PERSONAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVI, Issue 93, 23 August 1913, Page 5

PERSONAL.

The British Parliamentary party was entertained by the Suva Chamber of Commerce, states a cablegram. Mr J. 11. L. Stanford's many friends will bo sorry to [earn that ho is confined to his room with illness- following on a recent severe cold. Mr F. Pirani was unanimously reelected chairman of the AVanganui Education Board at the annual meeting of the Board on Wednesday night. Captain Connor, harbormaster at Greymouth, has been seriously ill foi tho past week, and is now in a precarious condition.—P. A. The hundredth anniversary of the birth of Henry AVard Beecher, the famous American preacher, will be celebrated to-morrow. For 40 years ho preached in Plymouth Church, Brooklyn, attracting throughout immense congregations. Brooklyn citizens are celebrating tho occasion'by erecting a life-size statue and memorial buildings. , A very old resident of Wanganuj, the wife of Mr Gilbert Carson, passed away yesterday at the age of 77 year®. The deceased lady came out in one of four vessels which brought settlers to Albert Land. She was married in 188(3 at Auckland, thence going to Wellington. In 1874, the family went to Wanganui. Mies L. Wood, of the drapery firm of Messrs R. T). Lowers and Co., was yesterday entertained to afternooE tea and presented with a beautiful satin eiderdown quilt on the occasion of her approaching marriage. Mist Wood was very popular in the busi ness, at which she had spent six years. The firm and her co-worker? wished her every happiness and prosperity in her future home.

Sir Joseph Ward, responding to tin toast of "Lady Ward" at Wintoi (states the Dunedin Star correspond ent), said at times he was a hard mai to hold and direct, and had always re sented being bullied. He was prone 1 to be in a position to say that in hi; family life he had ■ a great deal tc be thankful for, and that in Lad; Ward he had a wife to whom wa: largely due any success ha had achiev ed in his public capacity. .He was pleased at .ladies in the gathering call ing for special cheers for Lady Ward and the reception of the toast gen erally indicated convincingly that hi; wife was esteemed by those who know her and respected by those who die not knOw her.

Sir James Carroll celebrated hi: birthday on Wednesday. 'lt is now 25 years since Sir James first enteret Parliament as, a. representative;of th> native race, representing the Easi Coast. Three years after his electioi Sir James stood for the European constituency of Gisbome, and was elected; and has continued to represent that district in the House of Representatives ever since. He joined tin Ballance Ministry in an honorary cap acity, but subsequently obtained full Cabinet rank as Native Minister. Hi went into Parliament with the lati Sir Arthur Guinness, the Rons. Duncan and Parata, and Mr F. Lawry, and now holds the record as the mem her with the longest continuous tern" to his credit. Sir James has recently been very seriously ill, but hopes tt be sufficiently well to take his place in the House before the end of th< present session.

Mr and Mrs Arthur Taylor, of Works worth (Eng.), enjoy the distinction o having been twice married in on. week. .They were married at Mat lock on June 24, when, owing to tht Primitive Methodist Chapel at Mat lock being in the hands of the decor ators, the permanent minister there of solemnised the marriage in the ad joining schoolroom. After the wed ded pair had gone on their honeymoo. it was discovered that the school was not licensed for the solemnisation o. marriages. The facts were forwarded to the Registrar-General for his decision, but to make assurance doubh sure the young couple decided to g< through the legal'part of the ceremon; again, and the second marriage tool place early on the morning of .Tun( 28 at the Primitive Methodist Chapel at Matlock. The second wedding was kept extremely quiet, only the young couple, the minister, and two relatives being present.

On Mme. Lillian Nordica's forthcoming tour of New Zealand, the worldfamous diva will he assisted by Mr Paul Dufault, the Canadian tenor, whose triumphs during the recent tour of Mme. De Cisneros are still vividly remembered; Mr Franklin Holding the distinguished violinist, and Mr Piomayne Simmons, the pianist, whose accompaniments have created somewhat of a sensation in Australia. The bookings for New Zealand are as follows: Auckland, September 17th, 20th and '22nd ; Wellington, September 2oth. 27th and 30th; Christthurch, October 4th and 6th. Owing to the theatre being solidly hooked in Ounedin, it is very doubtful whether Mme. Nordica and her aggregation of famous artists, will he able to visit that city. The tour is under the direction of Mr Frederic Sbipman, the welVknown Canadian impresario.