PERSONAL NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13835, 23 February 1907, Page 5

PERSONAL NOTES.

Richard Strauss, Germany's greatest modern composer, has failed to obtain election to the senate of the Berlin Acu* demy of Arts. Tlio painters, sculptors, and architects all voted for him, but ho was opposed by his brother-musicians, including Joachim, Gernshcim, Brnch, Humpcrdmck, and Schulzc.

— By, tho death in Devonshire of the Rev. .Nicholas Germon there has passed away yet another of the fast-dwindling band of patriarchs who could boast they ivere college contemporaries of Cardinal Newman. Mr Germon matriculated at Uriel in 1831, the year after Keblo preached the sensational assize sermon on "National Apostasy," from which is commonly dated the commencement of the Oxford movement.

—Mr F. E. Barnard, the Radical member for Kidderminster, has been tolling a delightful story of having a half-sovereign slipped into his Hand by an American visitor whom he had been asked by tho manager of his hotel in London to get into tho Gallery of the House of Commons. Tlie late Sir William Gossett, who was Sergcant-at-armb of the House of Commons for a generation, had a half-crown suspended from his watch-chain given him by a visitor to the House of Commons, in ignorance of his position; while,, better stilly the Duke of Norfolk- preserves as a precious memento—to use his own words— "The only money he ever earned," a sixpence, given him by a lady at the Arundel Station, wlio, mistaking him for an idior about the place, told him to fetch her a cab, and thus rewarded his compliance with her request,

— A good story is being told in Berlin of the Kaiser and an old admiral, who is a fine oid sea-dog and an uncommon good trencherman. Tho etiquette of Courts prescribes that when the Sovereign has dono eating, the course has to be removed.

whether the rest of the diners have finished or not, The Kaiser was very fond of the rou(<h old admiral, whose sen-talk amused him immensely, and on one occasion when the admiral was dining with tho Emperor a dish was served to which tho admiral was inordinately devoted. It so happened that the Emperor did not care for it, and had very soon finished. The footmen began to remove tho plates, but the old admiral, who did not mean to bo baulked of his _ favourite dish, rapped the servant who tried to take his plate over the fingers with his fork, and cried out, "Gehste wog," much to tho amusement of the Emperor and the rest, of the guests, who were bursting With laughter at this terrible breach of etiquette.