All sorts of People

Free Lance, Volume V, Issue 260, 24 June 1905, Page 3

All sorts of People

CAPTAIN East, the well-groomed, pink-oomplexioned marine supertendemt of the Tyser Company, whom nobodiy us surprised to meet anywhere mi New -Zealand, oil account of his habit in "turning up," is about to pay a sax-months' visit to the Old Country, in company with Mrs. East. The Captain is very popular wherever waves wash in these waters, and that's perhaps wiiy nearly every Tyser agent in the. colony packed a gladstone and went oft to Napier last week to bid' him "Good-bye."' It is pretty coniolusave evidence of a man's popularity when people travel five hundred miles to a "Well, so long — see you again!" ceremony, yet that was the case one evening lastt week, when the big room at the Masonic was well-filled by those from north, west, and south — Bast was all the-east required. • # ♦ Mr. N. Kettle let off 'his steam in, a speech bubbling with kindly effervescence, and presented the crimson, Captiaiin with a most artistacally-deso/gined address, and 1 a purse of sovereigns. The vjce-chair was occupLed by outr own dapper little Walter NatJhan. — one of our commercial giants. Captain and Mrs. East journey Londonwards in the Niwaru, and 1 Captain Rainey, who first brought the new Huddart-Parketr steamer Wimmera to New Zealand 1 , becomes Tyler's marine supennteoidJeait in New Zealand temporarily. * * - t/A. literary appreoiator of William Henry Hawkins, M.H.R., says, in regard to William's sporting powers : "A kick at the ball meant a goal, and a Welt of the bait a fourer." It must Ihave been, most uninteresting to see William playing football. Couldn't he let someone else have a kick ? As for his •'fourers" at cricket, even Trumper and "B-anji" and those sort of people Suave been seen to make ones, just for a change. ♦ # * "-His Excellency Lord Plunket is destined by fat© to be the hero of some comical incident wherever he goes. He has just been "doing" Otago, and at Milton,, which is rather a rapid place, tlhe inhabitants entertained the viceregail party at a "conversazione." The necessary refreshments were ordered from a well-known conifecrtioner in Dnnekftn, who is reputed for the excellence of his wares. He was informed that the delicacies were intended l for the Governor and party, and must be of the best. The caterer worked hard to execute his commission, and succeeded in despatching: the good things by the morning express.. » * * ./in the hurry of the moment he inadvertently addressed them to His Excellency Lord Plunket. On the arrival at Milton station, the cases' were placed in tine vice-regal carriage. Captain Braithwaite 1 dropped to the position at once, ordered the eomt emits to be disclosed, and, after favourable expression of opinion as to the merits of the several pasties, it was unanimously conceded that the unknown donor had, in a nice and unassuming maimeir catered to the taste of the party The looail people who had ordered the refreshments hunted high and low for the consignments, and did not a^certa^n* what nad become of them until late in the afternoon. And now the question is, who is going to pay for the goodies?

v. Let the detractors of Richard John Seddon betake ttheinselveis m saok-oLotlh and State-coal ashes to some lonely cave, and flagellate themselves aoii thear dare shame, for William, P ember Rleeves, Agent-General, journalist, politician, andl poet, has been appointed High OommussLoner m Londbtn, at £2000 a-year, while R. J. S. bonds himself in, every successive speecih fastieir to the drudgeay of Premiership merely. V New Zealand's High. Commissioner I. is porime Canterbury, having been born in that much-blessed province some forty-eight years ago, his father being the late Hon. Wm. Reeves. He started ou/t for a career at the Christ's College Grammar School, and when but a decade had l passed since hie saw tlhe light scooped in the Provuncdal Governnuent's scholarship of £40 a year, and kept a tight hold of it for seven years. In 1873 he seized the Somes (of Somes' IsHamdl) scholarship, another £40 a-yeaa-for three years, getting a first in classics and English. * * ■* lie was too good to end there, so was sent to Oxtoid to graduate, and subsequently to study for the Bar, but ill-health compelled) him to return to the colony. Country life restored him omlce more, and, after reading-up, he was admitted to the New Zealand Bar, but, finding the world of letters more to his liking, he merely reported' for the Canterbury Law Society, and then turned his attention to the "scissors and paste" profession.. He became leadlerwriter to the "Lyttelton Times," then editor of the "Canterbury Tunas," and from there to the edatonial dhaair of the "Lyttelton Times" was 1 but a step. He ailso wrote leadems for tth© "New Zeaand Tam.es" ia has subsequent politaioal days, and Charlie Wilson' (now Assemby Librarian) cam tell some stones of midi-night harangues through the telephone about the length and lateness of tihe "stuff" sent 'along on the eardy hours by the present High Commissioner. ♦ • ■» LMr. Reeves got a seat in Parliament in 1887 (for St. Albans, and was returned for Ohrißtohurch on 1890. From tihiat he was appodntedl Miniister for Justice and Education by John Bailance, and in 1896 succeeded! Sir Westby Percival as Agent-General. He is a fluent and witty speaker, a causitnlo writeir, a poet of parts, and popular exceedingly. y * • # |2&r. Ernest Gillon, the second son of the late Mr. E. T. Gillon (who guided the devtiny of the "Evening Post" for many years), has been transferred by the Railway Department from away up north of Auckland — the district so monotonously described as "the roadless North" — to the busier Westport section, as locomotive superintendent. Ernest has beeiu earnest ever since he was a lad 1 , and has stuck to engines and sucih things until they are beginning to pulJ him into a good position. And ho grows mo>e like his dad eveiy day He married Rose, the eldest daughter ot Mr. I/achman, formerly managed in Wellington for Messrs. P. Hayman and Co. * ♦ » The late M. Leon Cairon, one of Auktralna's most revered musical personalities didn't a.«siume what is variously called "dog," "frill," "edge " or "side." A =tory is told of Ins characterise spirit of camaraderie. A Sydnevite tells of Leon Cairon coming up to him in the vestibule of one of the theatres and shaking him heartily bv the hand "Let me see," he said, "vere vos at I meed you before ?" "You met me once in Bourke-street, Melbourne, when I was. dead broke, and dressed in rags, and gave me a shilling to get a dinner," saiid the Sydnevsider. "Dear me, is dot so?" said the musician. "Ver' well, give me back my shilling, and ye haff a drink'"

Charlie Zachaariah ("Zac"), of the Public Trust Office, who was married at Qhristohurch last week to Mhss Stella Cohen, of St. Kilda, Melbourne, was at one time dtestaned for tihe Churcih — ahem! — the Synangogue, and, had he so elected 1 , would l , in course of time, have become Rabbi of Ctastohuroh, in succession to his much-respected father, who at present holdls that position. Charlie had other idleas — those that have made him secretary of tihe Operatic Society, an Alabama ooon, a "Wellington* Savage, and' a comi'o singer who is comic, attributes that don't oounifc in the study of Rabbinifiim. * * * (/'Rahhi Zadhariah, whose immediate forefathers hail from the Holy City — Jerusalem — is recognosed) as the first authority on Eastern languages in the colony — Syrian., Arabic, Persian, Hindoo, and) Hebrew — 'nothing comes amiss to. him, and occasionally he is called into court to interpret a language tihat probably no' one else in tihe colony oouW. Three or four years ago hie visited the tombs of his ancestor® at Jerusalem, and was given, a great welcome by the elders of the city. * * * Dowie's latest arrogation of power is the possession of a facility to revive the dead. He recently sarid! to tihe faithful • "If you die and. remain dead it's your own fault. You've off en died me, and I don't want you om my earth." * * * S. Balknce, who, at tihe present tame, happens to be the best baritone Wellington knows publicly, is a striking instance of what can. be achieved) vocally by personal application when allied' to a strong musical intelligence. Arthur has not troubled the "five guineas a quartan" gentlemen (who own a brass plate, and cultivate an imp-ressiveness by tailansg half the letters of the alphabet after their names), for he. has only hadl one quarter's tuition in his life, and tthat was from Mr. Boult, in Auckland, many years ago. * * » When' young Ballance is talked) about — and that is not infrequently of laife — he is generally referred) to as firom Auckland, which is paradoxical. He was actually born in Vi wan-street, "Welknigtion, some twenty-six years ago, but when quite a baby he said to his motiheir . "Look here, mium, the electric trams are coming along this street in about a quarter of a century. What's the matter with going to Manganiui?" Apparently, nothing was the mattea-, for a sihoft was made to Manganui (north of Auckland), and it was in that cub-tropical clime that the bulk of his life so far has been spent. * * * He entered the service of the Government in the 1 telegraph branch wihen a youth, and, wath the effluxion of time, was transferred from Manganua to Auckland, and from that city to Wellington about seven years ago. Some two years ago (with superannuation a remote contingency), he saw there was no brilliant future in the "tack-tack" business, so he severed his conmectaon with the department, and entered Messrs. W. M. Bannatyne and Co.'s office, where he is still prepared to book you to America by the smartest route. Mr. Ballance possesses a baritone voice of a fine resonant quaJity. He was admirably suited in "The Orusaders," last week, and gave a capital account of himself in Liza Schumann's "In a Persian Garden" song cycle. Mephustopheles, in "Faust," to do him proud, requires an exceptional voice — one with more depth and breadth than Mr. Ballance's servioable organ. He should) be heard to distinct advantage in the "Queen of My Heart" solo m the August production of "Dorothy" by the Amateurs.

B. Horace G. Brinsmeadl, of the celebrated firm of piano-makers*, is a visitor to Wellington, and' if you. see a short, thick-set man, with a heavy, grey moustache:, and grizzled, overhanging eyebrows, going in oa: oait of the Empire Hotel, you are pretty certain to have located the mail who "makes musuc" in. the bed-rock sense of the term. Mr. Bnnsmead, speak» freefly of the manner in whioh great pianists are reoampemsed' for declaring, as t(hey so often do, ''They wouldb't dream of playing on any other instrument but a Gedstein! Oh, dear, no!"" » • • That is all fixed up before) they leave on a tour, and the piano firm that offers the highest terms generally secures the 1 use of his piano an that particular tour. Much depends upon wthere the concert is, but in Londion'sSt. James's Hall, or Albert Hall, as much as £40 for a recital ha® been paid to a virtuoso. In- the case of Paderewski, it wosuld perhaps cost the Erard people about £60 per week throughout thle tour, whioh would include tlhe expanses of a man to look after the instrument or instruments. • • • The idea of paying a big fee to an artist for the privilege of supplying theinstrument was played out in London. One foreign artist "Brinsmeads" used to pay sent in such large bills each month that they suspected 1 the nature of these engagements, and found out that im some cases he had' offered has services to play for nothing, just tosecure the. fee from the great firm. Thereafter all engagements had ta be approved by the firm. Mr. Brinsmead's business in New Zealand! is to place on the market a high-grade piano — the "Horace G. Brinsmead" — which is said' to be equal to the best. Mr. Norman Gurr, the possessor of amotor car and a laugh, holds £500 worth of athletic trophies. Lake most atihletes, Norman has run to adiposity of late years, but the surprising vigour of him hasn't abated. Dannevirke is. shielding Norman from every wimd tih'at blows just now, and he has secured. the business of H. Chadiwiok and Oa. to go on witlh. As he is all sorts of an agent, life and accident insurance man, and is willing 1 to take on anything that will brine him in any more thousands a year, Norman has no time to walk, himself thinner in — he takes the oar. Sometimles he can spare five, seoondls for one of those far-reaching laughs of his. The one he let slip when in this office last is stall a treasured 1 relic. "We wouldn't sell it for worlds. • » • ,_^-'Blr. Maugham Barnett never gushes, but he let slip the information tlhat hewas more than satisfied witih the performance last week of the newly-form-ed Choral Society, of whioh he is .the conductor. Though Mr. Barnett is the head and front of the new Socdety, he is neither a member of it, nor has he any vote whatsoever on any question that comes before the Society. 'Cos wftry? 'Cos the TJnola.ssdfied Societies' Act states that no member of such a society shall receive any pecuniary benefit from the funds of the society and even soulful beings like musicians 1 can^ not live on the smell of a motor car. • * • about Mr. Barnett's new society, at the final rehearsal, in St. John's schoolroom, the soloists let themselves go electrically. While the quartet were singing a final ohordi, with tenor Graham and soprano Miss Amy Murphy about 10,000 feet above sealevel, crash went a glass gas-light reflector away uip in the ceilinc. and showered bit® of glass on the vibrant four. It was clearly a case of destruction by vibration. You've heardf about the Sydney Town Hall organ breaking all the windows, "haven't you?

Mrs. Harrison Lee, the "no-license" evangel, is round these parts agam, tthrillinig large audiences with her gifted oratory. She is just about the best ■woman speaker on the question that the colony .has known, and can give mamy of the professional male prohibit lomukts a very long start and yet win. Her face would do excellently for a model of "The Good Woman," for it fairly beams with the wholesome happiness of just living, and! she can puit tears or sunshiine into her voice as she wills — and great is her mana. * * * Best of all, Mrs. Lee is a raconteur close up to Fuller Golden. She told a story at Newtown the other night that tine Ameirioa,n humourist might give as from bhah myth of his — Casey, the man whom Golden has earned has living talking aibouit for the past fifteen years. Donald was painting the parson's house, at Feildimg, the other day, and while -doing so was gaily whistling "Finnigam's Wake." The parson accosted him, saying- "Donald, mon-, that is no a vera seemly chune y're whustlin' . Could 1 ye no whustl& eomethin' more respectful like while y're paintin' the parson's house P" * * * Donald 1 took the hint, and changed bis tune to the "Dead March." Hie paint-brush, which had moved smartly to the Irish lilt, slowed down to the "Dead March," and the parson, appearing again on the scene, observed that little progress had been miade. He was a caireful man, co he said : "Donald,, ma men, am thinkin' v'd better whustle "Finnigan's Wake," it's a cheerin' chune!" And away went the paintbrush again. » * * Mr. John Prouse, our very own black-bearded baritone, has written- to his folk un Wellington that previouslychronioled arrangements have been cancelled, and that he, Mrs. Prouse, Connie, and. George will aeturn to New Zealand via the United! States, in case they might miss something that tihey shouldn't. The Prouses are now dlue in Wellington some time in August. George is going to be a lawyer, and he must get back to "swat" foa- this year's examinations. After he is admitted nt wall be a sorry dlay for Kubilek or any stray musician who fails to keep an agreement with his tuneful pa. y In the- light of Mr. Piouse's oucoess un London., it would be only fitting for the musical people of Wel'luugtotn to honour him with a reception. In case they talk of Prouse as a "natural resource," Ministers oi the (half-crown, should be severely debarred from speecfhiifying, and the committee should insist on John singing "Had a Horse" — not a hoaz-se throat, but the Hungarian vocal tragedy. * # * Mr. AJtac. Burns, of the Press Association, who summers 1 every year at Wakapuiaka, where the news tube spouts the world J s sensations into the colony, is baok in Wellington once more. He returns laden witih am excellent foundation for a double ohan, and by his generally healthy aspect one would not be surprised to hear that his last year's waistcoats are not unacquainted with gussets. Alec's spirits are unvarying, and has chummiest friends— those who write things about our legislators mostly — call ham (after the song, "Dear Bird of Winter." * • * /John Duthie, in relating some of his experiences on trips abroad, tells how he was mistaken for a Mormon elder when in Salt Lake City, and had quite a goad tame on t<he strength of it. He put it down to being shown to a front seat when he went — for the sake of experience — to the big tabernacle. The vast congregation jumped to the conclusion that he went right through to the pulpit. John also visited Egypt. He wished to inspect the pyramids, and so engaged a dark fellow in a petticoat and fez cap to dnve him out from Cairo. The petticoated one was smoking a very strong cigar, which Mr. Duthie thought might be objectionable to his daughter, who made one of the party, and he was thinking of trying to explain the objection, when the fellah started the conversation himself. * ♦ • ' "You're from the colonies, I believe," said he. John assented. "Do> you know," said he of the petticoat, "I am much interested in the colonies. Now, you're just fresh, out-, could you tell me what are Carbine's chances for the Melbourne Cup ?" Shades of Barneses H. ! The cigar was smoked out. John made a trip to the Continent during the Boer war, and, while in Paris, farm cried having a peep at the abbatodrs, and a friend of his made the way easy. "I never met such polite people in my life." said John, '*they bowed and scraped at every turn, and could not be kind enough to me." He mentioned to has friend that he had been, given to understand there existed a feeling* against the British on acoount of the war, but the treatment he had received did not sho-w it. "Oh," said the friend, "I told them that you were a wealthy Dutch farmer!" Then lie saw.

/ \A/ii. Bert Royle, locum tenens for James Cassaus Williamson, whose duties consist of seeing that none of hKS master's copyrights is infringed, and in taking on the management of any show that "J. C," in has wisdom, shall send along. But "Bert," apart from those duties, is a journalist of ability, with a pretty turn for doggnel, for which reason his name wall be associated with ""Djin Djin" andi other pantomimes which "The Firm" has prodluioed firom tame to time. ♦ • * Added to this, he is an ormtihologast W some standing, and owns one of tihe finest private collections of bees, butterflies, bugs, and beetles in, New Zealand all of which have been duly classified by the learned gentleman. It would be somewhat invidious to state t/hiat Mr. Royle was forced to take up ornithology through his propensity for dogs, but tihe fact remains that he is extensively doggy, and he knows the points of bull-dogs just as well as those of a tibistle. Hie late lamented kuri, "Florodora," has been replaced' by another named Sunday (after the play of that name), presented by Harold (Aslhton) the Good. "Bert" has dried his eyes since Sunday dawned. • * * His Excellency's staff is a striking contrast to other vice-regal staffs we have known. They seem to have more readily dropped the. conservatism of the most frigid class of Englishmen, and adiapted free-and-easy colonial manners, hence their popularity. His Excellency imported a motor car when in Christchurch, and the records and motor parts that he broke over tihe rapid roads of Canterbury would fill an automobile journal. Both he and the smiling Captain Braithwaite, A.D C, are motor enthusiasts, and do their own driving and) repairing. * * * The Hon. Mr. Bingham, A.D.C., of tihe Fifth Lancers, take 9 on photography, and' is rapidly becoming as proficient as Mr. H. C. Waterfield, His Excellency's private secretary, who is a skilled manipulator of the camera, and has already filled a couple of albums ■with well-chosen "bits" of New Zealand. His Excellency and staff were all oharmed with Christohuroh, in the first instance because they succeeded in getting their first spell of fine weaither there and chiefly because <c it is so like an English town." "Home, love, is where the heart is, wherever that may be."

Taahape is losang two of its most popular residents — Mr. A. B. McCready, editor of tit© "Taahape Posit," a<nd Dr. Monk-Wilson, the large and genial medico, who has helped to rock the cradle of the go-ahead ttfwnship from its riotous infant days upward. Editor McCready lifted 1 stamps — otherwise type — in the Government Printing Office for some years before he tootk to the pen, and started to mould public opiniom xn tihe region way-back where Mr. Tnoe. E. Wilson had planted his pnmting press. His articles have always been marked by moderation of tone and strong common-sense. He has gone to Southland, to manage the "Winton Record l " for little Frankie Hyde, and Frankie has done a good stroke of business in getting MoCready. * * * yT>r. Monk- Wilson is pulling tip stakes to go to the W&ikato, where he has been selected by the Goal Workers^ Union, out of ten applicants, to minister to their wants. He is a typical Yorkshineman, stalwart, and broadshouldered, and warm-hearted. He graduated at King's College, London, and, after practising for somie tune in Leicester, Northampson, and' otiher parts of England, He accepted a position in Rhodesia, and, during the late South African war, he was attached to the Army Medical Corps. After the war he came out with his young wile to New Zealand, and found plenty of "roughing it" up at Taihape. His services were in constant requisition over a wide district. Dr. Monk- Wilson and his wife were very popular, and will be much missed.