All Sorts of People

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 69, 26 October 1901, Page 3

All Sorts of People

MUOR-GENERAL HECTOR MACDONALD, C.B , DS O , and A.D C, has done New Zealand the honour of visiting it His life has boon one that appeals to the colonist who ha.s stiiven for place, and the. story of the "ranker" general is alive and brilliant with instances of determination, fortitude, and ambition. MajorGeneial Macdonald, the son of a Scottish crofter, was born on a stony faim in tin- parish of Ferintosh, Cromarty. Hector, the son of people who needed all their native determination to keep above water, was in turn cow-boy, stable-help, draper's apprentice, and private soldier. From his earliest army years he determined to rise, and his inflexibility of purpose was such that the private of thirty years ago is the general of to-day. • • • Macdonald was an ardent volunteer during the years of his apprenticeship, and so enthralled became he with the prospects of life in the Army that ho deserted his business to join the Gordon Highlanders He was drafted to his legiment in India in 1871, rising by grade to colour-sergeant in 1879. When tiouble arose in Afghanistan, the Gordons were theie, and Colour-sergeant MacdonaJd was with them. Macdonald, in charge of a detachment, got some hand-to-hand work in that great ly pleased Sir Fied K. Roberts, and hurt the Afghans. It was -'Fighting Mac's" hist step. • • • Later m the campaign the colouiscrgcant was detailed to storm and captuie some ad\ anced posts of the enemy, which lie with his haidv Scots, did. Fighting Mac" giaduated in Afghanistan during the two years' sanguinary war there He was with Roberts from Kabul to Kandahar, the Gordons racing the Ghoorkhas for pride of place When the village was 1 cached, the fire- of the enemy was extremely hot Sergeant Macdonald, with a few Goidons, in face of a heavy file, rushed a loopholed wall, shoved their own rifles through, and fired into the enclosure. For gallant conduct in the engagement Sergeant Macdonald received a medal and throe clasps, and a bronze decoration He was at once recommended for a. commission ThoroughU educated by his own persistence of effort, a gentleman at, heart, he as an officer was rcecn ed into his own legiment (a most unusual thing) with open arms • » • In 1881, Lieutenant Macdonald went to the Transvaal to join Colley's force No one wishes to revive the Majuba Hill affair, but here MacdonaJd distinguished himself b,> lua remarkable bravery, was spared from death by the Boers and complimented by Joubert, ono of Natuie's gentlemen, and a man of eminent personal courage himself. lOgvpt owes as much to Mac don aid a.s Macdonald owes, to Egypt The man's high qualities a.s an organiser came to h<rhl in the land of the lotus flowei. He participated in the relief expedition to Khartoum in 1884-188.") To him the Army owes the perfection of its Egyptian allies and to the perfection of the allies, his sterling courage, and soldierlike qualities Macdonald owes his noxt steps as captain and major. He recei\ed his T).S O foi woik done in the Soudan.

Before he had done with the dervishes he was made brevet lieutenant-colonel. Of "Old Mac's" (the affectionate title given by the troops.) work at Omdurman the world knows. The hero of Omdurman received his C.B. for his service* in helping to crush the Khalifa, and was made an A.D.C. to the Queen. His promotion to Brigadier-General from Lieutenant-Colonel came quickly Beloved, if feared, by Soudanese and British soldiers alike, the sturdy Scot was given a work of organisation and command in India. General Macdonalds later African career is too recent, to need recapitulation No sterner or, at heart, kinder soldier exists. No man deserved knighthood better, and no one but will do honour to the simple, kindly soldier whose faith in arms is only second to his faith m God. New Zealand is as proud of General Sir Hector Macdonald as are the people of his native town of Cromarty, and their welcome amply .shows *• • • . Tom Mann has given up his publichouse, and is coming to New Zealand. Someone, recognising the power for evil Tom would be if he let himself go on labour questions, approached him recently as to his object in coming. He says he will keep quiet, and just work. He is merely going to study labour in his off-time, and will possibly give this country the benefit of his particular kind of arguments when he gets tired of work. 'Twas ever thus. * * * The Rev. J. Nixon, who has been making whole-souled efforts to induce Now Plymouth people to keep the Sabbath holy, and refrain from indulging in athletic pastimes and other frivolities, including evening concerts on that day, is an earnest preacher, and a devoted worker in the social sphere. He says that during his childhood's happy days the newspapers were closed on Saturday night, and the streets were closed on Sunday. Times have changed since then, of course, but he thinks that people should not go so far as to "putt' and "foozle" and what not on the golf links, or jeiseyed teams to yell and holler over a bag of wind on the football field, or the great New Plymouth public generally to swarm to amusement places to enjoy music-hall ditties and sentimental items under the guise of saeied concerts." * * * Mi N X MdcPiarmid, a local banker, is an able and much-respected supporter of Mr Nixon's, and when he interviewed the Mayor and Councillois lately he railed against Continental Sundays," in no measured terms, and said a strong stand must be made against their introduction. The local authorities have now banned Sunday entertainments except strictly religious concerts, organised without anticipation of gain, but this does not cut at those who work off superfluous energy in outdoor pastimes. Local lesidents say they arc not as bad a.s the\ are painted, and resent their little foibles being exposed to the world. However, we aie iust as bad, if not worse, in Wellington. It was only the other Sunday that three cock fights took place out of the city, watched by a goodly crowd, a considerable sum of money changing hands o\ei the results. * » •* Col. Davics. C.B , Auckland distnct's new Commandant, is a haul little man (Bobs is too Colonel), and loves a hght Ho was on one particularly lively occasion in charge of the New Zealand Third. First and Second were in it The Colonel hates this, ground Ins teeth, and, it is supposed, disobeyed orders' We must be in this, boys" re cried. Gallop 1" If you have seen New Zealand horses gallop in a mob, be sure, that Davies and the 'Boys" weie theio a,s soon as the rest of the cavaliv, and Jan and Piet were, as usual, haaa"*sed bv the sharpshooters of tliOM 1 veidoiiinied rooineks irom the colonies.

Young Captain Seddon, King Dick's son and heir, cables that he has left the "fiont" on his way back to New Zealand. By the way, Mrs. Martha Myers has w ritten f or the "Windsor Magazine" a very chatty article on Mr. Seddon in his own home, in which occurs the following touching reference by Mrs. Seddon to her son — "This is a photograph of our eldest son, of whom you were speaking as I entered. We did not want him to go to the front My heart hangs on my boy. But when, after begging and pleading, we still held out against it, he said 'See here, father, you're sending other mothers' sons to South Africa, and not your own I' Well, after that, we gave our consent, and prayed for God's blessing and in our hearts of hearts we are proud of his spirit. He has the true fighting blood in his veins — bless him ' — taking it directly from my father and my father's father — army men both." » » » During one of Adehna Patti's last tours in the United States, the following preliminary notice was published by a certain Western editor — "Madame Patti Nicohni, the eminent vocalist and farewelhst, will come to us for positively the last time next year. AIL those who expect to die before the year after next will do well to hear the human nightingale on this trip, for Patti never says good-bye twice in the same year, and to die without hearing her strike her high two-thousand-dollar note is to seek the hereafter in woful ignorance of the heights to which a woman with good lungs, a ca&tle in Wales, and who only uses one kind of soap can soar when she tries." * ♦ • Samuel McCaughey is an example of the good young man who started life with a pair of boots and one and ninepence. At least, that is as good as the usual yarn. However, in the fifties he struck Australia with nothing and he has about a million acres of her now . He has more fancy-priced sheep than any man in the world, is careful, does not believe in the minimum wage, plays the melodeon, and hopes to leave a few pounds to deserving charities. Told of him that he looked upon the wme but onto Personally driving a mob of sheep, attired in the usual gieasv moleskins, and on the attenuated ' prad" of the backblocker, lie struck the hostel of Gundoguli, became thirsty, and drank the decoction of pain-killer and saltbush tea served up as w hisky Made bet's that he could place five sovereigns on the back of each "gumbuck" in the moh (100,000). Bet taken, ride to nearest bank, cheque presented 'Pay self C' 00,000," detained as probable eccentric and mob of sheep scatteied to all parK of the com paw? Sadder and wiser man in the morning, identity established Said to be the only lapse in a hard-headed, cle\eilv-hved life. * * * Mis M^t'is, ol Auckland, \\ hose \\lltmgs weie refcried to in la^t week's Lv.NCi,, is not the only lady who has attracted attention in England magazinedom to New Zealand. Mis. Malcolm Ross of Wellington, who is known throughout the coloiry a.s one of oui brightest journalists^ has an entertaining article upon "Housekeeping on a Gladei" in the September issue of the Wide Woild" magazine. In the article, which is illustrated by seven photographs taken among the glaciers b> Mr and Mis Ros*s, the latter describes, in her bnghtest and most amusing style, some experiences as housekeeper and cook for a merry party of Alpine tourists- who spent a holiday on Tasmaii Glacier (Mount Cook) The .idventui v took place before the accommodation huts wpio provided bv the State, and when Mrs. Ross was but the second member of her sex to win the Tasman height's. Her stoiy of how she made scones with one of "Malcolm's" patent frymgpans is laughably told and the whole article, like Alpine oxcrci^e is ' a piosent delight."

Wellingtonians generally, and railway employees especially, will be interested to hear the excellent news that our onetime locomotive superintendent, Mr. T. F. Rotherham, is giving the greatest satisfaction in his new position on the Westralian State railways. It will be remembered that only a short time ago Mr. Rotherham received an appointment as chief mechanical engineer for the wild west State. It appears that immediately upon taking up his new and responsible' office he was entrusted with the onerous task of working out a classification scheme for the department, including some 1500 engine-drivers, firemen, and cleaners. *• * * No small task, this, but the scheme has been circulated, and has given general satisfaction. It is acknowledged, in a lesolution adopted by the various branches of the W.A. Locomotive En-gine-drivers', Firemen's, and Cleaners' Association, that Mr. Rotherham has brought about a much-needed reform, and appreciation of the ex-New Zealander's work was also expressed. Under the scheme the men were granted the right to appeal against their classification, and very few have taken advantage of the right, which is another feather in the C.M.E.'s cap. Encouraged by his success, Mr. Rotherham was instructed to proceed with the classification of the entire service. And here, in New Zealand our railway servants have to wait at least another year for the adoption of a classification scheme. * * * Mr. John Gell, of the Telegraph Department, is a Wellingtoniaai who is well known as, "a bit of a genius at inventing things." He has taken out patent rights for at least a round dozen inventions and "notions," and has just covered provisionally an invention pertaining to automatic telegraph instruments of which he expects great things. During the past few years Mr. Gell was attached to the staff at Cable Bay (Nelson), but he has obtained extended leave of absence, and has just gone Home to bring some of his inventions before Old World specialists, with a view to establishing the foundation of his fortune. The trouble with many colonial inventors has been that they found, on reaching Home, that some other genius had discovered their secret previously, and "their fond dream was o'er." * ♦ # It is announced that Mayor Aitken is leaving town for a brief holiday. Being a Scot, His Worship takes his pleasures, seriously, for his vacation is to bo spent at a sitting of the Presbyterian General Assembly, to be held in our Edinburgh of the South." Dunedin, at the best of times, is a sad city — a nbald tourist has dubbed it ''the city of sin, sweat, and sorrow" — and how much more sombre-hued will it be when the elders o' the kirk foregather therein ! True, there will be such exciting functions as "bun-hghts," without which no Assembly session is complete, but theso will be feu, and with long intervals between. Which reminds the Lance that Mr. Aitken and his staunch henchman (Mr. Win. Allan) have been invited to a "bun-fight" to be held at Ashburton — "quiet city of the plain" — and Moderator Jay Kay Elliott has also received free tickets for the same event. * ♦ * There is not a Wellingtonian who will begrudge Mayor Aitken his holiday. He luis had a. strenuous time since he took up the responsibilities of our Chief Magistracy, and has been truer to his trust than many, if not than any, of his predecessors. The work he carried out in connection w ith our South African Contingents alone during the past two years would have broken dmvn many strong men and yet he has found inclination and time to piomoto <-chemes winch, when r.nried out, will make our rity tlio Empno City actually, as well as in name. It «a*. during Mr Aitken's term- -just twelve months a<?o, by the wa\- that the tiamwajs became the

city's property and lie induced the city to undertake a conversion of the system into up-to-date methods, soon (oh, how soon p ) to be begun For Ins personal influence in municipalising the tramways alone Mayor Aitken's name deserves to he wilt large and lastingly upon the tablets of Wellington's racinor\ and the Lance wishes him a leal good time down South • • • Captain C L K. Campbell, of the 1()th Laneeis, who comes out as a member of our new Commandant's staff, went thiough the Transvaal campaign a.s staff officer with Major-General Babmgton The Captain was serving in that capacity during the time the Major-General had our boys" of the Fourth Contingent under )us command Captriin Campbell like his chief will therefore come among friends, as both weie popular with the New Zealanders The new Commandant, by the w.iv, brings out a S\dney lady as his wife • • • The cc'chr.ition of (he 09th hivthd<*\ of Mr Pharazyn has drawn out a question as to w hethei Wellington possesses a centurion " as Johanna Muiphy puts it. Wellington Ho'-piial ln.s a patient who will be 100 years old on the King's Biitbday, t.he 9th prox The almost-a-reutenanan is Mi 1 - McKeown, who with her husband, has resided on Muamar Peninsula farming; for over thirty years Mr McKeown is four years vouneei than his wife, and looks hao and hearty enough to s<>e the nevt generation through Though on the \erge of fn c scoie years hi« guidwife lias iust gone into the Hospita.l to undergo an operation, and she looks bale enough to last .some years loneer Mr and Mrs McKeown aie great parents thiee times over, and ha%e a ■-turdv stock of descendants in the Domes of Miramar. » » • An opinion seems cunent that th'quiet departure of the late Commandant (Colonel Polr Penton) was the nubhc >\av of showing that lie had not been quite as populai as he nneht ha\e been Seeing that the Colonel himself defied that no fuss should be made, the reason is made clear An opinion is also curlont among bioad-miuded cutics that. Colonel Pole Penton, with the exception of some unfoitunate lapses, worked conscientiously for the New ZeaJand Defence Department That lie was hampered in many ways will be readily allowed -that he could not be expected to see soldiers from the green-grocer colonial officer's standpoint is certain, and that, according to Ins lights and training, he did much to> improve the status of the military forces. Many of Colonel Pole-Pcnton's weaknesses existed only in the imagination of his critics--ciitics who, fortunately hold no military rank, or know anything about the matter the\ profess to be authorities on. • » • General Babington who is now on his wa\ to this colom, i>- said to be the light man in the light place The same was said of Colonel Penton If General Babington is weak enough to suboidmate his army experience to the exigencies ef the colonial amateur soldiei , by tieating him ,u> a brother general he will be popular with a das'- If we aic to ha\ c an armj, we want a highly disciplined one (but, better still, none). The man in the forces who holds the absurd theoiv that "Jack is as good a.s Ins master," stands a clear chance of getting badly shocked Tin 1 duties of a Commandant m New Zealand should be dearly defined, no humihatuig mterieience should be pel nutted and perhaps the Commandant to be in.i\ be kept sweet enough to l chain fioin gn ing expression to his feelings aftei the maunei of the Commandant who has been.

A cable message from London infoinis the colonial- world that an Australian scout, Arthur J Vogan, was the man who capture/l the notonous Boei Commandant Scheepers The Austiahan scout happens to be a New Zealander Arthur Vognn is the son of a Katikati settler of twenty years' standing AU Tauranga will lecognise in the cle\er soldier the young man who giadua f ed from their midst When he giew up he <-pent Ins time sun e\ ing and in his eft time he contracted a noddine aaiuamtance with lournahsm He eontubut< tl to the Bay of Plenty "Times," by which

On WednuscLn ol last week people who know <uul who aclmiie Mi Artlim Moinson heard with disma\ th.it tlk big, buily, genial, laige-he.u ted member for Ca\eishani had left his Paihimentaiv duties piactiealh to go homo to Dunedin to die ot malignant cancel In the la&t J'ailiament Mi Moi 1 ison \s <^ ,i prominent debatei and one ol the most attne and useful membeis of lu^ party He made a most excellent whip for he was e\ei on the aleit and he was so fro(|ii(Mitl\ put toiw.nd b\ the (io\ < v i nmont to aiisuoi ,itt,K ks iikhlc 1m Opposition membeis th<it it Ik ( aine common talk that he would eie long Ix aw aided <\, Ministeiial i>oit folio # * » In this Pai liajm nt alas Mi Momson has practically been a silent meinbei, and that must ha\e been punishment enough toi so keen a politician and so ardent a paiU man Dm - ing last session the ma lad v hist .ippeared that has caused Ins fnends such aiiMct'N e\ vi since A soienc-sol tht> tongue became so acute that lie was medically atl\ iscd not to speak and towaidb tlie end of tlu^ session he sulfeied sucli pain thai he le-lt loi home During tlie iecess, howeuei, he- appai-

he opened up a way for further employment as a pressman. Fifteen ycais ago, Mi Yogan was a reporter on the Auckland "Star." The. spirit of adventure, however, was pre>dominant, and the future soldier threw up his billet and ]oume\ed to Noith Queensland, whore he engaged in surveying for ,1 while Then, leaving Bananaland, he went to New Guinea (cit that tune almost a ten a m(ognia)with a pait\ of cxploieis Winle in Queensland he used his facilities of ob*<ei\ ation to good effect, and on 1c-

t nt 1 \ mipio\ed, and was appointed to the ( '(j.i l Mines ConiinitU v was elected chanman, and ontoiod on Ins duties with a gi asp of detail and tint husini\ss-like abjht\ ulnt'li jga\e linn a, higli place in tin estimation oi ins colleagues and of Iho public While* taking evidence at NoNon the tumble in Ins tongue became seiious and lie was fenced to go into Nelson Hospital He found the tieatmont tempoiaiih successful and 1 etui nod horne 1 wlieie 1 his medical •\<\- \iseis had an impiession th.it the ra.il,h\\ u,k not e.incei llowe\(i otliei doc tens diMeied and held the mole sei lous o])inion # # * Mi Momson canu u(i to I'a.i liaiiicnt hopefully to attend this pic sent session but giadualU the liojh's wlueli a tenipoi.iiv nnpi o\ enient ot his health had enkindled faded and giew huritei as gia\ei s\mptoms began to manifest theinsehes He now knows the uoist, and is not ah aid He is bia\el\ faring what he behe\es to be the ino\ it able A fnend speaking to him on tin- de\ith of the Hon J Ken, some tune ago, lemmkod to him how s;ul it w a.s to he so sudden I \ stiuck down "Not a bit ol it," u-plied Mi. Moinson

turning to Auckland, wrote the stirring novel, "With the Black Police," wh'ch "was so favourably commented on, and widely read. Still looking for adventure, he returned to Australia, and from thence, when the war broke out. he went with a draft of Australians to South Africa, to uphold the honour of the Uiuon Jack. Hls exploit in capturing Scheepers, who is considered to be one of the finest scouts in a na^'ou of scouts, enhances a record for derringdo that Taurangans in particular, and New Zealandeis in general, must be pioud of.

tu die like t luit is caoy, but to die b> inches is terrible." .Mi Mmuson was bom in Avishne in ] S 4 ' > Hi 1 * life was to be one of work, so lio was taken awa\ from the parisli school at nine \eais- of ago He was detei miiK (1 not to be handicapped by ignoiame theietoie lie diligently attended night schooh, where he got the foundation of his general knowledge In 1874, he came to the (olon\, and in 187) onteied the&ei- \ ice of the Walton Paik Coal Company, at Dunedin, a w j a salesman. While still in the emplo\ of the company he was, elected to Parliament in 1893, on the labour ticket » * • A cueer so full of determination to o\ercoiue eaily conditions appeals to all and the fact that a man of bib stamp, who has heeri of such sterling >-ei\ice. to his party, respected alike by friends and political opponents, should be lingering in the clutches of the dread enemy cancel, will elicit the heartfelt sympathy of the people. While life remains hope is not dead, and we would cling to what hope there remains that so useful a career may not be. so prematurely ended.