LOOKING BACK.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 250, 30 July 1940, Page 4

LOOKING BACK.

FIFTY YEARS SYNE (From the* “Guardian,” July 30, 1890) Company at Ashburton—The D’Orsay Ogden Company opened their season in Ashburton last night to a fairly wellfilled house. Unfortunately, time, tide and trains wait for no- man; and, as the stage carpenter and mechanician had found out this fact that day; the company apeared with a not very, well found stage. Mr J. J. Kennedy, . a well-known actor, left the .company, at short notice to fulfil an engagement elsewhere, and his namesakp, also a wel-known figure on the colonial stage, was pressed into service. He took the parts of the “Coroner” and “Bucket” in “Bleak House.” His conception of the latter part was greatly amiss, and he was a long way from letter perfect, and the prompter’s voice was in consequence a good deal louder than the tick of a clock. In the little comedy of “Festus and Stella” the! burden of the piece was borne by Miss Helen Fergus and Mr L. Dunbar. The “niece de A'o- - the hill was “Bleak House” in which Baby Ogden appeared as “Jo.” The little maiden has lost none of her ability since her last appearance ■ in Ashburton, and her portrayal of the poor crossing sweeper was worthy cf all praise. Mis Helen Fergus as usual took the parts of “Lady Deadlock” and “Hortense,’ the French lady’s, maid, and her acting was beyond cavil, so also was that of Mr Laurie Dunlbar as “Tulkinghorn.” TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AG? (From the “Guardian,” July .30, 1915). *• Sinking of Lusitania-—The'; ‘‘Languerre S'ociale” publishes '• a German Socialist’s narrative purporting to be Commander Horsing’s’account of the sinking of the Lusitania. .When orders to sink the vessel reached 1 Heligoland, all the officers were indignant. Hersing wfantbd to inform the crew of the object of the voyage, hoping there -would be a mutiny. Also, whenjthe Lusitania was sighted he thought of running away, but sighted a second submarine. He rushed at full speed from the seeing when, he had torpedoed the Lusitania, in order to avoid witnessing the ghastly spectacle, but saw the victims struggling in the crater. He became a., mail of stone, unable to move or speak, and when he returned to port he wept, but other officers did not conceal theiy contempt for Hersing.