LATE HORATIO BOTTOMLEY

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXIII, Issue 11957, 30 May 1933, Page 3

LATE HORATIO BOTTOMLEY

SELF-R ESPECT SEES GENE ROUS OFFER REJECTED.

The late Mr, Horatio BoLtomley, after considering tho offer of Air.Reuben Biglaud. of Birmingham, of “a cottage in Shakespeare’s country and £1 a week l'or life,” declined it. Air.” Bo'floniley said : “At • first 1 felt somewhat moved 1 by what appeared to be a spontaneous, and disinterested proposal, and 1 wrote suggesting that Air. Bigland ana - I should meet to discuss if- on reflection, so many considerations — personal, practical and sentimental .—occurred to me that I lelt I could not, with salf-nxsspcct—-fy say nothing of the practical difficulties i ll the way—entertain the idea. One can lx) tlie guest of the Stale especially if one has served it well) without loss of self-esteem, but to become tlie protege of Air. Bigland i s a different proposition. And so the matter is at an, end. On the assumption that my (old, age) pension will bo granted within, the next few days, I shall await the result of an effort which is being made privately by a few friends, to bring the amount up to a living level (by subscriptions, of from 2s 6d a week, or 10s a month), arid if that jails 1 shall have no hesitation in deciding the course to' adopt.” , ,