Underwear For Life As Prize For Limerick

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30861, 21 September 1965, Page 8

Underwear For Life As Prize For Limerick

"The Press” Special Service

WELLINGTON, Sept 20. A man who made several hundred pounds in royalties he collected from seven words he wrote in 1911 died in Wellington recently. He was Mr Edward Miles Samuel, retired bank official, artist, writer, and shortwave radio enthusiast Born in 1884, Mr Samuel attended Newtown School and became a reporter for the “Bay of Plenty Beacon.” He joined the Bank of New Zealand in 1901, and during his work with the bank—unbroken except for overseas service in the First World War—he served in 13 branches throughout the country. He had a talent for art and writing and put it to profitable use by entering competitions. For seven words—the last line of a limerick competition—he collected several hundreds of pounds in royalties. The prize was free underwear for life from the Wolsey Underwear Company in England, and, apart from the two wars, Mr Samuel received regular deliveries of his prize.

Mr Samuel entered hundreds of competitions. He wrote slogans, catch-lines, jingles and sonnets and reaped many rewards for his copious Efforts.

Mr Samuel was well known on Wellington bowling greens. He won the Wellington junior singles championship in 1943-44. Another of his hobbies was monitoring short-wave radio.

He is survived by his wife.