PERSONAL PARS.

NZ Truth, Issue 165, 15 August 1908, Page 1

PERSONAL PARS.

f AitSut King, Jfreft-iflown ■Hirouglibut* New Zealand a^ mjasician, composer, etc., and who wielded the : baton for the Pbllard Opera Company, die_d' recently at Kalgoorlie, W.Ai, from an attack of paralysis. .

May Beatty, beauteous New Zealand artiste, has scored a big success m Newcastle (England) as Dick . Whittington. According to the latest from 'Ome, May has been offered a re-«Hgagement at 60 quidlets per week.

A well-known Sgure m the Waikouaiti and Geraldine districts m the person of Mr Robert Oxley died . recently . at the hoary age of 96. MrOxley was typical pi ;the oW school, his oid-fashioiied manneriisnis endesaring h;i]pa iso every;b6dy with whom he came m contact. •

Dick Arnst, cyclist and coming champion sculler of the world, is 24 • years of age, stands 6 feet high, and weighs 13st Rflj. His parents reside at • Tai Tapu. Anyhow, if Dick beats Webb, .are the Australians going to boom him. as their champion? It will to 1 © like their thick hides if they. dp. : .-.: ;

Mr John Thornton, headmaster of the Te Aute College, is going on an extended trip to the Old Dart, and was teceritly entertained. John T. is an all right bloke m a great many respectsL but "Truth" would like to h^ve' his version of the case of whisky mystery. Trouble was narrowly averted that time, eh, Jack*?

A man m great demand m Auckland during Fleet Week was Mr Ernie Davis, of Handcock's Brewery. Every -visitor from distant parts seemed to think that a wire to Ernie would secure . them accommodation, and a Godsend he proved tq many. They didn't know, that there were thousands of people willing to pay any price for 'a room who had to he content wr6h a shake-down. ''.

Mr and Mrs Walter FuU«r 16ft by the Arawa on Thursday for Europe and intend spending six .or eight months on the Cpntinong. Bea's- turn for a trip to the Qld -Dart "comes next, and Ben, can be depended upon to make things splash. Anyhow, ' m the meantime, he is flitting between Wellington, .and Auckland, ..- and shortly intends going;:. rto -Australia^ on business connected with the circuit. >

Mayor Meyers was the hardest-worked man m Auckland during Fleet Week. In hand-shaking alone he must have put m a good few hours' solid graft, without considering the brain work attached to organising and superintencfcng and the speech-making, besides the weariness of continual social entertaining. But on top of his work the Mayor is credited with, dipping into his private purse to the extent of close on £3000 to help make : the reception a success. . ..

The Hon. Rupert Guinness who was a little time ago elected member : for the Haggersfon Division of Shoreditch is more of an athlete than a scholar. A story was current some years ago that he was^unaible to pass the Army examinations owing to his total inabflity to spell correctly. As an example of his misplaced ingenuity m this direction, it was said that he had been known to spell wife "yph." The "Plunks" are related to the Guinnesses some way or other, and 'tis to he trusted that Rupe isn't a fair sample'of the intelligence possessed fey the stout people. . • Mr John Scott,., whose i death at the Bluff at " the age of 75 years is ■• recorded; was a very old. Southland settler (says a Gore paper), dyer 40 years ago he was engaged m Invercargill manufacturing rope from New Zealand . hemp, his mill standing on the banks the Puni Creek on the ground now* occupied by Sir \, J • G. Ward's store. The business was nos a paying one, and vbe abandoned it for upholstering. He was ;a great believer in.tne medicinal properties of the root of phormlum tenax, and for some ailments the remedies he prepared, though not pushed iii the inodern 'business, manner, were m much demand. Mr Scott was of a quiet, yet jovial, nature, and was esteemed by acquaintances of the early days.

John Batger, intensely respectable Invercargill merchant, - stock and station agent, etc., etc., this week has iigured prominently m the Dunedin '■ Divorce Court, where his , missus has been asking for an earthly judge to snap asunder the links that bound her to John on account of John's alleged infidelity. Case, of course, is beting heard m camera, arid local papers, therefore, have missed making a big splash. John 8., it will be remembered, is the intensely respectable person who, a few months back, was caught, on .a Southern express train, fiddling with an allegedly respectable young female. "Intense Respectability" was pleaded for all it was worth, but without avail, as John B. was convicted ami discharged, though he narrowly escaped doing a term, m Cleary's hell. Divorce proceedings now explain a gootl deal.

A person named Ralph King, of Dune.din, or thereabouts, is a singalarly unlucky young man. A few weeks ago be toppled off a house, breaking his leg and otherwise incapacitating himself, rendering himself a fit subject' for hospital attention. He was discharged the other day and hobbled about on crutches. While out for lung exercise he"" was bailed, up m the street by some cowardly skunk ,of a ruffian who wanted money. The poor cripple put his . hands m his pockets and was then violently assaulted yliile the ruffian robbed him of whatever valuables he possessed. King was heard moaning by some women and he was removed to the hospital, where it was discovered that his leg was again broken. If that ruffian is ever caught, flaying him alive will be too mild a punishment .for Him. Anyhow, .what a bad rua King is

Flash Millar's gaudy . appearance dccclv* cd. the conservative "Press" reporter when the' turf parasite arrived m Chifist- «

church for the National meeting, and the name of "Mr W. JkiUar" appeared among the aristocratic passengers by the Maoris He was .probably mistaken for the Minis-* ter for Labah.

An old-time Maori prophet, Metera, passed m his marble, at Katihiku, near Q,taki, the otiber day. His age was SiOv Since the Gaining Act came into force his tips and prophesies weren't much as* count. Anyhow, he, was the last of the old-time Maori seers and didn't make too much at thegame. RJ.P.,. or whatever its equivalent m" Maori is. "

Tom Hamer ? and T. E. Donne, appointed by the Government to assist Mayoß Meyers m the reception of the^Amerio 1 .un Fleet, put m some good work. They favored the outdoor principle m order that as many as. possible shojuld ■ witness the various ceremonies, and the idea prov"ed a huge success, as the weather was perfect. But had the heavens turned dog on 'them, What oh !,

The Klos', Sisters, those daring and graceful gymnasts who took Mew Zealand by storm when here recently under 'Arry Rickards' vaudeville banner, have now broken , up. Maggie Klos, or, properly speaking, Maggie Sutherland, tha braw Scottish lass, was recently' : married m Melbourne to a Mr Bond (of the Biographe), and is now settled down and happy, as all young brides generally are* Martha and fcSophie'are now. on their way to Europe. " >.

$t "Truth" scribe met Sub-lnspectos O'Donovan at Palmerston JN . recently and the igenial Sub. looked exceeding! v wrll cut iti and is just beginning t ; 6 r setHb dr>w» to a quiet "official life m a country towfc. Mr O'Donovan's greatest trouble was In securing a suitable house, and. now that that difficulty is oyercome.^Palmeret^a North will have plenty of time to recognise . the Sub's A sterling worth.' Mr 6 'Donovan is ever courteous and obliging, as r'almerston. W.p'rth pressmen will soon discover. '

Bert Gilbert and iHarry Shfne, the two leading comediapsYjoMbe Humpty-Dum|H tyJPanto. Co., Were- school-hoys m 'b>gla/d together. Twenty years ago they again met m Manchester, where hpiih wor« playing m the same panto. Of course now they're chums, and crossing over from. Sydney to Wimmera, 4 , Fattier Neptune, U he is located m the Tasman, tried H» throw cold sea water on the friendship as the mountainous waves washed both of Ahem out of their cabins. But it take* more than cold water to dampen ti&is pair's ardor for anything.

J.. "R. Kirk is Mayor of the tinpot vili tage of Naseby, and once got a lot ol 1 prominence m "Truth" for employing a Chinese handy-man who used to nurse the young Kirk. Anyhow, Kirk bobbed -up m print recently, when a Southern paper spread the extraordinary intelligence that Naseby's mayor had traveled all the way, to Melbourne and actually shook hands with the new Victorian Governor, a chap called Carmichael. In fact he was twiCß presented, and therefore "Carry" ought not to forget Kirk through all eternity. Moreover at one function he actually proposed the. health of the chairman, which one pafcef calls an honor. Anyway, where is Naseby ?

Mr Gil. P. Hoskins, who has severed his connection .with tbe FuUor tary, and who, on Wednesday -evening 1 last, with Mrs Hoskins, left for Cbiistchwrch, where tJil. is joining m, v managerial capacity, the Royal PicUirc Syndicate, was entertained by Ihe Theatre Royal management and staff on Tuesday, night last at the Royal, where Gil. was presented with a tangible proof of the respect all held him m. The toast of Gil. and Mrs Hoskins was duly honored and subsequently at Charlie Parnell's rooms more presentations followed, and if any time Gil. P. H. thought ha wasn't a popular little, cuss, tlie irauression was there removed. Anyhow. ''Truth" is sorry Gil is leaving this 'wicked ctfy, but our best wishes go with him for !u---ture prosperity and unclouded ti&upiness.; So long, Gil. !

The death at Chicago is once more reported, and this time it is a true bill, of Albert Griffiths, more- familiar iy Known as "Griffo," probably the greatest tighter m his class Australia has ever produced and the world has ever Kno^n. "Griffo" was originally a Syiney strssf newspaper seller and a boy from the instoric Rocks, and though he Leat cbzonpion after champion, and mado ukut7 of. money, he went the pace aud wine «nd ''good" pals soon landed this clavor pug m the gutter. Two days after a "t>ii fight. he never possessed a cent and m the long run he became quite a strevt pest. "Grißo" had his failings, which beat, him, but, as a 'ooxer, he was without a compeer. Perhaps the biggest Iwittie "Griffo" ever- fought was with n«gro George Dixon, iv America. The figkt i» described as a memorable one. For 33 rounds the colored champion exhausted all his skill to land on the elusive "#riifp," but during the whole time he scar»tly got m half-a-dozen blows. "Oftrifl*," on the other hand, hit Dixon when he liked, but not hard enough to hurt him, and so the contest went the liait. "Griffo" never could hit hard In tb« fighting ring, and yet, by a strange fc*a? tradiction, he was all there m a ruu^h-an'd-tumble. In a bar-room he or,ee kicked out "Shadow" MaberJ who waa a very skilled boxer, and a gocd fed heavier than the Australian. It Ito*l "Griffo" exactly a minute to put uaiil t» Maber's account. In the ting "vtoJßf'* was the very soul of good nature. % never seemed to bear the least IM-wls against his adversary, but ' always kate tied away with a smile on his" none-too? handsome lace, as il he didn't wish. t» kurt anyone