PERSONAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 42, 25 June 1913, Page 5

PERSONAL.

Sir Leander Jameson has succeeded j tto Duke of Abercorn as President of \-m British Chartered Company of. South Africa.

The death of Sir Jonathan Hutchinson the well-known British surgeon i* reported by London cablegram.

Lieutenant McDonnell, who is to replace Captain Lampen, is expected to ariiv-O from Whangarei this evening.

The appointment of Murray Urquk<»rt as second lieutenant (on probation) of the 11th Regiment (Taranaki Rifles) is gazetted.

The oldest elector in the Commonwealth to exercise the franchise on May 31st was probably Mr R. Bodey ; of Bostock's Creek, near Cambertown. Victoria. Mr Bodey, who is 104 years of age, voted at Cobden. To hn friends outside the booth he remarked with a smile that he expected to be able to vote at the next elections; M At Molong, N.S.W., Mr John Murray and his wife, who live at Mandagery Creek, drove fourteen miles to Manildra to record their votes. Mr Murray is 98 years of age, and Ms wife is 86.

A story of Mr Joseph Chamberlain is told in the correspondence of Lady Dorothy Neville. "Dear Lady DoroI thy," 'wrote Mr Chamberlain, in November, 1883, "I am going to.the I United States to marry Miss Endicott —one of those American girls whose importation into this country you onn deprecated so strongly in my hearing Yon said, '1 like the Americans very 1 well, but there are two things I wish they would keep to themselves-their girls and their tinned lobster.' I am readv to give up the lobster, so you Irmst'be prepared to like the girl! Lady Dorothy adds: "She is the most charming woman imaginable."

The late Dowager Duchess of New

castle was seventy-one years of age In 1.861 she i married the sixth Duke of Newcastle,' who died in 1879. She * married again, and after the death of her second husband in 1892 she , took up philanthropic work, and the ', last twenty years of her life were con. secrated to the service of the poor of the East Eend. So that she might J devote more of her time to the. slum ' dwellers the duchess gave up her mansion in Mayfair ar/d took up; her resit dence at St Anthony's House, White' chapel, where she gathered about her a small circle of women of birth and I means to assist her in her labours. ,-

The New l Zealand Defence Forces

Long Service Medal, given for twelve •years' continuous service, has recently •been presented' to •.< a number of exmembers of'the; Volunteer forces in

Taranaki. r «W -Elfcham ion Monday night Lieut.' Narbery, in the absence of Major Clark, E. Company, Xlth Regiment, presented the medal to Col-Segt. D. Heaven; at Waitara on the same evening Captain Lampen

presented the medal to Sgts. Tate, Laing and Andrews; and atPatea 'last night Captain Lampen presented the medal to Carey. The medal, which & a handsome silver one, shears or one sid& an effigy of King George, and on the other 1 a kiwi surrounded by two fern leafs.

The demise-of Mr Eohert Baker means to Tarattaki the loss of an-

other of the very oldest of its early identities. Deceased, who was 92

years of age, arrived in New Plymouth in the harge Blenheim, on November 7, 1842, oveT 70 years ago. He was the only adult passenger arriving by that boat who was living at the time of the unveiling of the commemor-

ation obelisk, over two years ago

if or many years Mr Baker engaged *% farming operations at Mangorei but since the death of his wife, sev< eral years ago, he has resided in town He retained possession of his faculties in a marvellous manner, and though on several occasions during the past

year or two he has been seriously ill his wonderful vitality enabled him tc , pull through, and only a few Satur. days ago he was to be seen seated in his accustomed chair outside Mr Newton King's auction mart, exchange I ing reminiscences with old friends.