PERSONAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2813, 12 February 1908, Page 77

PERSONAL NOTES.

— Lord Galloway,, who has just disposed of hi* ancestral estates, owing to a long spell of agricultural depression, is a ©rlraean veteran, who took part in that hardfousrht campaign as a subaltern of the' Black Watch. He also served in the Indian Mutiny, and has occasionally indulged n amateur journalism. He wields a somewhat vitriolic pen, and he has the happy knack of saying what he thinks. Writing of his estate, he says, "The effect of overdraining has been to spoil the fishing, i-uin the snipe and wild duck shooting, load the estate with debt to pay for the draining, and do no earthly good to anyone, just because some idiot though he was wiser than the Creator, and said that a man was a benefactor to mankind who madn two blades of corn grow where one grew before, ignoring the fact that the soil might not be suitable for corn, and that the expense of cultivation would take away any profit." — Lord Ampthill is a peer of remarkable powers. Although but little over *>5. he ho,s held many important posts, the first ol which was that of secretary to Mr Chamberlain, for whom he entertains the highest admiration, as his public speeches hav3 repeatedly testified. At the age of 31 he was one of the youngest of our proconsuls, performing the onerous duties of Governor of Madras so successfully that the King honoured him with the G.C.S.I. He had the further distinction of acting for Lord Curzon, as understudy, during the latter' s absence from India in 1904. He is an Oxford man, .ind 1 not only did he do well in sport, but also in the schools. He was president of the 'Varsity Boat Club and of the union — a double honour of which any man might well be proud. He is a splendid oarsman, and one of the finest races ever seen at Henley was that in which Guj Nickalla and Lord Ampthill beat W. A. L Fletcher and Vivian Nickalls for the Gobtet* in 1891. Ha'f-way over the course they were beaten by something like a dozen length*, and appeared quite done up, ''but they stuck to the sculls and pulled the race out of the fire by a single foot. — The Earl of Granard, who succeeded the Earl of Sefton as Master of the Horse, at an annual salary of £2000, is a young man to occupy so important a post, being only in his thirty-third year. He is a bachelor, and as Lord-in-Waiting has already devoted a great deal of his time to tb* service of his sovereign. He succeeded his father to the title in 1889, and thus at 15 years of age found himself the proprietor of upwards of 20,000 acres of Irish land. This fortunate youth was not content, however, to live a life of idleness. Fascinated by the glamour of a soldier's life, he joined the 3rd Battalion of the Gordon Highlanders, and was speedil.' promoted to a lieutenancy. He .s a captain in the Scots Guards, and saw service in the South African war witn that regiment, gaining both the Queen s medal with three clasps and the Kings medal with two clasps. During Earl Cadogan s Lord-lieutenancy of Ireland Lord Granard acted as his aide-de-camp, and as a. Liberal peer he recently represented the Post-master-general in the House of Lords, doing exceedingly well, although he was permitted few opportunities of shining. — Among the witnesses before the Royal Commission on Vivisection, the Hon. Stephen Coleridge holds the record of having been examined at greater length than any other witness, his evidence having occupied three days. Apart from his fame as an anti-vivisectionist, Mr Coleridge, who is, of course, a son of the famous Lord Chief Justice of England, is a man of varied accomplishments, having made his mark as author, poet, and artist. In his younger days he travelled a good deal, visiting South America, where he was in, although without taking any active part in, the war between Chili and Peru, and later making his way to "New York, he was present at the cutting of the first sod of the Panama. Canal. As an author Mr Coleridge won hig pharise with "Demetrius,'' "The Sanctity of Confession," and "Shria" ; as an artist his pictures have been exhibited at the R.A. and at Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds, whilst he is a great playgoer, having, it is said, missed only one Irving first night after Irving's appearance in "The Two Roses." But of late years Mr Coleridge has to a great extent been wraDpcd up in bis acti-TiTisectioa work,

the cause of which, though everyone may not agree with him, he pleads with undoubted eloquence and power. — I have spoken of the love of mcthep for son and son for mother. I said a touch* ing little example of this in a little note in a letter from Rome the other day. Heroit is: — "A French nobleman, just returned from a visit to the Vatican, tells a story which illustrates the filial spirit of Popo Pius X. His Hpiiness was giving an. audience to a delegation, when all the clocks in the Vatican began to strike tho hour, and quite naturally he pulled out his watch to see if it were keeping timeThe watch was a poor-looking affair, fastened to a leather thong. Several of the delegation noticed this, and also one of two of those who were introducing them/ Thia nivLel-p'ated watch, worn yellow with hard usage, and the leather guard were not altogether in keep.ng with the surround- ' ings. An Italian Prince, who was stand1 ing by, made so bold as to infer this by 1 offering his own watch to the Pope— one that was quite in keeping with his rank — and begging for the shabby one as a souvenir. 'No,' said h:s Holiness, 'I cannot part with this watch. My mother gave it to me.' And, fingering it lovingly, he I added : 'I was a small boy then. I have , worn it fastened to my waistcoat with thia ! same thong of leather, and I vowed that I I would wear it as long as it served. Peri haps it is because of my filial respect that the watch never vanes a minute from ono i day to another.' "— T.P. — The army is going to lose General Sir Bindor- Biood, who is about to retire, at the age of 55, after over 40 years' service, (icncr.'l Blood has passed most, of his ser- , vice in India, where he built up &uch a reputation both as a fighting man and an j administrator that he was regarded at one 1 time as being stronsrly in the running for the Co-.mnander-in-Chief's billot. One or tho most interesting stories told "of him re- . lates to an inrklcnt that occurred one afternoon in the United Service Club at Simla. 1 It was in the old days, when the forces ',n j India were divided into three "armies. '* quite distinct from each other. There was considerable jealousy between t'.ioso forces, and this particular clay officers representing the Bombay and the "Bengal a>mios were arguinp as to which force had the c i e verest leaders. At length it was agreed that each disputant should tell one story showing the prowess of their respective, leaders, and Blood, as an impartial judge, was to say who won. The bot was a bottle' of wine. * "Well," began the Bengal man, "we have a clever soldier in our lot "I think that wiH do. old chap," said Blood, breaking in, and then, turning to_ the Bombay officer, adding :" "You had better pay,; clever soldiers are extinct in Bombay! A roar went up, and all ended peacefully.