Personalities.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 505, 24 January 1906, Page 2

Personalities.

LORD AND LADY CHELSEAVISCOUNT and Visoountess Chelsea are in high favour at English CourtLord and Lady Chelsea had five little girls before tbe welcome appearance of the important boy who is eventual heir to his grandfather, Earl Cadogan, and to the immensely valuable family estate in southwest London. Lady Chelsea, who is Lord Alington's sister, is a pretty blue-eyed woman, with abundant fair hair dressed high, after the fashion favoured by Queen Alexandra, Like all her family, she is a special favourite with royalty, and her son, Edward George, had for sponsors at his baptism the King and Frlnoe of Wales. The Prinoe attended the ceremony in person, presented his godobild with a fine silver gilt mug, and signed the register afterwards.)

THE SASSOON FAMILY. Mr Arthur Bassoon, the representative of a family standing very high in Booiety, is one of the most genial hosts of to-day, and he entertains the Prince of Wales or other distinguished friends for shooting and fishing. The story of the rise of the Baasons to fortune is almost as romantio as the legend of Dick Whit ting ton or one of the •Arabian Nights,' They were originally bankers settled in Bagdad—and their great possassions had exposed them to the envy of oertain powerful people in tbe town. So David Bassoon, then the head of the family, gathered his riohes, his household goods, and his family together, and fled away by night by the Persian Gulf to Bombay, where he settled as contentedly as though he had moved from one street to another, Bombay or Bagdad—it was quite the same to this genius for making money. Whereever he went riohes followed, and in the new oity he soon beoame as famous for his wealth aa he had been in the old, He was an interesting figure, with far more of the Oriental in him than his descendants of to-day. It is said that he insisted ujon his children wearing the ancient Jewish dress whioh they had used in Bagdad, and only when the Mutiny, with all its horrors, broke out in India did he consent to let them wear European olothes.

THE SULTAN OF MOFOCCO. Abdul Aziz is somewhat of a oharaoter For jewels he has a special weakness, while of motor-oars, hansom cabs, gold-handled bioyoles, gold oameras, grand pianos, and similar articles, which he does not really want, but which he takes to be symbolical of European progress, he cannot apparently have enough. Mr Cunninghame-Grabam tells that he saw about two hundred bioyoles belonging to the Bultan when visiting the palaoe at Fez, all of them of the most expensive make, and some with geld and silver fittings. A magnificent four-horsed State carriage of European make was another purohase of his Majesty. There are no such.things as horses used to harness in Moroooo, where there are neither roads nor vehicles. But his Majesty was not to be deprived of the pleasure of seeing his new ooaoh on the move. Men were summoned and direoted to drag it along, while his Majesty took what he considered to be the principal seat on the box, invited a guest to ride inside, and persuaded the English Consul at Fez to get up behind. The Sultan has a short way with Passive Resistors. If any of his subjects won't pay, or are even suspeoted of witholding a portion of their taxes, their heads are promptly out off or they are shot. Yet his Majesty is not naturally a oruel man. He keeps striotly to his religion as a Mohammedan. He does not smoke, nor will he allow others to smoke in his presence, nor does he gamble. Cards he does not touch. In his ordinary way he rises at daybreak, attends to his devotions, then consults his Ministers, and after a meal takes a short sleep preparatory to giving audienoe to his visitors and friends. He is desoribed as amiable and well meaning but weak,