Pars about Notabilities.

Auckland Star, Volume XL, Issue 253, 23 October 1909, Page 13

Pars about Notabilities.

It has been remarked that ducal families are by no means large as a rule, and that the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire can claim quite a distinction in having seven children now that another daughter has just arrived. The Duke and Duchess of Northumberland have had thirteen children, of whom nine survive; and the Duke of Buccleuch has eight surviving children, the eldest son, Lord Dalkeith, himself having a family of seven. Many, however, of the ducal families are quite small.

Since Prince George of Servia threw up hie claim to the throne he does not appear to have changed his ways much for the better. He has been amusing himself at, ajiiong other places, Vienna. Recently he had a curious experience there. Being in the company of a party of ladies who were "busy in killing time," one of the fair Austrians suggested that the Prince should try his skill as a marksman. She challenged him thus:—----"I challenge you, after the manner of William Tell, to shoot my earrings away with two shots—one for each ornament." The Prince took up the gauntlet, and fired two shots in rapid succession at the length of the drawing-room. The pearl earrings fell to the ground leaving ■the plain gold rings in the lobe- of the ear untouched.

The Dowager-Queen of Italy, Queen Margherita, has had some exciting adventures in her time. The latest has befallen her while on a motor launch on the Lake of Lucerne. A violent storm 'broke over the lake, and as the craft was proceeding from A'lpnach to Brunnen the rudder of the launch refused to work, and the small boat was at the mercy of the waves. From Brunnen many people saw the dangerous position of the launch, 'but darpd not go to the rescue. At last, however, the launch was manoeuvred near the Brunnen landing-stage, whence rope« were thrown to the drenched party. The boat was hauled to the quay, and the Dowager-Queen and her suite landed, none the worse for their exciting adventure. Queen LMargheriU is passionately devoted to motoring, and has been on many long tours. On one occasion in Switzerland, as her car approached a roadside inn, a number of men rushed out and placed a huge beam of wood across the roadway, thus barring ht'r progress. In spite of entreaties, they absolutely refused to remove it ffntil gendarmes 'had been summoned, and meanwhile the Queen and her companions were exposed to insulting remarks by the

General Forestier-Walker, ■who temporarily succeeds the Duke of Connaught as High Commissioner in the Mediterranean, is one of those soldiers who never seem to get on as well as their merits entitle them (says a London exchange). It was General Walker who was sent out to take command of the troops at the Gape when General Sir William Butler had been recalled. At the time that he left for South Africa, his friends warmly congratulated him, and told him that with war inevitable his great opportunity had come at last. Instead of this being the case, however. General Forestier-Walker found himself engaged in the valuable but somewhat, monotonous work of safeguarding the linos of communication, while it was left to others to win frlory in the field. During the coutsp of the South African War, General Forestier-Walker was invited by friends of his at Home to send some "first-hand" impressions of the campaisn. His reply was distinctly amusing. The only fighting of any kind he had seen, he wrote, was between the native drivers and the ■half-wild American mules as they were landed at Dp Aar Junction, th-en the great supply camp. As General Forest ier-Wnlker pointed nut, some ot these fights were undoubtedly exciting, and no doubt entertaining, but- he had never heard of medals beinjr awarded or promotion given for hitting an obstreperous mulo over the head with a plank.

Mr. Marconi hat; T>een recalling some of his early experiences for a London weekly. As with every good thing, his own start was a hard one. "When I succeeded in establishing wireless communication between Lavernnck and Bream Downs, a distance of nine miles," says Mr. Marconi, "even the most sceptical, of whom there were not a few, began to admit that there might be something in my notion, and 1 have regarded this as a turning point in my career. Of course, there were many who for years derided the practical utility of mv scheme, and laughed at the idea of a/p----plying it with any success £o commercial purposes, but I ehall always remember the kind and courteous welcome 1 met with at the 'hands of British scientists, one of the firet to declare his belief in my invention being Lord Kelvin. As regards the disbelievers in my system, there were, as I said, many. Some of my correspondence at tha.t time would furnish amusing reading. One gentleman wrote to mc to the effect that he had lived too long and observed life too closely to have any belief in my system of sending messages without wires. '1 expect,' he said, "that your messages, if you ever send any, will be without sen.-'*.' Y<*aris afterwards the same gentleman volunteered the information that he was on board a wrecked ship, the crew and passengers of which had been caved from destruction by means of a wireles-s message for help which reached a ship a hundred miles away."

King George of Greece, who pays a private visit to King Edward and Queen Alexandra at Sandringham this autumn, has had some curious experiences. On one of his visits to France, the French Government took particular care to have his Majesty well guarded, as there wer , . , numerous anarchists lurking in the King's vicinity. One day his Majesty was out walking in the country, and, as he was otherwise alone, a plain clothes detective kept him well in sight, although at such a distance as not to arouse suspicion. But a vigilant peasant happened to recognise the King, and approached him before the detective could get near.

"I beg your Majesty's pardon,"' he whispered, confidentially, " but," pointing to the now hurrying plain clothes man,

" there's one of those horrid anarchists following you. But kcop your mind easy, siro; I've got an eye on nim." His Majesty's strength has often been put to practical use. One day in a quiet street he saw a drunken workman cruelly beating a small boy. Instead of having ! the man arrested the King went to the > lad\s rescue himself, and gave the bully something he was not likely to forjret. ' On another occasion the King was dial- : lenged by a sentry, and not choosing to reveal himself he turned and walked away, whereupon the sentry fired, the bullet slightly grazing the King's shoulder. Xext day the sentry was summoned to the Palace, and the King personally invested him with the Order of the Redeemer, complimenting him on his devo- ! tioa to duty.

President Taft weighs 23J stone, and is growing heavier every day. Since his election to his high position last autumn he has had less exercise than hitherto, for the cares of office have kept him from the golf links. Just now (says an American paper), he is taking a month's holiday at his summer home at Beverley, Massachusetts, and the opportunity is afforded of working down some of the superfluous flesh. An expert has been called in who promises to bring about the reduction of one pound a day for thirty days. The President, who confesses his adipose tissue is becoming embarrassing, has resigned himself to the strenuous life ordered by his adviser. M an early hour every morning he is out on the links. Then a masseur takes him in hand till breakfast, after which he is put through as much regular exercise as time will allow. AVhen his holiday is over, he will take a twelve thousand miles tour in the Southern and Western States, pausing only for four days' hunting on his brother s farm in Texas. In this way Jlr. Taft is living up to the example of Mr. Roosevelt as a strenuous President.

The late Mr. W. G. Cavendish-Eentinck was a Family Trustee of the British Museum, and a member of the Standing Committee, and the vacancy caused by his death has now to be filled up by the head of the Cavendish-Bentincks, the Duke of Portland. This comes about by reason of the marriage, in 1734, of the second Duke of Portland with Lady Margaret Cavendish, only daughter and heir of Edward Harley, second Earl of Oxford, and Earl of Mortimer, the great bookman. The Harleian collection had been begun by the first Earl in 1705, and the second Earl impoverished even his large fortune in completing it. The books, prints, and pamphlets wvre sold after the Earl's death to Osborne, a bookseller, for £13,000, less than the cost of the binding of the books. But in 1753 the widowed Countess sold the Harleian MRS. to the nation for £10,000, and thus it was that the British Museum may be said to have come into being. When it was definitely constituted, one of the Family Trustees was, naturally, a Cavendish-Bentinek, and the office has been hereditary in the family.

Count Tolstoy's eig-hty-flrst birthday recalls one or two incidents pleasing to all lovers of romance. In his life's work 'he 'has found in his wife a most enthusiastic helper, no less as a collaborator than as an amanuensis. It was her co-operation that brought about the memorable declaration of love in "Anna Karenina." "Write what I said when 1 proposed to you," he exhorted the> Countess in effect, <: for you must, of course, remmeber it!" "Tolstoy has generally drawn upon actual incidSUts when writing his novels, but never with better effect than this. The Count sent his first work, "Childhood." over his initials, "L. T.." to a monthly review, published by one Xekrassoff. One night —it wan some time later; he was then a young army officer—he put up in a little villase -with several military friends. He was dozing while his brother officers drank and played cards. He awoke suddenly to hear tiis companions chatting over literary affairs. ''There is much talk," said one of them, "about a little story, signed 'L. T.,' and appearing in Xekrassoff's Teview. It is said to show sinsttlar talent." "My story 'has appeared then." said Tolstoy to himself: and. instead of lying awake for the rest of the night with exultation. Tie just turned ovex and went off to sleep.