PERSONAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10114, 23 October 1917, Page 5

PERSONAL.

Mr and Mrs A. E. Bennett, of Palmerston, uro visiting 1 Auckland for the purpose of meeting their son, Captain J. 1?. Bennett, who is returning from the front. Mrs Bryant, of Amesbury street, lias received advice that her son. Driver L. Bryant, who wa» recently reported t<> bo seriously ill, is making satisfactory progress towards recovery and is now in a convalescent hospital. Mr Thos. Fenton, manager of tin- Kiwi bacon factory, has received word thai his nephew. Bugler Harry Fenton, has been wounded in France, lie enlisted before he reached the age of seventeen, and left with the 17th Reinforcements. Private F. 0. Mills, whose death was reported vesterdav, was a well-known member of the 'Linton Rifle Club. At. last night's meeting of the club it was decided to forward a letter of sympathy to deceased's mother. Mrs Avery.

In a letter to his parents. .Mr and Mrs W. Anderson, of Hroad street, their youngest son. Our. A. 0. Anderson, N.Z.M.G.C., who has been discharged' from the Forces. expects to return to New Zealand at. an early date. Gnr. Anderson wa.s gassed during the recent righting," arid has been in a. rest camp in England. The friends of. Major'A. 11. Wilkie will be pleased to hear that he has been recently mentioned in despatches. Major Wilkie went away with the Main Body (W.M.R.), and has been on active service since the. WL'inning of the war. He is also an old South African veteran, having; served there for a considerable time in a colonial unit; Another Palmerston soldier has made the big sacrifice, this being' Driver Lindsay Brown, who was rejiorfcd yesterday as having died of wounds. The deceased soldier, who was a member of the Twelfth Reinforcements, leaves a young widow (a daughter of Mr and Mrs John Nelson, of Palmerston) and an infant, son. Prior to leaving for the --.front Driver Brown was a member of the staff of Messrs Holben and Kirk. An enlistment of interest to many Palmerston people is that of Keith Mason, eldest son of Sir F. W. A. Mason, formerly of Tiritea. and well-known as the first conductor of the Orpheus Society. The young soldier is only nineteen years of age, but is so keen to serve his country that he obtained his parents' consent to his enlistment, and is to fro into camp at the end of the summer. He enlisted at, Kketahnna.

London cable messages announce the. death, at the age of 62. of (ho Rev. Thomas Spurgeon, of the Metropolitan Tabernacle, London, a and president of the Pastor's College, lie was a nephew of the late. Rev. Cha-S, Spurgeon, and at one lime was resident, in New Zealand, being Pastor of the Baptist Church, Auckland. In 1888 he. married a daughter of the late Gideon Rutherford, of Dunedin. Mr Spurgeon had been in failing health for some time, and had a seizure some weeks ago.

Mrs William Stubbs received tho sad ncw«3 yesterday of tho death in action ol her second son, Second-Lieut. Tom Stubbs. Tho deceased, wlio was only 21 years of r.ge, was a. well-known local athlete, and was educated at the Palnierston North High School. He enlisted as soon as he came of age, and after obtaining his commission went out with one of the later reinforcement drafts. The deceased was a fine stamp of New Zealand manhood and highly respected by his school mates. His. only other brother is also on 'active service. Mrs Stubbs and her daughter will have tho deep sympathy of a wide circle of friends in her sudden bereavt mem.

Intelligence was received in Palmerslon this morning that Second-Lieut, E. P. Bennett, second son of Mr and Mrs A. E. Bennett, had been killed in action. Lieut. Bennett, who was a member of tho Twentysecond Reinforcements, was 23 years of age at the time of his death. He was educated at the Palmerston High School, arid after leaving the school he joined the clerical stall of Messrs Cooper and Rutherfurd. Being splendidly endowed physically, he was a keen supjwrter of all kinds of sport, and was a familiar figure.in the local cricket and football fields, whilst his genial personality gained him a host of friends, who will learn of his untimely end with sincere regret. Two brothers of the deceased have also seen active service, these being Lieut. R. Bennett, who is in Flanders, and Captain J. 13. Bennett, who is expected to reach Auckland shortly on his return from the front. General sympathy will be felt for Mr and Mrs Bennett and relatives in their loss.

A cable from Washington to-day announces the death of Robert Fitzsimmons, the well known boxer. • The late Robert, Fitzsimmons was bom in Timaru, South Island, and was a blacksmith by occupation. In his early youth he developed a great love for boxing-, and applying himself industriously to the science of tho game, bocame heavy-weight champion of tho world, lie was one of the best-known men in the ring twenty years ago, and during his career rose to be one of the greatest fighters of his time. A few' years ago, Fitzsimmons visited Australia and' New Zealand. While in the former country a match was arranged between him and Laing, but being well past the zenith of his fame, Fitzsimmons was beaten by tho Victorian. Coming on to New Zealand, Fitzsimmons gave boxing exhibitions in the various towns, including Pahnerston North. One of his characteristics was that in each town of his tour he visited a blacksmith's shop and made a set of shoes to demonstrate the fact that he had not forgotten the art of his former calling. In Pahnerston Fitzsimmons visited Mr \V. T. Woods' old premises, in Cuba street, and in the presence of a number of citizens and a "Standard" reporter, showed that he. had not lost his skill at the forge. A link with the old-time boxers is severed by Fitzsimmons' death. ' No one offers such a variety of linoleums now, as Messrs Collinson and Cunninghams, Ltd. Over 300 designs are on hand, and as orders were placed long ago, their retail prices to-day are no more' than Wellington wholesale prices,! This fact is vouched for by the department, If replenishing your floor coverings now, why not him* these linos?—Advt. Messrs Watson Bros., Ltd., are making a speciul feature of Thermos and Icy-Hot Flasks, and urge you to call and let them demonstrate the full worth of such reliable and useful goods.—Advt.