PERSONAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2894, 1 September 1909, Page 87

PERSONAL NOTES.

— The famous "Captain Koepenick," wha made the whole world laugh, is at present in Paris. He intends to marry "shortly, and settle down in Luxemburg. Before thia event, however, it is quite possible that hemay appear at a Paris theatre and playi over again his renowned exploit, spiced with Gailio wit. — Among th& 15,£G0 roubles worth of presants which the Czarewitch sent to the baby Emperor of China was » toy railway, \vvfcf» lines five-eighths .'of a mile long 1 , and stations, trucks, trolleys, and all complete — the most perfect toy railway, it is said, that has ever been seen ou-tside of New, York. — The inclusion of Sir Herbert Samuel, who is 38 years of age, makes th< English Cabinet the youngest that has ever served the country. The youngest member is Mr Winston Churchill — 35 — and the oldest Lord> Wolverhampton, who is 79. Eight of the; 19 members are under 50, the average age ; | working out at 57. < i — Pew Englishmen- know more about t Eastern problems, and politics than Sir Edi win Pears, who' has just received the; honour .of knighthood For the past 35 yean he has acted as Daily News correspondent in' ; Constantinople. He ibas seen -no fewer than/ three -Sultans deposed, -and* t- was his letters abouf tha Moslem atrocities in Bulgaria which first aroused Europe, Mr Dasraelifi characterised them as exaggerated; -but Sir • Edwin soon proved the truth of his assert ' tions. — Amongst the conclusions arrived at by, Sir Francis Galton, one of the new knights, who first suggested the system of fingerprint identification, is a curious theory concerning ancestral inheritance. He asserts that we inherit one-fourth of *our character from eaoh parent, one-eightb from our grandparents, one-sixteenth from our greatgrandparents, and so backwards. Many, agencies, however, prevent the law operating in so ideally simple a manner, and it ''s to the elucidation of -chese that Sir Francis has devoted his latter years. — The Kaiser lose one of the friends of his youth and one who played a great part in fie shaping of his ideas in Mr Gerard Fox, who recently died at his home in Hampshire. Mr Fox, who had lived! in the Isle of Wight- and in Southern. Hampshire for some years, was closely identified with the official life pi those regions. Early in life, however, he was tutor to tho children of ■tlbe late Empress Frederick, including, of course, the Emperor. The latter always maintained his friendship with his tutor", and when staying in England last; year saw Mr Fox at the home of Lord) Montagu, which, it may be remembered, he visited. On catching sight of his old) friend the Kaiser oried out w*t,h great heartiness, "Ah, the Fox! Tallybo!" — The Crown P>rinoe of Sweden demonstrated hie sympathy with the teetotal cause by attending the official reception at the Imperial Institute of the delegates attending! the International Congress on Alcoholism. The Crown Prince, like his father and his late grandfather, holds strong views on." the subject of strong drink, and goes through life contentedly on. water, and it may ba remembered bow greatly exercised American hostesses were when his brother, Prmoo William, declined any but the same inexpensive beverage during a recent visit to the Stated. The example of the court is naturally fallowed to a large extent inj Sweden, never an intemperate country in spite of its biting winters. As a good wife the Crown Princess Margaret follows" her husband's lead, and is ever ready to show practical sympathy tc temperance societies. — If the report that Dr Wilfred Grenfclt ie to lead the Norwegian expedition to inquire into the discovery of Andree!s gray« is correct the 'selection will be regarded with satisfaction'; for the noted missionary! and explorer ia the most suitable man for the task.' For many years the doctor has devoted himself to -the physical and spiritual needs of a parish containing 420,000 square miles of territory, carrying a sparse population of Eskimos and natives of Labrador. He has set bherr broken limb* cured the ophthalmia caused by the glare of the sun, and battled with the scourge of consumption. During his 16 years' service- in that bleak region he has established four hospitals, au orphanage, and many ' stores where 6he fishermen, none too. worldly wise, may be assured of not being cheated. —M. Marcel Prevost has become an immortal at an early age. The popular novelist and playwright is, in fact, only 47. He is one of the most widely-read writers in Fi-ance. When Prevost published- hi* first novel he was only 25 years of age, and occupied a position in the State tobacco factories- His early novels, such- ar "Lai Confession d?un-Amant," "L'Atttomne dune Femme," and "Lettres de Femmes," were devoted mostly to the painting- of Love and

A bright young Kaffir, just foe fun, Sneezed down the barrel of a gas;' And just to see how things woold g» Be pressed tibe trigger with his too A basketful of hk remain* Was gathered from adjacent plains; And now his tribe, you may be sure, "When they have colds use Woods' Pepper* mint Cure*

passion. In We later works, of whioK "Lettres a Francoise" is perhaps the best, M. Pirevoat has turned moralist; "DemiVierges" represents the intermediate stage. The new immortal is a regular worker, devoting himself to his work from 9 till 12 every morning and from 5 till 7 each evening. He writes with great facility, and his manuscript is practically free from alterations, but te is extremely nei-vous whilst at work, anc 1 cannot suffer noise or interruption. * ; — One of the leading men in Edinburgh* _Dr Alexander Whyte, who has been appointed Principal cf. New College in that «ity, is a, > typically 'Scot* example of a mtt who "burst his birth's invidious bars." Sixty years ago it was much h»rder for an ambitious Scottish lad to get education than in these daye of. Carnegie bursaries. Dr • Whyte was born in Kirriemuir (Mr Barries Thrums), and Mr Barrie, when a student in Edinburgh University, used often to I attend Dr Whyte's Church, United Free , St. George's. " Dr Whyte has been a shoemaker, a village teacher at a salary of 7e a week, a 6chobl master "in a Church school, a student in Aberdeen and Edlinbnrgh Universities, the leading minister of his Church, and now he is the head of its chief college. Dr Whyte is still a student, as he has been -always. Few men, even in Edin- - burg.h, have read so much or so well. Lord j Rosebery is a great admirer of the famous i Edinburgh preacher. ; — A remarkably active peer in the Commons is Earl Winterton, the '"baby" of the last Parliament ; so called because he was, elected, while Viscount Tumour, when he was only 21. His lordship has proved himself a young man of energy and vigilance in the House, but apparently politics do not allow him sufficient scope, for it has just been announced that ihe is to fill -the editorial chair of the World. The Earl writes as well as he speaks, and in addition is a keen sportsman. Furthermore, he possesses the distinction of being a grandson of that social queen, the late Dowager Duchess of Abercorn. In faot, someone who has counted up says that j his lorde'iip has more relatives of exalted _ rank than anybody eke in the United Kingdom, and that the woman who wins him — for hejs ©till a bachelor — will be related by marriage to three dukes, two marquesses, I two earla, eeveral barons, and a corresponding number of marchionesses and countesses. ! — One of 'the interesting personalities of the Darwin Centenary at Cambridge recently was Mr William Erasmus Darwin, the oldest son of tho great naturalist, who is the only one of that brilliant band of ~ brothers whose career has not been scientific. He it was who was chosen to reply to the toast of the memory of Charles Darwin, which was proposed by Mr Balfotir, a-nd iji the «ouree of a charming' ! speech he gave a -delightful insight info the i home 'life of the naturalist. Sir George j Darwio, who is probably the best known ; of the family, m a professor at his alma j mater, Cambridge, holding the Chair of j Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy. IHe is a past president of* the British 1 Association, and belongs to all the learned associations. Mr Francis Darwin, is the i foreign secretary of the Royal Society, and 1 was assistant at Down to his famous father, • being latter hie father'? biographer. He " settled at Cambridge after Charles Darwin's ! death. Mi Horace Darwin is an F.8.A., ■ h«s been Mayor of Cambridge, and is chairj man of the Cambridge Scientific Instrument , Company. Major Leonard Darwin is a ! Royal Engineer officer, who has written on Bimetallism, and has served on numerous, scientific expeditions. He sit in Parliament for a few years as Liberal Unionist for a. midland constituency. Mr W. E. Darwan, on the other hand, is a bankor, the chairman of a waterworks company, and a county ■ councillor for Hampshire. — Nature-study has an ardent and loyal euporter in tho head master of Eton. It claimed Dr Lyttelton at the age of 16 when I he began to learn to draw trees,- which ' from fchat time onward exercised over him a most potent charm. The excitements of cricket notwithstanding, he ha 6 during a match gazed with delight on stately trees, "in verdure clad." Dc Lyttelton recently j drew in an unreported speech an interesting comparison between music and Naturej study. "Music," he pointed out, "stimulates th« imagination, while Nature-study stimulates and steadies the imagination." He thinks that boys between the ages of 11 and 16, the most impressionable period in fcheir lives, should be persuaded to regard Nature-study as a pleasure, and certainly not merely as something that maybe useful in after-life. A man of 51, with iron-grey hair and with a broad,, massive forehead, Dr Lyttelton denies that he is an autocrat. He regards, at all events, the genus puer with catholic and humorous sympathy, realising " that the dunce at school may possess mental faculties whioh opportunity may sooner or later develop. Dr - Lyttelton tells of a boy who, regarded as ai idiot by masters and pupils, spent his holidays in Paris, bought a Continental Bradshaw, studied it intently, and ultimately knew the times of departure and arrival of every train ; he eventually became, indeed, one of the cleverest of railway specialists. — The German Crown Prince William was not always as popular as he is to-day, as is evidenced from the scrap-bool which he keeps, containing over 1000 pages of adverse newspaper criticisms of himself. On the title page is inscribed, '"I hope I am not like this," and the volume contains many marginal noies of regret and counter criticism in its ow i.er's own handwriting. Prince William's former unpopularity was due to hie impulsM** boyish nature, which frequently got him into scrapes but since his marriage he h«-v» quite changed, and has sobered down into a staid young man Indeed, the gocd effect upon him of the Crown Princess has been remarkable, and she is even more popular among her future subjects than is her husband. A remark she made on her marriage has stuck in the people's memory. "1 am not a bat clever," she said, "but' 1 can bake bread, coolr a. dinner, and keep house." Unlike his father, Prince William is not very devoted to sport. He prefers recreations ol a quiet character, and is a great reader of books. He is very musical, and playf the violin very well indeed, while he is fond of writing verses and composing short essaye. But perhaps his favourite hobby is •motoring, and he lias more than once figured in an accident. Latterly he has succumbed to the fascination of the flying machine, and has accomp.inie-d Count Z^ppeliP ie- his a ire hip.