WHO'S WHO ?

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13435, 13 March 1907, Page 9

WHO'S WHO ?

Mb. Arthur Bouhchikr at one time contemplated studying law, with a view to being called to the Bar.

' The Marquis de Soveral, the Portuguese Embassador, not only devises some of the dishes for his table, but actually superintends the cooking.

Prince Eitel Frederick, the German Emperor's second son, while at college, performed the difficult feat of swimming across the Rhine at Bonn, where the river is very broad, swift, and full of dangerous eddies.

Mr. H. G. Wells, the novelist, developed a passion for writing when he was a small boy. His earliest attempt in the fields of amateur journalism was the production of a comic paper intended to be after the style of Punch.

Lord Breadalbane has more deer on his estates than any landowner in the United Kingdom; and'yet, when he was Lord Steward, among his perquisites was a present of six bucks and six does every year from the Royal herds.

Josef Hoffmann, the famous pianist, once composed a couple of pieces in his dreams. His father found him in tears in the morning, because, on sitting down at the piano, lie found he had forgotten the better composition of the two.

The Prince of Monaco, who has lately been engaged in his favourite recreation, dredging for monsters of the deep, takes with him on his expeditions four scientific experts and a photographer. The latter's dutv is to photograph the various rare specimens that are caught.

Lord Charles Beresford had a favourite hobby as a boy which was in a way prophetic of his 'future calling- This hobby or pastime was that of modelling boats, and he was exceedingly skilful in this direction. These boats he would give as birthday presents to those people for whom he had" some special affection.

Mr. Thomas A. Edison, the electric wizard, has a hobby of collecting famous voices. At his home he has a number of records upon which a few sentences have been spoken by the numerous visitors who are constantly calling upon him. These records are kept in a cabinet, and are occasionally run through a machine for his own amusement.

Lord Kelvin, despite his great age, continues to be active and to take part in public functions. At a dinner of electrical engineers in Glasgow, he recalled that it was seventy years since he first became acquainted as a child with Glasgow University, and in some reminiscences of Sir William Siemens he mentioned that he believed that the first house on this planet in which the whole lighting was done by electricity was a house in the University of Glasgow. There had been houses lighted in London. Edison had lighted rooms in houses in America. He had never heard, however, that any house was wholly lighted by electric light at that time.