People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, 3 September 1908, Page 28

People We Hear About

. Lord Charles Bcresford, , whose actions recently were much' criticised by Parliament and "the press, says: •"! '-am -now sixtytwo years old, and since I have entirely given up wine,""spirits, and beer I find I can do as much work, or more, physically and mentally, than I could do when I - was' thirty. I am- always well, always cheery, laugh at the downs of life equally with the ups, and always feel fit and in condition. If ..only some' of the young men would try going without liquor for three months, I do not believe they would think liqilor at all necessary 'again.' Mr. Joseph Devlin, M.P., who entertained Mr^ Kidston, Premier of Queensland, on his' visit to Belfast las^ week; began his political career at a particularly early age. . He was only • thirteen or fourteen years of age when he astonished Mr. Sexton, as chairman of a meeting of the Sexton Debating Society „ in West Belfast, with the^ahiHty and capacity for public 'speaking he displayed. when he welcomed him to that juvenile assembjy. Since then he has developed marvellously as a public man. He is,. above all things, a great organiser, and his tact and judgment are remarkable in so young a man. Not only has he helped to' defeat the Tory Party of Belfast, but he has become -the representative of the constituency in which Tie was tiorßf and the one above all others in .Ireland whicfrhe would like .to IKb able to speak, for in the House of Commons. - To add tojiis triumph, he was returned unopposed for North Kilkenny.. • : ,- .. V -. Since his marriage four years ago we have not h'eafd' quite so many stories concerning the shabbiness of the clothes often worn by the Duke of Norfolk.. Prior to his marriage, however, someone said he was the worst-dressed man in. London., This was probably an exaggeration, although his' Grace's disregard for^ dress has placed him in one or two embarrassing situations. A - lady once accosted him in Rome with the question, 'You are one of Cook's men, aren't you? Please help me with my luggage ; while on another occasion a butcher's boy at Arundel not recognising the Duke, shouted, ' Hi, mister, give us a hand with this bicycle.' Another story comes" from Portsmouth to the effect that the" Duke went to a shop .to order something where the shopkeeper, having advertised' for" an assistant, had been sending away applicants all morning. 'Too late- my man,' he said to the Duke, as the latter entered the door •' • the post is filled.' - - • '"•v,-^*-- « SOlUte a fighter as ever drew breath > the late Sir Redvers- Boiler was a soldier whom Tommy, Atkins loved. Stem ..but just, he would not use fifteen words when ten. would suffice •M n VI' ar COrres P? ndent described him as 'a silent, saturnine, bloodthirsty man'; but he was jcbagrined because Sir- Redvers " , would not talk-a characteristic *&U#ally . regarded as little less „ than a crime by members of «v? press. Sir Redvers 's conception of duty may be gathered from what was, perhaps,' the /•most sensational incident of his career-namely; the death of Jhe Prince Imperial, in -,879. • The' Prince was attached to «be •div,sion. of which Sir Redvers had Command, and when the late Captain .Carry, who was with the Prince at the time .of h,s death, arrived in camp and told the story of how the Pnnce had been killed by the Zulus, the General made -no com"Sri 11 ", m th6n> in quiet '^incisive- tones, remarked,, And why are you alive, . Captain Carry?' ... One of the most prominent characteristics of Sir Robert Hart who has retired after- 54 years' "administrative work in China' is his extreme punctuality. He has-always lived- by the clock' for he says that was the only way in which he could get through his work To his guests he would say:"' Your early tea will ' be brought to you when you- ring:- -Please ring once only holding .the button pressed while you count three. Then wM il be convenient to you to tiffin at xa . sharp? -If not, I will iffin ~3V! "' Th" ° rdCr f ° r yy ° U at you 'like ISe : from 3 to- 5; there „ always a mount for you if you wish -me at r" V^T' «"»-!»■* *» * always excuse ■^do^kworlc A(Tf T GVeryth >^ in hss -office went like p.m. the books wore again opened and every c 'jeA had ,0 ■ '"£■•"£ ,, N ° ChanCe «■-*>** «W ie L £pS