"CHICAGO" DIBBS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 12016, 12 July 1902, Page 2 (Supplement)

"CHICAGO" DIBBS.

- . • . • ■ ;V ;'■ i A writer in the Manchester Guardian' re-; calls art . incident which caused much ; stir in tho . colonies "at the time. He tells it thus; — j ' ' The story of Sir George Bibbs' knighthood—Sir George is one of. the ex-Premiers of New South' Walesis a. proof : of how accident will 'sometimes repair the fortunes of, the . fallen. , When Sir George started 011 the voyage to England which ended in his accepting a knighthood no one supposed that he.would return otherwise than as plain Mr. Dibbs. When the surprising news was telegraphed to Australia that Mr, Dibbs wan Sir George the new knight's popularity was at a stroke almost gone' among that class; of colonials whose opinion makes the acceptance of a, title so doubtful an advantage. ; 0 ; With his star thus fallen from• the. zenith Sir George started to return to Sydney. A kindly fate had prompted him to return by the United States. He reached Chicago, Interviewers awaited his displeasure. "So, Sir George," said one of them in effect, trying': for an opening, " you have come to see how we do things in Chicago?" *" Chicago!" roared ' the knight—" d— Chicago 1" .'. ■■■. ' " The interview ended there. An unimaginative person might" have said that there had been no interview. : •: But the Chicago papers published their interviews none the less under headings such as these • ' Interview with Sir George Dibbs." "He says 'D— Chicago.' " ' ' , :■ ; , ' This interview in its turn was telegraphed to Australia, and when Sir George arrived there he found himself, after all, high in the affections of the people as " I)—n Chicago Dibbs.'-' ' ' jA '