PERSONAL.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9595, 15 September 1909, Page 5

PERSONAL.

Mr Arthur Wing Pinero, recently knighted, and one of the soundest and moat successful of the English dramatists, is the pioneer of problem plays. He married Miss Myra Emily Holme, an actress, and first appeared in small parts as general utility actor at £1 per week. The Women's Social and Political League. of Wellington, intend to tender a social to Sir Joseph and Lady Ward on their return to New Zealand. The social is to be held on Monday, October 4th. Five hundred invitations have be-n sent out.

Miss Dolly Cistlea, who began her theatrical career under the J. C Williamson manacement with their Gilbert and Sulivan Company, and who is well-known to Masterton theatregoers is, according to recent advices from England, now appearing in London i.i an Indian musical love story, entitled "On Jhehun River," at the Aldwych Theatre.

During the summer vacation, Dr. W. A, Chappie late of Wellington, is taking his two eldest daughters to Germany while his wife takes the two youngest on a visit to friends in England. The eldest recently won the swimming championship of the Koedean Scnool at Brighton, and gained a silver, cup. Colonel Watt,, V.D., who has resigned the command of the 2nd Wellington Battalion Rifle Volunteers, '.became an ensign in the Wanganui Military Engineers in 1866, and was promoted Lieutenant Colonel in 1899. He has a record of unbroken service of upwards of forty-three years. Major Hughes, V.D., succeeds Colonel Watt in com mand of the, battalion. Captain Sandtmann. adjutant 4th Regiment, is promoted to be major. The Minister of Railways, Hon. J. A Millar, intends visiting the South before the session. He will leave to day and will open the extension of the Orepuke-Waiau line on Thursday. Next day he is ? due at Gore to open an extension of the Waikaia Switzers line, and he Will probably return to Wellington on Sunday. If possible he intends making a brief visit to Foxton before Parliament opens, to hear representations on harbour and railway matters from the local bodies.

Mr Charles Wm. Meacham, who was for many years connected with the New Zealand Treasury, died at Wellington yesterday morning aged 75. The deceased entered the Army when a young man, and was in the 40th Regiment when it came out to New Zealand to take part in the war with the Maoris. When hostilities closed he received his discharge, and settled in Auckland, where he married. He entered the Government service twenty-nine years ago. and for many years before his death he was clerk in charge of the lo perial Pensions Branch of the Treasury. He retired from the Public Service on Compensation in 1301, ar.d had since been living a retired life in Wellington. He had been in ill-health a considerable period, and some time ago he underwent an operation. He has left a widow and a family—one son and four daughters.

Mr John Gibb, one of the oldest and most prominent artists in the Dominion, died in Christchurch on Friday last. Mr Gibb was born in 1831 at Cumbernauld, Scotland, and studied under the late John Macken • zie, of Greenock. He afterwards exhibited for several years at the West of Scotland and the Glasgow Institute of Fine Arts. He arrived in the shin Merope, in Canterbury, in 1876, at a time when very little oil paint ing was being done in the Dominion. Mr Gibb's specialty as an artist (says the "Press") was in his wonderfully realistic treatment of water in,his many seascapes, and of the details of shipping. He was also excellent in his landscape work, and particularly so in the reproduction of the magnificent scenery of the West Coast Sounds and the West Coast Alpine scenery. He was a prolific painter, having exhibited no fewer than five hundred pictures on varied Bubjectßat the Canterbury Arc Society's exhibitions. His work is represented in several Australian and New Zealand crallerie3. One of his three sons, Mr W. Menzie Gibb, has also won distinction as an artist.

After a long illness, Mr William | James Foster, formerly of the Wellington City Council staff, passed away at Mitchelltown yesterday morning, aged 58. He was brought I up to the trade of a steam brick manufacturer, and remained at that ' occupation for ten years. He then obtained a situation at the Royal Steam Cooperage yard at Deptford. Altogether, he spent about three years at the iron trade. In 1874 he was married at Eastbourne, in Sussex. For some time before he left England he carried on buisness as a general storekeeper. A year s after his marriage he came out to .. New Zealand in the ship Mataura, ' landing in Nelson, whance he | proceeded to Blenheim, where he i was engaged as a road contractrr for t two years. From Marlboroueh he ! removed to Wellington, where he continued to reside up to the time of his death. He was clerk and engineer of the Kilbirnie Board, and when the Melrose borough was formed he became its town clerk and engineer, retaining the connection until Melrose was absorbed by the City Council under the Greater Wellington scheme. From then until his last illness he was employed by the City Council. Mr Foster always took a great interest in educational matters, and for years he was secretary of the Mitchelltown School Committee. A quiet, unassuming, and kindly disposed man, he was liked by all who knew him.