PERSONAL NOTES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16348, 3 April 1915, Page 7

PERSONAL NOTES.

The Czar is an exceedingly emotional man—so much so that when bad new reaches him ' from any quarter of his dominions he is frequently moved to tears. Sir Frederick Treves says, no matter now large the rooms you must not put more than one wounded officer in because their nerves are so jarred by what' they have gone through that . they muet nave absolute rest.

"—Lord Kitchener was once inspecting the Indian frontier defences, and was astonished to .find a .fort eo placed as . to be com* : manded by a hiil close by. Calling to the omcer. in command, he said sarcastically: "I congratulate you, colonel. What a capital place for a fort! When do you begin" to ' remove the hill':" , Norman Craig; M.P., the famous ' ha« been given an appointment aa lieutenant in the Royal Naval. Reserve. At ' u j l™? Titanic disaster;Mr Craig nad booked a passage on the ill-fated liner, ■"> ""t the last moment did not sail on the ship. _ n hen the vessel foundered his name ° was included amongst the list of victims, and iic. spent a- small fortune in - telegrams mforro.ng auxious friends and relations that r he had not met'with-a watery grave. . I«rd Lovat—who received the Order of - . the_ Thistle in the New Year's honours list, --the head of the famous Lovat Scouts, J?i a , g°°. d st °ry »n regard to a very much- ,- ■ ruffled private who was under arrest for . some offence. Lord Lovat inquired of the sergeant as to what his offence was. "He's a very troublesome fellow, . sir," the ser- ' goant replied. " Got too much lip, goes out without leave, oomes back when he likes., and gets drunk when he likes—just as if he was an officer."

Among officers of the Scots Guards reported as missing is Major Arthur Clive Morrison-Bell, Unionist member of Parliament for the' Honiton Division of Devon- "* smre. Major Morrison-Bell is the brother" and heir-presumptive of Sir Claude Morri-eon-iiell, of the High Green Manor, Belllngham, Northumberland, and Balcombe lowar, Bournemouth.- He served in South Ainca with the Canadian Contingent, taking part in the battle of Paardeberg and other actions, for which he got the Queen*« -Medal with three clasps. There has just passed away ex-Sergeant j crc y Vernono who was the . original drummer-boy depicted in that very popular ' picture, entitled " Just before the battle, bother. The artist showed a boy "writing on his drum to his mother just a last letter before a The ex-sergeant . was about V 15 when he joined the army as a drummerboy. He served with Lord Kitchener at Khartoum and when he left, the army for private life he named his homo "Omdurman. H s funeral list week was of a semi- * military character, with sergeants of -the l*renad;er Guards acting as bearers. — The story goes that Mr Taft," in hia younger days, when he was a law reporter, had been studying a ease in Somerville, Uhio, and found he couldn't get back to the office that night unless he managed to •' stop a through express. So hei wired to <■ headquarters : " Will you stop the through express at Somerville to .take on largo party? Tho answer came back, "Tee" Tha express was duly stopped at Somerville." Ihe young law reporter got aboard .with nv> copy, and the conductor said: " Where's that large party I .was to take on?" " I'm .i™*" was the grinning answer. " That's all ' • .

— The King of Denmark is one of the most unassuming of men, and famed for his kmdhcartedness. There is a 6tory told of him which well exemplifies his thoughtfulnees for others. One day; when Crown Prince, he perceived a large number o! soldiers groupod round an old woman who was in charge of a cartload of buns. Trade was slack, and the Prince inquired the rause. On learning that it was the day before pay-day, and that the soldiers ' were absolutely penniless he bought up the entire Mock of buns and handed it over to hia men, .wheat once set to and ate so heartily that within three minutes there was not a bun left.

. ~7- Lor - d Londonderry died the other day m his sixty-third year. He was Lord- Lieu! tenant of Ireland when Mr A. J. Balfou? was -Chief Secretary, and was the mosS prominent leader of the Ulster Unionists after Sir Edward Careon. "His vast estate® were admirably managed, and the well-being of his tenants and neighbours was a constant object of his solicitude, and a constant tax ution his time," savs The limes. As Lord Lieutenant, and as a great territorial magnate, his ' hospitalitywas liberal and magnificent. The immense popularity which he enjoved, both on his English and on his Irish estates, is the best of proofs that he was an excellent landlord. In the management of his estates as in all else, he never forgot that 'pro* pertv has its duties as well as its rights' and he always put its duties first." '