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New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXVII, Issue 51, 21 December 1899, Page 31

The Aoadcnby has a very poor opinion of Mr. Swiuburne's sonnet on the South African war. Saya oar contemporary :'lt is not patriotic poetry, it is not poetry of any kind ; it is hysteria.' i Tn a letter to a correspondent in Wellington, Sir William Preece, the well-known electrical engineer, mentions that he has succeeded in telephoning a distance of two miles without the aid of connecting 1 wires. -^—ygpg It is reported from the White Kile that Major Fraderiok Lenox Predergast, R.M., second in command of the Ninth Soudanese Regiment, has died from the effects of a wound accidently received while with the Sirdar's expedition on October 24. Sir John and Lady Arnott are shortly leaving Severnlejgh Bristol, for Ireland, where they purpose in future residing- , as since his father's death Sir John has become the head of the many business concerns, including the Irish Time*, which belonged to the late Sir John Arnott. Miss Anna Elizabeth Klumpke, of San Francisco, to whom Rosa Bonheur left her large fortune, has decided to give one-half of the amount to Mme. Bonheur' s relatives, all of whom were disinherited and who were preparing to contest the will. All the paintings and other valuables left by the artist will consequently be sold, The retirement of Messrs. Thompson and Cadman from jthe Ministry will necessitate the rearrangement of portfolios. Among those mentioned as likely to be called to the Ministry is Mr. James McGowan, the member for Thames. Mr. MoGowan is a native of Belfast, Ireland. He went to Auckland in 1866. In the old days, when Sir Frederick Whitaker was president, Mr. McGowan was a member of the Auckland Mechanics' Institute. He went to the Thames in 1870, and was chairman of the School Committee for many years. He was the means of changing the Thames Mechanics' Institute into the first public library in the province. He has twice filled the mayoral chair and acted as chairman of the Harbour Board. Mr. McGowan filled the post of junior Government whip during the last Parliament, and has a thoroujjhjknowledge of mining and mining laws, so that as Minister of Mines he would be thoroughly conversant with the requirements of the post.