All Sorts of People

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 169, 26 September 1903, Page 3

All Sorts of People

MR W. F. Massoy, tho newly-elected leader of the Opposition in the House of Representatives, is an Irishman, and he doesn't seek to disguise the fact either by word or deed. He is big all over. Big body, big shoulders, big head, and scant of hair, the brain having pushed through. He has sagacious eyes, of a pale shade, drawn down nt the outer corners by thought contractions, and is a man of strong convictiors, with the courage of his race to fight for them. The elder Massoy oamo to this country m 1862, and the future leader of the Opposition stayed in Ireland for a while longer to learn what the Old Lend had to teach. * * * In 1870, he took ship in the City of Auckland, bound for the city on the Waitcmsta. Cyrus Haley, of lucendiary notoriety, put a bit of a fire-stick in her while she was lying at the wharf, b-ut fifteen-year-old William fortunately was not aboard. Young Massey, like his father, became a farmer. His retired parent still lives at Mangare, and his boy is still Farmer Massey. There was once an Auckland Agricultural Association, that fizzled out. Mr. Massoy, was the first precident of its successor that didn't fizzle. He held the post for three years. * * * In 1893, W. F. Massey saw beckoning hands and heard siien voices calling him to Parliament. He stood for the Franklin se.it agcinst Major Hams, but was beaten by nine votes. Tins a\ as at the general elections. When Mr. Monk was unseated, Mr. Massey had a try for it, Mr. Jackson Palmer being an opponent. He was returned, but gave way to Mr. Monk. Subsequently he again contested the Fianklin seat against Major Harris, and came out on top with 470 votes to spaie. In 1895, Mr. Massey was appointed whip to the present Opposition, and he held on to the flagellator until his call to the apex of the edifice. Mr. Massey L?s a strong and widespread influence in Auckland, having gained the affection of the people by his devotion to the interests of his province, and by the tact and ability with which he has always championed the San Francisco mail service question and the North Island Main Trunk Railway. Curiously, although he is fortyseven years of age, he has never left New Zealand since he came to it — not even for an Island tnp. He was one of the few members who did not gather in a share of the "FortyPounds Steal." It may have been noticed that his leadership of the Opposition has ha.l an immediate effect. The Premier frankly acknowledged the utility of an organised Opposition, and there is probably no man on tho benches facing King Dick who works more strenuously or criticises more pointedly than the genial, good-tempered Irishman from Franklin. * * * Last week's sensation in town was undoubtedly the Earee divorce case, which was heard by Judce Edwards and a special jury of twelve leading citizens. The hearing of the case attracted much attention, both in the city and throughout the "Wairarapa, as well as in Palmerston North. The petitioner, the Rev. Wyndham Earee, was at one time at Palmerston North, w'-ich was his first charge on coming to the colony some six or seven years

ago. Subsenuently, he became the Vicar of St. Matthew's, Masterton, where he is at woik at present Duung the hearing of the case, Mr. Earee gave some interesting particulars of his early life, in answer to questions put to him by counsel for the respondent (Mr. C. 2. Mprison). The Vicar of Masterton is gifted as a musician, and is not only a skilful player on the pianoforte, but has won fame and money as a composer of songs. Furtherrnoie, lie is the pos.ses.sor ot a welltrained, rich voice, which has been heard to advantage in Wellington. In his young manhood he was anxious to go into the Church, but did not inherit the money with which to prosecute his studies. He theiefore turned Ins musical gifts to account, first as a teacher, and later by going on to the stage. *■ * * He surprised Mr. Morison last week by telling that gentleman that he (Mr. Earee) was in the original production of ' Dorothy," in London. The vicar-that-was-to-be took the part of the blacksmith during three successive years ot "Dorothy's" first production. By that time Mr Eaiee had earned sufficient to enable him to go to college, and so he forsook the stage for the church Mr. Morisoii, who is sand to have a liking for the stage himself, seamed shocked to learn that Mr. Earee still held fond memories of the stage, and cherished a collection of photographs of the leading ladies of his halcyon days. * # * ''And you actually have twenty of these stage photographs hung m your children's nursery ?" exclaimed the lawyer. "Yes," replied the unabashed vicar, ' and with the collection are photographs of Mrs. Eaaee's fiancees'" For both Mr. and Mrs. Earee are gifted with good looks and in their time have attracted admirers. The verdict of the jury — which found in favour of the petitioner (Mr. Earee) on all counts — was anticipated on the strength of Mrs. Earee's admissions and letters to her husband. It was generally considered that the "other fellow m the case" — Noble, the second refrigerating officer on the Athenic — played the coward in clearing out and leaving the woman to face the trouble alone, especially as he knew of the divorce action, and had promised to "ma.rry the girl." Noble is a young fellow, but not one of natuie's noblemen. * ■* * The lesult of the case is another leeal victory for Mr M Myeis, the clever junior partner in the firm of Messrs. Bell, Gully, Bell, and Mvers. It is recoided of him in. legal circle's that Mr. Myers has never yet lost a civil action, and lie has been connected with some important actions. There is no impassioned oratory about the young Wellmgtonian. He follows the style of his legal god-father (Mr. H. D. Bell), delighting in logical argument rather than verbal fireworks. Like his senior partner, Mr. Myers is very partial to cases in which there is involved legal argument, and he feels more pleasure when facing a judge in Banco than m facing a iurv in the Supreme or the Divorce Court. Phil May stories are still going around. Here is one told by "Punch" — "Phil stayed at a Melbourne hotel. A present member of the 'Punch' staff was amongst his visitors and, standing at one of the bars, making inquiries, he said 'You have Phil May staying here, haven't you 9' 'Who's he p} answered the barmaid. 'A small chap— draws well,' said the journalist. 'Well, there's Bob over there , he can draw a bit — he draws all the corks for me, but he's not small.' When May heard this, he answered • 'I'd like to have Bob's billet.'

"But that reminds us of a Sydney incident. It was a red-hot afternoon, and I happened to be working in the office, when a big drayman rushed m, 'Is Phil May here? I've been, sent for Phil May,' he said. 'There is Phil May,' I said pointing him out. 'Oh, rubbish!' he rfeplied. 'The ahap I want must be a big, strong oove. I've got a heavy load on down there, and my horses are stuck up. A bloke told me to come ur> here, and ask for Phil May. He said Phil May would draw it for me, 'cause Phil May could draw any bllooining thing. I'll give him five bob if he'll come an' start that load.' Phil May didn't earn that five bob, and used to say that it had always been a great grief to him that he couldn't." Although his demise was not unexpected among those who knew him. best, the death of Mr. A. G. King, last week, came as a matter of great surprise to the bulk of the citizens. As the head of the tailoring house of Messrs. King and Muir, he was very well known in the city, having been a resident here for over ten yeans. Mr. King, who is a native of Scotia, and was fifty-three years of acre, resided m his boyhood in Invercargill, where he was educated, served his time in the tailoring business in Oamaru, worked his way as a journeyman through the colony, and worked in Melbourne before settling in Wellington. * * * Mr. King took more than ordinary interest in Freemasonry and Oddfellowship, was a skilled musician, and a member of the Liedertafel. He was an ideal employer, always; exercised a conciliatory spirit in the conduct of the trade, employed the very best men, and paid the best wages. For several years he was president, and guided the affairs, of the Master Tailors' Society, and took a large share in preparing the log under which the trade in. Wellington has been working during these past five or six years. Mr. King, who died of heart disease, leaves a widow and two young children. * * * S'j-ange that, out of seven or eight i ©porters on the "Post," four of them are Thames boys. Recently, Mr. Charles Weston, brother of Mr. Frod Weston late sub-editor of that paper and now on the "Hansaird" staft, joined the "Post" as shipping repoiter. Mr. John Barr, who formerly held that position, is now on the "Times." Mr. George Brodie, formerly of the "Times," has now joined the "Post" staff. He is the son of Mr. Alex. Brodie, one tame chairman of the Thames County Council, and a notable figure in Northern politics. Mr. Walter Brodie, his brother, is well known in church choir circles and is a teller of tne Bank of New Zealand up North. Mr. Ernest Hall is the third Thames boy, and Mr. J. R. Gibbon®, chief reporter of the "Post," tLe fourth— or rather the first, for he was the Thames pioneer who discovered the Empire Mr. David Ingram, well-known , one time as a sportsman in Wellington, is now colonial traveller for Austin Walsh and Co. , the makers of "Golden Fleece" cigarettes and smokers' joys generally. A propos of cigars, "Dave" was recently doing the wilds, and struck a small tobacconist's shop not a month's voyage from Feilding. Dave was smoking a cigar — a large, fat, black cigar. He put it down, in order to talk Yankee yachting. Having discussed it and done liis business, he turned to go. "Didn't you have a stick?" asked the tobacconist. "No only this," holding up the lengthy cube of Havanna leaf. "Oh, that is probably what I mean. I smelt cane." In getting off his little joke, the tobacconist bobbed his head into the gas jet, and singed off most of his forelock. David is quick at repartee, but he forget® what he said on that occasion.

Wellington has lost one of its bestknown Oddfellows, in the passing away of Mr. John Smith, sen. The old gentleman, who was the father of Councillor John Smith, was for some time in the latter days of his life custodian of the Oddfellows' Hall, on Lambton Quay. There he was to be seen at all the gatherings of the Manchester Unity, and was a great helper and courteous assistant in the order. By the death of his father, which occurred last week, Councillor Smith will no longer be called "John Smith, jun." It always did seem odd to us to attach the term "junior" to a man of Councillor Smith's years. We extend our sympathy to the many members of the Smith family who are affected b^ the passing hence of an honoured relative and an old and respected citizen. * * How Sir Harry Rawson, the bluff "sea-dog" Governor of New South Wales, must smile at the twaddle admiring society writers fire off at him. This sort of stuff, for instance : — "Sir Harry Rawson likes 'roughing it,' and seeing the real life of bushmen in the back-blocks, so he enjoyed his trip to Dubbo lately. He went up to lay the foundation-stone of the home of the Brotherhood of the Good Shepherd. The Governor, his aide, and secretary (Mr. Shave), were ferried over a river in a boat. It was the 'weirdest oraftf that Sir Harry had ever been in, a small, flat>bottomed punt, made with inverted horseshoes for rowlocks • the paddles were ingenious, broom-handles split down the middle, with strips of tin nut in for blades. * +• ''The whitebearded 'bushy' who rowed them over will never forget the 'proud day,' and 'him' (Sir Harry) 'that genial and fnendly-like.' Sir Harry A\ore lus admiral's uniform, undress, frock coat, and three stars. Mr. Shave was in uniform too, and both got splashed." The idea of an admiral heroically facing the deadly perils of o, river in his best clothes is good, but the average "bushy," in the position of a sycophant talking about a "proud" day, and that kind of twaddle, is superb. The Lance has continually deprecated the habit excruciating scribes, who lie dormant for years, have of breaking out into obituary "poems" on th<_ death of some celebrity who deserves a better fate than to have his memory pestered by these post mortem literary degenerates. The "Observer" evidently feels that way too. A short time ago (says that paper) there died on the West Coast, Dean Holland, a priest of the Roman Catholic Church, who was beloved by everybody. He had been through the Maori war, and has praises were on the lips of all. The sweet savour of his memory should have shielded him from the onslaught of the cemetery poetaster, but it didn't. Here is what one of the genus wrote — • He cared not for this world, nor its cold sordid gain, His thoughts were of Heaven, and its kingly train; He cared not for worldly pleasure, praise, or reward, His saintly life was spent in the service of God. They named him a hero in the years long a^o, When Maori and pakeha met as bitter foe ; Regardless of the bullets which around him flew. The young chaplain stood his ground — cool, steadfast, and true. When a wounded comrade fell, he ran to the spot, Catholic or Protestant, to him it mattered not. If we were asked to choose between the poet that wrote the above and the Adelaide doctors, we should say, "give us the resurrection men."

The jury which heard the Eaiee case was a good body ot business men, and it was remark - abJe that not one was challenged by counsel for either side. The foreman was Mr. W. H. Millward, managing director of the Gear Meat Company. The party consisted of such well-known city men as Messrs. E. W. P. Buchob, Win. Jack, W. Smallbone, W. G. Johnston, H. Kersley (George and Kersley, of the Economic), Alex. Littlejohn /of the jewellery firm), Wm. Evans, Frank Porter, J. T. Eunter, E. Feist, and Norman Bell (the Cubastreet jeweller). * * * The Rev. W. J. Elliott is veisatile. In few of his accomplishments is he more lucid aad interesting than as a phrenologist and physignomdst. He ridicules the idea 1 of "bumpoolgy," but holds that the general contour and expression of a face and head gives invaluable indication of the mind within. He has lectured on thus subject with much effect, and takes 1 for his objects the heads of prominent people. He holds that, in a greater or lesser degiee, we are all physiognomists, as indicated by the common remark, "I like his face." Mr. Ehott intends to give a demonstra^ tion in the Parochial Hall, Karon, on October sth in aid of the trust fund. As an evidence of the fallacy of the argument that the various portions of the skull bulge out in proportion to the size of the organs underneath, he points out that Mr. Julius Knight has an exactly similar type of head to thvit of the great Napoleon. Mr. Knight has great gifts, but he doesn't want the earth if he has to win it by the swoid. * * * Mr. Charles Onyon, lately of Wellington, seems to have landed on his feet in the Transvaal all right. With the profits of reporting a city Commission he was able to make a tour of the uorfd, some two years ago. and on his return from that tour he apparently found Wellington too small to satisfy his aspirations and ambitions. He went to South Africa, with his pocket full of testimonials and introductions from some of the highest and most influential personages of our colony. The result of these introduction® was that Mr. Onyon made himself known to tl c powers that be in South Africa, and last week news came from him that he had been appointed chief of tihe shorthand staff for the Transvaal Labour Commission. * * * Among the general shuffle of places made m the Customs Department lecently, promotion has come to Mr. J. H. Eempton, who has, for years past, been first clerk in the Wellington office, and who now becomes collector at New Plymouth. "Jack" Hempton has probably, in his time, won more and higher honours on the cinder track than any other athlete in the colony. He has ceased being an athlete these many years past, but about a decade ago he was invincible as a sprinter. In those days he was known as 'he greyhound of the racing track, and there was no professional runner in the co'on^ who could touch him at the 100 yds sprint. * # * T. P. O'Connor, M.P., on the much-sought-after honour of representing the public — "I know no life which, as a rule, is drearier than that of a member of Parliament. It may be described as loafing tempered by divisions for nine out of ten of the members , and it is such a life for all members when they are not specially interested m the business that is before the House. ... To hang round a building for ten hours every day, with nothing to do except wait for divisions', and incapable at the same time of doing other work — for the House makes men absolutely indifferent to other work — is not a glorious, nor an agreeable, nor a useful life." But of course, T. P. O'Connor is not in the New Zealand House. * * « Dowie, the great religious business man, will probably soon be calling upon you for your esteemed subscription to the cause of Zion. It is interesting to know how Dowie does things. "T. P." tells us —"The one incomprehensible element in Dowe's gigantic success is the personal luxury in which he lives and lias superb refusal at the same time to account for any of the sums of money entrusted to him. His horses are worth a fortune in themselves , his carriages are emblazoned with armorial bearings , his v ife is said to dress with the gorgeous extravagance of an empress. * * * "When he travels, hemmed round with a little army of liveried servants, the propnet of humility and self-denial has a special train chartered, and whenever spiritual burdens become too great a tact there is a delightful country residence belonging to him m which to retreat from the clamour and importunate appeals of the faithful." So if you can do anything to help the cause along, please don't be backward.

The Hon. Alys Russell, a, young J^nghsh lady, is not too squeamish. For the. purposes ot a magazine article, she arrayed herself in. the garb of 'Arnet, and got a job in a factory She finds that all the factoiy girls love spirits, and are a bad lot geneially. Mr. Henry Thomson, who died at, Clmstchmch last week, v,&& well-known m Wellington, mainly through his connection uith the Arbitiation Court, as well as through having at one time occupied the Grand Mastership ct the New Zealand Fieemasons The older lesidents of Wellington also hold him in lecollection as having attended Pailument through several sessions as member for Christchurch North. Mi . Thomson, who, in his latter days was a builder and contractor, in the City cf the Plains, was the first repiesentative of employing interests on the Aibitration Court.