ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE

Free Lance, Volume XV, Issue 815, 11 February 1916, Page 4

ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE

ANEW Zealander on furlough from Australia, where he has enlisted with the Australian reinforcements, tells us a story about the canteen over there. After much contror versy, it was decided, that it should be a dry canteen, soft drinks • only oeing permitted. But the "gassy soft drinks produced a crop of • stomach troubles, and' the hospital was soon tiuite full. After consulting with i the -chief health . officer, the O.C. resolved upon a course of action. He went to the nearest brewery and asked the 1 manager if he could brew for the camp a Bpecial beer guaranteed to contain less than 10 per cent, of alcohol. The manager accepted the contract, and turne -out a brew of light bitter ale that on analysis showed only per cent, ox alcohol. The supplies went to the camp in cases branded "N.I. Beer'' (non-mtoxa-cating beer), and the liquor itself proved highly popular with the rank and file. Disorder was quelled, tent was allayed, and the demand for '/N.I. Beer" became prodigious, federal Premier Hughes and the Defence Minister soon afterwards visited the camp. Of course, the solution ot the canteen difficulty was brought under th&ir notice. They were_ curious to see and taste the "N.I. Beer" that had won" everybody's good opinion. A ser-geant-major brought in pottles glasses and proceeded to help the vjabinet Ministers. ' 'But why is it called N.I. beer?" asked Premier Hughes. "What does the name signify ? Weli, • sir," said the sergeant-major, the Tommies found no difficulty in intelpreting the name. You see it takes a precious lot of it to make i funny, and' so they call it the NearlyIt Beer.' They can't get drunk on it, Taut by taking enough they can manage ; to get into the suburbs of intoxication. _ * „ The sensation of the week, so f&r as "Wellington is concerned, was iuke's great diving act at the official opening ceremony of the new tepid baths; This item was . not on th e programme —in fact, the Empire City s worthy Mayor took the whole thousand odd spectators completely by , surprise when he announced that he would open the programme by making "the first plunge. As. good as his word, he divested 'himself of hig coat and waistcoat and marching, round the baths at the head of a procession of juvenile swimmers, he arrived at the ana plunged into the tepid waters, midst the plaudits of the astonished crowd. ' » ' « ft V But the water, was deeper than it appeared "when looking down at the tiled bottom from the edge, and His Worship was soon ■ in difficulties —-the _ weight of his nether garments was evidently too much for him. M!r. Tom. Shields, the father and big brother of swimming in Wellington, jumped in to the rescue , and brought the Mayor safely to terra fitma once again. So quickly did it all , happen that half the onlookers thought it was merely a "put-up job" in a dis-

play of life-saving. The other half are still wondering whether Mayor. Luke was trying to emulate another great swimmer such as, ; for instance, Mayor Vigor Brown, of Napier, in his , star act at a Napier swimming function a year or two ago. But on , that occasion Napier's Mayor didn't make his dive with his grey bell-topper on. his head or his boots on.

Taihape mourns the loss of two of her young men who went forth to fight the cause of the Empire. One of the two is Paddy McLaughlan, of whom the Board of Inquiry reports that there is every reason to believe that he was killed in action during the-hot engagement on August Bth last. _ He enlisted with the Main Body, surviving the hail of bullets that welcomed the first landing, and was only 23 years of age at the approximate time of his death. About the same time, in probably the same big fight, Trooper David McKay was mortally wounded.' Twobrothers are at the front helping to carry on the fight for civilisation.

Trooper Albert Gordon Moeller, of the Wellington Mounted Rifles, reported, missing since August 26th last and now reported killed in action, came of good fighting stock. His father, a veteran of 88. served in the Navy, and afterwards fought in the Maori War. Both parents are still living, passing the autumn of their life in Auckland.

Mr. Sydney Greenbie, a very youth-ful-looking globe-trotter from U.S.A., arrived in Wellington last week per foot after a tramp overland from Auckland. He iexplains to the Free Lance that he is touring through New Zealand so that _he may confirm or dispel some,of the impressions his countrymen have formed of this far-off land, but he strvns more concerned with the impressions New Zealand has formed of the United States of America, particularly with respect to Uncle Sam's attitude in this war. He reckons we are not giving poor old Sam fai? due, and declares that we assume too much that "he who is not with us is .against us." Surely not! Just fancy Sam, as represented by its Wobblesome President, daring to be • against anybody. Even the Kaiser knows better than that.

The photograph appears on another page of Sergt. Charles Edmund -Lyle Young, formerly reported, missing, but now reported killed, in action on April 25th, 1915, at Sari Bair. When the German horde first, broke loose he was following the peaceful calling of a sheepfarmer, near Tuakau, in the Waikato. He offered immediately to shoulder a gun, and left for the front with the Auckland Battalion, Main Expeditionary Force. He was the son of Mr. J. W. YoUng, of Auckland, and was only 24 years of age when the Last Post sounded for him. » * •# # New' Zealand's postal officials are smiling up their sleeves at a little adventure which recently befel Mr. W. R. Morris, chief of the service. Mr. Morris set out per car from Napier, with his daughter, to go to Taupo. At Petane there are two roads, and unfortunately for him -he took the wrong turning, and kept buzzing along 40 miles of it to Waikare. The staffs of the post office, with years of knowledge of the Great Chief, never knew him to make a mistake before. ■» » » * Wh,en the first call for recruits, was sounded, no one was more eager to answer it than Private Harry Creed, son of Mrs. Creed, of Nelson, .and brother of Mr, A. K. Creed, of the Defence Department. Brandon-street, Wellington. In fact, his is a remarkable case of determination to get to the front. He was < a cadet in the "Railway x service at New Plymouth when he enlisted, and subsequently went into camp at Trentham. But he was only 18 years of age, though a well-grown young man, and at the earnest solicitation of his mother—his father having recently died —-and at the direction of the Defence authorities, he left camp. He was still restless, however, to don khaki, and after a while prevailed upon his mother to allow him to re-enlist. ■ This time was rejected on account of his age. Nothing daunted, he booked his passage for England, intending to enlist there, but his mother intervened. Eventually he went 'to Sydney, and threw in his lot with the Australian forces. He reached the front last November, and now a recent Australian casualty list breaks" the sad. new that he has died of wounds received •' in action. He was the youngest son. * * «• * Advice has just been received that Mr. Charles Salmon, only son of Mrs.. Captain Hart, Kilbirnie, was killed in action at GallipoH on December 15th las't. Mr. Salmon was on the staff of Abbott, Oram, and Co., and at the outbreak of war was . one of the first to volunteer, and went to Samoa. After, being there for eight months he returned to New Zealand, and again enlisted, finally leaving with the sth Reinforcements as gunner in the No. 6 Howitzer Battery. Charlie Salmon was a- good all-round sport, of fine physique, and a keen yachtsman. For a number of years he sailed in the yachts Siren and Ethel. He was also a past member of the Port Nicholson Yachting Club, and was greatly esteemed by all acquainted with him. In a cheerful letter written ten days before he was killed he mentioned, that he had been given a stripe, and added "all the boys are pleased." #• it « Cotint Reventlow is surely Germany's champion perverter of the truth. After King George was thrown, from his horse in France a while ago he was transferred home across the Channel in a hospital ship. The Hun Count seized upon this to comment as . follows in a letter to a Berlin journal: "The King of England is evidently accustomed to use a hospital ship when he goes to the front, for reasons of the increased personal safety which it offers." Shortly . after the appearance of ? this wicked lie, the hospital ship .Anglia was torpedoed in the Channel. No excuse is too small for the Htm to frasp when he has some murdering to o.

Sister Lulu Brandon, who has been , appointed matron of the brand new military hospital at llotorua after a good spell at nursing wounded soldiers at the front, declares that of the New Zealanders, Australians, English, Scotch Irish French, Gurkhas, Sikhs, and all other soldiers of the-Allies "who passed under her notice, every man behaved like a gentleman, and, however desperate their wounds, she never heard a groan. Sister Brandon is a Wellington lady and a very capable, nurse. * * / Lieut.-Commander Layton, of Submarine El3-—the ill-fated submersible that grounded on the Danish coast and whose helpless crew were fired upon by the Huns—effected a lmost remarkable escape from the internment camp in Denmark. It appears that at first he was allowed' his liberty on parole. One day, not long after his internment, he went to the Danish' commandant of the barracks and announced, "I want to take back my parole." No need for the commandant- to ask the reason of this frank declaration. ''You are going to try to escape," he said in effect. I shall therefore have you very well watched." He was as good as his word. Commander Layton's quarters were placed under double guard. Sen-, tries stood at the door of his room, and never seemed to relax their vigilance. At the moment one peered through the peep-hole Layton, ''mid nodings was standing upright against the wall, out of the sentry's field'- of vision, and in the bed was a dummy, made with a sponge and other articles into the similitude of a man. A few moment's later one sentry's attention was somehow engaged, and Layton cautiously and quickly opened the door and slipped into the next room. *** . * " There- a thick serge civilian suit was ■ waiting for him. Then arose the necessity of testing his bump of locality and of indulging in silent celerity of movement. The Fates were propitious and in due course he found himself at a window overlooking, the street. Here' came a useful a rope which ' he had fpund with his suit, and indicating- that he had a kind accomplice. ' He lowered himself into the street, and a few moments later saw ''a couple of sentries in his path some distance ahead. The barracks are on an island, and making assurance doubly sure. the Danes had placed patrols everywhere. Here was a difficult situation. Layton rose to it. A couple of seamen-were coming along. Would they do him a service?, The request, put with that splendid courtesy which lies inherent in minted coins of gold, was promptly answered in' the affirmative. » •» * « ' And while a couple of merchant vessel sailors a few minutes later were arguing questions of direction with sentries, the seeming civilian passed by to meet his next obstacle. This also was formidable. It was the .canal, an arm of the sea, which had to be crossed somehow. The night was dark and bitterly cold, there being several degrees of frost. Clothed as he was, Layton took the most direct course. In the water he ,went, and swam for it. He had about 100 yards to go, but this was no small task fior a-man with influenza. He did it, however, and, having accomplished his swim, took off his olothes . and wrung them out, so that, although they were very much more than damp, they did not show obvious signs of water. Thence to the ferry. On the ferryboat. he found himself cheek by jowl with Danish workmen, with whom he avoided conversation. Afterwards he turned himself into a porter and earned a smal sum for carrying a porter's bag to the station. There he boarded a train, next shipped for Christiania. _ How he reached England from that point is not - divulged, but the most important point of his escape is' that he achieved it. honourably and without breaking any parole.