All Sorts of People

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 113, 30 August 1902, Page 3

All Sorts of People

AMONG the visitors to Wellington last week was Hairy Birley, one of the best-known of Southern guides and explorers. There is scaice a spot worth visiting m the region of the Southern cold lakes which Harry Birley has not visited, and, in some eases, his were the first of human feet to tread the spot. He was the fiist human being to win the summit of Mount Earnslaw, and he oftimes views the surrounding country from its 9330ft. high apex. On one occasion he acted as guide to two Toorak (Melbourne) lads of thirteen and nine years of age m an ascent of Earnslaw. Harry has had the honour of discovering a lake in the Forbes mountains, and the sheet of ■water was named Birley Lake, in compliment to Harry's father, who was the pioneer of Glenorchy, and whose son (the subject of this paragraph) was the first child born in that wild region, thirty-nine veais ago. Hairy Birley has conducted expeditions into the wild and rocky interior, and et he is himself of so simple an exterior that no one on appearances would deem him to be a hardy adventurer by flood, field, and glacier." He was the first to get through the Snowball Glacier via Mount Victoria, from the Wakatipu side, and that feat of his was no small achievement, as the route up to that time had been deemed impossible. He guided Lord Glasgow and a Government House party among the glaciers and over the mountains of the Lake regions, and other Alpine climbers who have trusted their lives to Harry Birley. and never found him wanting, were Malcolm Ross, Tom Grant, Chief Justice Wav, of Adelaide, and Judge Higgmbotham, of Melbourne. •■» * * Lieutenant Alec Wilkie, who was first quartermaster in the First New Zealand Brigade in Africa, is at nresent in Wellington. Wai' had ~ieat charms for the genial Ashburtoiute. and he was one of the notable "fi others" sent from New Zealand Alec will go down to history by the name of the "thin red line," for he was the onlv recruit at Karori in 1900 who wore the scarlet tunic of the Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry. Although but a trooper in the First Contingent, Alec was largelv responsible for the organising work in getting the "First" awav in time He worked night and dav in a wind-blown tent at Karori, and in his spare time, having been a law clerk, he made many a will for men who are now biuied by spruit and kopje. He is the son of a well-known journalist and no mean hand at literary work himself. Sometimes he breaks forth into poetry, but we mercifully sa^ nothing on that score As showing Mr. Wilkie's enthusiasm, on one occasion having been detailed for duty awav from his corps, he worked a point by joining an Imperial infantry iegiment tramping with it until he overtook his own people. When the "Thin >Red Line" returned to New Zealand, he went into the Inveroargill Defence Office but left it to join the New Zealand Brigade. He is the only New Zealand quartermaster whose fine work has been officially recognised., special lefeience being made to his ability when the Brigade was mobilising and demobilising. He has dined with the great Baden Powell, and conversed with all the Boer leaders at the Vereeniging Conference. Alec is a hard man to

handle with gloves, was a good horseman and for some years following the crack shot m Ins corps He has recently been piomotod to a captamev Mi W. A. Webb, the Victorian dealei who is attending the stock sales throughout this island in his search foi meat for the Melbourne markets, is a man of weight. Indeed, it is said that he tips the beam at tw enty-f our stone ' He is certainly a man of great ->resence, and his occasional walks along Lambton Quay are reminiscent of Mr. Seddon Mr. Webb is a Tasmanian bv birth, but nearly half his life has been spent in Melbourne, and he is now about fifty-six years of age. To give a local companson, Mr Webb may be said to have been the Gear of Melbourn©, and there have been rumours that the rotund Victorian has thieatened an invasion of Gearian teiritoiy Mr. Webb first operated on the Melbourne market as the promotei and manager of the Tasmanian Butcheiing Company. At one time he was running as many as twenty-one shops in Melbourne and its suburbs. Before adiposity overtook him, he was an athlete of no mean power, and was the owner of a string of racehorses. He literally filled the mayoral chair of Richmond — iiis place of residence — and was nominated for, but did not contest, the Richmond seat in the Victorian Parliament. Mr. Webb has always had the gift of acquiring wealth, and spends with a ready and lavish hand Even to-day, when times may be said to be somewhat dull and out of joint — and growers are opening wide mouths for prices — he is able to pocket £2000 per annum bv his operations * * * Mr. R. B. Ross, who is out foi the Wakatipu seat, and is doing some active campaigning whilst the sitting member is busy attending to legislative duties in Wellington, is an ex-civil servant. R. B. R has served in both the railway and the 1 post and telegraph departments and he is "Bob" Ross to all and sundry in the district of snow and sunshine. He is the son of one of the first settlers of the South, and "Bob" was born and reared m the district which he now seeks to represent in Parliament, and he has followed the plough, shepherded the sheep, and herded the cattle there and thereabouts. He can talk, and he knows that he can do so, and he means to talk himself into the place where he can be most often heard. # » Miss Jessie Dwyer, the new post mistress at Wereroa — a "suburb" of Levin, on the Manawatu line* — is a Lawrence (Otago) girl. It is remarkable, and worth noting, in connection with Miss Pwyer's appointment, that she is the sixth native of Lawrence who has leceived an appointment to the public service upon the result of theii passage through the civil service examinations held in January last v » Yet another Conference in Wellington. Last week a Conference of delegates from Education Boards sat m the city for two days, and got through a lengthv order paper in record time It was remarkable that, of the eleven delegates no fewer than six were members of Parliament. The Conference was held on the suggestion of the Nelson Education Board, which supplied the secretary to the Conference (Mr. S. Ellis), much to the relief of the secretary of the Wellington Education Board. As a proper compliment, it was proposed that the chairman of the Nelson Board (Mr. Geo. Talbot) should preside over the Conference. But, the veteran is a modest gentleman, and he insisted upon the chairman of the Wellington Board (Mr. J. R. Blair) occupying the head of the table. And Mr. Blair made an excellent president of the proceedings.

Mr. Talbot is one of the best-known of residents of the province which has Sleepy Hollow for its centre. He has long taken a keen inteiest in educational matters, and he is a member of our Victoria College Council. Mr Talbot \\ as one of Nelson's first settlers, but he has retired from the active pursuit of farming, and now spends a. great deal of his ' tame in looking after thei welfare of others, both in educational and municipal matters. For, he is also Mayor of Richmond, having held a monopoly of that position from the day when Richmond was constituted a borough—some thirteen years ago. Trask, of Nelson, and Talbot, of Richmond, came to be know n as fixtures in the respective and respectable mavoral chairs. The South Canterbury Education Board, which sits m Timaru, was represented by the Rev. Geo Barclay, father of the junior member for Dunedm. Mr. Barclay was the most talkative delegate at the Conference, and so eager was he to raise- his voice — he always spoke as though addressing a congregation of a thousand — that he seconded nearly all the motions which came forward — and spoke to the motions. Even, when the whole of the delegates were agreed with regard to the motions proposed, Mr. Barclay took the floor with the idea of ''explaining the position." "Oh, we know all about that," exclaimed Mr. Pirani, who is no respecter of persons', "but have you any arguments 1 to bring forth against the motion, Mr. Barclay?" "Why, no, sir'" replied the astonished clergyman. "Then sit down '" exclaimed the member for Palmerston. And the delegate from Timaru sat down with an injured look. * * f Mr. W. Maoalister, another of the delegates', is a rising young lawyer, who has built up a good practice in Invercargill. He and his co-delegates from the Southland Education Board (Mr. J. A. Hanan, M.H.R.) were the youngest men at the Conference, and both are much of an age, and both be-spectacled. Mr. George S. Bridge, who, with Mr. Pirani, represented the Wanganui Board, is chairman of that body. Like Mr. Talbot, he is a retired farmer, and gives a great deal of attention to matters educational. Mr. Bridge was chairman of the previous Conference of Education Boards, which was held in Wellington some years ago. Mr. Weston, chairman of the Hawke's Bay Board, was to have attended the Conference, but he reached Wellington the day after the Conference had concluded its sittings ' It was expected that the Conference would take a week to get through its business, but — well, it did not. * • • The Parliamentarians who attended the Conference included Messrs. D. Buddo, M.H.R. for Kaiapoi, and Mr. C. A. C. Hardy, member for Selwyn, both of whom represented the North Canterbury Board , Mr. A. W. Hogg, member for Masterton, who was Mr. Blair's colleague for the Wellington Board , and Mr. Tom Mackenzie, M.H.R. for Waihemo, who was the sole representative of the Otago Board. Mr. Hogg was subjected to a great deal of chaff during the sittings), as "the member representing the Government." Mr Hardv, who is "a bit of a wit," twitted Mr Hogg with being tender in regard for the feelings of the Government generally. * * • The Minister of Education, and the other delegates, especially Mr. Mackenzie, did not neglect to improve the opportunity. "Will the future Minister for Education be good enough to hint as to his attitude upon this question?" "What has the member for the Government got to say about it p " and such like twitterings, which seemed to amuse Mr. Hogg quite as much as his fellow delegates.

Still they come! There are now eight candidates cut for the Newtown seat. The latest aspirant for the honour of representing the people of South Wellington, is Mr. John (sometimes called the Reverend John) Crewes, who is perhaps one of the best-known of our citizens. As secretary of a number of highly^successful co-operative building societies, he has become known to a wide circle of people. Then, again, Mr. Crewes, as chairman of the Conciliation Board, has become one of the best-advertised of our public men. Yet, again, as a local preacher in the pulpits of Wesleyan churches, he has still further widened his circle of acquaintances. And Mr. Crewes has been a resident in Newtown for quite a number of yeairs. * * * It is not generally known that Mr. Crewes once opposed Sir Julius Vogel for the Christehurch seat in tihe heyday of that statesman's fame. It was early in thie eighties, and Mr. Crewes was brought forward within the last two or three weeks of the election period. The result was that he came "nowhere." Still, the incident caused at great deal of excitement, and, with more time, Mr. Crewes's supporters — who hired halls, advertised, and paid all the incidental expenses — were confident that they would have had a grand show for their money. Mr. Crewes conducted religious mission work for some years in Christohurch, and he also ran a religious newspaper for something like twelve months. Certainly, the latest candidate for Newtown has demonstrated in his published letter to the electors that he is a man of many parts, some versatility, much experience, and no lack of confidence. * * * The resignation of the pastoral charge of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, Wellington Terrace, by the Rev. C. S. Ogg, is announced. Mr. Ogg has been one of the identities of the Empire City for many years, and, whether in the pulpit or the business mart, he has been equally successful. "Is the Rev. Mr. Ogg well off?" a Wellingtonian was once asked by a visitor. "Well off !" exclaimed the local authority ; "I should smile He is a thrice well-off man. He is a bachelor — isn't that luck? He owns lots of property in the city — that means wealth these days. And lam informed that he is entitled to a mansion in the skies any time he likes to apply for it!" Mr. Ogg was trained for the ministry in the Church of Scotland in King's College, Aberdeen, and he came out to St. Andrew's in 1873. He hasi had an exceptionally long service in his pastorate, and retires full of years. * * * It is interesting to recall, in connection with Mr. Ogg's resignation, how fortunately circumstanced St. Andrew's Church has been. Its first pastor was the Rev. Mr. Macfarlane, one of the passengers of one of the first vessels which came to Wellington under charter of the New Zealand Company. This company, in exchange for £100, gave the Church of Scotland one hundred acres of land at Turakina, and this land has been, and still is, an endowment for St. Andrew',s. Then, later, the colonial Government gave the managers of St. Andrew's a site of 100ft. frontage on Lainbton Quay, and on this the first Presbyterian church was built. * • o This site, afterwards becoming too valuable for a church, it was sold to the Colonial Bank, and the offices of the South British Insurance Company now stands thereon. When the land was sold, a portion of the original church was removed across the road — and today that portion makes up a part of the Central Hotel! St. Andrew's church, as Wellington knows it to-day, was opened in July, 1879 and it has long been considered the most luxuriously furnished church in the colony.

That kindly cleric, the Ven. Archdeacon Devoy, who recently celebrated his twenty-fifth anniversary as a nrie&t, has good reason to know that his ministry has been a popular one It is twenty-two years since the jolly, ruddyfaced 'padie decided he would not to to America, and took his passage by the ship Duke of Athol to New Zealand instead. Father Soulas. so well - known since on the Wanganui River, and Dean (*ro~ gan, were fellow-passengers. Bishop Redwood sent the new arrival to Christohurch, and the people ot that city have still pleasant recollections of his two years' stay. The Archdeacon knows something about the wild West Coast, for he ministered at Kumara in the palmy days of Digger Dick and afterwards he took the place of Fathei Chatagmer, at Timaru. Father Chatanier has long since returned to France. * * It is astonishing what good businessmen priests frequently are. .Bishop afterwards became procurator^ Me held that positaon for six' years and when Father Carrigan's health failed £ 1891 he succeeded him in the parish of Te A ro . In aU matters pertainin* to the religious or social welfare of the people of Wellington Archdeacon Devoy has always taken a !"***, J B^ The universal respect in which he is held is evidenced by the overwhelming of his priesthood. » * * The Rev. Father N. B. Moloney S M whose good-looking counterfeit presentment the Lance gives ;m another place, is well-known throughout WelUngton. In musical circles he is known as the Professor of Music at St. Patrick's College. Father Moloney was born in Tasmania twenty-seven years ago, but was brought by his parents to Dunedin when only tour months old, so that he is justified in his claim that he is a Dunedin it e. Me was educated at St. Patrick's College and at the Marist Seminary, Meanee (near Napier), and was ordained a priest in Wellington in 1898. » * * After filling the chair of music at "St Pat's" for two years, he became curate to Father O'Shea at Te Aro (Wellington), during which curateship he was chaplain to the Hospital and other institutions. In September last. on receiving the offer of the post of professor of the piano and singing, he returned to his old college. As a lad he was noted for his sweet soprano voice, and for his scholastic cleverness. He passed the several Trinity College (London) musical examinations. His sister (Miss Kate Moloney) is wellknown in Dunedin as a talented musician, and his brother John is manager of Messrs. W Scoullar and Co.'s warehouse in the Edinburgh of the South. * * * Surgeon-Lieut.-Colonel Burns, the light-hearted, genial, and clever doctor who is at present in Wellington, trying to regain the health he lost in the Transvaal, has orammed a distinguished career into the past year or two. The medical officer of the First New Zealand Contingent is the son of "old" A. J. Burns, the Ayrshire man who, in 1848, oame to New Zealand in the 'Thilip Lang," best known in the country a& the founder of the Mosgiel Woollen Mills. Dr. Burns is a Prraduate of the Edinburgh University, but a

native of Dunedm, and lie piactisecl tlheie before the uai fowl stiuck him, and he got a commission as sin goon-cap-tain in the First " * * * Dr Burns nevoi was, nor could he be, a typical army suigeon, for every man was his personal fnend, and his favourite expression of "my be " as applied to a plaan private 1 , w ouid not suit the pinnacled aristocrats of the Army Medical Corps. He w orked like a Trojan for the health of the men, and he had a hot time in his hfesaving efforts at New Zealand Hill, and, what he believes to be the mast sanguinary and "kaliedoscopic" event in the wax, the battle of Sanna's Post. He has been in many hot corners, where his coolness and large-heartedness stood him in good stead. He could not keep out of Africa, so he went back with the "Seventh." He has won every grade to the rank of surgeon lieutenantcolonel by sheer good service, and no man has a word to say against his ra"id promotion Dr. Burns was the first superintendent of the Porirua Asylum. His father is a grandson of Gilbert Bums, brother of "Bobby," the immortal poet. His grandfather, the Rev. Dr. Burns, was the first minister of Otago and a nephew of the great poet. "Jean Gilbert," an actress sister of the Doctor's, it will be remembered, died of plaguei a while back in Sydney. One brother a chief engineer, perished in the ill-fated Ohau. and his cousin, the third engineer was also one of the unfortunates. The Doctor, who breathes heavily, and moves with difficulty with that crushed leg of his, believes he will get better. He was 1 ever sanguine, and it takes a great deal to kill his pluck and endurance. When he is better he thinks he

will commence piactice in Wellington, but, at the same time lie has a slight regard for the new colonies whithei he may drift after all when he feels fit. a * * Mr. J. J. Ramsay, of Mosgiel, who is out after the seat at the Taien to be rendered open to all comers by the emigration to Hawera of Mr. Camcross (the sitting member), is a young man with aspirations. He aims at joining the Young New Zealand Party, and thinks that his own fitness and ability, rather than party considerations, should wm him the seat. Surely. Mr. Ramsay is very young! 1 Wally" Mendelson, the Canterbury amateair athlete, who won much fame on the racing track, and on the football field whilst pm suing his university studies at Home a few years ago, was well known m the South Island. He wa>s the only son of the late Julius Mendelson, one of South Canterbury's earliest settlers, and spent his boyhood in Temuka aaid Timaru. He was educated at the Chnstchurch High School and College, and whilst pursuing learning he found time to develop his athletic proclivities, and represented Canterbury on the cricket field, football ground, and racing track. * # * He became a solicitor, and practised in Timaru and Temuka. Only a few months ago, "Wally," filled with a sense of the possibilities of South Africa for a young and ambitious man, went out to the Land of Promise. Two weeks ago his relations received word that) he had reached Johannesburg in good health. A few days later came the brief, but distressing, cable to his mother (Mrs. Cutten) — "Regret to inform vou Wally died yesterday at Durban."