PURELY PERSONAL.

NZ Truth, Issue 243, 19 February 1910, Page 1

PURELY PERSONAL.

W. H. Herries, M.P. for Tauranga, has, according to a country paper, disposed of most of his landed property, and intends to devote himself entirely to politics. But will politics devote themselves entirely to Herries ? Constituents have a say m that sort of thing.

Old New Zealand playgoers will regret to hear of the death at Christchurch recently, .of , Bob Underwood, ,who, m the days gone by, piloted many a theatrical company through, the then coiany 1 . Lately deceased resided at Christchurch^ where he conducted a general theatrical agency.

After a* brief illness there died at Dunedin recently Mrs Catherine .".McLeod, the first resident of Melrosel Dunedin, who had resided there since io«4. Her hushand'preieceased her by 32 rears. She fcaa three children— Rev. 'J. Gordon McLcod, Mrs Evan Evans- Fordell, and Miss K« McLeod (Auckland). .

An' old identity of the Otago goldfields, died reconiiy m the -person -of Mr David Beaton, who for 27 years was licensee of. the Bliiespur Hotel. He arrived on the gbldfields m the early sixties, and was successively shepherd, carrier, gold miner, • farmer, putotman (at Beaumont), county valuator, dealer, publican and butcher.

Constable • Bosworth, the gentleman who represses crime m the hamlet of Green Island (Dunedin), which owing; to its/contiguity to the . Burnside cattle market and a tannery "can raise a. hot and heavy hum on a "hot day,, is a fine type of ' the burly and . brawny bobby. Those who have been honored with a view of his determu»ed-looki»g phisog with its stiff, stieking-out chin, .havi? predicted that one of these days ho will do some fearfully gallant action and make the names of Bosworth , ,-and the smellful suburb very famous.

More changes m our detective force. 'Tec. Rawle, who supplanted the unfortunate .JMbtd^ern at.Giskornej and who was drawn on .irom Wellington as • coming back to this city. His place m Jimmy Carroll's stronghold will be filled by Detective Connolly. "Con", is one of the hard workers m the force, and will find Gisborne no resting place. Anyhow, no will be the right man m the right place. Though Wellington is lasing an efficient and conscientious officer, U-ls'jorne is the gainer, and that town will moa learn to appreciate the fact.

Mr Ernest Davis, Mayor of Newmarket, Auckland, was recently the recipient of a requisition from the wkole of the councillors requesting him to allow himself to be nominated for another term of office, and eulogising him on his public spiritedness and the progressive policy he had pursued during the occupancy of the mayoralty of the •astern suburb. The requisition was couched m flowery language, but was none the less earnest, and after- several of the councillors bad spoken eulogistically of the excellent work achieved during the Mayor's term of office, he notified that if it were the wish of tbe council and the ratepayers he would be pleflsed to serve them' again; He is likely to be returned unopposed.

_ Scott Bennett,. ex-Victorian, M.L.A., touring .New Zealand as an extreme Socialist, has thundered so many fierce denunciations at everything with : such vigor as to wear; himself out physically. In the., middle of his first Christchurcb address the long-haired young man staggered and reached for a chair, and a medico m the audience, who, examined his heart, refused .to permit him xo .proceed further. Some days later, however, ..he was able to address a large audience, and* condemned things again witb great vigor. Bennett should take a pull at himself — fur his own .sake and that .of his audience. New Zealand has got quite enough talkers of her own without importing Australians to swell the' floods of turgid oratory beneath which this unhappy land is partly submerged at the present time. »..■.-• - *

Jack Arnst,, who with champion scijtler brother Dick, was disqualified for five years for receiving pacing and unauthorised refreshment itt the ChristchurchTimaru road race, was to have . raced Bitch, another ! competitor, for £50 a side over the same course, but the disqualification alarmed Birch, who refused to risk . his own amateur status by racing,, although he . bad deposited his share of the stake. Jack's fastest time, also his cash prize, .were forfeit; but m spite of Birch's defection he covered the distance on Thursday five minutes quicker than the record, and 21£ minutes faster tban the fast time upon which he was disqualified. A rumor that Jack is to shoot the Zambesi Falls on his bike after Dick has rowed Barry to a standstill m Africa is entirely without foundation ; but as Birch is claiming a refund of his £50 and Arnst claims the £100 stake, somebody will shoot a financial rapid ere long.

Genial Captain Owles, of New Brighton, and Speights' rep. m Christchurch, had a short spell of ill-health aft^r the holidays, and had to obtain exemntion, per doctor's certificate, from service on '.the Supreme Court jury. It is wonderful •how annoyances assemble and hit a man all at once. He was charged the- other day with trotting his pony across the Bank of« New Zealand corner, and defended the case with indimntion. The pony is an ambler, and the bobby acknowledged that he didn't know anything about the gait of horses, but thought it was a trot. An old sailor was equally ignorant, but Captain Owles's ship was going eight or nine knots an hour. Solicitor Johnston : "All sal - c et, every stitch of canvas on." Independent witnesses . who had seen a horse before and could distinguish it from an olenhant, testified that the gait was a fo"r-mi)es-an-hour amble, whereupon the S.TO. dismissed'the case and Captain Owles wen* on bis Vav rejoicing