Afternoon Gossip

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 95, 26 April 1902, Page 7

Afternoon Gossip

By Little Miss Muffitt.

Westraha is lecogiusmg the \ aluable scnw rendeied bj its late Kngineei-m-Cluof, Mr C Y O'Connor C.MG. It has made a handsome grant to his. widow * * * Mi J A Hanan. Lneicaigill's mem ber is sufteung from insomnia and is now at Hanmei Springs recruiting. Wonder if he mi^es the all-night sittings of the House * * • King Edward doe* not intend to keep irp the old custom of kissmg the cheek of each lady piesented at Court. His Maiesti won't kiss the misses And <^o the girls will miss the lm<-os * * • Now South Wales's former Governor, Loul Boo.ucha.mn. who got himself into hot water bv lefening to the colony s 'birth-stain" in his eaihe't message is now enioving himself as a Chinch of England lav refdei * * * J. C. Thomson, managei of the ' Western Star," newspapei. at Riverton and a member of the Southland Education Board is said to be getting ready to contest the Wallace seat against Mi Gilfedder at the general election * * A Nelson lesident, Mr. Fied, YaiLse. of the Wakatu Hotel, caused considerable excitement in Sleepy Hollow la>st week bv entering the tiger's cage in Wirth Bros ' cucus and taking a nde in the chanot diawn b\ tw o of the aniQueen Alexandra's strongest trait the^ say is sood homely commonsense She showed this mialitv not lonp ao-o when asked to wnte in a confession~album To the nuestion "What is Your favourite virtue?" 'he wiote the answer Mindine your own business" The Australians think their Premier Barton ought to be a success at the coronation They say he can carry an enormous amount of gold lace without feeling shy But he wants Geoige E'eid to fix un an aimistice not to meddle with his Governme.it while he is arn " av * # Rev. L M Tsitt doo&n't seem to ha\e kept very good company while at Home. He said somewheie m the British Islands that the women of England as compared with New Zealand, were in a state of semi-barbarism Wonder why Leonard will consort with savages and why will be tnke their barbarous coin ° * * * Lieutenant Moi ant, of the Bush Veldt Carbineers, who wa*s shot for murdering unarmed Boeis sailed undei false colours all the time he was in Australia He passed himself off as the son ot an admnal, aaid told the old story of a quariel with a stern parent. But Adnui<i\ Morant says he w a.s an uttei stranger. * * * The Austiahan papers ha\e eagerly fastened on to that phrase ot Mr. Seddon's about 'too much kid-glove business going on at the front." It is the Adelaide "Cntic" that lemarks "Also, there is plenty of kid' going on in New Zealand when Seddon states that ."iOOO Maoris would soon finish the South Afiican w ar " * * * Anothoi ot Mi J. C Williamson'* shapely choius girls in Melbourne has made a matiimomal catch Being tall and well-made, she was one of the show figuies in "A Runaway Girl " and a wealthy old squatter was so enraptured that he popped, and has been accented. Somebody is suggesting that JC W is entitled to a handsome testimonial from the various girls in his employment whose chaims — set off bv stace ictures and stage diess or undress — have won for them wealthy husband's » ♦ * It is said tho promoters of the »oh Sydney dailv paper intend to enlist the confidence of advertisers bv trying the same plan which established "The American " a Chicaeo dailv only two -\ears old Owned bv a millionaire who also owns papers in New York and Ran Francisco, ite manager took advertisements on a six months' contract with the «tipult,ation that if at the end of that time "The American" had not a larger circulation than any other Chicago paper these should be free. He collected the money.

Honaie Kohoie, the Gisborne Maon who did splendid so i vice dining the wieik of the Whakaipai. 15, included m the Coronation Contingent * * * An op<>n-handed plulanthio'-w-t has beom discoveied at Ballaiat A boy found and restoiod, £182 that the philanthiopist had lost and his lewaid w ,ifc - t\\ O bob * • * Whispeiod loudly that Mr W. B Cadzow , the tenor, is taking "lives" now for an insurance company. I heaid him talk to a refiactorv audience once and I believe the nimour * * * Amongst, the troopers accepted for the Tenth Contingent, in Thin eel in was a simpleton But he did not leave for South Africa He committed suicide bv hanging; himself up to a tree at Mormngton Ao.ua pura seems to be rather a costly tipple for the Empiie City It cost about -£17") 000 to brine Mater to the city originally, and nmi it is proposed to spend about £230,000 more to make the supply effective * » * A writer in a Dunedin paper, in a paroxysm of ecstaev a,t the eloquence of a lecturing: medico now talking some in the city of Mac« says "TClonuence gurgles from his lips with the melod^ of buttermilk dropping into a tin pan " * » * Mr Geoige Moves* one of the newlvelected councillors of the young borough of Waihi. is totally blind. He is said, however, to be' a most estimable man with a <mp of public affairs equal to that of his more fortunate confreres * * * The coronation Maoris will have high links at Home. Mr. J Sims, a North Canterbury settler, who ha.s amassed lucre is giving «nme of it for the purnose of sending the natives on a trip to Birmingham. the home of him«olf screws and Chamber] arin * * * Mr John Prouse leaver for Chnstchurch in a few days, to co-operate w ith Mdlle Dolores, in oratorio work. The Christ church Musical Society are to produce ' The Creation" and "The Messiah" next week, with Mdlle Dolores and Mr. Prouse in the soprano and bass solo parts * • • Whait rich material for romance there is in the careers of colonial statesmen ' A knighted gentleman, who recently died, played a violin in the streets of Adelaide in his earl) days. And the present Premier of South Australia made his first appearance in that colony as a Yankee book-pedlar * ♦ ♦ Signor Mascagm. the composei of •Cavalleria Rusticana," has proved a mania for watches, and always carries three in his pockets One is of gold with his monogram in diamonds, another is of silver and the third, which is of huge proportions, is of nickel At Ins house he has a most w onderful collection of all sorts and periods. » * » The newest thing 111 trusts is spoken of on excellent authority," by a Greymoutli paper. Percy Dix, according to the authority, is going to buy up eveiy theatre ho can lay his hands on, float a large company, and monopolise the theatre business m New Zealand I don't know if Peicv is aware of his intentions, but, if he isn't, here's his cue Superintendent O'CaJlaglian, who has just been appointed Commissioner of the Victorian Police, is a maai who has risen from the ranks. He> was originally a detcctue In the early days the custom was to train gentlemen cadets foi the fat billets, but when Sir Graham Berry became Piemier he knocked that idea on the head and by a stroke of the pen, turned half-a-dozen sergeants into inspectors. * » » Mr Ernest Davi& the eldest son ot Mr. Moss Davis — the wealthy owner of Hancock's Biewery, 111 Auckland, and the authoi of Bi&mat k lager beer — w as in Wellington this week, and I should not be sui prised if one of these days the trade maik of Hancock and Company -weie to be established in permanent quarters in the Empue City. Mr. 'Eine&t Da\is feels some sort of a sentimenta.l interest in Wellington, for he is happily married to a charming Wellington girl, that dainty little lviic artist, who, as Miss Marion Mitchell, was, for many years, one of the leading; attractions of the Pollaid Opera Company The union, has been blest with a baby girl now eleven months old. who has got her full shaie of vocal power