All Sorts Of People

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 77, 21 December 1901, Page 3

All Sorts Of People

LORD KITCHENER is grateful for the action of Mr. Seddon m raising an Eighth Contingent. If the Khartoum hero, with the glass eye, expresses himself so, you may be sure that he means it. Troopers who have been glared at by the remaining useful optic of the great general know that nothing would induce that iron man to prevaricate for ulterior motives. That Kitchener means to win is certain, and he evidently is glad to have the stamp of men we can send him. Here is an incident showing his tenacity and determination. • » ♦ Several Madias Lanceis <ire trucking Argentine ponies at Wynberg. The whole squad is hammering with whips, sjamboks, bracechains, and sticks to get one brute m. The Oommander-in-Chief comes along, dismounts, and throws the reins to a "syce." 'Let me try," he says. Seizing the quadruped by the hind legs, the general puts his shoulder under the pony's quarter, and literally heaves him into the truck. This is characteristic of the man. Lord Kitchener will hardly be persuaded to allow tihe New Zealand troops to operate together. Himself an iron disciplinarian he allowed, and does allow, more latitude to these men than to any others, but he requires scouts. Therefore, it is quite hopeless to expect that he wil] minimise their usefulness bv allowing them to work in a< bodv Congratulations to our young Wellington friends, Willie T. Churchward and Vaudrey Baldwin, upon their success in the recent law examinations, the results of which have been made known this week. Willie Churchward is the eldest son of Mr. T. L. Churchward, of Abbott, Oram, and Co.'s, and is an exceptionally bright and promising young fellow. He received his scholastic training at the Terrace School, under that sound and most painstaking dominie Mr. Geo. MacMorran, to whom be all honour ascribed for looking after the mental furniture of the rising; generation of thp Empire Citv. • * • On leaving school, Churchward fils was sent to a local printer, who, after a brief trial, sent him home to has father with the cheerful intelligence that he was not bright enough to set up type, as he knew nothing. It was a stroke of luck, for not so long afterwards the youngster passed his junior civil service examination, after three months' tuition, and then entered the law office of Messrs Young and Tripe He was then fifteen. In his first year of connection with the law he went up and passed the solicitors' general knowledge examination with flving colours. After this, he took a year's rest from study. Then he went at it again, and this time has passed the first section of the examination in law Not bad for a youth of nineteen eh ? His emplovers are so well pleased that they have given him a substantial Christmas-box. Next year he will try for his final and the odds are strong that he will be a full-fledged la\r\ er before he is 21 • • • Mr. Vaudrey Baldwin, who has just passed the final examination in law for solicitors, is the youngest son of Captain Baldwin, and consequently brother of Mr. P. E. Baldwin. When his father w as proprietor of the "New Zea-

land Times," ton yeais ago, young Vaudrej , fresh from school, was launched into journalism as a junior repoitei oil the "Times" staff Later, he tried station life up Kereiu way Next, he became a Parliamentary Committee clerk, and also took up the study of the law m his brother's office His studies, have borne good fruit, and now he becomes a duly accredited solicitoi . He will probably practise his profession m tihe Manawatu district • * * Hugh Smith, the first First Contingent er to volunteer foi service with the Eighth Contingent, will be accepted. If ever there was a man who gloried in the game of war, "Truthful Smith" was that man Trooper Smith gained his sobriquet of "Truthful" fiom a too-pronounc-ed disposition to too fully confine himself to actualities in his conversation and daily life. He is one of the very few men who w as on every parade called in the First Contingent, on every march, alw ays mounted (generally on a "borrowed" horse), and in every action and skirmish from November, 1899, to December, 1900 • * • ' Truthful" wj&nt back to prohibition Balclutha He refused a commission in the Army, 'for," he said, ''I'm particular about my associates," and contented himself with the ranks. Such an ardent soldier as Hughie should get a commission. He probably will, and those of his comrades who cannot go back to Africa for married reasons will be with him m spirit. Many other First Contingenters are for duty with the Eighth. It is to be hoped that they will see that "Truthful's" fatal faculty for speaking aggressive actualities will not lead him into trouble • * « Mr. Samuel Cainell, formerly M.H.R. for Napier, isi spoken of tor a seat in the Legislative Council. An old identity and a camera fiend of the deepest die is he. He is to be found in all sorts of places where a snapshot may be had. There came to Napier once, with his wife and family, a rough, uncouthlooking back-blocker. Someone startod a rumour that the man was Sullivan of the bushranging gang of Sullivan, Kelly, and Levy. As is usual, the crowd followed him around, and made his life a desert. They boycotted him, and he was unable to get anything to eat in this free country ii * * Mi . Carnell was convinced the man was not the notorious Sullivan, but the people would not believe him. He had a sun picture of the real 'ranger, and he conceived the idea of taking the victim's photograph and putting it alongside the ciiminal's. Unfortunately the resemblance of the two photograph was striking, and the enlightened crowd, seeing the picture-, annoyed the man stiil more. The police took charge of the family , and proved that the ne>v comer was a highly-respectable working man, whose name was not Sullivan at all, and the crowd, which is alleged to love fairness, let up on their foolish persecution Mr Carnell, who was laughed at for his championship, scoied when the facts became known. • • * They are merry fellows in the Federal House. Such pleasant little jokes thev get off at one another. One gentleman wittily remarked a week or so since, in speaking of a political enemy "I have helped to carry him out in a drunken condition." (Oh' oh!) — Mr. Bent (fiercely) "You are an infamous liar 1" Five minutes later the gentleman said "I unreservedly withdraw (Hear, heai ) There was no foundation in w r hat I said about the hon. member being drunk. Tt was an unfoitunate accident that necessitated my carrying the hon. gentleman from one room to another when he was Speaker I can testify that he is a man of considerable weierht in more senses than one." (Laughter.)

Victoria is fortunate in its new Governor. Sir George Clarke is just over fifty, tall, and of military appearance. He is stated to be a fluent, polished speaker, of perfect manners, and rather democratic in his tastes. He 1 is an author, and an authority on military and mathematical subjects. It will be remembered that he greatly distinguished himself in Egypt and the Sudan. When Sir George is not engaged in writing, he occupies himseJf in painting, and is an exceptionally fine amateur artist. Ho is musical, as also are Lady Clarke and Miss Clarke, his daughter. Miss Clarke, who is said to play the violin exquisitely, has not yet left England, but she joins His Excellency in Victoria earl \ riBxt year Mr.' E. M. Smith, of Taranaki — and incidentally of New Zealand — is boom ing this colonv to some extent in the Old Country. Wherefore, we opine that the energetic prospective steel king should be asked to stay away from New Zealand for a year or so, to let th» people of Darkest England know where this volcanic speok is situated, teach its language, and boom its beauties. The average person, believing that he will form a comestible for cannibals^ on landins? is not much struck by the prospects of New Zealand, and more men of Mr Smith's stamp should be turned loose in larger quantities to tell English people that with a fairly accurate' gun, and an armed party, Lambton Quay is not much more dangerous than Pa.ll Mall • • * A party of prospectors, about to leave for this country, recently approached E. M. as to the best brand of machine gun to take to New Zealand for use on the Matabeles' Mr. Smith replied that they did not require machine guns, but a "maxim" might be useful. They would find the maxim in any New Zealand year-book, and anything they could not find there would be supplied gratia by E M.'s self • • » Carnegie scatters nulbons. He is * philanthropist to the heart's core. He says to die rich is to die disgraced. Judge Jerome, the American justice and philosopher, thinks the philanthropist might have put on donkeys instead of women in his Pittsburg works, but that ho found the human animal cheaper. This is a >sad blow. Another Yankee tells us that Carnegie's millions frighten him, but that his instinct to run things on the cheapest lines prevents him from relieving the people who work for him. Sundry New Zealanders have already invited the Scotch American not to die disgraced. While he is expiating his acknowledged sin of piling up countless millions of dollars, the Pittsburg miners — men and women — are hustling all they know to keep above water. Charity begins at home is as good a motto as the one Carnegie uses, atnd if he will not hand over his money to the people of New Zealand, he might as well "raise" his hands another "quarter" all round. • • • Earl Beauohamp, formerly Governor of New South Wales, like most gentlemen who rush through New Zealand at the express speed of twenty miles an hour or ride through the streets in a carriage, knows all about our "little patch of ground." He did not see a beggar or a drunk during the whole of has residence in the country (six weeks). Evidently, his late Excellency did not see Premier Dick's morning stack of billet-begging letters, and he certainly was not likely to be wandering round the streets when the nocturnal dipsos were being assisted to the pavement by the tender-hearted "Bung." However, of course, we are soberer and less beggarly than the people of any other country on earth, and it is "up to" the Australians to ask his Lordship's reason for exalting the Maorilanders' "virtues above those of the country of which he wai the figurehead for half a decade.

Mr Firtih, the. genial and gigantic headmaster of Wellington College, is a luoky man. He leaves the Empire City for an extended tour shortly, and will not return for a year. He goes to Egypt, where he will do the usual beaten tour of sightseeing. From there he will go to Italy, and see all that is to be seen of its glories, ancient and modern, and will study its scholastic institutions and its people. France also is included in Ms programme, for, although the French are bitterly anti-British, the Britishers with money to spend can always be sure of getting their money's worth in Gay Paree. In America, Mr. Firth intends to find out the latest Yankee notions in the high school line, and, of course, if he discovers any "points" he intends to profit by them on hi*, return. * • • Naturally, the great English publio schools will be of paramount interest to the dominie from the colony. During the absence of Mr. Firth, Mr. Heine, B.A., will step into his place. The great. popularity of Mr. Firth with scholars, parents, and public was emphasised by the enthusiasm evoked on the* occasion of the recent "breaking-up." We wish Mr. Firth an enjoyable tnp, and trust that the information he may gain will be of educational benefit to the colony he temporarily leaves. • « * Mr. Seddon does not often have such compliments paid to him as the one a) leged to have been thrust on him by n working man at the Hutt races recently. Thus the recorder of the incident : "A poor, but honest, man of the farmer type, came out of the motley crow*! right up to the Premier, and said, in nil humility • 'Can I have the honour of shaking hands with you, sir?' 'Assuredly,' said Mr. Seddon, suiting the action to the word. T hope, sir,' again venturedly the countryman, 'that you will not be offended, but I wanted to say that I had had the honour of shakinp lhands with the man who has done so much good for the people of New Zealand.' " • » » Last week, there was an oddity beforp the Court at Cambridge. They called him Andrew, and he was charged with drunkenness. He is of the race of pig mies located by Stanley in his hunt for Livingstone, and about whose comic looks and dwarfish size he wrote so much in his book. Andrew said that he and his family embarked from Central Africa with Stanley, that his parents died soon after, and that he had been knocking about all over the world. Andrew's hair is only half-an-inoh long, and h» excites curiosity wherever he sroes, especially amonerst the Maoris. He ought to be a good catch for an impresario. Where is Percy Dix ? • ♦ • Amongst the secretaries of Education Boards, who met in conference at Wellington last week, Mr. Vincent E. Rice must be conceded the position of doyen. His was the longest official record. Ht became secretary of the Auckland Education Board at its institution in 1876, and he has been working the machinery of the largest educational district in the colony ever since. Prior to 1876. Mr. Rice was for ten years chief clerk under the Auckland Provincial Government, and immediately upon the abolition of the provinces he stepped fro* the chief clerkship into the Education Board Secretaryship. • • • He has also played a large-sized part in the musical life of Auckland, for, in private life, he is an enthusiastic musician. For the last thirty-three years he has been organist at the Anglican Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and the choral work at "St. SepV — as it ia familiarly, if irreverently, called — has always been a marked local feature. Mr Rico was present at the Wellington Garrison Band's concert, in the Opera House, on Thursday night, and wassur-

prised, as well as highly delighted, pt the pitch of proficiency which it has at tamed. The Wellington friends of Mr Rice will be interested to leam that his daughtei , Gei trade, leaves for Capotown, at tlie end of this month, to be married to Dr Phillips, of Upington, South Africa Di Phillips holds, two important Ckn eminent appointments, viz , district medical officei and surgeon to the Border Scouts Owine: to being on active service he is unable to obtain leave to come to New Zealand for his nuptials.