WHO'S WHO?

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14142, 18 August 1909, Page 9

WHO'S WHO?

One of the most amusing of Sir W. Grantham's experiences occurred when he was engaged as a, political speaker in the days before he took his place on the Bench, and when ho was plain Mr. Grantham. On one occasion, while he was delivering an address, a man got up in the audience and shouted out excitedly, "It's a lie!" "Thanks," said the future judge. It's a lie!" shouted the excited one again. " You're a gentleman," said Mr. Grantham, sarcastically. " It's a lie!" burst out his opponent again, carried away by his wrath; but the general laughter which arose at his answer recalled him to himself again, and he sat down discomfited.

Amongst the amusing stories told of the undergraduate days of Lord Wemyss, the first, chairman of the council of the National Rifle Association, is one concerning a day when he got leave from the Dean of Christ Church to go to town " to see a doctor about his lame leg." The Dean expressed sympathy for him, and gave permission to go. The real object, however, was a State ball given by the young Queen, which he particularly wanted to see. Unfortunately, his name appeared in all the papers the next day as having been among those present. When the Dean met him, therefore, on his return to Oxford, he dryly remarked: " I trust your visit to the Queen's ball has cured your lameness."

Strolling with one of his; children on Hampstead Heath one day Mr. Martin Harvey came across a Punch and Judy show, and paused in front of the elevated theatre to see the farcical tragedy out. The seedy man who stood at the side waiting for the time for collecting the spectators' coppers looked hard at the actor during the entertainment, and when it. came to going round with the hat he carefully avoided him. The actor, however, offered the man a shilling. " Oh, no," said the seedy one, with a vigorous shake of the head ; " I've often been into your show on the nod, and it's my turn now!"

An amusing episode took place in a West End bar a short time ago. " Everybody ought to be proud to serve the King," said a bumptious individual in mufti, who was swaggering about life in the army. "Even you, my little man," lie continued, condescendingly, turning to a slight, small man who sat at a table near by. "I have served him ' for years," was the Litter's quiet rejoinder. 'The bumptious one guffawed. " Where, I should like to know?" he asked. "Oh, about the same place as you, I expect —Epsom Downs and Sandown Park." And then the spectators laughed. The slight, small man was Herbert Jones, the King's jockey.

One of the peculiarities of Viscount Goschen is to pay surprise visits to the branches of the bank which he helps to control. Not long ago he entered a country branch and asked the clerk in charge to cash a cheque drawn by a friend, adding that both himself and friend were customers of the bank. When the clerk complied, Mr. Goschen, as he was then, read him a severe lesson on cashing cheques fo" strangers. "How do you know I came by the cheque honestly'/" he asked. "I don't know," said the clerk, "but if anything went wrong your father would indemnify the bank against loss, and I always like to oblige a director." The said director had thought he was unknown.

"Bo careful of Arrow. He is the man to fear," wore the words found in a letter to an international crook, who was arrested while calmly smoking on the steps of a London hotel. And there are not a few other members of the criminal fraternity who fear Arrow, the detective who ran "D. S. Windell" to earth. DetectiveInspector Arrow, who left Scotland Yard to supervise the detective forces of King Alfonso, is one of the smartest men in the profession. He began life as a schoolmaster. One day, however, a thief broke into the schoolhouse and stole some clothing. Arrow chased him for several hours, until the culprit fell in a ploughed field from sheer exhaustion. Arrow kept guard over him till help arrived, and for this act was complimented by the chief of police for the district. It was this incident which led him to adopt the life of the criminal tracker.

Exactly who is the highest-paid variety artiste next to Harry Lauder, who received close upon £800 a week while touring America, it is not easy to say. Miss Ada Reeve and Miss Vesta Tilley, however, must be very near the top. A recent law case revealed the fact that the former is accustomed to obtain engagements at £300 a- week, while Miss Vesta Tilley's "turn" is placed at an even greater value. There are quite a number of variety artistes Mr. George Robey, "Little Tick,"' and Miss Marie Llovct included—whose salaries range from £100 to £150 and more per week,