PERSONAL PARS.

NZ Truth, Issue 72, 3 November 1906, Page 1

PERSONAL PARS.

Mr Ben -Fuller's last trip to Australia was his twenty-sixth, and he don't look half used up yet. *

The knockers should .be satisfied; now they have got the new manager of the Working Men's Club removed. It is to be hoped that sweet Peace will brood once more.

The Seddon Memorial biz. '• at Christchurch has fallen flat' as a copper. No public meeting has been called, and at a meeting of delegates one individual fell over himself to suggest that pennies should be .collected from school kiddies. Poor school kiddies. Let us see, who was Seddon again ?

Lady Violet Greville says "men are more shy and self-conscious m this generation, and naturally need a little encouragement." That may .•■•'be I/he case among the effete inhabitants 'of the little mud bank m the North Sea. called England, .but tlie reverse is the case m this more inspiriting clime. Shows the danger oi generalising from exceptional circumstances.':

Mr Percy Jackson, of Messrs Wilford and Levi's office, who was recently called to the bar, is having a run of luck m his profession, such) as few juniors . ever experience. He has won almost every case that, he has appeared m, and those who profess to know say that Percy's style is infinitely superior to the other colts- arid big things are accordingly expected of him. Mr Jackson suffered a sad bereavement during the week when his aged and respected father "crossed the great divide..,

Some small fry bookies don't care a used match for private Ite^ Employ cd. on. raoecoursesy;, vand;, - ; defy\ to ".their v teeW. : ' One'cnap' named? W. Black was ordered off several times at the last Ashburton races, where be was inquiring m dulcet tones, "What's wanted ?" and making other mysterious observations connected with a black bag. Also, he turned up on the second .day. This was too much for the 'tecs, who had him fined a fiver and costs. Which was a cheap license fee for two days betting— if Black and his black bag had any luck.

They still talk about the bomb m Madrid, and the newspapers continue to devote columns to the antecedents and adventures of Matteo Moral. An extraordinary thing about Span--ish newspapers is the prominence they "ive to Russian news of attempts on officials. It is certain, nevertheless, that the young King is the happiest man m Spain. Have you seen the photograph—it was a snapshot — taken of Queen Victoria at a pigeon shoot ? Have you seen the King m the left-hand corner, a youth with arms akimbo and the proud smile of proprietorship,? By the way, the royal lovers conducted their courtship m German, 'tis said.

A recently-returned mummer flutes considerably re the success of Australians m Fpgland. Carrie Moore is a popular idol. Aany Castles has acquired a fine style and is singirig magnificently ,at the Queen's Hall concerts. La Mijo (Pansy Montague) is accused of creating a furore at /the London- Pavillion .m her statuary boses and drawing a screw of £80 a week, with the assistance of caricaturist Cruickshank. Pansy tumbled off her pedestal on one occasion while posing as Venus de Medici, and hurt her dignity slightly, while her audience hid its consternation m its hanky and blushed for all it was worth. If due notice were given of the somersault nights, I reckon Pansy could demand another tenner a week and chance the bruises.

The Government of Queensland is trying to tempt Mr John Foster Frar ser to visit that State and describe its industries and opportunities m something like the graphic manner of his book on "Canada As It Is" and his previous volume on "America At Work." Interviewed on the subject by the Agent-General m London, Mr Fraser replied that his contracts m England precluded him from undertaking any further , journalistic tour within the next twelve months. According to Fleet-street gossip, Mr Fraser. receives £40 a week for one regular task alone— a narrative sketch of the proceedings m Parliament, which the "Standard" shares with certain provincial newspapers— and he does a good deal of other work. He states that he has been contemplating a visit to Australia for some years, bu,t other opportunities offering a better prospect of profit have presented themselves from time f o time, and caused him to postpone the trip. And there are men m N.Z., existing on four or five pounds a week, who could write the bounder m the face if they got a chance '■ to prove it, . ,

An polish name was thai; of "Me Morepork'' among the arrivals at Christchurch last week.

We have it on good authority that Mr Pierce C. Freeth is not going to London 1 to • take charge of the "Times." '

.The following' gentlemen are directly, interested m the alleged Farmers' Co-operative Association :—Originator, Joseph Ivess, Esq. ; organiser, Mr - J.. Ivess, lecturer, Mr Joseph Ivess,; canvasser, Mr Jos. Ivess ; secretary, Mr Josh. Ivess ; treasurer, Mi' Jo. Ivess ; storekeeper and forwarding agent, Mr Ivess. Success is assured I

The numerous friends of Mr T. H. ; Hamer, Under-Secretary for Mines, will regret to learn that he has been laid up. during the week with influenza. Mr. Hamer has had a busy time ot late m connection with the Exhibition, and it is exceedingly annoying that he should be /attacked with illness just as he should be completing'his efforts.

I ("John Smith's sister," m Sydney "Truth") learn that Mrs .Maesmore Morris has . left the stage for aye. She never will he missed m a histrionic sense. She evidently made hay while the sun shone, and possesses a house at Maidenhead and a house-boat at Henley, and other luxuries m addition to Lhe new sailpr husband. Amazing: how economical some stage ladies are ! It's not every beauty-actress that can make diamonds, houses, and houser-boats m a few short years behind the footlights, and I really think the lady, deserves a clap on the back for her strict attention to business.

iVEr Richard Goodall, who is now* doing good artistic work m Wellington, is not generally known to New Zealand play-goers as what he was, viz., the original Australasian stage manager of the Webb and Field specialities, which have set America afire for several years and had such a tremendous vogue when produced under Mr Goodall ! s stage management m Australia by the "Travesty, Stars." If "Dick" could get a chance and could be induced to produce • these screamingly funny and! musical pieces (or mass of frisky fragments) m New Zealand, he'd push the button every time.

The chief wonder of Hawera is the old blind Maori maty Wataao'. The old man is said to be between 75 and 80 years of age, but he looks much older. He is stone blind, but often rides into town from his pa— a distance of abbut six miles. He rides an old chestnut horse which seems to understand its duty thoroughly. It is very interesting to watch the old man mounting and proceeding ak>rig; the road for home. Vehicles are avoided carefully, a stop is always made at the railway crossing, and a bridge is never crossed it there be traffic, close at hand. To which— the horseman or the horsecredit for this is due is perplexing.

There lives at Christchurch a welldressed, much bejewelled gent who is a member of a well-known, old established firm which is not altogether unconnected with shipping, and do pretty considerable biz. But the gentleman referred to drinks like a porpoise and don't pass it through,' as is the habit of that bird, and this writer has only seen him sober once, and on that occasion it wasn't m. Court. He had to appear at Court t'other day, figuring as a witness m an important civil case, and he was dressed tot kill ; there was .no doubt about that. Also, he was paralytic, but kept quiet until the word prohibition Was used by counsel. Latter had intended getting a- writ' of prohibition from the Supreme Court against the beak hearing the case, and the flash, drinky person who was sitting at the. back had a faint idea' that prohibition referred to him, so up he rose m a state of violent indignation and declared that h? wasn't prohibited. "Put that man out," thundered the Beak, and out he went on the dead run. It was a humorous interlude. However, .there is a worse man than him m Christchurch, only that he belongs to a much bigger firm— one of world-wide repute, m fact. He is as consistent as a shark after tucker, or a moneylender after his interest, and he starts on his glass very early m the morning ; several glasses, m fact, and he doesn't know if to-day's breakfast is yesterday's meal. In point of fact, he is such an incorrigible drunkard that his people hope that he will drink himself* to death as soon as possible, and that will likely be the-end of him. He draws cash regularly, from the firm— and spends it regularly, and the froth hits his moustache with eaual regularity,