PERSONAL PARS.

NZ Truth, Issue 150, 2 May 1908, Page 1

PERSONAL PARS.

Chieif 'Justice Stout has "the reputatioa of being bitter. *• * * Just because Beak Riddell is sphinx-like people are calling him "Riddle." * *. * According to the . newspaper reports, it, looks as if Mary Ann Aitken took the Mayoral doing like' a nian. **- ■ * Mr Jno. Giesking, -of (Jreymouth is at present on a hurried visit; to' Wellington to see his old friend, Mr Jos: Petrie, Mayor of • Greymouth, who is at present seriously • ill m Wellington, the result of a recent tram accident. - • * * * The new proprietor of ■ the Alhambra Hotel, Wellington, made a "unique selection m the ichoice' of barmaids m so far as- names I^are "concerned. He has a Wood and a\ Forrest, a Butler, and a Sherry. Happy combinations. * *:*■■■■; * There was a festive.; gajbhering.^ m( -the Commercial Travellers! .^Jliih on la ..recent Saturday, when somelpeveirtv CiT's, .njgt ; to make a presentation'/tb Mr Ggo..Sa£ti,' late chief steward of .'4iije s.s. 'Arah^a!:but now actihfr m a siniilar posiMq^poft lthe Rotomahana. The the form of, a solid silver tea aTrd)j' l con'ee> service, and the recipient's healjlifcit-ira.?s drunk m bumpers of champagne... X,.- ; h Pure-boy Bligh, of the White "iPCross League, licks his chops over the; circum^' stance that between the Bluff and Christchurch there are only three schools that have not been thrown open to him, for the purpose of speaking to the boys about something, they can't eat. These are the Winton school, and two seminaries m Dunedin, which wouldn't permit the bounder to poke his nose within the door two years ago, and still regard him as they would a leper. There is a Christchurch school that hasn't invited him to address the boys, but xhe horrible * person doesn't despair of getting permissioji to speak on indecent subjects to the umiappy kids.

Howuver Mr 'Tom" Seddon may stand m ' other parts of his constituency at ' the next general election, he should he ■without a rival m the confidence and affections of his constituents m the Far South, where he has defied floods and the vilest of weathers m order to meet the most out-of-the-way located electors (saya the Grey River "Argus"). He wasstuck up at the Okuru ten days, and has . been similarly treated, though on a more modest scale, by others of .Westland's little riotous rivers that get up and down with a rapidity that is as surprising as it is unique. Mr Tom has as great a regard for South Westland as his distinguished parent always displayed. ♦ * * Blue Cross Blight related at a Christchurch lecture the story of how he had put the fear of the devil into one of his audience m a country district. According; to Blight, the dark angels who minister to th.c pleasanij vices of^man are suffering from the most diabolical diseases, which xhey are disseminating amongst the innocent males of the community. At the close of . one of his splurgesome discourses a yokel approachthe pious filth-monger and told him that he had .been saving up his cash to ?o into the city with one of the dreadful women mentioned, and with tears m- his • , voice, or his nose, he thanked the beastly: lecturer for his timely warning. Doubtless the • grateful l rustic will turn his attention to . some virtuous ' maiden 1 m 'the community. ' . •*••■; ■■ ■ • : ■••' Sydney Earee. of Masterton, .has heen appointed manager of the Herbert Flemming Comedy Company, bow touring the South Island. Syd. is a brother of tie' Rev: Wyndham Earee, erst Anglican vicar of Masterton, whose ■ wife canoodled with a Greytown mechanic and sinned with an engineer on an England-bound boat, and m other respects brought disgrace upon her subsequently-divorced hubby. His reverence found the Wairarapa too hot for him, and obeyed a call to Hingland. It was something more than a coincidence that brought Sydney Earee and his sprightly spouse to Masterton after their arrival from the Cold Country. The talented pair introduced theatrical sketches, bearing romantic titles, wifti the aid of local .amateurs, and the populace which had gloated over the parson's disgrace,, gave his brother packed houses. The Rev. Wyndham used to be on the stage himself before he took on the religious form of show business, and earned sufficient on the boards to defray the cost of his theological studies. A measurably decent actor makes an excellent parson, and the Earee sin , shifter might have , attained the ciddy eminence of a colonial bishopric only for his deplorable domestic misadventure.

• New Zealand seems to have attracted quite a large numbeE of Westralians over for a holiday. Latest to make his preseuse felt is Perth's city Magistrate "Gus" Roe, Who .has -been "magging" pretty Veil at Christchurch recently, and greatly admired our police court system. "Gus" has had a long experience as P.M.. and is a 'barrister and has often acted as Supreme Court Commissioner, - being vested with almost Supreme Court Judiru power. Indeed "Gus" -Roe is one of the best, all-round beaks m Australia. He's been everything, and comes from an 'old family that roved the seas and explored unknown country and the sea-faring side m Mr Roe came out m him what time he was pearl-shell fishing m the Nor'West of Australia. Gus Roe has had a lot of experience with niggers,, and the man who spends any time of. his life m the Nor'-West of Australia needs to kjs*^ the nig, well or he won't live to^njjwu at all. Perhaps there isny"""' Australia who has senF v viduals to death than of 'em were j*sr^-~ don't count "~ ■-•-.■ blessings ,

Mr Fred Bradey, junr., has been elecv ted chairman and secretary to the Pahautanui school board. Mr Bradey is a man of real sound common sense and "a hard grafter. . Pity there were not a few more like bim at the head of our school committees. * * * Endurance tests are m the air just now. and everybody is talking of Tom Burrows and Charlie Parnell. No one gives a thought to Ben Fuller and the endurance test he goes through nightly. The "dead-heads" and other pests that test his powers of endurance every ni»ht would have long apx> have sent others to their grave. Still, as they say m the classics. "Welcome Back." ■ .'■ * - * . .* The plump and ever-emerald Mag^is Moore nas returned to Sydney with her second husband, Mr H. R. Roberts, and he is touring "The Prince Chap," a production that has been played, successfully 1 m 'London and ' America. Mr E. A. Greenaway, late .of the TitteU Brune Company, will.':" play leading role. The company opens: m Christchur.^i on '.Jun« l.'.j. t , Can't , say whether Magjie Moore will .jDlavpor not. :uu'i.'' ■", ". • ■■;.-* v il". At -the close, of the recont T-Terierfc-iEllamming seasort, the Opera Ilnuae s'af? together to . show their ' sood ;.ifeeijng.- for - ono of their ;> departing ■•; <.oiathe -fltcman. Tut. 8. Murray. -' : ■'. vßpj;l.e (the New Zpaland tepreseittiitiv*' of;. Mr J. C. Williamson) on behalf : of the : staff, presented Mi •'••Murray Tv-ith a diamond tie-pin and silk tie of the.Murray tartan. In a few words, BTr .Rovle said it gave him ereat pleasure to >•■<;? how the staff had appreciated t!;cir dear ting comrade, and he wished $% Murray every success m, his > futuce. •: Mt Murray, m acknowledgement; said he would always treasure rhe girt as a token of their good esteem.

Carter Pickford, that elegant \'ou«ff man who played juvenile lead with the Broußh-Flemminp; Company. has been blowing our trumpet m the "British Empire Review?' We are a hard- worlds*;, sincere, kindly, and clean-living pco»l«. Our hospitality is almost a vice, and vr« only ask' to he treated with '■ courtesy and a little interest to lie taken m mvr country. And we- seldom get either from the average Englishman, who behaved ?* such a manner that Carter Pickford was ashamed to call him countrymnn. ami usually took all the kindness' he couhl get, and then went to England and akused it. " Now. if Carter stnald I: ing out a company of his own. he may fee sure of good box-office receipts. A'l th* same, there is a good deal of tcath iv his remarks about our too candid critics —they do take all they can, and then sneer at us. ** " * Recent and departed visitor to these shores was "Captinsr" Fred Hare, chief of police m Westralia. The "Capting" has a broker down South, who is a__ Canon, and both had a good time toirether with the .trout; and,, other little things -that bite and fly. "Canting' is the individual who, as boss bobby m th».'' West, was shot at by an... ex-pbliSemaii who had a grievance, and>ot,i?abl. Th'e "Capting" has another brother, "Jacky." who is a successful police court ( nractl7 tioher m Perth. It's a strange sort of family that contains a lawyer,:. a pol-r, iceman, and a cleric, never theless.. it's a' fact. Hare was once a goldfierds war-' den. or something of the sort, and trot himself pitchforked into thn Boss bobby's, billet and hangs on to it like, a >e;r.bummer to his beej- , He's ' nq, better, \ and certainly no* worse, than our "own Wally Djnnie. * *- * Recent caller on "Truth" was H. J. Palmer, manager of 'the Pro. All Blanks now m Australia. Palmer called and expressed his appreciation of "Truth's" altitude, towards the teanr while every other newspaper was denouncing the nrofessioHal movement. The "boys" behaved tjheniselves like gentlemen everywhere they .went, and for the life of the manager can he exDlain how it was cabled to New Zealand that diseraceful scenes marked the concluding match of the EncJish tour. "Truth" has before, it the "Gloucestershire. Echo." of February 15, containing an account of the third test, and concludine match of the tour slaved at the Athletic Ground. Cheltenham, and certainly no mention is made of .mv disgraceful scene. What, has been the came ? Who worked the - cables ? y-• It looks rotten httsiness. Anyhow, this is not the football column, and "Truth" is pleased to hear that the All Blacks rrreedilv devoured their "Johnn'es" regularly. Mr Palmer went back to Sydney last week.

Scotch Yorkshireman Gee Gee Stead, dead at 67, was a typical sample of tha grinding capitalist, and it is now probabla that the Blackball strike, the prolongation of which was due to Stead, who was Chairman of Directors, will b« , settled. .Stead has been 'fighting strikes most of his life. During the maritima strike m 1890. he organised an army v ot amateur lumpers from among squatters' sons and clerks and personally humped merchandise on the wharf while strikers ' hurled coarse insults at his family, the men m his. brickworks at Heathcote struck for a living wage some years at;o, and Stead fought them till, they caved m. There arc few monopolies m Canterbury Stead wasn't connected with. Personally, he was very unpopular. He tried to enter Parliament once only, when he was defeated for Avon by Ev* aris, a Ballancc supporter, m 1890- The colony is indebted to G.G.S. for the importation of racing / Si <p~'>^^"""" % '-^%,,,< did Stead ipttJifr*-^ .