PERSONAL NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11923, 22 December 1900, Page 10

PERSONAL NOTES.

— Mr Richard Harding Davis, the American novelist and war correspondent, lias had experience enough in his 56 years to draw upon for a dozen books. Mr Davie was discouraged at first; but a year or two of New York journalism decided his career. As a reporter, his work was chiefly that of a " special commissioner," and in this capacity he lived for a fortnight with a. gang of thieves, whom he was the means of having arrested. He went through similar experiences m .London at the time of the Whitechapcl murders accompanying the police on their rounds, and writing up the " police side of the case for a New York paper. Mr Davis, by the way, was the first man to bring to Itnglaud a personal account of the great Johnstown floods. —Mr \ J. Balfour is extremely sensitive, and particularly dislikes hearing horrors of auy kind discussed. Not long ago a a very small dinner, after the ladies had left the room, the conversation turned on French novels, and an author who was present alluded to a famous and terrible tale of Balzac s, m which a woman's lover, rather than betray her allows himself to be bricked up in a cupboard of her chamber by the husband. At first Mr Balfour could not recall the story, and the author began to relate it in his best manner. Just when he was getting well under way. howover, Mr Balfour's memory of it returned to him. and he at once earnestly begged the

speaVer to stop, declaring that it had made : puch a ghastly impression upon him that he ' could not bear even to think of it, i« ished and some one else «as on the carpet - The first Cabinet Minister to celebrate h» birthday after the general election g Lord .Tames of Hereford, who was 72 on Oetobe. 30. The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lanraster is one of the young-01. men o the Go- ' vcrnment, and. it w 'M. '«" ""8™ 'j™? B*° have been Lord Chancellor, a post which. rummir «.i<-ap»li rmv vet he in store for him. TM y olf ye," ago he became Solicitorgeneral and then Attorney-general, as a reward for his great legal learning, which brought him n large fortune. , -Save and excepting those who arc aware of his curious hobby, none would recognise in the fanner who ploughs, and reaps, ami toils early and late during certain months ■■! the'vcir his Majesty the King of Greece; yet this'is the way the Prints of. Wnles's second brother best likes to spend his holidays. A.I the Danish Royal Family are taught some trade, 'and farming wr.s the one allotted to Prince George, who was afterwards called upon to become King of Greece. ! Sir Henry Thompson describes naturil aperient waters as vastly superior to artificial solutions, however skilfully prepared; and ' HusYADI JANOS" as "THE MOST CONCENTRATEDIOJ ' the samkb gboup." Annual sale, six miltrei I bottles. Signature, Andreas Saxlebneh, ca , label secures genuineness.