PERSONAL

Observer, Volume 3, Issue 72, 28 January 1882, Page 310

PERSONAL

— Mr Mears was married on Wednesday week. — Miss Sampson's sweet voice is a welcome addition to St. AndreAv's choir. — Mr W. Meat yard, of Bombay Settlement, is engaged to Miss Buttimore. — The engagement between Miss Clendon and Mr Wood, of Wangarei, is denied. — Constable Bowman has taken unto himself a wife and is happy. — The Waiwera Hotel has been full to overflowing these last few weeks. — An engagement is announced between Miss Tottie Carlyle and Mr C. Burns. —A marriage will shortly take place between Miss Emily Honeycombe and Mr Robert Cundall. — Judge and Mrs Hackett have returned from Waiwera and are now staying at the Star Hotel. — Mr Morrison has returned from Waiwera and taken up his quarters at the Star Hotel. — Mrs G-wynne, the enterprising manager of the Junction Hotel at Epsom, is said to be engaged to be married to a well-known jockey. — There is a marriage on the tapis between Mr M. Sheehan, of Jones' saddlery establishment, and Miss Mary Ann Wheelan, of Wakefield-street. — Mr T. Pigott, of the Bombay Settlement, died of consumption on tlie 10th inst. He leaves a wife and six children. — It may not be generally known that George Didsbury, the Government Printer, learnt his trade on the New Zealander, in this city. — Who was the old party who intruded himself at the Mayor's garden party, made free with the strawberries, and was promptly ejected. — Mr T. Wylie, a modest young butcher at Papatotoi, has been trying to captivate some of the Otahuhu young ladies. — It is reported that Mr John McCarthy, of Otahuhu, is about to enter into the holy bonds of matrimony. — The current question in Otahuhu iioav is, " where does Mr James Breadon spend his Sundays ?" Can it really be Ponsonby ? — An engagement is announced between Mr Philip Brady, of Otahuhu, and Miss Flynn, of Ponsonby. — A Coromandel correspondent says : " Jim Blenkinsop has given up mining to join Beveridge and party, and is teaching them how to survey." — What caused the members of the Artillery Band so much amusement when they Avere looking through the binoculars on Saturday week, at Cobley's Beach? — A "joker" at Coromandel wants to know why Bill Wiggins runs away when he sees the barber's dog ? Perhaps William will oblige and tell us. ■ — Amongst those who went down to Orakei on board the City of Cork to fetch TaAvhaio may be mentioned Mr Cecil Tobin, of Kaipara. For some reason or other the daily papers omitted this gentleman's name. — A certain young man of our acquaintance makes a daily pilgrimage to Martin and Partington's studio. He says the portraits of a trinity of beauty — the three prettiest girls in Auckland, are there displayed. — Dr Osborne (ex-resident physician at the Birmingham Hospital) returned from the Hot Lakes by the s.s. Wellington on Sunday, and left for Cliristchurch by the Hawea on Tuesday. — Prince Albert Edward Angerstein returned by the Rose Casey to Aucklaud on Monday, and sat in the boAvs of the vessel, Avhere he was so much admired that several persons suggested a wooden bust, representing his aristocratic phiz, should be modelled and attached permanently to the steamer's bows. — Mr G. McCulloch, of Wellington-street, and Miss Martha Graham, of Hepburn-street, Avere to be united in the bond of matrimony on Monday, the 23rd, at the Pitt-street Wesleyan .Chapel. The bridesmaids Avere Miss Grice, of NeAvmarkct, and Miss Terry, of Wellington-street. — -Miss Gordon Cumming (the Governor's niece), in her Avork "At Home in Fiji" says the Fijian synonym for the English Avord doctor .means " carpenter of death ." A Levuka physician, discovering the fact, substituted a new term signifying " man of life." — " W. H. W.," of the Canterbury Times, learns that "should Mr Coppin's health continue to improve as it has dono lately, he aaoll endeavour to take a public fare .veil of his many friends in New Zealand." Of the latter there are a good many in Dunedin, who will be delighted to see "Paul Pry" and the family gingham again. — George Rignold ("Handsome George") has just arrived at Adelaide, and means to play through Australia and NeAV Zealand. His chief production will be " Youth," Avhich has drawn such crowds at Drury Lane during the autumn and " The Lights o' London," the famous melodrama iioav running at the Princesses, London. — When TaAvhiao Avas at the North Shore on Sunday afternoon he was observed in an act Avhich, looked at from a kingly point of view, must be considered very undignified. Along with half-a--dozen folloAvers (no Europeans being present) he was passing up the road running from the Masonic Hotel towards Vauxhall. Having to cross a ditch to get upon the footpath Ta .vhiao, taking the lead, started off at a gentle run and jumping. well, alit gracefully (for a savage) on the opposite side. The daily journals missed the item. — A photographer, who has recently opened near Upper Queen- street, has hit upon a novel idea of bringing defaulting creditors to the scratch. Persons, it would appear, are in the habit of having their photos taken and never troubling to return for them, probably with the view of having them exhibited publicly at a cost of nil. The new system adopted is to place the unpaid-for cards in a prominent place as usual with something after this style written on the face, "Mr may have his photos upon pay-

ment of 10s." "Miss : Cards have not yet been paid for." We fancy these young folks Avill pay next time they require their photos taken.

— Mr Kenneth Millais, who arrived from the Lakes on Tuesday and left for Christchurch per HaAvea, is the eldest son of the famous artist of that name, and a dabbler in water colours himself. He oaviis half the Live Stock Journal (a London weekly of repute amongst agricultural communities) and is one of the greatest livingauthorities on dogs. Mr Millais has been travelling- through the Australias for the last few montlis and has seen pretty nearly everything. He has formed some decided ideas as to Colonial society, Avhich will be embodied in an interesting volume describing his travels and illustrated Avith apropos sketches.

— Mr J. C Firth is really intolerably conceited and snobbish in some things. Amongst TaAvhiao's most intimate friends is Mr Ellis, of Aotea. He resides near the King in the Waikato, is his special storekeeper, and came to Auckland at the old man's request. Under these circumstances, it might be thought tliat Mr Firth would have sent him a ticket for tho afternoon feed at the Castle (! ! Heaven save the mark). Nothing of the kind. Mr Ellis is a storekeeper, and therefore not fit to associate with the Remuera clique, most of Avhom, as Aye all know, are only shopmen themselves. Mr T. B. Hill, however, couldn't believe in such snobbishness, and thought there must be some mistake. He therefore wrote to Mr Firth explaining the circumstances, and asking that a card might be sent to Mr Ellis. Did he get a reply ? Certainly not. Josiah Clifton calmly ignored him and his letter, and Mr Ellis found himself left out in the cold.

— The late Mr Mellish, Resident Magistrate at Christchurch avlio died the other day, had a somoAvhafc eventful career. He completed his education at Pembroke and Exeter Colleges, Oxford, and Avas knoAvn as one of the Un.A'ersity athletes. In IS5_ he rowed No. 7 in the 'Varsity boat race, and contributed in a no small degree to Oxford's victory. Shortly after this, Mellish adopted the profession of arms, rcceiA'ing a commission in the 44th regiment and Avent through the Crimean campaign. After the Avar he left the service and sailed for the colonies. He first made South Australia his habitat, but subsequently came to Ncav Zealand, AA-here he tried sheep farming. The project didn't gee and Mr Hellish visited this city and offered his services to the Government, Avho Avere then in the thick of tho Waikato Avar. He received a commission of captain in the 4th Waikato Militia, and at the conclusion of the AvaiyAvas appointed Resident Magistrate — a position lie held till his death.