QUITE A ROMANCE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 66, 6 August 1914, Page 7

QUITE A ROMANCE.

BARONET IN THE CORPORATION EMPLOY. As long ago as 1900, before the Welling corporation took over the electee lighting from the New Zealand Electrical Syndicate, a Mr. J. A. C. Campbell, was engaged first as a street lineman, and then in the test room, and subsequently as an inspector of installations and street lines. When in 1908 the workspassed into the hands of the Corporation, Mr Campbell .retained the position in which he had proved himself to be a stead.., painstaking and capable electrical engineer. About six 'weeks ag> Mr Campbell found that he had occasion to ask the Corporation's indulgence in the matter of granting him six months' leave of absence. Through the death of his father, the last Colonel Sir Alexander Campbell, of Kirkleride, Scotland, he had succeeded to a baronetcy anil larg'e estates in Scotland, which, in response to a letter from the family lawyer, he has now gone liome to claim. The full name of the new baronet is Sir John Alexander Coldstream Campbell, who is, by the way, a cousin of Mr 0. F. C. Campbell, Secretary to tiie Treasury. It appears that many years ago the fate Sir Alexander Campbell married :t second time, and as the altered conditions at home did not suit the present baronet (then the younger son), he decided to leave the Old Country altogether and work for his living how and where he could. He was at Baden, (in Germany) for a time and was also in France, in which places he studied electrical work. Later he went to America, and went in for ranching in California. Finding that the life did not suit him, he ventured across the Pacific, and arriving in Wellington, aplied for work to Mr George Lauehlan, the Electric Syndicate's lines foreman. Ho produced his credentials, and Mr Laughlan, seeing that they were good ones, said he was afraid that he 'had nothing good enough to offer him. Still, they were very busy at line work, and said that he could go on to that work if ho felt so disposed. The offer was eagerly accepted, and tile next morning he was cheerfully trundling a hand-cart from the station to Waterloo Quay, where he worked for about a week.

When Mr Laughlan inspected the work, ho saw that it was exceedingly w.cll done, and turned to ask the foreman who had done the job. "Oh Gussy there, the kid-gloved chap you sent down to me." "Well, if that's the case," retorted Mr Laughlan, "I wish you would get kid gloves and turn out work like that." A day or two later Mr Campbell was transferred to the test room, and later on was made an inspector. After Sis' John Campbell has told his tale, when getting leave of absence. Mr Laughlan made to bid him a long fnr"well. but the baronet said that he had not the slightest intention of remaining' m Scotland, title or no title. lie had been perfectly happy in Wellington —happy at his work and happy jog"iic around in his motor-car at week-end? and rated the aristocratic life of Scotland as a deal less enjoyable than Ims lot here. ' * It should he mentioned that Mr Campbell ],„([ become the heir to the baronetcy before he came to Now Zealand owing to the death of his elder brother i» the South African eamimigii.—Dominion. p