All Sorts of People

Free Lance, Volume V, Issue 232, 10 December 1904, Page 3

All Sorts of People

\TF\ HE Rev. Isaac Selby, 'fiom AustraI traha," who raised himself the othei day to the pioud distinction of a cable sensation, by shooting at, and missing, the ]udge of the Divorce Court, in 'Filsco, is far more widelj known in New Zealand than either of the Wellington dailies seem to be awaie of. He is a native of Dunedin, and in the early Eighties took to the platform, and went over to Austi aha. His greatest endowment was a good voice , that, added to a supple tongue, was Ins chief stock-m-trade. \wi:» a ratheu caUovv youth when he went to the other side. About i8«o or ls»4, he came back in &nk hat and frook coat, as ai! leeihought lecturer. Many still remembei the little man, with lii*> ban less face and weak chm. About that time, Miss. 'JLe«sie Chapman, also from Dune dim, had attained to some celebnty by leaving the convent and taking to the platform with a sensational kind of lecture, entitled, "Why I Left Roman Catholicism." She was a quite young Irish girl, of considerable talent, piquant, and pretty, and Selby, upon meeting her, fell promptly in love. tThey got married quietly in Auckland and either went away to Australia or America, Mrs. Selby leaving to Isaac a monopoly of the lecturing platform. There were not many dollars in Freethought, and, perhaps, Tessie Chapman's views considerably modified Isaac Selby? 1 At any rate, he got "converted," and, at the end 1 of 1891, he came over to New Zealand as a travelling evangelist. On that racket he toured 1 the colony. Since then, he appears to have undergone several more changes of view. 'Tis said he threw in his lot with the Church of Christ and the daily papers from somewhere have unearthed the intelligence th,at be has become a Unitarian minister. It does not seem clear under which Church he wears the title of "Reverend 1 " * * • vAt any rate, "Miss Tessie Chapman" — to give her her best-known name — separated herself from her husband a good many yeais ago, went to the States, and the report was abroad that she had got a divorce from him. It now appears, from last week's cable news, that Selby himself was suing for divorce, and 1 that, an Judge Hebbard giving judgment in the wife's favour and refusing the decree, the Rev. Isaac was so enraged! that he "pulled his gun" on the learned judge. It reads as if the act had been premeditated. Apparently. Isaac need's to he looked after. • • • Jfofessrs. Georere Finn (manager) and A. S. Pike (engineer), of the Fresh Food and' Ice Co . are making a big bid for fame. They have evolved the ideal egg earner, which they call the "Finpike " and 1 there are joyful cackles, aggregating many columns, in the farmers' press. It seems, a small thine; to you, who don't grow ceres, and only eat them, but the use of the "Finpike" universally — it is to be patented in every country in the world 1 — is estimated to be capable of savins; many millions of pounds in breakages in a year. We are led to believe that- there is an immenw amount of money in the invention, and that both Mr Finn and' Mr. Pike will be nmoner the first of New Zealand's multi-millionaires. So mote it be.

VAlec Burns, of the Piess> Association's local staft, is about to place himself upon, the altai of duty at Wakapuaka cable station next week, and so lie and Jack Bair, of the "Times " have been gathering together health and st length for the next year's fight with the w oil,"' as Jack would say. Something unique, of course, would appeal to them, sio they took the Hmemoa for it, and have been having a look round the lighthouses, loafing on her sun-swept deck, and getting then visages peeled' in odd spots One odd spot with odd people is Cape Farewell. Theie is a Sootohman there, and his quid wife Oitv folks are very welcome theie and 1 ousrht to go replete' with news Y^Pn© good lady was anxious* to know the veiy latewt. She approached the two pressmen. "Ye'ie frae Wellington, I heai ?" she asked. They w ere Her voioe sank to an awed whispei "Is Parliament still sitting?" bhe asked. "And is Mister Seddon, gone Home yet?" They were able to rea&suie her The gude man was a stout, baiefooted, hairy-legged man, wuth a large "presence," and delight shone in his face when he saw the young bloods from the caty. Captain Bollans, who, of course is the boss, having retired momenta! lly, the old fellow, sparkling with the joy of the occasion, produced two bottles of beei . The trio toasted Cape Farewell, and confusion to the King's enemies. * ♦ * Wlide the bottles were still tolerably full, the genial soul dived 1 away into a owner, and produced two moie, which he set down with evident pride. He remembered something. 'Hoot mon, ah. tell ye whit we'll dae," and he hopped away and got a bottle of whiskey. "We'Ll juist stairt ye ken otn> the w husky — it's aye a quid foondashun — and them round it aff wi beer'" And the pressmen were very glad when eircumstancesi over which, etc , forced them aboard. They did not mix 'em, mruch to the disappointment of Sandy who was evidently aohing to sec a "rough hoose." , * * * lAt Kahurangi Point, during the last dlays of November, an anxious young man, on.' the gui vive for news, knocked the pressmen silly by asking if "Jimmy Carroll's horse (Mahuitonga) had won the New Zealand 1 Cup." When he was told that Grand Rapids had fccooped tihe board l , he clapped a hand to his fevered brow, and exclaimed "My heavens! I've lost a quid'" At Palliser, the most prominent literature in the lighthouse was a huge pile of "Hansards," unopened' "Ah! You don't read them I see '" said one of the pressmen ; "too dry, eh?" "Oh, they've only just come," said the wary keepei "I'm going to read every word as soon as I've got time." The pressman turned back a wrapper. The debates were dated 1902 ! They had been sent as a special favour by a Minister to whom the keeper had given some garden soil a while ago. They are so valued thait they are always kept wrapped up so that they may not be soiled. v. At Stephen Island, th© lighthouse keepers have big families, and the youngsters seem to belong to a special tribe. They live a natural life, and have legs like young kauri trees. They are as round as little barrels, and happy as the day is long. Talking about the Hinemoa, Captain Bollans has selected a splendid orew. For the constant boat work, it is necessary to have men highly skilled, and most of them are islanders of some sort, or men wiho have lived' in boat® nearly all their lives. For instance, there's Tom Cook, second officer, who belongs to the gzent whaling family uip North, and will succeed Chief Officer Hooper when that worthy starts on his trip Home, and Walter Joss, third officer, now going up a step, whose cradle at his

native Stew ait Island wao a boat. Theie'b a Noifolk Mandei,. Quintal, too, among the crew. He belongs to the 1 tamily that had the original Bounty mutineei foi a foiefathei. "-"But, of even greater interest is chief officer George Hooper, R N.R., a young man, probably about thirty-one oi thirty-two, who lias been able to leaui as much about seamanship as any man on the New Zealand coaisit. He hoick an ' extra masterY certificate. He i»v the first mariner in the colony to get this ceitifioate, and so is entitled to go into any port m Ne^ Zealand without ai pilot. In his younger days, George was. in the British India Company's service, a.nd sailed much to the East. He visited Poit Arthur when that fortress belonged, to the Chinese, and its fortifications consisted mostly of mud hills, and he knows the old-time Vladivostok tolerably w ell too. He has now obtained extended leave fiom the Marine Department in aider to compJete has training as a Naval Reserve officer, and to bring out a new boat for the Northern Steamship Company. Hence the promotions noted above. He goes Home in the Tui alrina as a deck officer. If Harry Rickarcte or Percy Dix, or Johnny Fuller heard George play one of his own compositions on the banio, one of them would oaipture him for sure He is a veritable Van Allen. / * Cable, the newly-elected president of the Employers' Federation, is one of the most modest and dufndent of men, and bears a, look of wonder when these public honours aie thrust upon him. "Is there no other man," he asks, "who will bear this honour more worthilly ?" And, when a shout of "No'" replies, he looks around upon his fellow-men with a look which seems to say . "Well, you must be a poor lot. if you can't come m ahead of me?" * * * v/Mr. Charles Blenkhorn, of Coromandel, who was an officer of the Sixth Contingent, and is stall a decent soit, plies a. fluent pen. In a literary article, "Reflections," written for the Sixth Contingent magazine, he released some well-expiessed thoughts 1 "True, we aie back in our groove, but who will say we are not the better for the stepping out of it?" "We have seen and felt the delights of that most primitive age when might was mostly light." "Harness seems light when laid aside. Hardships and dangers delight when past and what was hunger but appetite ? And now our sober liveries cover better men than did the suits we exchanged for khaki." "Are there any friendships quite like those between comrades who have eaten and hungered together, and! faced danger together ? I think not." And! thus • "Perhaps — who knows? — we may all have to muster again ; and what a number of us would be only too glad to leave the scramble for pence for a wilder and more ennobling game? One hardly dares to wish!" Mr. Blenkhorn is a miner. * * * '/Mrs. Pulsford, the mother of the sweet contralto srager who is making a name for herself locally, lost a purse the other day. Besides a goodly sum of money, it contained valuables impossible to replace. Naturally, the loss was advertised at once, and a. reward promised for the restoration of the purse. Into the office of the paper wherein the notice appeared) came a Maori. He planked down tine purse. "That the purse you want?" he asked. "Don't you know what's in it?" questioned! the olerk . "I never look I " said the Maori. It was the purse all right. The boy in the office remarked 1 that the cashiier had a sum of momey a® a rewiard to the finder. "I don't want any money. The purse not mine. No trouble to find 1 him!" and the Maori was gone. In case you should too quickly believe tales of Maori dishonesty, please remember this true story

Generail Liiievitch, commanding tlhe Russian Array in Manchuria, is a cruel old lascal, and can tell a he pretty well He was the man who waded' m the blood of unarmed Chinese in 1900, and played particular Hades. Remembei that Luievitch was in command of the troops after the embassieis at Pekxn had been relieved. The troops were to proceed at the march past m order of piecedenee — the, largest units at the head of thei column. The Japanese fleie in. far larger force than any other nationality • * * When the oommandeis were met to maike airangements, they oonrferred through an interpreter • "How many troops have you ?" asked Lmevitch, tunning to the Japanese general. " 6500," said the Japanese. "Then I have 6600," said Ldnevitoh. "That's a he'" remarked General Ohaffey, commander of the Americans, in an undertone. General Lmevatch asked the interpreter what the Ameirican had said, andi was miformed 1 that he had only expressed surprise) that the Russians were in such, sitivength. On leaving the meetiner, Genera,! Lineviitoh saluted! a young aide-de-camn with the remark, in perfect English • "Fine mormn^ isn't it." His lie had secured the place of honour for the Ru^MiaiiiS. * * X When you read that the Hobart cabman, G. A. J. Meredith, had, succeeded to a baronetcy, you probably pictured' a fat, rosy-faced young fellow, with has life before him. The real Sir George is a little, shrivelled, deaf man, with a life of seventy-four years behind, him. The Meredyths are poor, and the new barenet gets nothing but ai dhanty living at Windsor Casitle, with a few pounds a week. It is am ancient title. The "cabbie" is the eleventh of the lime. Sir George began life as an infant, and work as a shoemaker. Then, he fcihovelled coal as a stoker, and l for fourteen years was a mounted policeman. * * • Sir George has lived in Hobart since 1850, and lie has three ohildlien, two daughters being married. The oabbie baronet had only about a twenty to one ohance ot getting the title, for he is the heir of a fourth son of the late baronet. He really belongs to the "Poor Knights of Windsor, or the Alms Knights," an order instituted by Edward 111., as a recompense to poverty-strick-en warriors who had fought hard and forgotten to loot. No one not a military officer could be mad© a baronet of this class except, of course, by heredity. The cabbie baronet went Home about twenty years ago to get his coronet, but it didn't come off. • • Sir J. A. G. Meredith, the Hobart "cabbie," who has just succeeded to his title by the death of the former baronet, has been asked 1 by some friends if, now he is reasonably well off, if he intends to keep horses. His answer is characteristic of the "cabbie" • "By Jove, no! I can afford to walk now!" • • • Lady Ourzon, the progress of whose recent illness was cabled' d'aaJy. was heavily insured. Her noble husband, the Viceroy of India, had, several months previous to her falling sick, insured her in enormous sums in London offices, so that the said offices' were in a state of tremendous anxiety. The insurances were the heaviest m history. Lord Ourzon niaturally feJt that some smal] provision should be madfc for the children, who, if left motherless, would have to struggle on as best they could: on the few millions that their American, mother — the daughter of the great Leiter — left. There is nothing like beine prepared. Although Lord CurBon's wife is American, he is said to be entirely devoted to her, and' that tfa& blow is stayed — there aire no cables coming now — is a keen satisfaction to the Viceroy and aJso to the insurance companies.

. yThe New Zealand Employer*' Fedeiafion gatheied together m Wellington last week, had 1 a two-day's talk, a bite to eat and a sup to dunk, and taded away, and. no one knew much about it, for their sittings, were in camera, t>o w e didn't get a good look at them. Still, we know that Mr. G. T. Booth, who had been, president for two years, isn't president any longer, and that an. excellent president has given place to an equally excellent one. Mr. Booth is the head of the agricultural implement manufacturing firm of Booth, McDonald, and Co., of Ghnstchurch. / * * * /k man of gentlernainly exterior and wide knowledge, and still in the prime of life, he is -well-known, m the public life of the City of the Plains, for he has been three times mayor of Sydenham. His watchword is "co-operation," and he means by it the co-operation of employers and employed, and notco-opeia-tive enmity and divided oamps. Mr Booth has, among his valued possessions the first championship swimming oup ever won in the colony. This he gathered in twenty years ago. The son of one of the pioneer Canterbury settles, he has 'helped to build up the busmen that is to-d'av the second largest of itskind in the colony. * • • /(CnA his successor? Well, you knowtee bluff Scot, William Cable, don't you ? He is chau-man of the Harbour Boaid, and other things — a square wall of a man, who has been workman, foreman, manager, and head of the firm of Cable and Co , ironfounders. If you had told William Cable thirty years ago that he would ever rise on hus feet to make a speech he would have probably told you to "Hoot, mon!" or something Scotch like that. His oommon sense, however, guides a halting tongue, and he says nothing that need have' been left unsaid. y * \Xt behoves a live body to have a live secretary, and the Federation is not likely to be dormant while Mi. H. Field wields the nib. The impoitance of the position may be gauged by the fact that Mr. Field thought it worth while to sell out his coai and nroduce business in Wellington to become the secretary of the Wellington Employers' Association. It was at the first dinner of the Federation that he was appointed 1 by President Booth. In less than two years the Employers' Association doubled its membership, and it now represents all the employers, big and little, in the district. present, Mr. Field is both secretary of the Wellington Association, and of the Employ ears' Federation. He has the further distinction of having held for ten years previous to his. assumption of these duties, the secretaryship of the New Zealand Alliance, and he considers his knowledge of organising, and political and platform work, was learnt in that body. As a "Yorkey 'he is, of course, a fervent member of the Yorkshire Society, which yearly foregathers to "tuk in and spaik aht." / k/Mr. J. M. Wilson, socialist lecturer, is one of those unfortunates who is not understood. For instance, at Ashburton, the other day, he lectured in the Oddfellows' Hall. A local amateur operatic party believed 1 that Mr. Wilson would vacate the hall at 9 o'clock. But he held on until 9.45, although agitated voices from the wings asked him to "come off; your time's up!" Having perorated, J. M. demanded, and secured, the amateurs' share of the hire — £1 Is Not stated whether they rehearsed, or' whether they gave the lecturer three hearty cheers. * • • Congratulations to Mr. W. E. Jackson upon his well-deserved promotion to the New Zealand managership of that important Anglo-Australian book and newspaper concern, the Gordon and Gotch Proprietary. Mr. Jackson, who is an Aucklander, is one of the young men of the day who have "done things. He came to Wellington to take chai ge of the firm's distributing department -when Gordon and Gotch used Mr. Herbert BaiJlie's premises m Cubastreet. He proved himself a capable organiser and a rapid worker, and when he found time to knock off work he carried his rifle to the Karori Rifle Club s range, and plugged frequent holes through the target, mostly through the bull's-eye. For he was a good shot. * • • ißut Gordon and Gotch would not let him stay long in Wellington. He was sent down to Christchuroh, to organise the wholesale branch there, and, subsequently, he became the firm's paoneei at Auckland. On the first of this month the young Auoklander was honoured with the full control of the firm's business in New Zealand, and now occupies the roller-top desk just vacated bv Mr J P. Shand, who has acquired the "book-shop in' Cuba-street that was so lone associated with the Baillie family. Mr. Shand, who plays cricket with the Phoenix senior team, is an ex-Mel-bournite.

Tlie Marquis Ito, Japan'b great statesman, has risen to 'has present portion from very humble begannangfe. His father was a rustic gardener. The maiquis now has a beautifuil aitificial garden of his own. He is an. accomplished' linguist, and is able to read German, English, French, and Chinese, m addition, to has own language. Very Rev. A. E. Keogh, rector of St. Patrick's College, i& geniality personified, meet him where you will, either on the football ground, the tented field at Trentham, or the classroom at "St. Pat's." Like several other Irishmen, he first saw the light m Dublin, away back in 1858 of last century. He was a pupal at the Man ist School, Leeson-street, Dublin, and drifted in due course to St. Mary's College, Dundalk. In 1875, he went to France, and made his novitiate m Verdfelado, near Bordeaux — where the wm-e comes fiom. / . .* tAs iunior professor in several French colleges he was highly successful for the three years he thus served, but, m the words of the song "Erin,, dear Erin, for you me heart is teann' " and' so he returned' to the ould sod, and 1 was,m due course, ordained' at Dundalk by Arcflibi/shop McG-elliean, of Armagh, in 1883 He> is a B.A. of the Royal University of Ireland. For five years he was rector of the Dundailk College — altogether he was stationed there for fifteen, years. Leaving Dundalk, he went to London to St. Anne's, and receive>rl his pre*^ent appointment in 1900 Father "Keoorh Jr. a brilliant English a.nd dnissaVal scholar, a genial friend and' a. tactful master, who, for his mental .ittann mentis, nnirl warm perßomal interpst in the r>np ; K of St PatricV's is hiehlv esteemed