight in a train, and dropped in at the Hokitika races. '"Good old Dick," exclaimed an "old mate," when hearing the yarn, "you can't lose him!" * * * Frank M. Clarke, who was the reigning attraction at Dixs Gaiety for a good many weeks this side of Christmas, first came to the colonies in 1882, as one of the proprietors of Clarke and Lyman's Minstrels. He remained in Australia, and started his celebrated Silk Stocking Vaudeville, which was the precursor of the variety form of entertainment that now holds the public in a tight embrace. During the five years that he ran this show, without a single break, Mr. Clarke introduced a great many favourites to the colonial public. He also piloted Harry Rickards's Alhambra Company round New Zealand. At the end of last year he accepted a three-months' engagement from Mr. Percy Dix, and, as thirteen weeks in that term he has played in Auckland, eight more in Wellington, as he is just in the full tide of his Christohurch season, and Dunedin is to follow , he reckons it will prove to be far and away the longest three months in his eventful life. > * * v< Mr. G. A. Parsons, who has been station-master at Ngahauranga for the past eight years, is being removed to Aramoho, and on Saturday last was presented with a solid leather travelling trunk, and also a handsomely fitted dressing bag, both suitably inscribed, as a mark of esteem. Mr. James Moore mack" the presentation, on behalf of local personal friends, and wished the recipient good luck and prosperity in his new sphere, closing a happy speecli by asking those present to drink Mr. Parsons' health, which was done with musical honours. Mr. Parsons feelingly replied, and thanked the donors most heartily for their useful present, after which a pleasant evening was spent in a social manner. Mr. F. W. Mansfield, the Census Enumerator for Wellington City and Suburbs, has every reason to feel proud of the record he has put up. But he is a very modest and diffident kind of official, and not at all likely to blow the trumpet or whack the drum for his own glorification. However, there is the fact that his leturns were quite completed and handed in to headquarteis. by Friday last, and on Saturday the totals wero given forth to the world. # He was not only well ahead of tho enumerators in the other towns of the colony, but, so far as the newspaper cable affords any means of judging, Wellington has been counted up sooner than any other considerable town in the Empire. Sydney's figures camo to hand a few days later, also Tasmania's, but, up till Tuesday after-

Bandmaster Herd, of the Wellington Garrison, is in for a nice little compliment During the brass bands contest at the C'hnstehurch Jubilee Exhibition, Mr. Herd chivalrously went to the assistance of the Waihi Band in an emergency, by wielding the conductor's baton for them. He would accept no remuneration for his services, and now the grateful gold-miners mean to hang on his watch-chain a quartz pendant bearing a neat inscription. • * • Mr. R. T. Walker, who died the other day in Napier, universally esteemed and deeply mourned, was the third editor of the "Hawke's Bay Herald " There seems to be a permanency about men and institutions in Napier that does not obtain to nearly the same extent, in other parts of the colony. During its twenty-seven years' existence as a borough, Napier has only had foui mayors, of whom the last (Mr. G H. Swan) has held office for the past fifteen years. * •*• * During its thirty-six years' existence as a paper, the Napier "Herald" has only had three editors, of whom the last (Mr. R. T. Walker) filled the chair for the past twenty-one years. He wa* born at Manchester in 1854, served as a reporter on the "Surrey Advertiser" and the "Richmond and Twickenham Times, 1 ' came to New Zealand in 1876 in the good ship Piako, joined the ''Evening Post" in Wellington, and became its sub-editor In 1879, he went to Napier to take over the editorial control of the "Herald," and remained in harness almost to the end. Hcwa.s a very genial man, who had very few enemies, and 'tis said, to his credit, that his policy through life was "If yon cannot say anything good about a man, certainly do not say anything bad." ♦ • • It is a bit of a surprise to his friends that Mr. David Nathan did not put up for the mayoralty straight out, instead of seeking only a vacant chair at the table of the Wellington Council. He is as well known in mercantile circles as the town clock. He is also, as he is proud of proclaiming, a Wellmgtonlan "born and bred," and was educated at Wellington College. Thirty years ago, Mr. T. K. Macdonald, who was then manager for Nathan pere's business, frequently helped "young Dave" with his school exercises — to-day that

same David is a Goliath in business, keen, enterprising, and as full of ideas as an egg is of nutriment. He has quite recently returned from a tour of the woild, and has brought back with him not only many ideas, but a charming helpmeet, who has already won her way to the forefront of our social life. Mr. Nathan is a director in many business concerns in Wellington, as well as being head of a big business, and as chairman of the Gas Company he has instituted reforms which ha,ve added to the value of the concern. There is no doubt that his presence in the Council ■will be for the city's good. * * ♦ Captain Hutson, who returned from Home "and Africa" last week, was shot on the top of the hill at the Ohphant's Nek engagement — which engagement took place a long while ago. The L\nce locates the wound "on the top of the hill" advisedly, for it is on a part of the anatomy not exposed to view . It is satisfactory to learn that Captain Hutson has recovered from the effects of his wound. He went into hospital for a brief period, and, on being offered a health-re-cruiting trip to the Old Country, lie took it. This led to further glory for the Welhngtonian — for it is more glorious to be wounded, even though it is awkward when you are asked to show your wound and cannot, than to be in\ ahded — for he reached London in time to take part in the Queen's funeral. And, happening to be the only Australasian captain on the spot, ho was given command of the colonial contingent in that historic parade, and came in for conspicuous attention. * ■* * It w a,s a remarkable coincidence, and one that seems to have escaped attention, that Captain Hutson should be at Home to parade the streets of the World's metropolis at the funeral, for he w as a member of New Zealand's Contingent w hich took part in the Queen's Jubilee procession. He presents a good figure on horseback, and was much admired by the fair sex when he led his company of the Second Contingent in its various parades in Wellington. He was an officer in the Wellington Cycle Corps before he took up an active service commission, and is the son of Mr. Peter Hutson, one of our manufacturers.