All Sports Of People

MR. F. W. Mansfield, the Chief Registrar -of Electors, who has been down with appendicitis, tells us that the paragraph about hamself m last weeks Lance proved such a terrific stimulant that he arose, "turned up" tlhe bed, and walked, and' has been pretty right ever since. The Lance ib now going to try its hand on oancer, consumption, sciatica, and all the other alls tnat nesh is hear to—it feels so like a patent medicine. • • • A popular Karon lewident passed away wnen Robert *'• WarJigtoui cliied last week. "Bob' nad. beeui re&axl'eiit m Wellington tor a score of yeait, and was at one time an toie soft-goodie line, but of recent years lie took up clerical work, and, up till a few day* before lias death was employed) -in the Treasury Department. He was only fifty-six years of age, and should Have lived longer, but life's the biggest gamble, after all, in spite of the Council of Churches. • • « Perhaps you don't know Gil Hoskinis, fcue man with the blaak butfcea-Hy tie, and the clean &nave. He is at present the manager for Fullers' Entertainers. Gil hasnt always been a Fuller manager, for goodness-knows how many years ago he was a little law boy with our Mr. J. J. Devrne, the great lawyer and afterwards City Councillor. Subsequently, Mr. Hoskin became a New York Lifer, and more subsequently still he was a waelder of cash in tne D.I.C. By the way, he is a Wellingtonian, and was educated at the Marist Brothers' School. Afterwards Gill P. was three years with Bjoss and! GlendajnanQg of this city, but he didn't know he was born until the "Guardian" (one of the forerunners of the Lance) secured has services as a cartoonist. His work in that print secured' for. him. the notice of theatrical folk, and) he went away to the West Coast with the Lyceum Dramatic Company (of whom Mr. Blake, lately here with Mac Mahon's people, was leading man). • • • Her Majesty's Treasury called Mr. Hoskins aftewards, and he was in the Government Buddings for five years. When he left the staff wept, and the chief clerk presented him with a gold watch. He was in the Treasury when "the voucher" passed through, or didn't pass through, or something. Relates that he filled out a voucher "Pay Gil P. Hoskins. £50 for valuable services rendered," and passed it in. The man to whom he handed it turned pale, and began .to move to the cash till until "Gil" tore it up. It illustrates how men may be misled. Started lightning sketching at the Wellington sixpenny "pops," when Mr. Oadzow ran them at the Skating Rink. Everyone he sketched is now dead, — Quean Victoria, Gladstone, Disraeli, and McKinlev. Curious coincidence that he and Johnny Fuller married 1 about the same time. "Johnny" is a father -now. Mrs. Gil P. is- an artist, and; paints, and Gil himself often watercolours with vigour. His first theatrical enterprise was with the Excelsior Minstrels, introduced by that gjenial pive^t. Father Ainsworth. and he •would do a turn now-a-dkys if Father A. gave the word.

Edwin H. Lemare, the giant mstaumentalist, who is making the Town Hall organ speak as it never spoke before, is an reality the most ordinary of individuals in appeal ance. A man of medium height, of medlmm years, well-fed, and runnung to in tons. decorative .scheme. He has a rather plxunp face, with a full, sandy mouistaehe, and rather sleepy eyes, an effect produced by eye-lids that only work half-time. But, on the organstool he becomes a wonderful being whose touch as divine mel'odv, and' wfoosle tone-calourinig is a blend of the dliamomd and opal in musical nuances. • • • It is an object-lesson to see Mr. Lemare's fingers creeping over the stop 3 with an almost feline instinct, while the melody sweeps on, openung out new vistas of glorious haimony, m which sunlight and shade, storm and calm, love and hatred, duill, aching misery, tears, comfort, and! bright hope follow one another out of that regiment of diull'y-gfcten.iiLg pipes. Mr. Lemare, oil the cdty organ, makes one feel that it is good' to be here, and, perhaps, he .has ai notion that it is not too badi after his experience' in San Francisco, which reminds us to suggest to him as a theme for original work am "Earthquake Symphony" for the organ, in a rumble, two shakes, a quiver, and a conflagration. • • • Mr. Lemaire. is the gentleman, whom Andrew Carnegie secured to play the organ at tne great hall in. Pittsbuirg. In fact, he only resigned the appointment last year, on account of his wife's ill-health. He is now en route for Melbourne, where he is to open the .reconstructed organ at the Town Hall. From the Wellington City Comical he is to receive £300 for sax recitals, and he is cheap ait the price ! Ma-. John C. Christie, who used to be on the "Evening Pices," m Wellington, and also held 1 a faeat iOir some years in the Parliamentary Press Gallery, has just assumed tne editorial chair of the "Bruce Herald," at Milton. For some years past JVlr. Christie has been located at Christcburch. The "Bruce HeraLd" Jaae just been bougiht by a local syndicate from Mr. R. A. Pyke, a son of the: well-remembered Vincent Pyke. R. A. Pyke has just bought the "Camb ridge Independent" from David Pirani, who established it and worked it up inito a profitable business sunce he and brother Fred sold out at Palmerston North. • • • Our old friend, George Woodward, of Arbor Day fame, dned at his resadence near the Esplanade Hotel, last week, regretted! by most people who knew him. For many years he was in the book-bindting department of the Goveirnment printing establishment, but resigned some eighteen' months ago on account of failing health. He was an old Thames identity, had speculated shrewdly, and was a firm holder of a solid little parcel of Waahi Company « shares, which made him feel "comfy" in his declining years. • • • Since the time he retired from Government employ, folk journeying Huttwards might have noticed a bi onzecomplexioned, grey-moustache d man sauntering .slowly about the Thorn don Esplanade. That was George Woodward, probably dreaming of a world of flowers and l bright green shrubs, for it was a hobby of the old man's, and it was mainly through hie efforts, some fourteen or fifteen years ago, that the Council undertook the beautificataon of the Thorndon Esplanade, which wall remain a monument to his memory. The late Mr. Woodward, who ww sixty-five yeans of age, leaves a daughter, who at one time was well-known on the local concert platform.

Tli-e Friendly Societies' Conference, held in Parliament Buildings last week, was remarkable for some unfriendliness, and a very large amount of oratory that would stand much boil-ing-down. Mr. Kane, an Auckland Hibernian, a quiet, self-contained brother, after having listened) to a string of personal reminiscences from a long list of delegate®, remarked • "If it's a friendly societies' matter go ahead wid it. If it has nothing in the- worrulld to do wid friendly societies let it rip!" But no one took any notice. Every body wanted to say what he had l done for friendly societies generally. * • • The two orators of the Conference were Mr. Moffatt, of Nelson, and Mr. Everett, ot Motueka. ALI friendly societies were represented, therefore when Mr. Everett remarked that quite a Jot of societies were "■rooks, robbers, and swindlers," one just wondered, nothing more. Mr. Moffatt has a pretty gift of speech. After listening to "the iconoclastic oratorical effu&iton. from my importunate friend," he would begin and go away on &ni absolute word-bender. ♦ ♦ » Mr. Dines, a delegate from Auckland, epoke feelingly against the raosing of fees. He was the fattier of twelve children, and there were othere (also evidently the fathers of twelve cluldiren) who would rather fees were not raised. Mr. Dines, despite his dozen young Dines', appeared to have dined well, for he us portly-looking and prosperous. And Dines, too, by the way, found time to try and convert some of the brethren to his conviction that the world is pat. There are certainly an awful lot of flats in it. The fact that a well-known local forester was in the habit of alluding to "the hactuarial report and the Hancient Harder of Hibernians," didn't matter much, for he is always most picturesque and convincing. • • • Mr. Salek, also, started well, and kept going. He seems not to have got on well with doctors. Druid James Mackay, of the Labour Department, is of opinion that the Medical Association is the strongest trades union in existence. James's idea, which he express - ed on several occasions, was that the friendly societies' delegates were conferring with an idea of discussing fnendiy societies' matters and not for the purpose of discussing questions that didn't matter. SteeplechaaLng over mere hurdles of words occupied much of the time, and Mr. Leigh Hunt, the young president (he is the manager of a local "Farmers' " stores), wasn't too severe on the verbal culprits. However, the Conference may have done a lot of good, and mad© the doctors feel queer, and the friendly societies' medicos more hopeful. The Government concession of fares both ways for delegates was responsible for the big muster. • • • Mr. Matthew Fowlds, the centenarian father of Mr. George Fowlds, M.H.R. for Auckland, seems to have been the centre of a very enthusiastic demonstration of gladness at his great age the other day. It so happened: that other New Zealand celebrities besides the Auckland member were in Britain at the time, although King Dick and his contemporary monarch, Edward, could not accept the invitation, to be present. Mr. Fowlds is a relic of the past in more ways than one, for besides having lived in the rei<ms 'of five British sovereigns he always) wan a hand-loom weaver, and confnues to use the ancient instrument to this day. It is interesting to contemplate the hiprh posiion Mr. Fowlds the, eilder might have occupied had like his well-known son, grasoed the opportunities the col on v affords to Scotsmen who desire to "get on."

Father Henry W. deary, editor of the Catholic organ, "The Tablet," puk. lushed at Dunedm, was in Wellingto* last week, and found time to make a friendly call upon the Lance. He has been editor of "The Tablet" eight years, and is a bard hitter. Being am Irishman, it goes without saying that he has a sense of humour. Tlhe Wellington Council of Churches amuses Mm. It amuses many people besides Catholics. Busybodies always do. Father deary is an Irishman with, high cheek bones and a smile. He is "forty years old, and nothing has ever happened t* me." No? No, not even since he took up the cudgels against the fulminating parsons of Wellington, and wrote that brilliant and! oaius. tto reductio ad absurdum on the subject of alleged _ gambling at Catholic bazaare. You ,see, the priest had just taken the trouble to know what he; was writing about. , • • • The reverend editor has looked further afieJdi than Ireland since he left Maynooth. For instance, he put in several years in Italy, France, and Spain gathering im knowledge, but the actualities of things struck him most forcibly in Victoria, where he worked for ten years. For eight years he was in the western districts, and 1 anybody that knows anything about that part of the world knows tba^ a rwiest's lot there is not a bed' of roses. In fact, a man misht get corns on his knees from foard-riddne:, andl corns on his heart from the littleness of "the result® of hard slogging. * • m Constant toil unsettled Father deary's health, and, as the "Tablet" wanted an editor, Father Cleary wanib-' ed! the job — andl igot it. He htadi previously not journalised, buib had a good scholastic education. What was worth a great deal more to him, however, was a wide experience of mean in the rough in mainy lands. Altogether apart from religious oonsidleirations, Father deary is just an upright Irish gentleman, likely to fire up at times, ready to fight, and to shake hands) when time is called. And', not apart from religious consideratdionß at all, he is doing oood work for the Church of which lie is a dievoted son. » » • Mis© Rosina Bxickmann, the clever New Zeialand operatic artdsti, with Stephenson's "Mooosh Maidi" Company, is getting much interviewed on the other side. Moss Buokmanin, says 6he loves singing in the "Moorash Maid" because the music is very nearly grand l opera, and she is 1 aching to sing in grand opera. Tells a story about her passion for bursting out into whistling which "professionals" look upon with much superstition. Shehas been asked several times to curb her propensity to whistle in her dress-ing-room, and has been turned) out because she forgot the warning! • • • Miss Buckmann says that when she* went Home first she was going from London to Birmingham, and was carried almost to Edinburgh. She: got quite lost, and l the stationmaster found her weeping. He took compassion <xl her, and sent her back by the next express. She went there from, a wayback town in New Zealand wherethere was only one shop and ome school and where houses were miles apart. There was not even an hotel or town hall. She tells how she was returning from London to the provinces, and, while in the train, she amused' herself by shrieking an imitation 1 of tine engine whistle. The. train was stopped, andl the guard came along to see the corpse, for he felt that someone was being murdered. The incident was reported*, and her friends remarked that she must have been singing!

Miss Amy Murphy tripped through Wellington the other day, en loute for the North, where she is to sing m company with Te Rangi Pai (the exMaori princess, Mrs. Howie). Amy is just a streiak of sunlight always, but on this occasion — "Oh, the valencienues and the torchon!" — she was sunnier than ever by reason of that tricky little hard-knocker of a hat — a gent's trimmed bowler of dimmuitive size (they are the latest you know, and our Amy is never veay late). It is understood that her Auckland appearance has been reserved for something special and that is a vooal and elocutionary recital by herself and Mr. J. M. Clark, of Wellington, New Zealand's best reciter. • • • S'ignor Marconi, the young Italian inventor, isn't daunted' by trifles. He promises that in ten years, if not Jess, we shall be sending etheirgraph messages to the inhabitants of Mars. In fact, he says it is possible to send these wireless messages even now. If Mars Tespondls, Signor Marconi tells tie we may prepare for "a flood of information which will roll in as fast as our intelligence ca.n comprehend it." Some Wellington speculators who are interested in the Taranaki oil-wells are anxious fox the Martian telegraph office to open. They want to be fir^t in the field to get options over any oilwells there may be in the sister planet. • * * Lest one should try to take a fall out of a quiet-looking sailor-man off H.M.S. Encounter (lately added to the Australian squadron), round here sometime, it would 1 be as well to enquire if the tar is Sergeant-at-arms Wray. If it is Wray, sheer off. and get steam up, and quit, vamoose, skedaddle, even if you blow your cylinder out. Sergeant-at-arms Wray is the champion wrestler of the British Navy. This 1 isn't quite where the young person stops. He is the champion weight-lifter of England. Sandow refund to meet him. Sandow. you see, is of higher rank than a naval petty officer. • • • Besides lifting things, thos man of muaclei is jiu jitsu champion of England. He has met and defeated some of the Jap cracks. Tara Nyake, the champion jiu jateu wrestler of the world, endeavoured to break Mx. Wrays neck, and Wray is the ouly man under twelve stone who has been allowed' to meet the "Devil" as Nyake is affectionately called. Don't get angry with Mr. Wray. You might strain yourself. Amos Burr — what a name for a Robeii* Louis Stevenson, pirate — terminated an interesting existence at Brooklyn a few years ago. Mr. Burr arrived in Wellington, or rather at Petone, in the New Zealand Land Company's surveying eihip Cuba, as far back as 1840, at which time he was only eighteen years old. Thd old ship was, a few weteks after her arrival, ordered away to the Chathams, where the company's solicitor, Mr. R. D. Hansen, was to negotiate for the purchase of the group, a proceeding altogether Illegal, as the islands were outside the company's area of operations, and which led to serious complications • • ♦ The departure or arrival of any ves>sel in those days was an event, and, to mark the. Cuba's departure, a salutle was fired from the &hip J6J 6 guns. Burr was completing the loading — muzzle loading — of an old piece, when, in ramming the charge home, concussion was caused,, the gun, went off, and Burr's anrms, Which were in tibe way, became horribly mangled. He was taken ashore as quickly as possible, and' carried to the company's store, where Dr. Stokes informed him that both arms would have to be amputated. "All right, doctor," said Amos, "but be quick about it." The doctor took !bimi at his word, made a good job of it, and Burr, blessed with a fine constitution, pulled through, and was actually about again in a fortnight. • • • Mi-. Burr later on equipped) himseJf with jointed wooden arms, with wlhaoh he was almost as adept as many unafflicted. He afterwardis settled in Foxton, and for some time in tine dim p.aet was in charge of an accommodation house and fenry <m the merry Manawatu. Mr. Burr was one of those rough, hardy, old-timers tlhat no sort of hardship couldi affect, and, lake that stamp of western Englianden 1 , was fond of his grog. Wiibh the hook of 'bis left (wooden) arm he would place nis pot of cheer in tihe crook of his right arm, close the mechanical elbow on it, and, with the left hook underneath, would raise it to his lips. It is said that he could even write a decent hand! by holding, the pen between his teeth. He is one of tihe few that might ihave been able to tell the historians that are to be shortly appointed by tihe Government to collect matter about the early days from such people as Amos Burr. They have missed him — so will others.

The fears that were excited last month by the. Australian cable man over the mysterious .disappearance in Sydney of the Rev. T. A. James, Methodist clergyman, are now calming down. It was the nrst of April — suggestive date — when the parson toad© good-bye to his wife in far-away Albany (Northern Australia), and when he didn't turn up in Sydney it was variously repotrtedi lie was di owned, had been murdered, or had been spirited away to the Islands. Now, however, tihe rumour is working its way through! the press that the Rev. Mr. James has not gone to the bottom of Port Jackson to feedl the sharks, but merely to Canada with a young woman. • • • Mr. "Jack" Hornblow, tihe restless little black-eyed man from Greytown, has cut adlrift from the "Standard" there. "Jack" took lioLd 1 of that papier two and a-half years ago, and cleaned! it up until at didn't know itself. It appeared in a new suit — the experienced printer began to show through. But, John is ambitious, and he bas said it ta Mr. McCracken as a good, going concern. Mr. Hortnblow was reared on printer's ink, and was given "oompo-" to cut his teeth on. He has been most things in a news office, from devil to editor. « * * 'Jack" saw liis toughest time in Wellington. No job, no money, and a new kiddy. Riushed around, and held up articles for sale at auction rooms. Made a deal here, and got a few "bob" out of it, canvassed for "adb." and got enough to buy tlhree meals a-day. Had a go with Mr. London at Petone "Chronicle," got his head above water, went to Pahiatua, and put in three years on the "Herald," l«ft there, and took hold' of the Greytown "Standard." "Jack" is a tourist at present, looking for anotlher paper. A newspaper man ojs like a foßsdcker — once he has discovered colours of ink he keeps om digging. Mr. Hornblow holds the kind of strong views and' opinion® that won't hurt any dieoent paper in New Zealand. The staff of the Greytowin "Standard" gathered round John K. the other day, and made him some nice presents, and' gave him an address. He didn't know what was going to happen until it happened.

"Banjo" Patereon, who wrote "Tlie Man from Snowy River" and other poems, and) who lectured in. Wellington after has return from the Boer war, lias been sticking closely to journalism ever sine© he gave up the Law. He has just given up editing the Sydney "Evening News," to step anto the smugger billet of editor of its weekly, •'The Town and Country Journal." • • • Neville MoWilliam, the born-blind barrister of New South ■ Wales, is something of a marvel. Having not the slightest knowledge of how things looked, he had to invent devices for learning many things. Also, he mr vented a system of Braille, shorthand so that he can take speeches. He plays football, and is a big man in a scrum. How he manages is hard to say. He swims well, and is a fine piano player and a brilliant improviser. Also, he sings well. His two sisters did the reading when he was being coached for his exams. When he went to take the oath, he bounded up the steps like a two-year-old, a-nd made hie way to the judge's associate. He had o-nlly once been over the ground before. • • • Mr. Frank Beami&h, of the Poet Office, detailed to build a book on the Boer bother and the part taken by New Zealand soldiers in its settlement, is pegging away at the task prevkxuely thrown up by former authors. What stuck up Frank's predecessors is not known, but what sticks up Mr. Beamish is the Fifth Contingent. All tihat is known of the Fifth seem to be that a troop garrisoned Tuli, anotiher somewhere else, another Mafekdng, and another wemt on trek for a couple' of months and then garrisoned Heavenknowswheire (near the Basuitoland border or something). • • • The book lags because no Fifth Contingeaiter thought matters were important enough to warrant being put in a diary. Mr. Beamish has, consequently, been puibting in a lot of midnight oil -writing to "Fifth" men. but up to now no member of that Contingent knows whether tin© corps went away, or stayed home, or got lost, or anything. If there are any of this regiment still above ground who aire sensitive as to the glory and^ honour won or lost by hi 6 crowd, let Idm come

to a bead, and permit his news to burst with a loud bang in room number 5, Parliamentary Buildings, Wellington, where Frank ds now wrestling with his ten-tenitacled 1 octopus. • • « Mr. Harry Diver, the asthetioally-atr-tired actor, who passed through "Wellington the other day as a member of Andersons Dramatic Company, is a eon of the late Dr. Diver, formerly of Wellington, who died nearly a score of years ago, but who is still remembered! for his brueque kindness and respected for his medical skill. Harry , always had! a liking for the stage, which in those da^s was regarded as" a very pit of degradation, but, beinio- a (rather headstrong vou>n.g man, he practically defied' the old gentleman. • • • No doubt t^e fact that Dr. Diver for years resided opposite the Theatre Royal, in Johnston-street (now Dr. Henry's) had much to ao with fostering Harry's taste for the boards, but, whatever was the cause, he has developed!^ into a rema-rkablv clever andi impressive actor, whose impersonations are _ enhanced! by a clean-out, intensity that lifts Mwn above the beef amdi beer-fed ac+or. Harry as the husband 1 of Miws Helen Burdette, the lady lead with the Anderson. Company. • • ' * Mr. James M. Fleming, associate of the Ne-w Zealand Accountants'" and Auditors' Association, of Eastbourne, winch is to have a mayor andl council pretty soon, us a candidate tor a oouincillorship. "Jim" isn't a bad iiand behind a pen, a rvfle, or a fishing rod; For eight years be w-as withi the firm of Badham and Biss, accountants, t!he last tnree or four years of which term he was managing clerk. Mr. Biss, one of the brainiest councillors Wellington has yet gathered in, is rather a good pattern for a coundllor-presumptiLve to follow. • * • Mr. Fleming has had a small taste of public service as a school and 1 Ratepayers' Association oommitteeman, and, of course, being an accountant, he is strong on finance. About once a-year James mysteriously disappears up the Waararapa! with a rifle, scone tucker, and ammunition, after deer, or goats, or anything shootabJe. He tells about his smellful adventure with a laree, one-horned billy-goat on tin© highest ramge at Orongorongo, and of the successes and non-successes of has rod in tb© nea<r-bv trout streams. At present he is secretary for Messrs. Tunbull and Jones, electricians, and is a brother of Chief-inspector Fleming, of the Education Department. \