All Sorts Of People

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 132, 10 January 1903, Page 3

All Sorts Of People

Ml Pierce Freeth, who last week resigned the cluef leportership of the 'New Zealand Times," to take up the lease of the Manawatu • Daalv Times," is no sti anger to country newspaperdom. In tact, he is countryside born, bied, and experienced. Me is one ot the band of bright youths ti amed and turned out. of the compos-ing-room of the Wairaraipa -Daily Times." Mr. Fieeth, befoie coining the reportonal staff of the 'New Zealand Times." had worked with "stick amd pen and pencil. He succeeded Mr. J. T. M. Hornsby, in. the editorship ot the Napier "News," and knows what it is' to mn a daily paipei • * * He also did some newspaper work on the country press m New South "W ales — and all this prior to his eight years' experience on the Times." Mr. Freeth is fairly well known to Palmerstonians, and they will soon get to know the energetic one better in the hub of the Manawatu. We wish him every success in his ventuie • • * Mention is made in the above of a band of bright youths trained and turned out of the Masteiton ' Daily Times. Where is that band playing now -a-days Well nearly all the members of that ' devil's brigade"— for they all began lif~ at the press, and the handle-turning business as punter's "devils"— became soloists in the journalistic world. There was Tom Rovdhouse (now of the Sydney ' Sporting Times''^ the lengthy Taperell, who became a reporter on the "New Zealand Tunes," then a dramatic, and, later, an editorial w riter on the Sydney "Daily Telegraph." later, for a brief apaco, occupied the editorial chair of the ' New Zealand Times," and is now back on the editorial staff of the ' Daily Telegraph", W. H. Smith, who owns the °Rangitikei Advocate" and the Palmerston Times" , Jim Brown, now proprietor of the Carterton "Observei" L. C. Wooloott, dramatic critic of the 'Evening Post." was a tellow -apprentice with Fieeth and Taperell , and the "Daddy ot them all" (Mr. Payton) still stays at the helm of the "Times," and similes into a lominiscent paragraph every time one of ' his boys" moves up a rung on the ladder of life. * * • Talking about papers, theie are some changes proceeding up m Taianaki. The Patea Piess" has bpen bought bv Mi. F W. Cow em, a recent arrival from England, whilst the foimei proprietors, Messrs. J. F. Hollow ay and Harry Kendall, ha\e joined the proprietary of the New Plymouth Daily News." Up Taianaki wav, both men are well known Kendall was for many a ears the righthand man amongst the "linos" on the Wanganui 'Herald," and probably knows a« much about the 'innards" of a punting office as any man on the Coast. Holloway is evidently a using man in newspaper woik. He commenced his career as PD " on the Patea "Press," and finished up his type-setting education in Wan ~a nui. He then joined the Ha-w-era "Star" sta,ff, and whilst theie filled in his spare time in writing for the paper, with the lesult that in a short time he was appointed to the position of sub-editor * * * About thieo a~o, he struck out for himself bv purchasing the paper office in which, years before he had cleaned the rollers and swept the nooi^ Pi nco his advont in Patea he has madr

a nai.ie foi himself b\ his peisistent athocacv of, and success in promoting local mteiests, one big feather in Ins cap being the inauguiation of the but-tei-freezing mdusti\ foi which, both in his. newspaper and as a citizen lie woi Iced manfully. He is a man who can hustle," aiid the 'Daih News" should benefit bv the new depaiture * * * Di. Kiess (who is not known vet as watei -cress), of Melbourne, and the Seventh Day Adventisto, is paralysing the prohibitionists bv resetting, m his best platform style. that strong drink is a mocker, cold tea is raging, and whosoever is decened thereby is not wise. In fact, he noint blank avers that the evil that lurks m a cup of tea is of larger size a.id unhealthier proportions than the evil that dwells m the pellucid depths of a "pint- o' beer." Supposing Dr. Kress should be right — supposing it should be found that the cup that cheers degrades the drinker, sends him to an early grave, gives his wife a chance of ma.rrving somebody else, and makes his offsprings step-children? What then 9 It is right and equitable that a referendum be taken to decide whether tea prohibition shall be made an issue at the elections, and that the Licensing Benches, as at piesent constituted have powers vested in them giving them the privilege of lef using licenses to sell the "mocker " * * * A man with an interesting career celebiated his golden wedding at Dunedin the other day He is Mi John Scott. He was one of the adventurous spirits whoeno-ao-ed in the nskv business of running the blockade during the American Civil War. Af terw ards— and that was away back in 18b3— he came on to New Zealand, where he utilised his engineering skill in fitting uo the Auckland Gasworks. Then he became the pioneer engineer m our West Coast steam shipping trade, later (m 187o) was engineer of the Samson, one of the neucleus of the fleet of the U.S.S. Company, erected and worked the first steam bucket dredge on the swift-flowing Molyneux (Oiago) in 1881, and finally settled down in the employ of the JNew Zealand Refrigerating Company, erecting for it the first installation of machinery at Burnside. He has been fifteen years, with the company and is now its managing engineer * • *■ The mam New Zealanders generally and Welhiigtonians particularly who knew Arthur A. Adams will lejoice to find that he has attained the honoui of a publisher for his dramaticpoem, "The Nazarene," in London. Not a few of A. H. A.'s admirers weie wont to tell him that he could become a successful rival of the Knghsh Poet Laureate if he would only devote himself to 'society verse But the vouner New Zealander di earned di earns of setting the Thames on fire with dramatic poems And his. latest work — which is an exceedingly thin book for 4s 6d — proves that he is an adept at blank verse writing, and has much dramatic vigour in poetic diction. It is no small achievement for a man considerably on the right side of thntv to win fame as a poet and publish books of veise in two hemispheres A. H. A., who served for several years on the reporting staff of the ' Evenine Post " of this city, is now a working ■journalist in London. » # • During this week Wellington has been entertaining — at, his ow n expense — one of the most influential newspaper men of Australia — Mr David S vines, sole proprietor of the Melbourne "Age " No one who came in contact with the tall, dour - looking, softly - spoken, active Scottish Victorian would imagine that he had passed the allotted span of life. Yet, he is in his 73th '-ear, and even his most aggressive critic (the Sydney ''Bulletin") admits that Mr Syme is "a "re at newspapei man " The piopnetor of the Age" has spent a month's holiday

in the colony. with Mis. S me, having tiavelled up from the South in very leisuielv stages. This was not hisfiist visit to New Zealand, he having taken a run over on four previous occasions. Rotorua was visited previously, so that this time Mr. Syme stopped short at Wellington. He w a.s enamouied with the Southern Cold Lakes — as was but natural, seeing that he left the Victoilan capital when the thermometer show ed a sizzle of lOOdeg. on the shady side of Collins-street. • * " Theie is a legend extant in Australian typographical circles to the effect that Mr. Syme was one of the original "companionship" of compositors on the "Age." The paper eventually fell into the hands of the "ship," in lieu of wages, and the staff decided to run the • Age" on co-operative lines. But, gradually the original holders "got out," toi the paper struggled, and other newspapers were paying from 2s to ?s 6d per • thousand " for type-setting. Those were the days of the Victorian gold rushes. Well, gradually the or ginal co-operative companions dropped out of the "Age," but, so the legend continues, Mi. Syme stuck to his "frame," acquired the interest of the men. who dropped out, and so. in time, became sole proprietor. He did not acquire his present affluent position without a struggle, but Mr. Syme is one of thos© men who consider that difficulties were made to be overcome. To-day, he is something of a Waiwiok in Victorian politics, and one of the wealthiest men in his State. *. * * The Baptists of Wellington aie looking forward eagerly to the visit, next week, of the Rev. Wm. Cuff, of London. The reverend gentleman , who is one of the leaders- of the English Baptists, was so much in demand as a preacher and lecturer at Home, that he broke down in an, effort to kee up supplying the demands made upon him. So he has come out to the colonies for a spell, and out here they will not give his tongue a rest. He has given lectures in Australia, and, at time of writing, he is working up from the South, preaching and lecturing en route. • • • Mr. Cuff's specialty is an intimate knowledge of Slumdom. Ke knows the slums of London by heart, and has an intimate knowledge of the crowded b\-ways of other large cities in the Old World. His church, over which he has been pastor for a quarter of a century, is right in the heart of the East End of London, and he runs ten missions into the highways and byways of the neighbouring slums from his tabernacle. Mr. Cuff takes strong exception to General Booth's application of the term "Submeiged Tenth" to the poor of the East End. "Some of the Submerged Tenth," he retorts, "leside in West End mansions." Many Welhngtonians will have lead with regret of the serious illness in Sydney of Mr. Joseph Evison, for that clever journalist is well-known in the city. His two most conspicuous journalistic entei puses were undertaken in Wellington The first was his editorship of the short-lived organ of the Catholics of this district, ''The Catholic Times." Mr. Evison had won much attention throughout the colony, under the name of Tvo," as a lecturer on Fieethought. It came as a great surprise, therefore, when he was brought over from Australia to edit the "Catholic Times " But, this weekly journal did not "catch on," and both it and J. E dropped out of sight. That was a matter of about eight or ten years ago. • • • The next appearance of Mr. Evison in Wellington was as the founder and editor of "The Critic." which he established in offices opposite the Chamber of Commerce some four years ago. "Th e Critic" was a brightlv-wntten well-il-

lustialed weekly society journel, and , was this paper whioh brought out Mr. Fred. Hiscooks, of Sydney. But, "The Critic" did not "catch on." It was suspected of being a paper "with a purpose," and, just as readers shun a story of that ilk, so they refused to buy "The Critic." An impression got abroad that Mr. George Hutchison and the Opposition Party hoped to climb back into power on the back of J. E. and "The "Critic." Once more, Mr. Evison returned to Sydney, and his journalistic venture went among the archives of the past. 1 • • • Kate Moore has the distinction of being at thei present moment incarcerated in Christchurch, on her 127 th charge of insobriety. It takes a few very healthy policemen to cope w'th Kate, whose physique has not yet been wrecked. On being sentenced the lady shrieked continuously for about fifteen minutes, and, naturally, the people wanted to know why the police were treating the poor lone woman in that brutal fashion. The funny thins about the lady is that she always pleads that she has a "situation" to go to if the Magistrate will let her off this time. A quiet, Christian household preferred, of course. • • » Paderewski is said to be coming to New Zealand after all, and under Smythes thumb, too. He made a previous contract with Smythe. and went back on it, with the result that he, had to pay out a big fat comforter to the much-travelled man. It was said that Smythe made it a condition of the contract that Paderewski was not to have his hair out. Half the piano-puncher's drawing power is said to be in his 1 hayrick head of hair. All musicians imagine themselves Samsons, and believe their strength is in their hair. ♦ ♦ # Up New Plymouth way they set such value upon regular attendance at school that one little girl has just had a gold watch and chain presented to her for six years of unbroken attendance. Ivy Bleasdale is the maiden's name, but it turns out that even she does not hold the record, for Palmerston puts forward a boy named James Canton, who has had seven full years of unbroken school. The Professor of Logic in the Melbourne University must surely be a charming person, and evidently makes his lectures extremely edifying to the fair sex. The fact is that the honours list for Deductive Logic in the eotaiminationsi at that seat of learning has been entirely filled this year by ladies. Not a single man has been able to wrangle worth a cent. Girls are usually supposed to lack logic, and to jump to a conclusion, while brainy main isi figuring it out and wrestling with hard facts. We don't suppose a course of logic will do the girls any harm, but it is feared if ladies are to take kindly to this kind of thing, and quit jumping to conclusions, their estimate of man by a logical deduction of him will fall, and the desire to take him under their fostering care cool. * * • Tom Buick, ex-M.H.R., is proving more successful as a historian than he was a& a legislator. Tom entered the House hampered with a reputation for eloquence, but, after two or three elaborate orations, suggestive of midnight oil and wet towel, he subsided into a position among the ruck, and only ocoasionallv burst forth as an orator. Since he fell out of Parliament he has gravitated from carpentering to journalism, and has done some capital work in compilins; a history of Marlborough, his old province. * # » Now, he is studying the back ..records of Ma.nawatu the district of* his adoption, and he intends to publish a book upon it at an early date. These local annals can be made full of interest and if someone would dig back into the

ai chives of Wellington for book purposes there would be good business in it. AYelhngton's early history would also be a history of the colony in. its most stirring period. » » * Sister Amy, a student for the China Inland Mission, who is leaving at the end of thus month for England and America, for a three-years' course of preparatory study, is a daughter of Mr. W. T. Lill of Willowby, Ashburton. She was born at Ashburton, and is now bordering on the age of twenty-one years. She evinced an early desire to spread the teachings of the Bible m foreign lands, and devoted much tame to study in order to make as early a start as possible in the work she feels called upon to do. We wish her success, and health and courage to carry on the hard and dangerous task she has before her w * * The second wonder of Wellington — the fust being Mr. C. J. Pharazyn — is "old Jim" Williams. For James Holton W T illiams is old, "by James, sir," as Captain Kettle would put it. On Monday last, J. H. W. joined the very select army of •'centurions." And, his memory is nearly as long as has life, for, like David Copper-field, he can almost recollect the day he was born ' The old man looks tw enty years younger than his friend and rival centurion^ whom he refers to as "poor old Pharazy." And, thereby hangs a tale. About twelve months ago J. H. W. called upon C. J. P., to "have a bit of a yarn." He congratulated the 99-year-older unon his approaching record, and expressed tihe hope that he would break it C. J. P. surprised J. H. W. by exclaiming sharply "What's the good of living?" "They tell me he wants to go on record-breakmg since he turned the century." observed J. H. W., in telling the story lately. * * * With his blushing century honours full upon him. Mr. Williams was the recipient of a number of calls and congratulations on Monday morning and afternoon. There are not a few men of seventy years living in the Home for the Aged Needy, with the centenarian, to whom the latter compares more than favourably with regard to general appearance, hearing, and speaking. His back is straight, and he would look a vigorous man but for his legs, which he grieves over, for they are weak props for an ancient edifice. He ha® lived a life free from excesses and from debt. His motto has ever been that a man who cannot meet hisi bills is the worst of slaves. He has always taken his glass of beer whenever it was offered or within reach, but never allowed the taste for a glass to become a thirst for a bucket. * * * Here is another Williams- story. He was returning from town to the Home a few weeks back in a tramcar. A friend introduced him to a visitor. The latter was greatly interested on learning that he had just made the acquaintance of Wellington's likely-to-be second wonder. Then, ensued a series of questions similar to those which the old man had to put up with from the Lance man. The visitor was shocked to learn that a man who drank beer could attain so threat an age. "And, do you smoke?" was the question r>ut with trepidation. "I have been a smoker for over seventy years'" was the astonishing reply. When the stranger had recovered his breath, he exclaimed, with great earnestness — "Ea if you had never smoked how much longer you might have lived!" * • * We would sugrgest to the Yorkshire Society of Wellington that it might attain world-wide fame by electing Mr. Williams as its next president. For the 100-year-older is a Yorkshireman, and is proud of the fact, and we should imagine that there would be no other society of White E-ooe men in the world which would have the record of a centenarian president. Think it over, President Oharlesworth, and bring the suggestion, up at your next meeting. J. H. W. has played many parts in Wellington, both, on and off the stage. He was an enthusiastic supporter of amateur dramatics, and was frequently seen in the part of Rob Roy. In the olden days, when this Empire City of ours was like unto a fishing village, J. H. W. was both town erier — with his parade of the streets and his "Oyez, Oyez !" and bell, as he cried the auction advertisements — and newsmonger. In those days he was the first to g°<t the parcels of the "European Mail," a muchrushed newspaper then-a-days, when there were no> cablegrams as now-a-davs, and he sold the papers like hot cakes. • • • Professor Williams, phrenologist, indicated the most serious and consistent occupation of the man who celebrated his hundredth birthday this week. He was a bump-reader both in, London, and Wellington, arid amoner his colonial experiences, which were surprising, was meeting people afain in Wellington whose heads he had "felt" in his shop in the Strand, London. The most notable of these experiences was some forty

years ago, when the wife of Governor Browne sent for the ex-Proiessor, who was then doing business as a paanter and glazier. When he went to Government House, he found that he had "read the bumps" of Her Ladyship when she was a. girl in an English country town. As d result of his visit to the vice-regal residence, J H W "read" the heads of Governor Browne, his wife, and their ten-year-old daughter. The Congregational chuiches of New Zealand have been importing fresh talent for their pulpits from afar during the past year, owing to the scarcity of the colonial article . The Rev Newman Hall, of our Courtenay Place Church, was one of the latest importations, he having come from Ireland. An Auckland and a Christchurch church brought pastors from England. Last week the Rev. A. E. Hunt passed through Wellington, on Ins wav to Timaru, where he La® decided to work in succession to the Rev. Mr. Burgess, who wan. quite a reputation as Chairman of the Auckland Conciliation Board before accepting the Timaru church. Mr. Burgess has resigned from the ministry, retired to> Auckland to keep a pouJtrv farm, and he has again been appointed Chairm?n of the Conciliation

Board. His successor at Tima.ru (Mr. Hunt) has had fifteen years' experience a& a missionary m New Guinea, Port Moresby having been his headquarters. He had to give up mission work owing to the continued ill-health of Mrs. Hunt. * » ♦ There ha& been a complete re-arrange-ment of honours as a result of the Dune^ dm tournament of the New Zealand Che-aa Congress. The Wellington Working Men's Club crack (Mr. R. J. Barnes), who during recent years, has had a monopoly of championship honouis, has had to pass the laurel Trreath on to an Aucklander, Mr. Gnerson, of the Ponsonby Club. Another surprise packet, of a different kind, was supplied by the Wellington Club in Mr. Kelling, who astonished even hois friends by the high quality of his play. He won six of the nine games he played, and so got into second place with such fine checsmen as Balk Mason, and Forsvtlh. These four rivals divided £21 prizemoney, so that Mr. Kelling brought back five guineas in exchange for double that number of headaches. Mr. Kelling is ai keen and enthusiastic player of the gam© of lots-of-time and is the son of a player of colonial fame Well clone, Kelling !