All Sorts of People.

Free Lance, Volume IV, Issue 182, 26 December 1903, Page 3

All Sorts of People.

MANY Wellington youths have lately become budding lawyers, and not a few have bloomed, only awaiting admittance. You have looked down the closely-printed list of passes in the various law examinations, which was printed last week. You know some who figure there. Others are strangers. There is G Toogood, for instance, son of the late Mr. William Toogood of Featherston, one of Wairarapa's oldest and best-respected settlers. Young Toogood is an old Wellington College Boy, who put in six years in the Railway Department, and left it to study law. He has passed in subjects of the third LL.B. examination, and has taken the second LL.B. at the same time. • * • Another young man whoce pass in a section of the third LL.B. examination will be of interest is H. H. Ostler, now associate of Sii Robert Stout, Chief Justice. He has always romped into first place in his examinations and he is not far behind in the football field, for he was a Horowhenuarepresentative. F. M.Martin, who also passed in the section with H. H. Ostler, is one of the smartest youths in these parts. He is, so we learn, "a mere kid to look at." He is a son of Mr. T. F. Martin, who has just retired from the position of Wellington City Solicitor. • * • The J. L. Stout, mentioned as having passed in this section also, is the eldest son of the Chief Justice. "Like father like son." Law runs in the Stout blood. H. D. Bedford? Where have we heard that name before? This traveller on the tack-bestrewn highway to legal honours is senior member for Dunedm. Young, ambitious, studious, industrious, and a teetotaler, he is also an M.A., and was once a blacksmith. His father is a tailor. "Harry" will be ( T>r." Bedford before long unless he is called upon to form a Ministry ! S. J. Moran, who had the honour of the company or the senior member for Dunedin" is a clerk in the New Zealand Express Company, but he imbibed law under Sir Kenneth Douglas. • ♦ * In the final LL.B. examinat-on we find the name of D. K. Logan. This is "Davie" Logan, son of Mr. J. K. Logan, superintendent of electric lines. "Davie was for some years with Messrs. Hall and Knight, but left to go to Mr. C. F. Gawith, of Masterton. He has represented Wairarapa on the football field. The* J. Graham among the final LL.B. passes is the son of the member for Nelson. He is a NeJson College Old Boy, took his B.A. several years ago, and had the high honour of being under the watchful eye of the eminent legal firm of Bell, Gully, Bell, and Myers. • * * Rawdon Beere, who may now become a full-blown solicitor— the formalities over and the licence obtained — is the brother of Mr. E. H. Beere, also a solicitor. He has been employed at the office of Messrs. Menteath and Beere. He studied at Victoria College and, when not "swatting:," plays an excellent game of tennis. Young Willie Churchward, who is now entitled to put on the warpaint as a full-fledged solicitor, is iust twenty-one, and has been with Messrs. Young and Tripe for four years. He is the son of the well-known bowling skip,

Mr. T. L. Churchward, but is hardly ancient enough to play the canny game himself. Young Churchward is captain of the Sw.fts Amateur Swimming Club. A man who believes that a policeman should know something is J. W. M. Dart, who, two years ago was a police probationer at Mount Cook. Since then, he has filled in his spare time like the smart Sub-Inspector Donovan, by learning law, and has now passed his final solicitor's examination. Mr. Dart is de-ervmg of high commendation, and it is most satisfactory to see the pol cc undertaking to study the- law that, in some sense, they have to administer. The M. Gilfeddei who has also become a potential solicitor is the gentleman who used to represent Wallace in the House of Repre^ sentatives, now represented by Mr. J. C. Thomson. Mi. Gilfedder was a State school teacher in Southland before he went in for politics. * * * Another ex-member who has passed his final solicitor's examination, but who, however, still has to surmount the matriculation examination to get a license, is the genial and fluent "Pat" O'Regan. I< you could have seen P. J. when he heard the results you would have noted a, smile of complete satisfaction on his features. P. J. last year sat for the examination. He also suffered the tortures of an election. He is a family man, has to earn a Jiving, and is a hard worker, and therefore has the Lance's best wishes for a successful law career. • * • W. P. Morgan, now a clerk in the Land Transfer Office in this city, used to drive a pen for Messrs Guinness and Kitohmgham, of Grey. Mr. Guinness is the Speaker of the House of Repreisentatives It is possible that many of these public servants, who successfully pass law examinations, only do so in. order to be more useful in their particular departments. Theie is T. H. Wilson, for instance. He is now a nassed solicitor, but he is in. the Railway Department. He is a handsome young man, with Maori blood in his veins, and belongs to the Wilson family whose members have such stirring memories of the Poverty Bay massacre "Harry,' previous to being a Civil servant, was in business on the goldfields. He is a family man, a cultured conversationalist, a keen cricketer, and last, but not least, a thorough gentleman. # # » Another clever Civil servant in this section is S. S. ,McKenzie, a clerk mthe Public Trust office. He is not yeo twenty-one, a Victoria College boy, who will possibly be heard of anon. A. A. Wylie will be useful to Messrs. Skerrett and Wylie, with whom he works, and whose brother, Mr. A. W. Wyhe, is a member of the firm. In, am office where there are so many solicitors Mr. A. A. Wylie will be useful for "blasphemy" purposes. He is a levelheaded chap too, a senior footballer, and a keen volunteer. J. OsborneLilley is a strenuous young man, who worked for Messrs. Kirk, Atkinson, and Wilson, and went away with the Ninth Contingent. He has been spared from death to gather in six-and-eightpenoes. There are many interesting names among the nasses for the final section of the solicitors' examinations, and the Lance would like to tell you about them, but the stern decree is that Mr. Osborne-Lilley should close the long-list this time. # * * There are but three survivors of the firat General Synod of New Zealand. These are Bishop Hobhouse, first Bishop of Nelson, who is now ninety years of age and has been ordained sixty-two years, that veteran politician Sir John Hall and Archdeacon S. Williams-

Bishop Nehgan, of Auckland, is a good hand at raising the dollars. He made up his mind less than three months ago that Auckland wanted a Diocesan High School for girls. The hat has gone round, most of the funds are subscribed, the late Mr. Edwin Hesketh's lovely residence and grounds at Epsom (six and a-half acres) have been bought, the lady principal has been secured by cable in England, and the institution will be ready for opening as a boarding and day school in May next. This is going ahead with Yankee-like briskness. Miss Pullin- is to be the lady principal. She graduated B.A. at the University of London, in 1892 — first-class in classics and English literature and first place m first-class honours in mental science (-join B.A. and B.Sc. honours examination). ♦ * ■» Little Harry Badford, M.H.R.. cuts his coat according to his cloth. He recently turned the flood of his eloquence on at a meetine of ex-soldiers. You remember the rather vapid lightnings he launched at "Dick" in the House during the session ? He told the Dunedin exkhakeros that they had no sincerer friend in the colony than the Ripht Hon. gentleman. We imagine the tears of gratitude the Premier will shed when he know s that after all Harry loves him. • * • Mr. Willis M.H.R. for Wanganui. gets warmed up sometimes. He is a member of the local Municipal Council. The Mayor imposed a "time limit" as the vexed question of "unimproved value rating" was bein^ discussed. The M.H.R. surged badly at that, as he was cut short in his oration before he had said five or six thousand words. He protested, and then yelled. Everybody yelled, until a stentorian mayor yelled everybody to a standstill. Then, the blithesome Willis still seething, grabbed his hat, and vanished A man sometimes foreets that he is not in Parliament, and that he is expected to curb his emotions. . • # * Minister of Lands "Tarn" Duncan doesn't put ou much "side." Also, when he travels a few miles he does not have a special train. The other day, he received a deputation in one cc-mt>art-ment of a "bird-cage" carnage, himself sitting on a table, and the secretary standing at the door. The rest of the compartment was filled with ordinary passengers. * * ♦ That eminent cleric, the Count Vay de Vaya, has collided with the great Pacific curse. His most unpleasant memory of Northern coach, rides is the bad language of the drivers. It seems to be an undeniable fact that the most estimable of men seem to fall short of language decency when engaged with the most estimable of animals. If the Count hadn't been so fine a linguist he would have been, spared the shock. His own countrymen, if stuck in a bog, would probably descend, and call on all the saints in the calendar to help them. The abandoned colonial calls on the horses in picturesque prose. * • ♦ No one living, who has lived in older countries, remembers having heard a driver swear in the presence of a clergyman. Drivers in New Zealand are democratic. Their manners and their language are not changed on account or their company. Still, the ssertion that a distinguished lady visitor made that "aJI the working men in New Zealaaid were gentlemen" doesn't seem to be true. But then, Miss Balgarnie perhaps did not ride in a coach with the average blasphemous driver. It only remains for the Count to hear a hush bullocky exhorting his team. A horseman's most glowing vocabulary is pale stuff in comparison with the flood of imprecation a "puncher" uses as a matter of course.

Mis. W. R. Williams, the good lady who donated £7800 for the purchase of land and the erection of a naven for seamen, was a proud woman on Wednesday (December 16th), when she lai the foundation-stone of the building with the usual formalities. Mrs. Williams belongs to the type of "dear old ladies." She is vigorous ; alert, determined. Although the wind was howling vastly, and every inch of bunting was cracking like stockwhips, canvas flapping, and photographers holding on like grim death to their cameras, Mrs. Williams's voice was distinctly heard as she said • "I declare the stone is well and truly laid." Mr. James Moore the seamen's missioner, in a shiny bell-topper, and a face that absolutely glowed with the pleasure of it all, was in great fettle. He nositively buzzed, like a swarm of bees. He was everywhere, dad everything, forgot nothing and nobody, and avoided sanctimony. He doesn't want you to judge sailors, firemen, and stewards by the "one or two" wanderers in the byeways of alcoholic recklessness. The' leaven of unrighteousness does not leaven the lump of "men who pro down to the sea in ships." He told how the Mission had shifted its quarters twentythree times, until he was an expert svvagman, and would "take on" any furniture mover for speed in the city. * * * Nothing better could be said in thaniks to Mrs. Williams than the words of the tarry old sea-dog, "God bless her'" If only some of the rich peonle would only earn the Divine blessing inhke manner! Mr. Moore has a verypleasant platform style and has the not -unpleasant difficulty of sounding the ■ l r." The slight lisp gives piquancy. The tall and grey-headed Bey. Russell, secretary to the Mission, said Wellington wants more Moores, and Mr. Moore blushed, of course. * * * Make way for the Premier. He is in. a grey wideawake hat, and looks tired. He has a grey waistcoat, with a watchchain resting on it, and a busy pressman, who cannot see him asks us if we think "Dick's wound un." Our expert opinion was given. "Diok" had seen the Auckland Veterans' Home opened by "our good Governor." He had seen the veterans, with their bemedalled breasts. Here Mr. Seddon. indicated the medals by passing his hand across his watch-chain, and he was glad the sailors were going to have a haven. He called Mr. Moore, "the Rev. Mr. Moore," but that breezy apostle i» not a clergyman. * « * We like the Rev. Mr. Davys. He would make a typical Mephistopheles for "Faust." He held a head innocent of hair with a beautiful white hand, and spoke. He is a satirist, and probably took to the pulpit to curb his critical propensities. He said he had never had the honour— the awful honour — of speaking before a Prime Minister. He also said he was the unworthy Vicar of St. Peter's, and had lost his hair fourteen years ago. All this without a smile. He would be a good man to meet in mufti. * * * The Hon. 0. H. Mills mixed his history a bit, but not more than usual and the Hon. Mr. Hall-Jones, as Minister for Marine, had some kind things to> say about "Jack." We think the ladies, who were predominant in the crowd, all fell in love with Mr. Moore. Mrs. Moore by the way, was present but modestly kept away from immediate E anticipation. Still, this lady, who is cart and soul with her husband's work, was not forgotten. It was a function the whole-heartedness of which charmed one. One felt at the conclusion like Mr. Moore's sailor. He had been to one of the Mission concerts. "Well, Jack," asked the untiring Mr.

Mooie, "what do you think of it p " "Lor lumme, gov-nor, it wuz as good as a quart o' beer'" Breaking-up proceedings prior to the summer vacations are always mteiestmg at St. Patrick's College and alv.ays attract a large crowd of witnesses, 1 This year's ceremony was no exception to its predecessors. The special feature of the prize-list was the prominent part taken by ex-pupils of the Manst Brothers' Schoo 1 , in Boulcottstreet. These lads earned aU before them, to the delight of the.r old master, Brother Mark who beamed throughout Wednesday's proceedings as he saw his "dear boys" go up one after the other to captuie the puzes presented by Aichbishop Redwood. The Archbishop himself had occa&ion for rejoicing, because he had the pleasure of ■presenting one of the prizes — that for book-keeping in the .commercial duiskki — to H Redwood, of Marlborough, a son of one of the Archb shop's nephews. Young Redwood, the student, inherits the keen, eye possessed by nearly every member of the Redwood family, and theie is a legend in the family that this boy, like his father, is able to shoot a bee with an ordinary shotgun. » * * His Grace was not the only dignitary who had pleasuie in seeing a kinsman take honours, for Archdeacon Devov's nephew was also a pi ize-w inner. This lad recently came out from Ireland to be educated in Wellington, at the snecial request of the Archdeacon who of course, was naturally dehehted at the success of Mark Devoy. Young Duncan McMurrach must have scored double figures in prizes, so often was he called upon to kneel and kiss the Archbishop's ring on receipt of either medals or books. Duncan is a Wellington boy. Another frequent prize-winner was Lynch Dignan, son of the manager of the Bank of New Zealand at Ma-sterton. Young Lynch is a melodious 'cello player, and out in some good solo work with the orchestra at the breaking-up concert ♦ * • Writing of the musical portion of the programme reminds us that the versatile and witty Rector of St. Pat's, the Very Rev. A. Keogh, 8.A.. is the author of a school song which is now very popular at the College under the titleof "The Blue and White" (the Colleere colours, for which a. singing tune has been composed by Mr. Laurence Watkins, organist at St. Mark's, who is the singing master at St. Pat's. The third verse of the sons:, with its watchword of "No Surrender," would almost convey the idea that Father Keogh wrote it for a gathering or Orangemen: — So through the world, whate'er the strife Or strong the fight, while there is life, Our cry is " No Surrender ! " For God and King, for pood and right, Above us floats the Blue and White, Until the day is done. * * * Before passing away from the festivities of St. Pat's, the Lance would like to compliment the Archbishop upon the youthfulness of his appearance. During the course of a short speech he grew reminiscent, and said that his mind went back to a prize-giving ceremony in the College which he attended forty-three years ago, when he was a prize-taker. His Grace referred to the college he was attending near Lyons, in France. He was then something more than a youth and is now well on in the sixties, thougVrhe does not look it. * * * I suppose the majority of the neople who saw Miss Dorothy Marsdin, as "Puck" in U A Midsummer Night's Dream," came away with the impression that she was a very clever little girl. About her cleverness there is no room for two opinions. And her petite figure, nimble grace, clear elfish laughter, and the diablerie of her grimaces as she bodies forth to the life "that shrewd and knavish sprite" who attends the Fairy Bang, would amply iustify the notion about her juvenility. But, Miss Marsdin is a married lady. She is the wife of Mr. Croker-King, who played so well the parts of Egeus in the "Dream" and Sir Andrew Aguecheek in "Twelfth Night." During their sta" in Wellington, Mr. and Mrs. Oroker-Kmg sojourned at the Albert Hotel, and made many friends, who were very sorry their visit was so biief. * * • Both Miss Dorothy Marsdui and her husband occupy a good social position outside the profession altogether. The little lady w as the adopted daughter of the Countess of Caithness, and is highr ly accomplished. She speaks with facility several European languages besides her native tongue, and is an expert and daring horse-woman. In fact, equestrian exercise is one of her favourite pleasures. You may probably have seen her going out or returning from one of her rides about Wellington. If so you must have noted that she dresses stylishly for the event, sits her steed gracefully, and knows how to Dick a good bit of horseflesh. Mr. Croker - King wasn't exactly educated for the stage. He is an Oxford University man, and might

have shone m one of the learned professions if his bent had not been more strongly towards the sock and buskin. By the wav a little practical ioke was amusingly played off upon him here in Wellington. And by whom, do -ou think? Well, you would not be- likely to guess if you tried for a w hole month of Sundays. The joker was no less— well he couldn't be much less in inches or a'vondupois— than the tiny mite who played the role of "the little changeling boy" whom Oberon coveted for his henchman, and whom Tit am a, refused to part with. You may remember this wee vest-pocket actor, in the play his face was stained to a dusky hue, and he wore a baby tiger skin across his sholders - It seems the little man belongs to Melbourne, and, along with several other children — who are a kind of nucleus for 'the fairy band"— ti avels with the company. One day he informed Mr. Croker-Km? he had been to the Post Office, and had seen there a, parcel, addressed to him aJI covered with English stamps, and bearing every appearance of beinor a substantial Christmasbox from Home. He was so positive about it, and gave so much corroborative detail, and stipulated so eaeerly for the stamps, that Mr. Croker-King lost no time in getting dow n to the Post Office to receive his Christmas-box. No, the Post Office people knew of no such -ivcel. Certainly they had none to deliver. Yes, they would search, but felt

sure it was useless. The long and the short of it nas that Mr (.Voker-Kmg spent a. large pxrt of his spa.c time for a week in the hunt for that Christmas parcel, and the Post Office people searched high and low for it to no purpose. At last, the sprite confessed it was his little holiday joke. * * * The late Mr. S. H. Andiews did a rather unique thing. He left a goodly sum of money to Dunedm volunteers. His w ill said he had made h.s money in New Zealand, and he theiefore ber queathed it in gratitude. If all the people whose fortunes were the result of the natural growth of the colon} did likewise, New Zealand institutions would be uchly endowed. * * * Kaiser Wilhelm, of Geimam is bar nothing, the most sacied peison in the world. Although ho suffers from the fact that he his a withered arm, for which everyone is sorry, it is absolutely forbidden to any German to speak of it It is ' lesc majeste." Twenty-two doctors exam ned the growth lecently extracted from the Kaiser's throat, and all declared it to be benignant. As it would be "les& majeste" to declare anything else, the probability is that these, doctors damn their professional reputations for corlect diagnosis by being forced to pander to a ridiculous whim. Bv the way, the Kaiser wears an artificial arm tha.t is considered the most perfect substitute for a real limb ever made.

A NOCTURNE IN CBAYOV. ' onv/f Mr. Genius: Do you know, old fellow, I'm so hrimminq full of ideas that - 1 have to jot them doun on my shirt cuff, 01 else I'd lose them 7 Smartun: Carry chalk, eh ?