PERSONAL ITEMS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXI, Issue 9480, 9 April 1894, Page 6

PERSONAL ITEMS.

The Rev. P. T. Williams, M. A.,'captains the Grafton football team this year. , Messrs. Reid Brothers, of Motutapu, have recently been shooting off a number of their deer. '" ' Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Morrin returned from Australia by the s.s.. Mararoa . last nieht. : : ' ' / • Mr. and Mrs. L. D. Nathan leave on a visit to the old country at the end of the present month. ''• ' ' . . . '" Mr. W. Thome, solicitor,'. returned by steamer yesterday, having been, with " his wife, on si few week?' trip to the South. Mr. and Mrs. W. fl. Smith (Messrs. Smith and Caiighey) returned by the s.s. Mararoa, from I .Sydney, last night, after, a trip to •Britain and the Ease. '/ ; ' ; .. '. ' '

Mr. 0. Paque will conduct ; the Choral Society's rehearsal to-morrow evening in consequence of Professor Schmitt's absence at the Opera House. Mr. ,W. B. Allwright, who has occupied the position of postmaster at Lyttelton for V great many years, ;retired from the service at the end of last month./ *; ■■- .- '. •

Mr. -Mathias, manager of?.'the. Bank of Australasia at. AVaipawa, ; : formerly ,=;' of Puimers'tori',' is at present in .the Waipawa hospital, suffering from iiver complaint. ' Lieutenant Harford, ;of H.M.s. Curagoa, rode Helena, the winner of the Steeplechase, at the . Auckland Trotting • Club's Meeting at Potter's Paddock on Saturday. The Rev. Mr. Dodd.~ of Balclutha, is leaving on a trip Home. ,' He will probably'"be absent about six months, and his place will in the meantime be supplied by the Rev. Mr. Mitchell, from Australia. Mr. C. F. Minnitt, of the local staff of the New ' Zealand Insurance, Company, leaves Auckland shortly, having been transferred ,to the Wellington office of that company. Mr. Minnitt,". who is DeputyCaptain of the Auckland Rowing Club, will "be greatly missed in rowing and yachting circles. -

Mr. James Fabian Wills; who had reached the ripe age of 81, died in Wellington a few days ago. In early life Mr. Wills was harbourmaster at Portsmouth, England, but he came to the colony in 1850, landing iin Wellington from '■;> the -..:ship Phoebe Dunbar, and has lived in that city ever since. . , .■ ..; . ir .;/.,/.. . r ' Mr. Wm. "idcLeisb, junior,,of Whatawhata, Waikato, has, we are sorry to hear, sustained a great loss by the death lately of three well-bred brood mares. - Last year Mr. McLeish lost all his crops through the high flood of the Waipa River, the waters of which inundated his land. , . ■ <.•-■'• : : ■■}'-'■.

Mr. Halliburton Johnstone, son of the iate Captain J. C. Johnstone, of Raglan, returned here via /.Fiji from Vancouver Island and British Columbia, per HuddartParker steamer Tasmania. He has been engaged in Vancouver Island for some years in farming on a large ranch, in which his cousin, Dr. Dixon, and himself are "interested. Another cousin,' Lord Campbell and Strath Eden, has a ranch; there. ;;/:He speaks highly of the climate and resources of that country, and also of the shooting and sport to be obtained there. He has quite a fund .of interesting information about life in Vancouver. As Mr. Johnstone is a: nephew of the celebrated /Captain Speedy, ; he is, like his uncle, a keen sportsman, a lover of nature, a good traveller,' and a man . of resources. / He was_ heartily welcomed by his numerous relatives ■ and friends on his return here. ; v It is not every volunteer corps in the colony— not even every cavalry or mounted infantry corps— that can:-.boast of '■ men of such fine physique as ; the Te Awamutu Mounted Infantry possesses. :Amongst the many tine' men in ; tbis corps there are seven cousins who are capital specimens of the genus homo as regards physical develop merit. - These are Troopers £ Campbell, Lindsay Johnstone, William;,;Johnstone, Grahame Johnstone, Charles' Grace, Halliburton • Johnstone, and; I Peter / .Johns Salvador, Grace. ' Trooper Halliburton Johnstone is six feet four and a-half inches, and weighs 14st., Troopers Campbell and Lindsay Johnstone and Charles Grace measure 6 feet 3 inches respectively, and Trooper William. Johnstone stands 6 feet 1 inch, while Grahame Johti3tone is 6 feet 2 inches. The smallest of the six is Trooper Peter John Salvador Grace, who only measures 5 feet 10 inches, - though both he and; his brother ; Charles (the latter weighs lost) will doubtless . grow more yet; as they are very young, the* taller brother being only 19, and the smaller 17 years. As they are all robust they may truly be said to be fellows much weight in the company. ; They are all capital horsemen, and several of them are good shots, and excellent athletes. / They are all grandsons of the late Major Speedy,. R.M., and nephew's of Captain , Speedy, so well known ;:n Abyssinia'; India, and Mew Zealand. .'-: