PEOPLE WE READ ABOUT.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1511, 14 February 1901, Page 59

PEOPLE WE READ ABOUT.

Mr William Baird, in his o* Gen eral Wauchope, tells the following characteristic story of tiiat gallant officer.: On the way up the Nile with the expedition to relieve Gordon, "Wauchope was, as usual, helping his men with all ms might. His boat was in -trouble, and the staff-officer wa.s shouting any amour! of advice gratis from tne bank. 1 hinging, apparently, that enough noin not being taken of hxs called out: “'You, No. 2 boat there yc,u know who I am? \ am T fe Primrose of the Guards. This im mediately drew, the faHowing answer s c otoi ours are # #

The following story of Mr Kipling is vouched for by “M.A.P.' -m----noyedliy the injury done to one of ms trees by the driver and conductor of tne local ’bus Mr Kipling wrote a vigorous letter of ’complaint to the ’bus owne>-, who is also manager of an inn m Kottmgdean. The landlord laid the letter before the select company of the bar parlour, who advised an attitude of calm lndilference. Also a Croesus among them offered 10s in cash for the autograph letter. Both advice and cash ivere accepted. In due course a second and stronger letter followed the first. The landlord convened another bar-parliament, and rhe second letter also found a purchaser this time at £l, as befitted its increased violence. And Boniface again “sat tight.” To him next day entered Mr Kipling, briskly wrathful. “Why aidn t I answer your letters, sir ? Why. 1 was hoping you’d send me a fresh one every day. They pay a deal better than busdriving!”

Queen Wilhelmina, of Holland, whose marriage is to take place in Januaiy, is to settle twenty millions of marks upon her future husband, the arrangements being that the interest (say, £>->O.OOO a year) will be at his own disposal, while the capital is ultimately to pass to Aie vounger children of the marriage. if tl'iGr© cii’c no children, Prince Henry f s to have absolute power of disposing by will of five millions of marks, while vhe remainder will Ultimately revert to the Queen’s estate. The young Queen has an enormous fortune, part of which belongs to the Crown, while the rest is ner own private property. The Royal estates in Holland and in the East are also of great value. * * *

Dean Hole of Rochester has just completed his eighty-first birthday. Tne dean is the son of Mr Samuel Hole, ot Caunton. • and the Holes have been squires of Caunton since tne daj s or Elizabeth. It was at Caunton that the dean held hi* first curacy, after graduab-

mg at ij raseiiosu im -•.•-y, ».-• » : ' sequently became rector there, and then Rural Dean of Southwell, and Prebendary of Lincoln in 1870. At tliat time, in the intervals of hard Avork, he hunted one or two days a week with the Rufford Hound's. After the death of his father, at the patriarchal age of ninety, lie was the most popular parson in all Notts. He is over 6ft high, and when he Avent lecturing in the United States to get money to restore Rochester Cathedral, an American paper described 'him as “a fine specimen of Elizabethan ecclesiastical architecture.” In spite of his years, Dean Hole is still erect in figure and springy in gait, and groAvs roses with undiminished enthusiasm. His “Book About Roses” is already a classic.

Mr Spencer Cliarrington is over eighty years of age, but lie has been capable of doing hard labour in Parliament- for many Sessions, and is prepared to continue it in the future. The secret of his vigour, he says, lies in the drinking of beer. “Every day at home I drink beer for my dinner, and Avhen the House is sitting I may be found every day at the dinner hour Avith a tankard of beer in front of me. I always tell my friends that if you would get on and live long you must drink beer.

To Rady Cromartie’s sister, Lady Constance Mackenzie '‘Flora Macdonald the Second,” as she is called-the romantic and poetic hearts of the Highlanders go* out most fully. While m Scotland, says the ‘.‘Free Lance” she rarely wears any other dress out of doors but the kilt. Her favourite version of the costume consists of a kilt, pretty short m checked tweed green hose, and the regulation buckled brogues, a green vest over a rose-pink shirt, displaying a tie of Mackenzie tartan, a big Glengarry bonnet, with ribbons hanging over the shoulder, and a jacket in grey covert cloth. But Lady Constance McKenzie, if she shoots, rides, fishes and swims like a hsn, has many womanly accomplishments. *****

During the run of one of the Gilbert and Sullivan operas, a change in the cast had been made, and Sir Arthur &>uLivan who happened to be dining at the Savov Hotel, slipped away for a, few minutes into the Savoy. Theatre, m the upper circle of which he waited to heai and judge as to the capabilities of the new artist. As the play proceeded and a favourite score in the opera was tali-

menced to hum the refrain. This greatly annoyed lus next-cioor neighbour., who abruptly remarked : ‘ Excuse me, sir, if I mention the fact. that I have paid my money to hear Sir Arthur Sullivans charming opera as given by the company, and not your confounded humming!” Sir Arthur forthwith retired, returned to his dinner, and within five minutes had related the incident with much gusto. # * »

The Marquis of Queensbury is one of manv young aristocrats of to-day wco prefer hard work and adventure to the palling delights “of society and club lounging. As Lord Douglas of Hawick, he was only in the twenties when he went to the goldfields of Australia ; and. like Lord Salisbury in his young days, shared the rough life of the miners. He quickly qualified as an expert in ores and veins, and became recognised as an authority on all mining matters. From Australia, he went to Canada, where he succeeded in discovering a rich deposit of copper, which promises to bring him a large fortune. As the Marquis'is still little over thirty, his future seems to be rich in promise. « * *

The authoritative statement that the young; Duke of Westminster is to marry Miss Shelagh Cornwallis-West daughter of Colonel and Mrs Cornwallis-West, of Ruthin Castle, Denbighshire, will put an end to all the silly stories widen, have been so busily circulated about the young couple. It makes it rather difficult, "however, to understand the emphasis with which the first report of their engagement was denied in June last. Miss West i 3 the beautiful daughter of a beautiful mother, and her equally beautiful sister married the Prince of Pless. Her father. Colonel CornwallisWest, was formerly a member of Parliament, but has been a Unionist since 1892. He is an enthusiastic amateur m

art and the owner of Milford-on-Sen, a rising; little pleasure resort in Hampshire, which he has done much to develop. The home of the CornwallisWests is at Ruthin Castle. In the year 1818 three sisters Myddleton, of Chirk, drew lots for the possessions of their father. The eldest secured Chirk Castle, and married a Biddulph. The next, who received Ruthin Castle, espoused a son of the second' Lord De La Wan', and was the grandmother of Colonel CornwallisWest.

Mr Edison lives in a house which is all agog with wires. As one approaches the front gate it swings open and shuts automatically. The visitors foot on the steps of the porch rings a bell in the kitchen and also one in the master’s study. By touching a button he opens the front door before the visitor has time to knock. An electrical music-box plays during dinner. When the guest retires to his bedroom the folding bed unfolds by electricity. When he puts out the gas a strange, mocking display of skeletons, grave-stones, owls, and other hideous phantasmagoria dances about on the wall at his feet,, reappearing and disappearing m a ghostly eiecurieai giare. The Marquis of Tullibardine, who became 29 years of age on the 15th inst., is the eldest son of the seventh Duke of Atholl. He was formerly a lieutenant in the Black Watch Militia, but he is now in the Royal Horse Guards, and has served during the war in South Africa with the Royal Dragoons. The Marquis served with distinction in the Soudan Campaign of 1898, and at the battle of Gmdurman he narrowly escaped winning the Victoria Cross. When the Dervishes were retreating Colonel Broadwood started with his Egyptian cavalry to cut them off. Lord Kitchener at once sent the Marquis of Tullibardine to the Colonel with instructions, and though he safely and expeditiously executed the commision, the Marquis had some near shaves from several of the enemy who jumped up as he dashed past. On his return journey he came across two wounded troopers who had fallen from their horses, and, in the face of a hot fire, Ue was picking them up, when., they were both killed. The Marquis himself only just escaped, and for his conduct he received the D.S.O.

Noav that the motor-car has inaugurated a neiv era in locomotion, it is only just to recall the fact that as long ago as the early sixties Sir Edward Tangve, then an unknown mechanic, designed a road vehicle, propelled by steam, which. AA r as little less Avonderful than the auto-car of to-day. It Avas scarcely any larger than the ordinary phaeton, weighed under 28 cavt, and carried with ease ten passengers at a rate of over 20 miles an hour. This pioneer car, with its simple mechanism and ease of control, would undoubtedly have reA'-olution-ised road l traffic more than a generation ago if it could have over-ridden the Act of Parliament which Jimited its speed to four miles an hour, and, in addition, made it necessary to send in advance a red flag in order to herald its approach.