PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7372, 25 January 1902, Page 2 (Supplement)

PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

(From Our London Correspondent.)

LONDON, December 13.

I understand that Lord Granville Gordon, is going out to New Zealand shortly to shoot stags, and contemplates'presenting to the colony a pair of Sardinian moufflon, or hairy, curly horned sheep.

The purchaser of Battle Abbey is Sir Augustus Webster, who married a few years ago the only daughter of the late Mr Henry Crossley, of Halifax, an uncle of Sir Saville Crossley, from whom Lady Webster inherited a large fortune. Sir Augustus ia 3"J, and was formerly a captain in the Grenadier Guards.

Mr A. N. Fell is in good scoring form this season. Last Saturday he secured two tries out of the 16 points to nil scored by Edinburgh against Glasgow. Mr McEvedy, the same afternoon, secured the only try for Gnj's, who were heavily defeated by Northampton by 20 to 3.

Mr John Mclntosh, of Kirkcaldy, butcher, was entertained a few days ago and presented by bis friends with a Gladstone bag on the eve of his departure for New Zealand.

Mr H. Rowntree, Auckland, without neglecting his studies, has been doing a good deal of sketching and illustrating for the Newnes papers and magazines, especially "The King." He has taken up his abode at 41, Laitwood Road, Balham.

Trooper Tasker is still confined in the military prison at Gosport. As soon as ' ever the Agent-General heard of Tasker's plight, he communicated with the authorities, and, with their permission, corresponded with Tasker, offering every assistance. The young soldier replied that he was in good health, in communication with his relatives, and that he didn't want anything (except presumably his liberty). Although his term of imprisonment does not expire until 11th January, the AgentGeneral is making' every effort to have him released before Christmas.

Mrs Brown-Potter is to engage upon a curious and rather eerie ceremony at midnight on New Year's Eve. She has been (according to the "Week End ) invited by the Mayor and Corporation of Gorleston, near Great Yarmouth, to visit that little town, and in the parish church, on the stroke of midnight, recite two poems, one being Tennyson's "Ring Out, Wild Bells," The church bells are, as it were, to ring out an accompaniment to that appropriate poem.

Sir George Whitmore, who arrived by the Wakanui, and is staying at 5 Jessel Mansions, Queen's Club Gardens, West Kensington, has come Home for his health and to see through the press his book, now finished all but the typewriting, on which the publishers insist. lam glad to hear that Sir George's doctor and masseur consider that he will be restored to health in six months' time, when he will probably return to New Zealand.

The three Congregational ministers for New Zealand, the Rev. David- Hird, M.A., of Mansfield College, who was recently assistant .minister to Dr. John Hunter, and who is going to Christchurch, the "Rev. W. Newman Hall, a nephew of Dr. Newman Hall, who transfers his services from Dublin to Edinburgh, and the *iev. Alfred J. J^ee, of Hackney College, who will work in Devonport, Auckland, had a good " sendoff " last Monday night at the Colonial Congregational Missionary Society's meeting at Camberwell Green Congregational Church. The Principal of Cheshunt College, from

which Mr. Newman Hall comes, Dr. Whitehouse, spoke about " Divine Imperialism," objecting, however," to the word Imperialism as too reminiscent of the sword. He preferred the good old Anglo-Saxon word Commonwealth, which the Australians had appropriated. The colonies needed religion, and we must send them the best young ministers. The valedictory address was given by Dr. John Hunter, of King's Wigh Hous^ Church, on the text " Here am 1, send me." No man, he said, had a right to be in the ministry except those who could not help preaching. Reality was the essential condition of good preaching. On Tuesday the three minsters and Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Baker, left in the N.D.L. Grosser Kurfurst.

The Earl of Hopetoun has consented to become a vice-president of the Royal Colonial Institute In succession to the Prince of Wales, who is now President.

A portrait of Lord Milner. 4 by Mr. Tennyson-Cole, has been subscribed for by ihe Fellows of the Institute and placed in the Council Room.

At the battle of Vlakfontein, Captain A. R. Finlay, of the Bedford Regiment, was shot clean through \the head, the bullet penetrating 'the forehead and emerging at the back of the skull. When picked up on the field he was apparently ripe for the grave, but medical examination proved that life was not extinct and the captain was taken to hospital. There he lay unconscious for over six weeks, one side of his body being paralysed. He was then sent Home and placed under the professional care of the eminent surgeon, Mr. Victor Horsley, who performed an operation, and removed, no less than 27 pieces of shattered bone from his patient's head, thus restoring sensation to the Captain's paralysed side. The gallant soldier is now progressing favourably, and vis friends confidently bnticipate a complete recovery. If that ensues, Captain Finlay will be a living monument to the marvellous progress of surgical science.

With the suicide of the popular actor, Walter Montgomery, in 1871, two days after his marriage to Miss Bigelow at St. George's, Hanover Square, is connected an Australian romance, which Mr. Clement Scott has just brought to light in the "Free Lance." When Walter Montgomery was " starring " in Australia, he fell in love with a cnarming girl who was an heiress. He proposed to her and was accepted; but the marriage was strongly objected to by her father. The actor, apparently heart-broken, sailed from Australia to England. " On board ship he was fascinated by another lady, and married her directly the ship arrived at Home. A few hours after the marriage Montgomery received a letter from the father of the Australian girl, saying that he had relented, that his daughter was dying of a broken heart, and that he was to hurry back to Australia to claim his bride and her fortune. Remorse, disappointment, despair affected the handsome actor's brain, and, rushing to his room, he blew out his brains.

Nurses Williamson and Peiper arrived from Durban a fortnight ago by the transport Roslin Castle. Nurse Williamson goes next week to Edinburgh to spend a month with relations, and on her return to London may possibly enter one of the hospitals to study another branch of her profession. In all probability she will not leave for New Zealand until April.

There are more New Zealanders at Cambridge just now than there have been for many a year. The following list of them, showing their New Zealand schools and present colleges, may be useful for reference: College. Name. N.Z. Col. Yr. Caius W. Fancourt Wanganui 2nd Calus H. C. .Gillies Wanganui Ist Caius G. W. Twiggs Nap. B.H.S. Ist Clare A. F. Hoberts Punedin Ist King's . A. C. Grant Christ's Col 2nd King's L. H. Greenwood „ 3rd King's G. G. Russell "Wanganui 2nd King's T. D. Russell Wanganui lat S.John's S. C. Teakle Christ's Col 3rd • „ J. N. Ritchie Wanganui 3rd W. T. Ritchie Wanganui Ist I „ J. B. P. Allen Wanganui Ist Trinity P. A. Elworthy Christ's Col 2fad | Trinity J. Anderson Christ's Col Ist Trinity N. P. Adams Nelson Col Ist Non-Collegiate : Rev. E. Webb (11 Regent-street, Gam- | bridge). *

A link with the days when sailing ships full of emgirants followed one another to the colony in rapid succession has just been severed by the .death last Monday at bis residence, 28, George-street, Hadleigh, Suffolk, of Mr. Edward Alfred Smith,, in his 84th year. Mr. Smith, who was one of the oldest and most esteemed servants of the Government in the Agent-General's office, was originally a paymaster in the navy, in which capacity he acted on board the old Victory.- He then entered the emigration department of the Colonial Office, and had a large experience in Ireland in superintending the cmi- , grant ships taking emigrants from Ireland , to" America. When Dr. Featherston, as Agent-General, was .charged with carrying out the policy of systematic emigration to the colony under the public works scheme, he availed himself of Mr. Smith's large and varied experience, and secured him as principal despatching

officer. At that time seven or eight sailing ships, each carrying 300 or 400 emigrants, used to leave for New Zealand every month, and the housing and feeding arrangements had to be inspected and approved by Mr. Smith, who also had, in conjunction with the surgeon, to inspect the future settlers of the colony. In all over 120,000 emigrants must have passed under his eye. On the cessation of systematic emigration he became a shipping agent, and did the shipping business of the New Zealand Government until about eighteen months ago, when old age and illhealth compelled his retirement. He was a great sufferer from asthma, and death was due to that dause. He leaves a daughter in Christchurch, Mrs. Crookes.

LONDON, December 6

Sir John Hall leaves to-day by the Nippon Yusen Kaisha, the Japanese line of mail steamers, for a trip to Hongkong and Japan. Queensland and Sydney, before returning to the colony.

Tuesday's "Gazette" contained the following notification: Royal Horse and Royal Field Artillery. Supernumerary captains to be captains; Brevet Major William R. N. Madocks.

The Agent-General and Mrs. Reeves were present at yesterday's luncheon to the Prince and Princess of Wales. Morning dress was (very .sensibly) the costume prescribed.

Major-General and Mrs. Babington and Captain C. L. K. Campbell are passengers this week by the " Himalaya." Your new commandant and his wife, who, by the way, was Miss Nelly Lawson of Sydney, have been spending a few days on the Continent, prior to joining their steamer at Marseilles.

Mr. A. J. R. Roberts has been selected as one of the three-quarters in the Cambridge fifteen which is to do battle against the Oxford team next Wednesday. Unless my memory is at fault, Mr. Roberts is the first New . Zealander to play for either of the 'Varsities since Mr. Frank Cowlishaw was one of the Oxfords " reps " some ten years ago.

Mr W. 'Courtney having secured a big "bag" of emigrants, is returning to the colony by the Ruapehu, which left the Thames yesterday. The intending- settlers, to the number of 50, who will be his fellow passengers, are his twelfth little' lot. In all he has made a haul of nearly 150 this trip.

Mr Francis Richard Russell, London manager of the National Bank of Australasia, has been elected a director of the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Agency Co., Ltd., to fill the vacancy created by the death of Mr John Beaumont.

LONDON, November 29.

Lady »yon Haast is on a visit to her son, Mr. H. yon Haast, at Chelsea. Probably she will again winter in Poland.

A further educational distinction has been conferred upon the AgentGeneral. Mr. Reeves, who was some time ago appointed by the Crown a member of the Senate of the University of London, has been elected a member of the Council of the Bedford College for Women.

Major Madocks has not contemplated going out to South Africa on active service again so soon. After some cariboo shooting in r British Columbia he purposed hunting in Gloucestershire with his sister, Mrs. Aspinwall, of Thornbury Castle, throughout the winter. Ten days after his arrival in England, however, he was appointed D.A.A.C. under Lord Kitchener at Pretoria. He expects to be out in South Africa for six or seven months.

Mr. Gerald Noel Hoare, the youngest brother of Mr. William Hoare, the well-known banker, has just passed aw.-iy in his 91st year. He was the youngest middy at Navarino when the combined fleets of England, France and Russia destroyed the navy of Turkey and secured the independence of Gree.ce. In this battle the miday of 16 sustained such serious wounds that his career afloat was cut short. • He was at the time of his death one of the three surviving officers who served under one of Nelson's comrades at Trafalgar. Mr. Hoare was widely known for his benevolence, and for many years was identified with the great brewing firm bearing his family's name. He entertained decided views on the Papacy, and in 1850 was present at the meeting at Freemasons' Hall, which was held to protest against the publication in England of the Papal Bull.