PERSONAL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8270, 15 October 1915, Page 4

PERSONAL.

The Mayor (Mr Robert Galbraith), who has been an inmate of the " Oakhurst" Private Hospital for some time, and who recently underwent a serious operation, is now progressing satisfactorily, though he is not yet out of bed.

A very pleasant ceremony took placo during the interval' at the Methvon Pictures on Tuesday evening, when the Rev. 6. K. Aitken, on behalf oi." the residents of Mothven, presented wristlet watches to six members of tho reinforcements. Appropriate speeches were made by the Rev. G. K. Aitken, the Rev. Dr. J. A. Kennedy, the Rev. Mr Tyson, and Mr T. Dohorty. An apology was read from Mr W.? Morgan (chairman of the Patriotic Committee), who, owing to illness, was linable to be present. The recipients, who leave for Trentham on Monday, were Messrs Law, Mcßae'j 'Manning, Nee, Neill, and , \Yarr ington.—Methv.en , Correspondent. * t

The members of the Atehburton Citizens' Defence Corps Band paid a surprise visit to the, house of the president (Mr G. Hosken), in Alford Forest Road, and made presentations to three of their number who were leaving for, the war —Messrs J. Ede, C. \Jessop, and' G. Hosken,'junior. -The. bandmaster (Mr. S.B. Dennis)'handed; to each'of the .departing ': soldiers a 1 -wristlet watch?, 1 and congratulated them on their action iii enlisting. After the recipients had responded, the re- j mainder of the evening was spent in a social manner. Altogether .eight, members of the band are at- the war or are on their way to join the fighting; forces, and more are likely to follow.

General Michael Savoff, the noted Bulgarian soldier, who is unable to forget the gratitude that his country owes to Russia as its " liberator" from the Ottoman yoke, has made a definite announcement of, his attitude in the present crisis- by declaring that every Bulgarian who takes up arm* against the Russians is a traitor to his country. General Savoff, who had, the direction of the allied Balkan armies in the war of 1912-13, is very popular with the army, and his words may be expected to have considerable influence. The general, who is 58 years of age, has Had a long military training. As a young man of 21 he entered the military school at Sofia, in 1878, and received the rank of lieutenant in the Eastern Roumelian Army in the following year. In 1881 he proceeded to St. Petersburg, where for four years he pursued his military studies in the Academy of the General Staff. He returned to Bulgaria in 1885; and took part in the revolution- of that year,* which resulted in the -union of Eastern Roumelin, with Biilgrria, and afterwards distinguished himself in the battle- of Slivnitza. where he was wounded, nnd "timed tlm decoration of the Order of Bravery. This episodo brought him to the notice of Stambuloff, Bulgaria's man of destiny, whose verdict on Savoff. has been quoted as " disagreeable bait efficient.'.' " ' After; occupying various military appoint-, ments, General Savoff became assistant to the Minister for War in 1887, and in that capacity began his great work of military organisation, the results of which were ro manifest in the first of the late Balkan wars. In 1891 and again in 1903 he became Minister for War, the second term lasting until 1907.