PERSONAL PARS.

NZ Truth, Issue 63, 1 September 1906, Page 1

PERSONAL PARS.

•Dick Edmonds, a well-known Christchurch sport, -is sueing a man named Waine on a charge of striking him on the head with a bottle one night last week. They have a bit of fun m the dismal city of the plains at times. . ■" • .

A' scandalous thing and a puni&liment. not ordained or justified by the law was indicted on the prisoners m New Plymouth gaol one day this week, when that blatant bounder and arrant humbug White Gross-leaguer Bligh, was allowed to lecture them with his disgusting claptrap.

Auckland's wonderful legacy-luck again. Miss Jane Maitland Thompson, a maiden lady, one-time of Wanganui, but for the past fifteen years residing at the northern city, has left £17,000 (her whole estate), for the maintenance of a home for incurables m the "Corinth of the South." Miss Thompson's life was one of simple >unostentation and m her death she? is. divinely beautiful.

"Tummy" Bent, Victoria's chief statesman, never addresses a meeting without singing a comic song, or otherwise acting the angora. Whether it is too much Bent or not the State of Victoria has spent nearly a million pounds sterling m building lunatic asylums, and yet the Government finds it necessary ' now to look about for a new site on which to erect another costly pile for the treatment of mentally, afflicted- persons.

Mr ■ ifikeriett, m defence -of the Wellington "livening- Post," which compan,y had sold . posfc-Cards of an immoral nature and was fined £a, the •alternative not being mentioned, said that the card m question would ■■■' not ' arouse lewd thoughts m any -but those, possessed of prurient minds. After the opinion, passed on the said card by the Rev. J. J. North, Mr Skerrettfs observation -is 'anything hut;, complimentary to the cleric. But then*, Mr North didn't think the "Postf? : could he so wicked.

Mr- W>'H. r Jofcnson r of theATaramaki left by the Corircthic last week for Edinburgh, where he intends to 'study medicine. Before leaving he asked "Truth" to express his thanks to Messrs Baskerville, of the Terrace School and A. Gourley, of the Te Aro School, for making? Ms stay • m Wellington so exceedingly pleasant. Mr Johnson is an pH Otago University ru^byite and has also Represented Taranaki province for some years, having been connected with the Taranaki Education Board since his removal to- that centre.,

Mr 81-fgh,. the White Cross^crusader, whose bete-noir is the "vigor-restor-ing" quack, and whose sympathy is all for the young man who, through boyish folly, has specks before the eyes and is always tired 'and is afraid to get married, etc., etc., took Taranaki by storm recently and lectured to men only. After Mr Bligh had made all the bucks feel sorry for their misdeeds^ and resolve to be p,ure m the •future, a parson named F. G. Evans rose and piled on the 'agony by starting off "Ladies and Gentlemen." Of course, the pinch-penny pulpit-puncher always depends on woman to fill the ■pews before him, and cannot realise a congregation without ;the.isilly gulls. ■*. • ■ * ' '

Stipendiary Magistrate Tuxnbull, of Hawera, has evidently, after a considerable . experience, nojb formed a favorable opinion of our Maori brethren, as m a recent case he remarked : "I am seriously considering talcing depositions m these native cases and if I think they are telling lies I shall lay the matter before the Solioifcor-Gene-ral for prosecution. " A start ought first to be made with the whites. Ananias is not a circumstanced some of the liars one comes across m Wellington- Courts. First let a whflte be made an example of, then the simple Maori will "take a tumble." We should always remember that we pakehas are m the van of civilisation*

'.% Wellington man ft. Auckland today might easily fancy he was at home, when walking Queen-street, so many of his. fellow townsmen will he meet. The big football match has been the cause of a sreat exodus, and Auckland is full of Wellingtorirans. Among those who went North to see about that Ranfurly . Shield and'tarrack for the All Blacks, as well as to bet oh the result, were Mr Alex. Smith, mine host of the Cricketer's Arms Hotel, Tory and Vivian-streets, and his friend, Dave Gage, the veteran footballer ancL champion threequarter back who was a member of the great "Maori" team that toured England m 1889, and of many a New Zealand team since. Dave intends visitinp his relatives m the Waikato before he returns and Auckland should give both these fine fellows a rousing good time, j

The late Mr .W-, .M, Purkiss, exCrown pirosecutor of Hokitika, wha died recently at Perth, W.A., was a) lineal descendent/ of the Purkiss who carried from the iorest the body o£ William 11. (Rufus-), who was accidentally shot m the New ' Forest, Hampshire, m 1100, by Sir Waltes Tyrrel. The body of the dead Kins was carried 'from the scene of his death to Winchester by one Purkiss,, who was presented with. land m New. Forest, and also certain forestry rights by Henry I.' m recognition ol his services m this connection. Thfc late Mr W. M. Purkiss, wlio formerljrt resided m New Zealand, married a! daughter of Mr F. H. Hawkins, solicitor, of Irtvercargill. It is of historical interest t o note that Mr Purkissr had m his possession the Crown grant giving the forestry rights to his progenitor of New Forest fame. Still he was not given to boasting of his descent. He was a radical m his wav when a M.L.A. m Western AuStralia and as a criminal pleader h»' was a hard fighter. ,

•Pure boy Bligh is still "doing th» smalls" with varied success, though 1 lone, lorn "widders" with their £4=» "m loving memory of the dear departed" are rare-birds. One counsrj paper, the staff of which now seedf to have' all doubts dispelled ;;• jfiid \~k happier future portended :for3tiijm, no doubt by reason of ;Mr 'ttHigh'w mission, says : "Mr Bltgh ;iss V?Mer- : taking the work without any m»a«tar'y reward whatever ; indeed, it is more than probable that it will ran ■ suit m a loss to him." As a mat nanimous Government has treatew .Mr Bliffh as a" distinguished visito* -and provided him with a fret railway pass, and as Mr Bligh saldoiii announces the result of "the cbllfiotao* < except when the pounds are not np.rnerous, and as /Whe ."-game" oujs>^tbi be a' damned fine paying one,. Mo\ BlieOi.will be all the money. A»^ John Henry would -say, "nix, to *• ■ smart talk,!"' -.• • •

The-angriesfrinan m 'Auckland last 'week was Mr Abel Rowe, who didn't ;make the hit he expected, as th» Bon Marche m "The Ladyi, '.Typist." Rowe determined to ba ,th«f [star of the play, and intimated that ; any critic who dared to slate his( | acting was going to pet a particularly bad time. A "Graphic" scritej thought this an excellent > opportunity] ; for the Press to assert its independence, and he emptied himself out on poor Rowe m a manner that madrf that, unfortunate amataur waltz round like a raving lunatic, He threa]bene# the "Graphic^ and the whole ' "Brett family with ' writs, and the, staff p^enerally with stouch and suddeii death. But so far nothing dre,adfv(i -has happened. Probably his frieiid.s* have persuaded him that if he covetaf the applause of the mob he must learn to take a little criticism with•iout flinchmF and if he pan ? t tha: sooner he gives, up amateur .theatri>cals and devotes his time to passing 'Customs entries the better for him."

The fact has never hitherto been published that Miss Helene Burdette,, the clever and charming leading lady, of the William Anderson Dramatic Company, at present playing at the Opera House, is a New Zealand native. Yet so it is. 'Miss Burdette (Mrs Harry W. Diver) was born iri Auckland, and lived the. first years of her 1 life m Corinth of thft South" ; but was then taken to Sydney by her parents. Her father joined the great majority while she was hut a child and her mother married that grand old actor, Lachlan McGowan, and it was through. this v*. carious connection with the stagq that young Helene's thoughts turned! that way too. She never received a lesson m her life, but used , to sit m the front stalls aRd criticise and work out m her expanding mind how; a thing should be done and how this or that was not natural or proper « Then she'd go home and act the pars , before her mother to their'; mnttiaß conviction and satisfaction' ■■'■ and "Locky's" infinite delight. During the McMahon Brothers' long lease of Sydney Lyceum, which terminated some seven years ago, there came am opening for a leading lady and her« step-father strongly recommended his daughter. His veteran judgment was known; to be unrivalled and Misai Burdette got her opportunity, li* twelve, months, during this engage" nient, the young actress played na less than forthy-eight Darts, all newi to her. besides studying up Shakesperian characters, m some of which,, m selected soenes, she appeared with' her talented husband, before and after marriage. This is a record perhaps unique m the profession and ona of which Miss Burdette is naturally} not a little proud. It seems a pitjij that this lady and gentlemen should not have opportunity of provjnt; thyVR. calibre m hotter work than mei'o*. drama. Mr Diver himself, when ffivenia chance placed the part of Iac;o (to, George Rignold's Othello) on a nedestal no other actor m Australia had ever before reached. And somb very worM-famous men had played the part,, too*. '