PERSONAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2391, 28 December 1899, Page 65

PERSONAL NOTES.

— Many stories are told of Mi 1 Kruger's prowess as a young man. He trekked over the Vaal when he was about nine, and was fighting the natives a few years later. He was a field cornet at 20, and rose to be Com-mandant-general in tho Boer forces. He became a member of the Executive in 1872, and has been President since 1882. •

— General Joubert, the Commandant-gene-ral of the Boer army, though within a_ few months of his seventieth year, and despite his adventurous life, is still a magnificent type of a Boer farmer-soldier. He stands erect, and his steely eye is undimmed, although his long, full beard is white. As commarider-in-chief of a farmer army ho is unique, and he is venerated by those who have served under him.

— Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, R.A., tells an amusing atory in connection with the knighthood conferred on him this year.- A day or so after he had been 'knighted a lady called upon him and Lady Alma-Tadema on one of their "At home" days, and expressed herself to him as follows: — "Oh, dear Sir Lawrence, I am awfully glad to hear of the hcuour you have received. I suppose now

that you have been knighted you'll give uif painting and live like a gentleman!" — The Czar comes of a short-lived racev He is tha fourteenth occupant of the throne? beginning with Peter the Great. Leaving out the two Catherines, he has had 11 predecessors of his blood. • All but foUr died under 50 v -Peter the Great and Elizabeth' lived to the age of 53,- Nicholas I to 59, and Alexander n was 62 when- he ivas assassi* nated. Four of the Czars were murdered, but of all the male descendants of Peter ni only three passed the age of 60. — Rabah, the- "African Napoleon',"" is at present the" centre of interest in Centra? Africa. He has conquered a vast extent ol territory, over -which he is practically lha dictator. He was originally a slave: now he has an army of over 10,000 men armed with nfles. He makes his capital at Dikwa, in the JNiger country, and is practically hemmed in, on one side by the" British and on the other by the French, while at the same time ho is constantly fighting with the various native chieftains, over whose territory he claims control.

— The Duchess of Bedford is reputed' to be one of the most expert lady anglers, as she #is one of the best -shots in England. Caring little for society, her Grace is never so happy as when she is residing at Woburn Abbey surrounded by her wonderful collection of zoological specimens. The Duke and Duchess make a practice of 'preserving at least some portion of almost every animal and bird that dies on the estate. These reLios are kept in a corridor of the abbey set apart for them. . - • • ~^ n °i °i - the , hl »rdest -worked ' men m England is Mr G. H. Turner vL 1 1c?? c ?, oral manager of the Midland Railway Company. The company 1 * offices being at Derby, and it being necessary lor him to pay constant visits, to London, Mr Turner dictates a ' very large, portion of his correspondence to a -shorthand ' clerk ' while / travelling to and fro on these journeys. Tho CT eat railway expert says that if ho" idled away the hundreds of hours he has to spend m .trains m the course of a year he would never - oe able to cope with' his work.' " v . — The' Duke of York is described ashaving .lad, full of the liveliest interest in everything.' that was going on, and bent • on "/learninl .as much as he could from his travels.." Ho* was fond of, practical jokes, and .was. ver^r ' popular with his shipmates,- as he had'- no--special mdv gence, and had "to do his f H ll , share of work, and gave himsoirno airs. He won more than one prize' U ' boat-sailm* ' and during the time ho was in lo Britannia^ under Mr Lawless, rKis/.tutor. ho studied science and the. history, of the British, navy ?a« welljas modern, languages. „ ' • ■' - ~ John- Philip ;.Sousa,- the/composer of the" comic ppem "El Caprtan," and ofifche.moio famous, . '-'Washington • Post*. Wchf : f ° o f '■ niixed Spanish- and German blood.' He owes his present -high 'position in- 'the -musical' .world svery largely to thelheese-paring poSy of the author ties? ,at W^slungtonf where Z' J2?oni ead ™ of th P,? Ma "ne Bandl^fr 900dol" (£180) per annum.. , 'ApDlwatibn^for.an "ik-'.' crease of this very, VROtiesfc salary wero refused, muchto.tHe annoyance of' thpse ' whp ..knew andrte:dgnißedhiß'g-eni ttvt uvu s 'as a musician:' As a result he secured off offer; of lO.OuOdbla/yeai- to lead a Band of his oivn.. Sinco then Ins progress has been rapid/ and lie 'is hailed by his countrymen as the march kinn of the world. ■ - - • — During his recont stay at Mar Lodge the Prince of Wales was fieen in a not unfamiliar role, that of grandfather. As all his friends and servants have grateful reason to know, his Royal Highness is very fond of' children. When- he w m Paris he always pays several visits to the principal toy. shops, and returns to this country laden with spoil for his numerous -young relations, while the little ones whose parents are admitted to his intimacy are not forgotten. Lady Alexandra and Lady Maud Duff, who are. eight and six respectively, are very attractive children. They ar ° bo . tl » considered singularly like the Princess of Wales, whom it still seems ridiculous to thimk of as a grandmother. -They have been brought up, in accordance with their fathers special wish, far more simply than, aro.any of their cousins on the Continent. As is natural, the Ladies Duff are neve.r so happy as when in their Highland home. — The Chair of Natural Philosophy in Glasgow University, which Lojcd Kelvin recently resigned after more than 50 years' tenure, has heen, filled by the appointment' of one of his Lordship's old students and former assistants — Professor Andrew Gray, of the .. University College of North Wales. The new professor is 52 years of age, and had a brilliant career yobv ob "a student -of mathematics and physics* Since he' was elected Professor of Physics at Bangor, in 1884, he' has distinguished himself by his original researches in electricity, ;aijd magnetism, on which he has .written several important treatises — the last 'an exhaustive work published 18 mouths ago. ' ' Professor Gray, who is a fellow of the Royal Society, recently completed a new book on "Physical Dynamics and the Properties of Matter," which will be published in the course of a few weeks. The chair to which he has just been appointed at Glasgow, out of a largo number of candidates, is one of the best endowed in the university. The salary is £1250 a year, and the professor has, in addition, an official residence at Gilmorehill. A SURVIVAL: THE EARL OF CRANBROOK. The Earl of Cranbrook, who has just kept his eighty-fifth birthday, belongs to a pastgeneration of politicians. He follows, however; With close interest, each new move in tho game of politic? in which he was ones so bold a player. Nobody fought a better battle in bygona days than Mr Gathorne-Hardy. He belonged, moreover, to a type rarer in the Toryparly of 30 years' age than it is to-day. He was a partner in the Low Moor Ironworks ; and a Conservative manufacturer was almost as rare at that time as a Conservative working man. The party did not want to be aristocratic for ever,, and Lord Beaconsfield, who, had witnessed and reckoned with the rise of tha manufacturing communities, brought Coningsby face to face with Mr G. 0. A. Head, of Stalybridge in fiction, and sought out such men in real life for his colleagues in tho Cabinet. Mr Gathorne-Hardy made a good Horns Secretary, a good Secretary of State for India, and a good Secretary of State for War. When he, rose to defend the Established Church in Ireland he did so with the double fervour of a political partisan and of a convinced churchman, and his speeches in opposition to Mr Gladstone's bill were among tho mo3t impassioned ever heard in the House of • Commons. "■ Of course his career carried within itself th* seeds of its own destruction. The "Man* Chester man" became the Londoner; tho , manufacturer was lost in the politician, and the democrat in the aristocrat.— -Academic :