All Sorts of People

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 88, 8 March 1902, Page 3

All Sorts of People

Private Maunce E. Fitzgerald, who was severely wounded an the gallant and successful defence of the trenches at Bottaasberg recent ly, is a young "Wellingronian, who had to go to the front or pine miserably. The reeruitang officer for the Seventh found he w a.s a well-grown boy of seventeen, who could ride and shoot well, and they passed him in as food for powder. The young fellow was for four and a-half years a mipil of the Wellington College, when Mr. W. A. Kennedy, of the Union Company, asked his father, the well-known chemist, for his services, and it was while wnth that sluppmg company that Maurice " heard the bugle call." He took prizes at the College for running and swimming, and was an ardent bikist.

Maurice's objective when out on the wheel wa^s usually Point HalswelL, where he used to while away many an hour Listening to tihe spinning of oldtime yarns bv Chief Warder Conves. Young Fitzgerald is a member of the College Rifles, and his mates axe preparing; to give him a big time when his wound heals and he gets back to tihe comforts of the orderly-room. Maurice was a rara avis in that he frequently wrote to his parents, and always had something worth writing about. His last letter — to be published in the Wellington College ''Quarterly" — will prove that he is distinctly at home with the pen, and distinctly at sea. if he has to say much about his own little share in the Boer bother.

In connection with the deaths and the wounding of Wellington and other boys, Mr. W. C. Fitzgerald, who does not claim to be of the "right colour." pays a tribute to the Premier. His large heart., says Mr. Fitzgerald, prompts him to put politics aside when his information earn in any way alleviate the anxiety of parents, and he does not wait tall dayKght should news come in the night As the young fellow J s wound is classed 'severe," but not "dangerous" there is reasonable hoipe that the College Rifles will not be robbed of that intended re-turn-home social.

Colonel Porter, of the Seventh New Zealanders, tasted a bit of excitement on his way to the front that has hitherto escaped the Argus-eyed newspaper man. It seems that when the regiment was on its way to Standerton. the gallant Colonel was assured at Ladysmith there was tame for a cup of coffee, and he accordingly dismounted in quest of the oup that cheers, etc. But, while he was imbibing that fragrant Bohea,, the impatient stationmaster despatched tihe train on its way. Still, Colonel Porter wa& not so easily "left." As soon as he discovered that the "boys" had been sent on without him, he demanded, and got, an engine and coal tender and the willing way in which he kept that fireman busy stoking up until he caught up to the regiment, forty miles away at Glencoe Junction, is still told with gusto round the camp fires at night. They say tihe Colonel would not have been recognised by his dearest friend when he left that coal tender at Glencoe. It was tihe warmest chase he was ever engaged in, for it was full steam ahead from start to finish.

Surely we have heard of Humphrey Berkeley before? says the 'Observer." Let us reflect. Was not his brother Chief Justice of Fiji? And did not Humphrey himself, in the capacity of a barrister, use to practise before the aforesaid brother? And did not Sir George OBrien take some 6teps, we forget what, that annoyed Chief Justice Berkeley, or Barrister Berkeley or both of them? What was the story again ?

Sergeant Walter McNair Miller, who was dangerously wounded in assisting to stop the rush of Boers at Bothasberg recently, is a well-known and popular Wellingtoruan. "Wally," as his office mates and fiieinds generally called him, entered the Government Agricultural Department in 1896, and was one of the b lightest and most popular boys in the service. He was but nineteen when he laid down the pen for the* rifle, was an enthusiastic volunteer un the Civil Service Rifles, and was "one of the best" in camp or at review. But Mr. Kipling will be sorry to hear that so good, a Tommy was a "muddied oaf " and grieved to ascertain that ''Wally" was a prominent player in the second team of the Wellington Olub, and has played as a junior football representative for Wellington.

His father is Stock Inspector Miller, of Napier, and his grandfather was once a sta/tdonh older in Oamaru. "Wallv's" friends are feeling hopeful that the wound m the leg will get better, and that he will live to take his place in tihe scrum a/nd his seat in the Agricultural Department as if such things as Boers and bullocks and block-houses never existed.

Captain Coutts, who was the lucky New ZeaJander to be awarded the Queen's Scarf, has not started for the Coronation yet. Writing from Vrede, m the Orange River Colony, at the end of January he says "I notice in the cables from London that I am to attend the Coronation, but I have never heard anything about it. The old saying, 'Go away from home to hear news,' comes true again."

Acting-Chief Health Officer Yalmtme was under some severe tnaJs to his diplomacy on his recent Wakanui vaccination campaign, if a punctured person, who was on board that boat, is to be believed. The passengers were "paraded" for the inspection of the health officer, and mamy of them objected point blank to be lanced. He took tihe most persistent objector first, in the person of an Italian lady who had refused to land at Hobart, fearing vaccination. The old lady protested almost

tearfully at tide "barbarity," but the doctor and his assistants conquered her by kindness at last. A quarter-master stuck out" with obstinacy worthy of a better reason. 'You don't believe in this y'ere vaccination, you know, sir?" he said." "Will you be vaccinated if I will 'get done' for the fourth tune?" asked the doctor after he had wr«stled with the quartermaster's conscience for an hour. He would.

Doctors Valintine and Jaanee were each vaccinated, and the inspectors, clerks, and officials on the tender were also "victims" and this self-sacrifice won many converts. Many of the crew stall stuck out, and the joys of Somes Island \\ ere held out as a bogey to them. Then the Doctor rose to the occasion, and was guilty of bribery and corruption. Two bottles to the first vaccination volunteer! This fetched them, and the whole line, with the exception of two, handed over their limbs for the preventive puncture. The two who> still objected are believed to want a holiday badly, a<nd this has been assigned by one of the vaccinated as the reason why they went into quarantine. As this ''resting" would likely become popular with lazy seamen, the authorities are not going to treat them like honoured guests, but will give them the Board of Trade allowance only, and no* servants — in fact, make them as sick as possible of their holiday on Somes' Island.

As the expenses of quarantined persons are paid by the ship from which they are taken, the utility of this decision is apparent. Men whose limbs are sore from vaccination have, on the instigation, of Dr. Valintine, been excused from work. The smallpox premonition campaign having closed for the tame, Dr. Valintine is now buried in bubonic precaution matters. Anyone conscientious objections to escaping bubonic plague should cultivate rats with assiduity. Careful feeding and lots of dirt will help the rodents. However, as prevention of bubonic plae^ie doesn't puncture people, the probabilities are large that the oare of the Health Department, combined with cleanliness, will keep this dread disease at a distance from New Zealand.