All Sports of People

Free Lance, Volume VII, Issue 338, 22 December 1906, Page 3

All Sports of People

THE regretted! death of that fine odd! gentfeman, the Hon. Hugh Gourley, the well-known Dunedin undertaker, and for seven yearn M.L.C., reminds on© of the death of his son, -Sam," seven yearn «go, andi revives the African story of New Zealand Hill. It will be remembered tihat New Zealand! troops, together with men of the Yorkshire Regiment, were holding tihe hill, amd: that the Boers, witih great courage and skill, crept up the hill with the intention of ammihillating tihe post and 1 securing the key tlo; the British position around' Oolesbiirg, held entirely by General French and "bluff." * ♦ • When. Captain Madoeks, of the New Zealandters, caled upion has men to charge down the hall, Gouriey, who was a sergeant, was the first man over the sanger. In fact, Captaun Madooks, GourJey and OonoeU were "looking for it" with vigour. Gourley had! his brains blown out literally before he had covered! many yards and Conmell (of Auckland) was shot throuigh the heart, the bullet penetnatimg a packet of letters he carried in the pocket of his uniform jacket. When anything went wrong with the sergeants or their administration afterwards, the men of the corps would say : "Aih, if Sam Gouriley hadn't been killed !" Hie was one of the ablest, breeziest, goodnatured chaps who ever left New Zealand — for good and all. His late father, the Hon. Mr. Gourley, f netted! baddy over "Sam's" death far years — and there are others who fretted', too. • • • Mir. J. C. Williamson has been appointed! second clerk to the General Post Office, but he has no connection witih the big opera company dxie here in a day or two. This J. C. is not James Oassius, but a steady, goodnatured fellow, who has worked his ir&y slowly up to a recent position, and! ■will get higher yet. When the piresBure js not too keen, in off hours he fe to be found 1 on the KeTburne green, trundling up igood bowls for his side without any "side" on his part. Mr. W. R. Jourdain, newly-appointed secretary of tie Scenery Preservation Society, is a modest man with a moustache that refuses to lie down and mild eyes that look kindly through spectacles. He is a scion of the Leicestershire Jourdains. Leioesteirshiie is wthexe the "bullfinches" raise their massive top-rails and' where the Melton Mowbray pies have their head-quart &rs. In fact, it is the 'hunting country and it is therefore not wonderful that the Jourdains are sports. Thear forebears were Huguenot®, who drifted) across to England what time things were warm far Huiguenots in France after the celebrated revocation of the Edict of Nantes. ♦ • • Tihe Jourdain with whom this pen is dealing at present left the boot-coun-try twenty-two years ago and he put in a good many years in Nanier. In fact, he was much identified! with the sporting 'life of the community and was one of the foundtere of tihe Napier Swimming dub. He swam a bit, too. He used to be seen out in skiffs a lot, for he was a member of the Napier Bowing Club and a committeeman

while the eartih moved round its orbit for a good few spells, tout it was as a bicyclist he mostly shone, for he captained! the Napier "Wanderers." He Was a long-distance rider and won many events, among them tine special ton-rang medal of the "Wandeieris" in 1898. • • • Hockey got into Mr. Jourdain's blood, too, and he started the Napier Hookey Associaitdon in 1899. In 1896, he organised the first public hockey tournament in connection with the Bnmner Relief Sports.. Mr. Jourdain has been identified! all has business life with the Lands and Survey Department and is very popular in Wellington both in and out of the Biggest Wooden Building. By the way, another Jourd'am — a brother — ocours to us. Harold was an Auckland chemist and got the war fever, leaving hoe Symondis-street pillery to join the Gape Medical Corps when the Mausers were pip-poppiing in Africa. Later he joined the ScofctiMi Horse and bad <a go at making medioa<l cases for other pil'l-punoheirs. Now, he is settled in Gtahennesburg, aigain oompoumidiiig drugs. By the way, both these Jourdains aie cousins .of Bishop Nieviill, Primate of New Zealand. • • * Mr. W. R. Jourdlain imagined it might be of large service to him in the Lands Office if he knew law, so he has been studying law aoid' has passed A .part of the solicitor'© exam.. Of interest, too, about the Jiourdaans is it that when Chemist Haroldl went to war he found serem cousins all scrapping away lake fuiy and' all in different regiments. One of them i® Captain Charles Jouirdain, D.5.0., of the Loyal North Laneashires. • • • # Mislß May King, one of Sydney's gilded ginhs, came across by the MaEeno from Sydney lest week, mainly because sib.© has become engaged to American actor Charles Walldron, of "The Squaw Man" Company. He and She waflsed 1 about the town, about the w(b.arf and; .had 1 afternoon tea ; in fact, were very close during the day spent in Wellington. Then, as May was not going South just then, she saw him off the same eveming, he pink and smiling, Elbe rather quiet and 1 wistful. • • • Mr. Wialdiron wears on© of tliose shal-low-crowned, broad-brainmed! Panamas that make men look so silly. In any. ■other headi,gear we would call him a fine, handsome fellow. Mass King is tall and graceful, with rather attractive face and features, but there was a lack of animation tihene when we focussed her which might have been caused by Charlie's departure. • • # While tihe company were in Wellington, Mr. Rosenomntz (am American traveller) .and "Big Bill" (Raplay Holmes) took Mobs Ola Jane Humphreys, leading lady in "The Squaw Man" Company, out for a carriage drive round 1 the Queen's Drive. Before settling out they rang up and ordered lunch at the Island Bay Hotel, which they readied with a keen hunger induced by the long drive. On enquiring for their lunch, they were told that none had been p repaired — the landlord thought someone was "pulling his leg"! Such a sinful indfulgence as a long drive and 1 a nice lunch at an hotel is becoming such a novelty in, this holy community that the publican could not grasp the fact that the order in this case might be a genuine one. The joke of the outing was that, after driving furiously back to town, lunch was off everywhere and the famished trio had to satisfy their hunger with afternoon tea. Watch for "Big Bill" in "The Squaw Man."

Madame GoWfemsted/t (Mhss Cicely Staunton, the handsome mezzo sopxano, whom those with keen memories will remember with thle oldi MomtagueTurnsr Opera Company, is back again in Auckland!, her native city, after an absence of some years and. many triumphs. Many in, Wellington will remember Muss Staunton as Lazarillo in "Maritana," — what a pretty gdinl-boy she made — and hen* singing of "Alas, Those Chimes 1" was something of a Glass one does not often hear in modern ooanic opeia. • ♦ * Since Madame has been, away from New Zealand, she has studied at Paris, under Marchesi, of whom Miss Staunton says that so powerful is her personr ality that her pupils fear as weflll as love her — ''she is like a queen in Paras." Miss Staunton made her debut in Massenet's "Elegie," a beautiful thfimg which she contemplates singing in Auckland. Massenet did! her the honour of accompanying her persomaJly. and', after hearing her capacity, exclaimed 1 : "That is the voice for my 'Aye Maria' !" • * * London is the home of Moss Stiauuitota and' there she teaches and takes concert and operatic engagements. She- says that the Wagnexian craze has subsided and 1 the heavy music, which, only those trained m harmoniy oouldi appreciate, was giving way to the lighter and more charmang musio of French and) Italian, composers "sweeter food," as she puts it. Rich, full voices, such as abound in the colonies were not so muoh in endienoe in London as the more fragile organs trained 1 to depict wonderful tone effects. Miss Staunton is coming along very soon to revisit Wellington, and we shall all be delighted to see and' to hear her again. • * ♦ Dx. Duncan MacGregox, M.A., M.8., CM., Inspector of Asylums and Hospitals, passed to the bug beyond on Sunday morning last. It is the passing of one who had, an army of friends throughout the coLony and who was an enthusiast in the work he specialised I—the1 — the conduct of the saddlest of our institutions'. He never missed an opportunity of suggesting haw improvements could be madb in our hospitals and! asylums, and) if there was any looseness anywhere he boldly attacked it, with rip,ht and! science as bis backers. He had' the courtage of hde convictions and in -..s official reporte expressed them with rerreishing candtousr, carting not whether those in haghi places felt hurt or pleased l with has outspokenniei9B. He was truly a man of dteiep learauunig and! wide ideas, whose death robs the Government of a valued, official. People are already canvassing the succession to the vacant officte, and the name® of Dr. Mason, of the Health Department, and) of Dr. Truby King, of the Seacliffe Hospital, seem to be most in favour. • • • Captain Percy Atikun is mashed on New Zealand. Like his chief, Six John Gorst, he considers it a glorious little country full of charm, happy people and' wonderful ecemeny. He told) a Lanoeb that "the more he sees of it the better hie likes it." As he has just seen a good 1 deal of it up North, he speaks advisedlly. The Captain is a cheery person, who is always smiling — takes a. joy in living, Bind will never confess to any such affliction as the blues, which 'happy attributes would induce him to declare Central Sahara "a great old' place." In strict confidence, he said) that Sir John Gorst was enthusiastic over New Zealand, and! he was quite in earnest when he saidl that, if it were not for family ties, he would like to end his days in Maorilamd.

Captain Evans, Premier of Tasmania, who was entertained' by Jlutt Mayor Macdonald with groat cordiality on Monday nighit at. Bellevue Gardens, is a little man with blue ©yes and turned^ down collar. Has other eharaoteristlics are a bell-topper, frotck-coat andi a watch-chain. He is an earnest little man. He is also the first sailorPremier in the world as far as he can gather. As a matter of fact, he has risen from the potsi cuon of cabin boy to the highest seat in the Government of his island 1 . He isn't a, born "Tassy," but he is very httle of a Liverpudlian either, because he left that place when 'about four. • • • You see, Captain Evans hadl a couple of sea mishaps. He makes no bones about saying so, and he lost his master's certificate. While "on hisback," to use his own' expression, he felt like giving things beet. He also felt his 'life was closed." Then' lie upand,' thought down another channeL Here was he, a broken man, with a wife andl family and a lot of enemies. He would rise like a phoenix onwb of the •ashes of defeat (etc.). He became: a clerk in the Huddart Parker service, afterwards their traffic manager in the Kingsburgh fruit district, and gained the esteem of the fruit-growers. • • * The Captain hast' been in public life for twenty years, has represented his. present ooiistituency for ten, ysairs and been Premier of Appleland' for three years. Tasmania has reduced the number of members in its House of Asbembly from 35 to 30, andi tinier© was. also a motion' to make Mr. Fat of the Lords reduce himself by three — from 18 to 15. Mr. Fat, who represents, the very small class that owns Tasmania, point blank refuses to be ireduoed. He baa the power of veto and be uses> it. He doesn't mind! the grouped electorate idea for the Lower House, but he isn't standing any shenanaiken with vested interest®. • * . "Tassy," too, has had licensing legislation a good deal hampered by Mr. Fa/t. Also, "Tassy" has too many hotels. The little island has decided to go in for local option witlhout comptensation, if possib&j but the Lords have yet to deal with the matter. There is to be no Prohibition issue — only "reduction" or "as you were." The Lance bets a bottle of pop to £5000 tlhat the Lords say "as you were." * » * Mr. Hugh Campbell, who died! at Auckland! last week, was a prominetmt member of une Auckland Bar, and! brother of Mr. J. P. Campbell, solicitor, of Wellington. In the Northern city be was <a recognised) authority on mercantile law. Mr. Hugh Campbell dame out to Nelson when quite a young man. He was admitted l to practice in Auckland! nearly twenty-five years ago, andl hs ever since occupied an eminent position in ibis profession. For several years he was Mayor of Parnell, and about seven years ago contested the Parnell Parliamentary seat in the Opposition interest, 'but was unsuccessful. • • #, Another brother of the dteoeasedl, in addition to Mr. J. P. Campbell is the. Rev. John Campbell, of Auckland!, and one of ibis sisters is the wife of Mr. Thomas Peacock, who formerly sat in tihe House of Representatives as member for Auckland City West. About two years ago tihe laibe Mr. Hugh Campbell met "witlh. a painful accident. He entered the strong room of hisoffice and struck a match to search for some deeds'. Someone hadl inoaiutiouslv left tihe gas turnedl full on and an explosion was the result, burning all the hair off Ms face and l scalp. From the shook he never seemed' to thoroughly recover, although he took a trip Home soon afttervvwrds.

His Excellency Hwang Hou Oheug, ptrefoob of a province of China with About ten times the population of the whole of New Zealand, an attach© to the Chinese Legation in. London, and credited at the Court of St. James, •hook the dust of Wellington off lins sandalled feet a few nights ago, when he left for the South by the Mairairoa. If you failed to see Hwang, you probalbly have missed' -the opportunity oi » noting the vast guJf there is between the fellow who says "Wha far!" in your ear every day and th& quite superior and cultured individual of the same race. • • • Hwang is quite refined mi appearance. Hie is sligjhit in figure, hit> oomplexion is a delicate ecru, and/ he looks out on the world throuigh placidly intelligent eyes and large spectacles. The former <io not slant in tlie least degree, whach is where tire remai bable difference between (him and the canaille of the race comes in. He drove down to the steamer's side' in an open carriage, and, though tihere was a seething crowd roundi the gangway of the boat, including about a toundlred Chinamen, he sat there in the carnage with all the repose of royalty — he is evidently used' to crowds — quite without self-ooneciousnasis, quite dignified, and quite an interesting personality altogether. Hie secretary, Wen, is a smart young fellow, who dashes here and there, making Arrangements for his chief's comfort and to save tibe latter's dignity. He speakis English as we'll as a Uninaman ever does speak thei hard Saxon tongue, and knows more than we generally give the Cliioaman, oredflt for knowing. Hwang has some beautiful Chinese clothes, andi is 1 said to have been the most gorgeous 1 thing on the lawn at Flemingtap >n Melbourne Cup day. The Lance impression of Hwang is that he was a Chinaman whom you would' nob approach to enquire what peas were a peek. He is not a "rice Christian," but a true believer in the god Bud) (for short), or Confuciios, or something, and when he told Messrs. Gibbe, Elliott and Co., of the Presbyterian Assembly, Ltd., raiat be was very much obliged for the way they looked! after hie country, we can imagine the celestial tongue was well in tnecheek. TSiese good* pastors imagine they are doing good, so why disturb them in their anxiety to lay flattering unction to their soul' that they «ne the saviours of the great Chinese nation. The Rev. J. J. North — tlhe Judkins of our village* — was not preaenit at the deputation to Cheng. Is he 'learning at last P • • • Clever "Willie". Percy, one of a biudget of comedians with the Royal Comic Opera Company, should get a rousing welcome! back to Wellington, if the audience is able to recognise him. For quite a number of years "Will&e" was the acknowledged comic opera comedian of these parts (with Pol'llardi's), for tihe simple reason that when "Tom" Pollard was 1 going strong it paid J. C. Williamson to accept royalties on thte operas played rather than risk sending bip shows along with any frequency. We all got to like our Percy in anything he dfid, from the Due d'lfe, in "Olivebbe," to t!h© dashing Captain CoddtLnertomi in "In Town"; from the "All my Work!" pier6om in "La Poupee," to the "Excuse me, my photograph !" excrescence' in "MoTodtara." • • • "Willie" was a good comedian, a poor dancer, bad 1 the energy of fifty no amount of work can kill him, and even when a fresh opera is to be played" each night of the week he would' find time to splodge at soenery or {ft* artistic advertisemients for anyonte who oared 1 to pay for them. Wonfter^ bias he changed! He married petite Jessie Ramsay, sister of Mts. A. E. Donne (Jeanne Ramsay), of WeflHintostfon. They have' a "bonsin" boy (or is it a eirl ?). a few months old. that brightens life between performanoes. • • • George Tancred de- Montalk, the vntetamof the fatal motoT-car accadlemt at Chrifftehuroh, belonged' to a fjamilv weJ] known 'in ChTistchuirch and Auckland. His father, the late Professor d© Montalk, was for many years a teacher of French land 1 German, 1 in Chirfetohuroh and) for the last edgih'b or nine years at thei Aiucklanid) University ColIlepre. ThougK thedT surname su^ajeß+s a French orisita, tble famlily aire really •of Polish descent. Their name in their fatherland! was Pitooki — pironouinlced Ktotski. Whem Poland) counitedl as a power in Europe the Ktockis were noblemen of influence mi tihe liamd. Thieir resiebanoe to Rugsdan' tyranny howerer, drove them fetb exile, and fhle brancn of the family mow re.presen*ed in Auckland settled in France, and 1 adopted fhe name of db Montailk. Georsie de Montalk was a promfeinsc youn«f fellow, and 1 had iust attaSnled manhood. # He was one of the adVeTiturous (spdrits ybo went to South Africa in the Ninth Contingent.

Captain Willie Moans, of the Post and 1 Telegraph Rifles, and) also of Wadieetown, succeeds kindly Mr. George Gray as contiroller and! accountant of the Money Order and 1 Savings Bank branch of the Post and Telegraph Department. The Captain is am Irishman, Mesa yV sowl, though it is many a long diay since he walked down Saok-viUe-s/treet. He saw (civil) service in the G.P.O. at Dublin,, but, with tlhe spirit of young Ireland' in Mm, he diecided to leave her to her landlords and bogs, and so came t»> New Zealand! in 1874, as part cargo of the ship Cairisbrook Castle. He losife no time in getting a Government berth in the department the routine of which he was familiar with. He started: as a moneyordter clerk and 1 worked hie way steadily up until three years aJgo, when he became Aasißtant-Oontroiller aindi Acoountant to the Money Order and Sarongs Bank branch, ftroan which poeitioiai he is now most wortihiily promotied, to Oontroller and Aocouratant, the head of the bramch. The Captain does other things than figures — he fishes end shoots, and is Troll acquainted! witlh the ethics of sport generally. He is a Mason and a jolly good fellow in generail. As long a,®© as 1876 he marriied a dlaraghter of Mr. B. W. Mountfort, architect, of CShrisbchuroh. TTiiia brother, Mr. R. B. MarmSs, also wellknown in Wellington, bis chief clerk of the Money Order Ofiioe in Ohrdstchurch. • • • Mr. R. H. L. Ledger, wiho succeeds Mr. William Morris as Aseistant-Oom-troiller and! Accountant, is a son. of Mr. R. S. Ledger, formerly veiry well known in Wellington as principal in tlhe shareb'Tokiing firm of Ledlger and Hioksom. Mr. Ledger ha» beeaii over thirty years a conscieantdous grafter for the GoVernment, and., after a long spell as a senior cHerk, has at length received a deserved! lift. He is a member of the Wellington Bowline Club aaidl a player who is always "ut>." so tihere is nothing tihe matter wtith Ledger or his ledgers. • • • Th© ptress 1 still gush over Mark Hambouing and his appearance. The latest news tells of his engagement to a wealthy Mies Muir-Maekenzie, who, it is relatedi, "was immediately struck with his strong personality." Now. Mark, though a briliant pianist, hadl a personality that wouJdl only "go" as a musician. He is under-sized amid rather roundi^lhouldered, as pale as putty and"' a great shook of lank, black nair forms an aureole roiundl a sullen Hebraic faoe, with heavy eyelids and 1 thick lipe. Of course, a man may have a strong personality with such

characteristics, but should such a type be tine ideal of a healthy English 01 Scotch girl ? There is still no accounting few* taste. • • • Miss Ivy Ethel Gibbs, ■daughter of Mr. A. E. Gibbs, late secretary in New Zealand! for the OolkmiaH Mutual Life Association, lias been, married in London to Mt. G. H. Cleland, son of the late Mr. J. M. deland, of Tina/koriroad, which, makes the second Cleland to marry a Gibbs girl — two sisters married' two brothers. Young Clela/nd has been steady in bis affection for the Gifobs girl for some years, and, though she had to leave for Home with her father, he pursued her toi witihin the Bow Bells radius, andl there the. malrriage took place in October. The honeymoon was spent in Brighton. The mappy young people left England on the 7th instant for Wellington, where they are tot reside ibenoefortih, amid wihiere there will be many friends to give them joy. • • w Th© fiiwt Maori inventor has come to light. Of course, Maoris have invented war canoes andl stone axes and greenstone meres and queer, poetical taJles, but up to lately no odi& of our coloured bnetihrem has struck a commercial vedam. Bawhiti is Mr. Te Whenowhea-o Maibatu's priv*te searetary, and in his spare time he has been working on an under-oarriage for vehicles. He patented this trader-carriage, andl a special vehiicle with his intventian on is on show at the Christchurch Exhibition. Somebody ruehedl RawMifcL with an offer of £1500 for tine notion, but the scribe is hanging on for a rise. It isn't stated whether the new under-carriage is fitted to Mahutu's royal coach. • • • Mr. Race, the distinguishedrlookin^ Canadian Commissioner at the Exhibition, hae said a good thing. He says he objects to the buck-jumping exhibition held there. Usually the fiery, ferocious pig-rooter is a pretty harmless kind' of a clothespnop, that has to be spurred and jagged' and l beaten before he will buck .at aIJ. This is the thing the Canadian, objects, to. The horse that bucks with great expression every time a man gets on him is usually a confirmed "outlaw," and he will buck iust because he cannot think of anything else to do. But to keep on worrying a tame horse with the spurs in ordler to make him buck and amuse the — aw — hilawsted Bwatish tonwisti is a good deal more cruel than hur-fierht-rng. Mr. Race is right' in preaching a sermon to New Zealand on cruelty to tame horses who won't buck until they are hooked up to concert pitch.