MR. MASSEY IN HIS NATIVE TOWN.

Gisborne Times, Volume XLVIII, Issue 4473, 14 February 1917, Page 5

MR. MASSEY IN HIS NATIVE TOWN.

“ISN’T HE A FINE LOOKING MAN ?” AMUSING INCIDENTS OF THE VISIT. A copy of the Northern Constitution lias an interesting account of Mr Massey’s visit to his little native town of Limavady, near Derry. It has been handed to the Free Lance by Mr Robert Hannah, of Wellington. It gives many personal reminiscences of his schoolboy days from old friends and companions. At the Reception Luncheon in the Alexander Memorial Hall (the poetess Mrs Alexander, by the way, wrote that famous hymn “There is a Green Hill Ear Away”), the chairman of the Urban Council (Mr Robert Douglas, J.P.), in giving the toast of “Our Distinguished Visitor and Guest, the Right Hon. William Ferguson Massey, Premier of New Zealand,” said: “They in Limavady had a saying—they had heard it from childhood, and it had become an article of faith with them —that ‘Go where you will, Limavady takes the lead,’ and surely this faith had been confirmed when they could point to a Limavady man as "leader of the great Dominion of New Zealand ? —(applause)—and they could name in the forefront of the professional world, the political world, and the mercantile world in almost every country, Limavady men, if their old saying required further confirmation. (Applause.) In honoring their guest they were honoring themselves, when they thought of. him, born, and brought up in theirtown, taught at one of the local schools by a Air Reardon, who, he was informed bv one of the then scholai s, placed his band on young Massey's shoulders and said: “Your are the smartest boy in the school. rher followed his career throughout the subsequent years, and could see that he bad more than justified Ins teacher’s estimate of the hoy in the progressive agriculturist, the trenchant speaker, and the patriotic statesman. (Applause.) It was a loy to know that as he grew to manhood he tostered and cherished those Imperialistic ideas which characterise the Ulster Scot the world over. Mr Massev’s eloquent reply has been alreadv published and so need not be repeated here. The personal touches, however, given by the Lon stitution, are quite new and will re, telling. At . the Technical behoof which Mr Massev visited, in company with his wife and daughter, he was told it was the desire ot the students that he should leave them some message, so that they might frame it and hang it up in the scnooi-nall. - . Mr Massev said if he could put ■ "in the form of a quotation he thought it might be better. He knew exact! what was wanted, and lie thought he could not do better at the .moment than leave with them the closing lines of Kipling’s latest poem, entitled “If” :

■•lf you can nil the unforgiving minute , f With sixty seconds' worth ot clis tance run. Yours is the earth and everything that’s hr it. ... , And— which is more—you 11 be a man, my son!"

(Applause.) “And.” concluded the Premier, -‘don’t forget that m this connection man embraces noman. (Laughter and applause.) , ' The Constitution mentions among other thin as that among the crowd who welcomed Air Massey on his airival caiite a number or the oldei people remembered the lad,. attended school with him. played cricket with him. and one of them said he nelped Willie Massey to eat his lunch at school. Air Leonard Donaghey, who *vas waiting eagerly for Air Massev s arrival, recalled the fact fiat on the morning young Massey. aged 14, lei Limavadv. he wheeled his boxes, one large and two small to the station, and that “there was a tear m \\n i,p ? c eve.’’ Some time prior to his departure, voting Donagliey and young Massey were sent to bring home a cow. Un the road they “fell out,” and AA illie Alassey cut Leonard Donaehev about, the head. Tlie latter retaliated, but proved no match for Alassey, vhowever did not wish to have any illfeeling and so gave the boy Donaghev threepence and told him not, to tell his granny. AYliile these stones w ere being recounted among the * ■s' crowd on the platform, the fog signals announced tlie approach ot the train and as the saloon cai drev up the Constitution’s attentive vepo ter could hear people here and thme savin c: “Isn’t he a fine-looking nl .-, n m Then “the carriage door opens and out steps the gallant L IstermAs Air Alassey stepped on to. the platform lie said to the “’ond “jf S'at' the entrance the "taUmn he remarked >} “Plenty of youngsters m L ‘SYmustag incident at,- T\rocqpv’s motor run troni tne mg An Alas set s . tlie Alexander Memorial Hall to cue school. An old woman. rat l “, “' cited, was pushing away everyhody te try and get a glimpse ot the distm guished gentleman and at, h^ Sv° Ut lmind the da?he threw the Jug ° f V S rthe m rlcep°Hon e AIr Alassey was asked on behalf or the Rev J. JGlade P.P- to accept a volume n Father AlcGrade’s travels. uimt* w’cis accompanied by «• ■* -t *« “S, Father McGr.de «Pr««d te S'* visit of tte Sir. ly” for Limavadv.