PERSONAL TOTES,

Otago Witness, Issue 2309, 2 June 1898, Page 48

PERSONAL TOTES,

— The Prices of Napies is a feean collector of coins, and is said, to have one of the most valuable collections in Europe. Numismatists will be interested to learn that the Prince is, at the presont time, busily engaged on a treatise on Italian coins, which will be illustrated with facsimiles of every coin which has coma from the Italian mint.

— The death of Sir Richard Quain removes a distinguished physician who, for the long period of 50 years, held a unique position in the professional and social life of London. Apart from his skill as a physician, he was a man whose genial kindness and cheerfulness made him extremely popular. His kindness to professional men was proverbial, and it is said thai; he charged no fees to clergymen, actors, or journalists.

— Lord Charles Beresford, as a, boy, robbed orchards, bated desks, and would not hear of any other career than a military or naval one. The British navy owes the fact that he is an officer in it •to one of hia early escapades. He was caught, when a very small boy, in an aitsmpt to harpoon his nurse with the snuffers ; and his people, probably thinking that this showed some Inclination towards a nautical life, sent him off to s>ea.

— The Duke of Richmond and Gordon, who traces his descent in the direct line from Charles II and the Duchess of Portsmouth, is perhaps the mosfc courtly and picturesque of British dukes. Entering Parliament 56 years ago, at the same time as the Duke cf Rutland, he has held Cabinet office three times, and is, with the exception of the Dukes of Northumberland and Rutland and Earl Cran brook, the oldest of the vanishing band of " Diszy's Ministers."

— Mr Jonathan Hutchinson, the famous surgeon and twice president of the Royal College, is following Mr Ruskio's example in founding an educational museum. The museum, which is now housed in a speciallyerected building near its founder's house at Haselmere, is designed to illustrate the different ages of the world. Mr Hutchinson spares neither time nor money in making it complete. Oa certain days it is thrown open to the public, and eminent specialists lecture.

— Mr Swinburne is one or the few men who bave attained eminence, yet left their nniversxsy without taking a degree. Although Mr Swinbnrne had a remarkable gift for classics, and is indeed one of the finest living Greek scholars, he could not; settle dowa to work at Balliol. His heart was elsewhere, and he left Oxford without a pang to luxuriateigwith Walter Savage Landor in Italy. Mr Swinburne Isads a hermit's life at Patney, wedded to " children and the Muses."

— Many good stories ara told of Sir Richard Quain, whose social distinction had latterly overshadowed his medical reputation. One of tbe most characteristic of them was that of the friend patient-, who was first urgently warned by Sir Richard Qtiain, the physician, against touching champagne or port, and shortly afterwards equally warmly urged by Sir Richard, the host, to try very special brands of those wines which he had brought oar. for his guests. The guest patient laughed and drank, and pondered on the mysteries of medical advice.

— There has been no better-known figure ia Dublin the«e 20 years past than Dr Georga Valentine Patton, the editor of the DMiy Express and the Dublin correspondent of The Times. He filled the two positions with conspicuous ability for a quarter of a century, and he made himself a potent force in the public life of his country. His rare political instinct seldom led him astray, although his zeal in tbe Unionist cause was greater than that of any professional politician. He was a genial, kindly man, a hard worker, and a learned if not a brilliant lawyer and scholar.

— There is probably only one man in existence who can boast of having taken part in 90 battles in India, 84 of them cccurriug in about 18 months — June 1857 to January 1859. This interesting veteran is Mr William Edwards, who served ia the 9feh Lancers, and who now resides at Hound, near Southampton. His last battle was at Kunda Kote, in January 1859, and in that year, later, he returned to England with his regiment, accompanied by only one other survivor out of the number who landed with him in India in 1812. Mr Edwards received a pension of lid per day on his discharge ia 1867, after 25 years' service.

— The Gordon Highlander — Private Bd» ward Lawson— who has been recommended by Sir William Lockhart for the Victoria Cross is a Newcastle man. He enlisted in 1890, and the bravery which is to win him the coveted honour was of a remarkable kind. He carried the wounded Lieutenant Diagwall out of a heavy fire, and returned and brought in Private M'Millau, being himself wounded in two daces in so dome. But

this is not his only brave deed. During the Ohitral Expedition one of hiß comrades was hit by a bullet and fell into a dried-up river bed. On that occasion also Lawson carried his wounded comrade safely into camp. — Few millionaires nowadays preach the Cfospel, but the most conspicuous evangelist; in New York at the present time — the richest one in the world — is Mr William Phillips Hall, the president of the Hall Signal Company, which has practically a monopoly of the railway signal service of the United Sfaiss. He is a self-made man, and his days are given to finance ia Wall street, while his evenings are devoted to condactiog services. His measure of success as an evangelist is "largely due," he says, " to the fact -that he adopts business methods in the saving of souls," and he adds that " there is more o£ the Christian spirit on Wall street than the world guesses." — Sir Claude de Crespigny has probably had a more varied and adventurous life than any titled man in England. He has been soldier and sailor, war correspondent in the Soudan, balloonist, steeplechaser, and amateur executioner. His passion 1 for a balloon ha 3 more than once nearly cost him his life. In attempting to .cross the North Sea in 1882 he was so severely injured that for some months his life was despaired of. Nothing however, he again- made the. attempt Jn his balloon, the Colonel, and in spite of adverse conditions gob safely over. He is the only living man who .has accomplished this feat. Sir Claude, who is a fair, hantlaome man, has recently celebrated his silver wedding. -

—Mr Marion Crawford, the novelist, is one of the most modest of modern literary men. Indeed, he is almost unknown personally to hia special constituency. He is between 40 and 45, and was born, as might readily be gathered from his novels, in Italy. He' was educated at Concord, New Hampshire, Trinity College, Cambridge, and Heidelberg University. He is an American, of course, and has been engaged in journalism at Allahabad. Hs is a convert to Roman Catholicism. Curiously, he can claim, like Mr Louis Becke, to be a navigator. He holds a professional master's certificate from the" Association of American Shipmasters. He is a handsome man, with a handsome wife and a clever sister. The latter lady is known as Mm Hugh Fraser, the author of " Palladia." She is >.he widow cf a captain in the British array, and lives in England, whereas Mr Crawford makes Italy his home.

— Count de Warren, head of the old and illustrious family of de Warren, half Eogliah and half French, died in January Jant at Nancy, at the advanced age of 88. Hia ancestor, the then Count de Warren, wbose name figures on the famous column at Dlvea. and who fought at the Battle of Hastings, came over with William the -Conqueror. Satisfied with his quarters in England, he remain there, and his descendants, taking root, flourished exceedingly ; several of them, attaining to high honours, lie buried in Westminster Abbey. Staunch Jacobites, devoted heart and soul to the Stuart cause, they followed James II into exile, supported the old and young Pretender in their claims to the throne, and on the frustration of their hopes elected to remain in France, which

they have done to the present day. The dear old gentleman w&» a splendid specimen of the old school, and was the author of "The History of British India" and other important works, notably one on " Russia and Persia." touching their future conflict in Central Asia.

— Men who have seen much fighting are alwaya diffident about talking of themselves. It is only little by little that incidents of fighting on the frontier can be got out of the wounded men at Netley. Private Lever, of 'the Bnffs, however, tells a characteristic story of the fight in which he was hit when General Jeffreys, with the mountain battery and escort, were hemmed in a village all night by thousands of Mobmunds. The wounded were lying under a wall exposed to torrents of rain and to showers of atones which the enemy hurled down at them from houses near. It seemed impossible that any relieving force could come to their aid before daybreak, or that the mere handful of Buffs could hold out much longer — their ammunition was running short. Then Lever heard one wounded officsr ask another :

" How many shots have you got in your volver 1 " v

" Only two." " Then don't waste them, old chap ; keep one for me, the other for yourself."

MR OUHZON.

Ifc is too soon to speak of Gaorge Ourzon. But if there did not hang over him the extioguisher of a coronet, I should confidently look for him seated in due time in the placß of the Leader of the House of Commons, with the premiership to follow. He holds on the Treasury bench a position closely analogous to that of Edward Grey in the Opposition camp. Young, of good birth, impelled by parliamentary instincts, a clear thinker, a forcible speaker, ha has the advantage over- his predecessor at the Foreign Office that he means to get to the top of the Parliamentary ladder. 16 is the fashion among some people to sneer at his superior manner and alleged affectation, of speech. These superficial judges regard him as a sort of parliamentary dandy. Wherein they are mightily mistaken.

George Ourzon is not physically a strong man, though hard work happily agrees with him, and since he weat to the For&ign Office his health has been better than at any time since he left Oxford. But confronted with what he regarded as the duty of mastering the Eastern Question, he set out on art arduous journey, visiting Persia, Siam, Central Asia. Indo-China, and the Corea, Bcaliug the Pamirs, making a morning call on the Ameer at a time when Oabul was in unrest and x the Khyber Pass promised to renew its old character as a death-trap for adventurous Englishmen. A man that goes to work in this fashion is fcha kind out of which .3b!^ Ministers are made. Met in a drawing room or seen lolling on the Treasnry Bench, George Curzoa looks a lath. He is really a blade of tempered steel, and will go far. The pity of it is that his father is a peer and he the eldest son,—* Henry Lucy, in Strand Magazine."

—In Costa Rica canary birds, bullfinches and paroquets are special dainties*