PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 5729, 26 October 1905, Page 3

PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

(From Our Special Correspondent.)

CONDON, September 10. Fleet street is in mourning for the loss of ouo of the most genial of tho many genial Irishmen "who have contributed to its mirth and to the gaiety of nations generally. I refer to Mr Robert Jasper Martin, who was known throughout tho Fuglish-speaking world as tho writer of those _ highly-popular ditties “llallyhooly,” “Killaloe,” ‘‘Mulvancy'u Dog,” and other humorous Irish songs which have found places in the program men of music-halls and smokingcoucovts alt over tho world during tho past twenty years. “Ballyhooly” Marlin was a regular contributor of verso, comic and otherwise, to that shameless sporting journal ‘’The Pink ’L T n,” and to its columns ho contributed a variety of those excellent storyettes which, arc a, feature of that sportive sheet. Maybe, “Ballyhooly’s” talcs wore not always “quite the proper thing,” but they woro invariably well spiced with genuine humour. His death, at tho ago of sixty—-he looked a good ten younger—removes ono of tho bestWowa personalities connected with Fleet street. Tall, finely built, and handsome, with all the wit and humour of his race, and an unusual share ot high spirits, lie had tho kuaek of making and keeping friends among all sorts and conditions of men. And ho was ono of tho best story-tellers to bo found in tho kmgtn ami breadth of tho Kingdom. Peace, to his ashes. Dr Walter Thomas, lion, secretary of tho Christchurch Bowling Club, arrived in London last Monday after a short tour in tho North of England, and is now hard at work, endeavouring to interest metropolitan 'bowlers in tho little mission ho is endeavouring to carry out as a member of the Snorts Ccnunittoo af tho forthcoming Kxlubition at Christchurch. Following close upon tho heels of Mr L. Alexander, of tho W.A.8.A., Dr Thomas will no doubt find as warm n welcome from Southern bowlers as tlio West Australian, who, like him, desired to got together a team of bowlers to undertake an Antipodean lour. The need sown by Mr Alexander may prove very useful to Dr Thomas who will, however, I fancy, experience some difficulty in getting together a really representative British tca.ui to undertake tho journey to Now Zealand, in spite oi tho glowing pictures of colonial hospitality painted by your recent visitor ’Mr Stephen. Fortescuo, and who will, I am sure, render Dr Thomas every asrclstanco in hjs power. li. O. S. Poldovin, tho Anglo-Austra-lian orickoter, ia at p™ s >- int on a visit to Chateau d’Oox, in Switzerland, where lie won tho lawn tennis challenge cup on Saturday with the greatest of egso, defeating C. Gouldesborough in tho final by 6—l, G—if. and 6—2. Ho came through an entry of fifteen players without tho loss of a single set. Ho had no intention of playing at all on his arrival, and when askod how he ought to bo handicapped, replied ; T bavo no idea how to do it; 1 may eay that practically I haven’t played the game for over four. years.” H© then borrowed a racquet from tho nearest bystander, went in, and won tho cup. Mr Frederic Harrison, now solo director of tho Hayinarket Theatre, travelled extensively in early manhood., and amongst the most striking mementos of hisjivanderings are some fragments of tho famous pink and white terraces, destroyed in tho great laratvera eruption. These relics of a vanished wonder are carefully preserved in a richly-inlaid cabinet, surmounted by a line specimen of tho Now Zealand kea, which f dll to Mr Harrison’s gun during his sojourn at the Antipodes.

A graceful tribute to tho memory of the lato Mr C. E. S. Gillies appears in ■"Niblick’s” golfing notes in the current k ‘Sparting and Dramatic News.” “It «i with infinite regret,” says the writer, “that I notice tho death of that wellknown golfer, Mr 0. E. S. Gillies. He Was one of the pioneers of golf in Now .’Zealand, and in course of time became champion of Australasia. Educated at Caius College, Cambridge, he proved dearly that ho was by no means a onegame man by making his mark both in a boat and on tho football field. Although not endowed with any great physique, Mr Gillies was a most capable golfer, having a beautifully true and easy swing, and ho had a wonderful knack of rising to tho occasion. Ho Was “never done with,” and, no matter how badly things might ho going, Mr Sillies never dreamt of giving up a match until his opponent had actually passed the post. Hie tenacity of purpose, indeed, always made him a dangerous opponent.” Mr P. W. Robertson, of Wellington, tho New Zealand Rhodes scholar of 1905, arrived by the Suez route on Monday last, in company with two of the Australian Rhodes scholars Mr P. Halse Rogers (New South Wales) and Mr Norman Leslie (Queensland). Mr Eobertson enters at Trinity, College, Oxford, at the end of tho vacation.

Mr Spencer Hancox, of Wellington, has just completed a tour through the South of England and the Continent. Mr Hancox intends to reside in. London.

airs H. R. Richmond and daughters, of Wellington, have just returned to London from spending a summer in Belgium. Mrs Richmond and Miss R. Richmond sail for New Zealand on October 19th by the lonic, Miss 15. Richmond remaining in England for the present to continue her musical studies. A visitor to London last week was tho Rev J. E. Honnywill, vicar of Leigh-on-Mendip, Coleford, near Bath, and formerly in charge of the Grey Valley, in Now Zealand, from Reefton to the Teremakau river. Mr Honnywill came Home in 1891, after spending eleven years and _ a half in New Zealand, and became vicar of Leigh-on-Mendip in 1896. Ho called in at tho New Zealand Government Office last week, on his way home from a holiday (n Belgium and Germany. Mr and Mrs A. M. Georgetti. of Wanganui, are in London this week. They arrived recently by the Mongolia, and proceeded to Keswick to join their son, who is spending his school holidays there. Taking up their headquarters near Birmingham, they purpose visiting various parts of Great Britain and tho Continent in tho course of the next twelve months, before returning to New Zealand.

Callers at the High Commissioner’s offices this week:—Mr Charles F. Wallis, Wellington; Mr G. C. Glenn, Hawera: Mr Charles McGrath, Wellington ; Miss Frances E. G. Homerton, New Plymouth; Mr Davis Nield. Wellington: Mr W. Seymour, Christchurch; Mr G. H. Dixon, Wellington ; Mr Hector A. d’Anquior, Bunnythorpc; Rev J. E. Honnywill, Greymouth *. Mr James Mahen, Dunedin; Mr Thomas Pepper, Hastings; Mr William Cheer. Elsthorpo; Mr and Mrs M. Krcissig, Wellington: Mr Neville George, Auckland; Mr E. A. Thomson, Dimcdin; Mr Samuel I. Puckridpc, Wanganui; Mr Thomas Price, Wanganui: Mr W. R. Hursthousc, Nelson; Mr J. F.

Huretliimsc, Chfistchureli; Mr L. F. Hm-sl lum'.c. Welling!on ; Mi;« Je«(i C. McKeMar, New Plymouth! Mr I’. W. ItoburlMti, Wellington; Miwj linah ico IlirhnioiKl, Wellington! Motors •/. F. mid A. B, Crawford, Chrisfelnireh: Mr Chailos 11-si-.0, Potone; Mr William Davidgn. Hamilton; Mr and Mrs A. Georgelti, Wanganui. Mr C. W. Halve, of I'clono, arrived hero oil August 21st, after spending Home time in America. Alter a stay_of several weeks in tome of the Pacific Coast cities, travelling n« far north us British Columbia, Mr Halse went on to New York by way of Chicago, Canada, and Niagara. The heat in New York soon d.-ovo him out, and ho took ship for Plymouth by tho Kaiwu' Wilhelm 11. The Pacific Coast otl'Ul'h him as being even mere prosperous than Now Zealand, but in political, commercial, and social life he considers th« colony to he far ahead. Since, arriving bore, Mr Halse lias been vifi'ting relatives round about London, and ho proposes to visit Scotland, the Continent, ami the Fnglish manufacturing districts, and to take a, cycling tour through tho Southern counties, He cs;nccts to join tho North Gorman liner Grosser Kurfnrsfc at Genoa on November I4lh, to spend Christmas with friends in Sydney. and to arrive back in New Zealand early in tho New Year. , 3lr B. Snudilandti, of Dunedin, has returned to London, after having spent a most enjoyable fortnight on tho Continent, principally in Paris and its environs. Ho intends staying for ten days in London, then travelling by. the Midland route to Scotland, visiting Sheffield and the “ Burns Country ” on his way to his native town of Musselburgh, where ho is engaged to speak before the Liberal Association on New Zealand and its legislation. He has also been a/dred to speak at Edinburgh, Glasgow, and some other towns on temneraneo reform. Mr Sanclihuids was present ono day this week at an interesting religious service held in an old chapel in Crane Court, a by-way off Fleet street, by tho Scottish Corporation, a body which for the past three hundred years has been supporting needy and deserving Scots in London. Pensions are paid monthly, ranging from 12s Od to £2 10s per month, and tho society distributes about £7OOO a year in this way amongst some three hundred aged pensioners. The religious service in the chapel takes place on pension day, once a month, and is attended by all tho pensioners. Apparently this old-established society, thanks to various endearments an’d subscriptions from all over tho world, ir, doing on a small scale what tho Old Age Pensions Act accomplishes on a larger seal© in Now Zealand. Mr Sandilands was interested to learn that some of tho subscriptions to the funds camo all the way from New Zealand.