PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 168, 29 July 1901, Page 5

PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

From Our Special Correspondent.)

LONDON, June 21,

Sir James Prendergast, who arrived on Saturday by the Etruria, has commenced his judicial career in this country ns he began his legal career —by eating dinners. At the Colonial Club's dinner, at which, be it whispered, he looked rather bored, he has as his neighbour Mr Justice Hodges of Victoria. As Sir James's name did not appear upon the table plan, it was some time before the Victorian jurist was aware that he had a learned brother alongside of him, and the recognition when it took place was amusing. At the New Zealand dinner the following night, Sir .lames was evidently more at home, and had as his neighbours, Lord Onslow and Mr Cadman. Sir James is pitting up at the Colonial Club, which is conveniently "contagious" to the Colonial Office. The conference on the Constitution of the final Court of Appeal is fixed for the 26th, when Sir James and Mr Justice Hodges will meet again in less festive circumstances.

The illness which kept Sir John Hall away from the New Zealand dinner is, I understand, bronchitis, fortunately not of a severe character. The statesman is at present at Croydon, and will do well to keep in doors as long as this winter in summer continues.

Messrs C. V. and A. N. Houghton (Auckland) have not yet formulated their plans, but will in all probability visit the Glasgow Exhibition and the beauty spots in Scotland and the North of England. September sees them sail for home.

The "Daily Mail" representatives would have us believe they are übiquitous. They gave us the most axidacious accounts of the scenes at Queen Victoria's death bed as if Death himself were a special correspondent of the ha'penny haggis. Now the New Zealand correspondent professes to know what transpires in the Duchess' boudoir, for he declares that after the Eotorua revels "when H.R.H. returned to her room at the hotel she donned the Maori mats,; stuck feathers in her hair and imitated splendidly the peculiar Maori style of gesture, performing a little haka on her own account." I

I trust the Duchess's haka was a Bowdlerised rendering!

Mr Duncan Clerk, one of the New Zealand team of bowlers, who is over here with his wife and two children to see how the climate suits them, with a view to settling in the Old Country permanently, has struck a very bad sample in the shape of an Arctic snap with snow in the middle of summer in Glasgie. Notwithstanding he contemplates locating himself on this side for eighteen months or so, after which he will seek the sunshine of the Antipodes for a while.

Mr A. J. Cadman, who is living at St.Ermin's Hotel, Westminster, corrects in the "British Australasian" the impression, fostered by an error in that journal, that Mr, Smith and he are entrusted by the New Zealand Government with a mission to introduce capital for the development of the iron industry of the colony. He explains that the only indirect interest the Government will have in their business is the substantial bonus offered to encourage the development of the iron industry, "which all the thinking portions of the community admit will pay handsomely, if sufficient capital is forthcoming to erect the necessary plant and works, and if this capital is directed by efficient management. Mr Smith seems more sanguine each time I see him. He has added to his little exhibition a collection of pigiron, castings direct from the furnace, cog wheels and steel bogie wheels which he brought some five years ago, and which Mr Henry Wain has had ever since. Next week he expects several English M.P's to visit his little show. Siemens and Co. are assisting the object of the mission, and several Anglo-New Zealanders of some standing are taking a hand and helping to push the concern along.

A marriage which will interest many people, in your city has only just been announced, though it took place as far back as May 20th. The contracting parties were Miss Lily Titheradge, the eldest daughter of your old favouritej George of that ilk, and Mr. Edward Herrick Knowles, a young Sydney-sider, who is mastering the gentle art of medicine and surgery at Edinburgh University. The honeymoon was spent at Lake Windermere and the surrounding district, and last week Mr. and Mrs. Knowles returned to London to stay with Mr. and Mrs. Titheradge at Cavendish Road, St. John's Wood. It is their intention to take a trip to Sydney after Mr. Knowles gains his degree. At the time of her marriage Miss Titheradge was touring with Mr. George Edwardes' "San Toy" Company as one of the six little wives, but I understand that now she has become the one little wife of Mr. Knowles, the stage will know her no

more

Miss Charlotte Yonge, whose esta.te has been valued at £12,913 gross, by her will bequeathed to her executors the copyright of "The Daisy Chain" in trust for sale, and the proceeds of sale are to be in trust for the mission to the Melanesian Islands'! She bequeathed her collections of shells and dried flowers, and her books on botany and conchology, to St. Mary's College, Winchester, but her niece, Helen Emma Yonge, is to retain the collections during her pleasure, and to her also the testatrix bequeathed her jewellery and personal effects, the furniture of Elderfield and her manuscripts and books. Her nephew, Alan David Yonge, who was named as a residuary legatee, died in South Africa.

Among the necessaries gathered together for the Duke's voyage waß a case of choice cigars, worth considerably over £100. They were by some mischance sent off to Gibraltar too late to catch the Ophir, and H.M.s ship Majestic brought r them home again to Portsmouth. The case was handed over to the London and Brighton Eailway Company for transport to London, but in the

course of its journey vanished into thi?, air. Detectives were set to work, and last week end unearthed some of the contents of the case at a house iv VValworth, and to-day a couple of ap* parently respectable citizens of th^at parish are awaiting trial for thieving the case.

The Rev. U. Lovett, M.A., writer of the life of .Tames Gilniour, the great Mongolian Missionary, has undertaken to compile a biography of the late Rev. James Chalmers for the Religious Tract Society, and I am nsked to mention that Mr. Loveti will be grateful if correspondents of Mr. Chalmers in the colonies will allow him to see and make suHi extracts as seem desirable from letters which they may have received from him. Mr. Lovett desires such letters to be sent to him at oG, Paternoster Row, London, 15.C. He ■will, of course, take every care of them, and see that they are returned to their owners in due course.

Jake Gaudaur has at last agreed to meet George Towns for the world's sculling championship in September. Personally I wish Gaudaur had agreed to fight on the Thames, but he prefers American waters, which is natural enough. I object, however, to scullers deciding championship matches on courses "with a turn." All championship races should be decided on a straightaway course. Towns, however, is glad to. have got a match on any terms. Tom Sullivan is to accompany Towns, and the pair will probably throw down the gauntlet for a double-sculling or pair-oared race with anybody on t'other side. This would give added interest to their invasion of the States, and cause a big stir in aquatic circles generally. It would take an exceptional pair to beat Sullivan and Towns in their present form.