MAINLY ABOUT PEOPLE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1288, 5 November 1896, Page 21

MAINLY ABOUT PEOPLE.

Sir Robert and Lady Stout came up from the South by the Wakatipu on Sunday.

At the Dunedin Presbyterian Synod, the Rev J. Paterson, of Wellington, was last week welcomed and associated.

TVTr David Ure MacGregor has been appointed a member of the Wakatipu licensing Committee.

The Revs Peter McQueen and George Young Robey have been appointed officiating ministers under the Marriage Act.

One of the pioneers of the Puller district, ■3fo© Shaw, who was amongst the first of the West Coast goldminers, died last week.

Miss Bertha Rossow has received an engagement to sing at the Crystal Palace concerts.

It is probable that Mr A. Greenfield, S.M. at Nelson, will relieve Mr Wardell on Monday next at the local Court.

It is reported that Dr Kendall has resigned his position as surgeon superintendent of the Westland Hospital,with the intention of going Home to qualify as F.R.C.S.

Mr Warburton, father of Mr J. K. Warburton, Auditor-General, returned from his visit to Australia on Sunday, looking all the bettor for his holiday trip.

Mr Parker (of the Huddart-Parker Company) arrived in New Zealand by. the Wakatipu. He is paying liis annual visit of inspection to the Company’s agencies in this Colony.

Mr James Campbell is gazetted a ranger of Crown Lands for Otago, to act within that portion of the district known as the Tuapeka Commonage.

Mr J. E. Page, Town Clerk, has returned from his visit North, where he went for the benefit of his health, and has resumed his duties.

Mr Hookham, president of the Canterbury Chess Club, was the recipient of a set of chess men and board on Tuesday, when he attained the age of 72 years.

TII9 pupils attending the Misses Carr’s School of Shorthand and Typewriting, Christchurch, have presented Miss 0. Carr, who is leaving for Wellington, with a handsome writing desk.

Mr T. Mackenzie, M.H.R., arrived in Wellington from Dunedin on Sunday, on his way to London, whither he goes as representative of the New Zealand Farmers’ Co-operative Association.

Although Lady Glasgow’s condition continues serious, the symptoms are more favourable. It is hoped there will bo soon some decided improvement, but her progress to recovery will be slow.

Mr C. Bailey, jun., of Auckland, and Mr Palmer, owner of the yacht Uira (a description of which is given in our shipping column) were among the through passengers by the Tarawera, for Melbourne, on Friday.

Mr Faithfull Bcgg, M.P. for the St. Rollox Division of Glasgow, who passed through Wellington a few days ago, has been on a visit to the Thames goldfield. He left for San Francisco by the Alameda.

Late Dunedin files show that at tho .Otago University examinations hold in Dunedin last week, Mr A. N. Burns, first assistant at the Hutt School, obtained an extra mural pass in jurisprudence.

News was received - from Lyttelton last week of the death of Captain Richards, of tho barque Delta. The vessel, it will bo remembered, put into Lyttelton a few weeks ago, while on her voyage from New York to Wellington, in order to obtain medical assistance for the captain. Captain Richards gradually grew worse, and succumbed yesterday week.

The many New Zealand friends and admirers of Mr A. H. Gee will be interested to learn (says the London correspondent of the Auckland Herald) that ho lias been specially engaged to sing the baritone part of Lucifer in°Sir Arthur Sullivan’s cantata, “The Golden Legend,” which is to be given on a large scale shortly, at one ot the Crystal Palace concerts, under the direction of the veteran August Manns.

Mr T. C. Webb, late organist of St. Mark’s Church, Wellington, has boon appointed ,to Holy Trinity Church, Gisborne, in succession to Mr Spaekman, who has returned to Napier. There is one thing on which we have to congratulate Mr Webb in connection with his appointment, and that is that in Poverty Bay he will not have to suffer from the effects of sectarian bigotry and intolerance.

Mr Easton points out, in connection with ti.i« death of James Suisted, that deceased was the son of Mr Eckerman, not Mr James Suisted, and is therefore a nephew of Mr James Suisted, chairman of the Westport Harbour Board. He was a very promising young man, and his relatives will have the sincerest sympathy of their large circle of friends throughout Now Zealand in their sad bereavement.

Captain Cameron, marine superintendent of the Union Steam Ship Company, has left Auckland for the Old Country. Before leaving Dunedin he was presented by the workmen in the employ of tho Union Company at Port Chalmers with a gold pen and pencil case and a travelling rug. At tho conclusion of the presentation (which was made by the Mayor) hearty cheers were given for Captain Cameron and his temporary sucessor, Captain Strang.

The annual examinations in connection with the Otago University wore held in Dunedin last weok, and some of the results have already been announced. Among the successful students is Mr Andrew N. Burns, first assistant at the Hutt School, who passed the final section for the.B.A. degree. He secured a meritorious pass in every subject for which he presented himself. Considering the difficulties under which Hr Burns pursued his studies, he is to be especially congratulated upon the successful result.

It is understood that Councillor Devine has received offers of considerable support should he decide in contesting the Mayoralty, and that he will decide in a day or two as to whether he will be a candidate.

Lady Tichborne, who arrived at Sydney by the Warrimoo, states that she knows nothing about Cresswell, excepting that some one about six months ago wrote to her husband about him. She says she will see him, but she entertains no hope of being able in any way to prove him go be the rightful heir. The Tichborne case happened so long ago that she has no personal knowledge of the affair, and nothing to guide her as to the identification.

One of the sights of the Palmerston show banquet was tt>e dancing of Mr A. MeHardy, the well-known Hawke’s Bay stockowner, and Mr F. Pirani, M.H.R., who, before the company went home at midnight, performed a Highland fling to the skirling of the bagpipes as played by Mr “ Rab ” Smith, the popular owner of Onslow Park, Pahiatua. The enthusiasm of the company knew no bounds. They cheered Mr McHardy and the member for the district to the echo, and then tried to conqiel others to emulate them, but without success.

Captain Cameron, marine superintendent of the Union Steam Ship Company, passed through Wellington by the Talcapuna on Friday on his way to the Old Country. In the afternoon he was entertained by the members of the local staff, who in bumpers of champagne wished the departing captain bon voyage. Captain Cameron, in the course of a few remarks, said that he had been 20 years in the service of the Company. The captain’s visit to England is partly for the benefit of his health and partly in connection with the building of the Union Company’s new steamers. Captain Cameron will bo absent about six or seven months.

We have to acknowledge and to express approval of Mr G. W. Russell’s cricket song, which will be very widely known one day by its title of “Hurrah for the Bat and Ball.” It has all the swing and dash required to make such a song popular, it has a rousing chorus and plenty of it, and the range is suited to the most ordinary compass. We predict for the song a happy and roaring future. It has been exceedingly well printed by Messrs McKee and Gamble, Mr F. Jones having acted as draughtsman with his wellknown skill and good taste. Mr Russell has dedicated his song to the Australian team of 1896, a pieture of which is supplied on the frontispiece.

An old lady at Wyndham, Mrs Creron, is reported to have celebrated her 104th birthday anniversary on October 1. Mrs Creron has always been remarkably healthy, never having had any sickness more than a slight cold. She yet remains very erect in stature, and almost every chapel Sunday (monthly) walks into Wyndham, about two miles. Within a year her eyesight has failed a little, but before that she used to knit the whole of the socks required for the family ; but she began then to drop her stitches, and so discontinued her knitting. Evidently Mrs Creron comes of a long-lived race, for her mother lived to 96 and her grandmother to 105.

After the usual practice of the Liedertifel last week, Mr H. J. Stringer was entertained by the Society previous to bis departure for England, where he proceeds on six months’ leave of absence from the firm of Messrs Bing, Harris and Co. of this city. Mr A. H. Miles, vice-president of the Society, occupied the chair, and the conductor, Mr Robt. Parker, the vice-chair. Mr Miles, on behalf of the members, bade Mr Stringer good-bye, and alluded to the very diligent and enthusiastic attitude of Mr Stringer since he joined the Society. Mr Parker and several other speakers referred to the valuable aid Mr stringer had always been to the Society. The health of the guest was drunk with musical honours, and all present joined in wishing Mr Stringer bon voyage and a speedy return to his old seat in the Liedertafel.

Says the Oama”u Mail : —Chatting with one of our returned fellow-townsmen, a representative of this journal mentioned the circulation of a report that tho Agent-General of the Colony had become very stand-offish at Homo. This drew from the returned citizen an indignant denial. He assured our representative that he and his fellow-tourists had found Mr Reeves most courteous, considerate and obliging, and that he had done everything to assist them in obtaining information in respect to what was going on in the Colony, by

inviting them while in London to “ drop in ” and peruse the colonial papers and otherwise makeusieof his office. In every respect Mr

Reeves had been found most anxious to make things pleasant for the New Zealanders on tour, and, so far from showing any uppishness, had been particularly pleasant and agreeable.

The choir of St. Mary’s Cathedral yesterday week inaugurated their usual weekly practice with a pleasant ceremony. They had determined to make a presentation to the organist, Miss Kelly, on the occasion of her marriage. The present selected was a handsome drawingroom standard lamp, with the inscription “Presented to Miss Kellv by the Cathedral choir, October 23, 1396.” 'I he conductor, Mr Cimino, made the presentation on behalf of the choir, and Mr Loughnan. who had acted as conductor for some months before Mr Cimino, added a few words expressive of the feelings of the choir on the occasion, wishing Miss Kelly every happiness in her new sphere ol life. After suitable) reply, the choir proceeded, in the absence of Miss Kelly, who had an engagement elsewhere, to practise the music they intend to furnish on the occasion of her wedding.

Mr George Humphries, one of the most popular pressmen in Wellington, if nob in New Zealand, who has been a member of the staff of the Wellington branch of the Unibed Press Association, is about to be transferred to Wakapuaka cable station in the interests of the Association. Mr Humphries will be much missed in Wellington, where ho has a large number of friends. It seems to many rather a strange step on the part of the Association to “ exile ” a man of Mr Humphries’ proved ability and experience. The idea is, we believe, that Mr Humphries shall “ fill in ” the cable messages at Wakapuaka, and that they shall then be sent out to the papers amplified, instead of coming on in skeleton form to Wellington. We shall be sorry to part with Mr Humphries, and we may be excused for saying that it appears to us to be a peculiar method the Press Association has adopted of “promoting” one of its most faithful and efficient officers. But the ways of the United Press Association of lato years have grown still more and more inexplicable.