PERSONAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2437, 28 November 1900, Page 68

PERSONAL NOTES.

- — To be educated for the army, {.observe articles, as an architect, and begin" practising ihat profession, and then to become a barrister and "take silk," are events which, if not unprecedented, are exceedingly rare. Tbat, however, is what JVTr Edward Boyle, Q.C., who was 52 on October 8, has done. — Sir Arthur Sullivan is one of the wealthiest musicians iri Europe. From the Savoy operas he still draws a princely 'ncome, and many of his songs continue to provide him •with ever-ivelcome cheques every qiiarter. As a man of business he has few rivals, and the directors of the Crystal Palace and those of the Savoy Hotel know well his financial ability and his shrewdness. — Most men when they enter the House of Commons remain silent for a long time in ordei to learn the ways of the House. Mr T. P. O'Connor, however, who was 52 on October 5, was ordered by Mr Parnell to speak the very night he took his seat. It is 30 years since he first came to London in earcti of a situation, and 20 since he was returned to Parliament. — Sir Edmund Harry Elton, of Clevedon Court, personally superintends his Somersetshire pottery. He worked for years with only the assistance of "a hunchbacked boy to wheel the clay about, bub, notwithstanding, made a profit of £253 annually. When he - succeeded ' to the title he did not relinquish his usual .hobby.- The decoration jf the articles produced ia of the same kind of clay coloured by the addition of various oxides. Sir Edimiiid will employ no one who has worked in any pottery beside his own. —Mr Bryan, the unsuccessful candidate for tile Presidency of the United States ' of America, is a man of about 40. He is a Presbyterian, « regular attendant at church, but not in-

clined to pose as a religious man. His books are his chief pleasure. Horseback exercise is another enjoyment of his, and he has a 30-acre farm where lie practises agriculture and conducts experiments in soil culture. His home life is everything that could be desired. When he is on his travels he never forgets members of his family, and his course could be traced by the stream of gifts he sends home. —In his home^ it is said by one wHo knows him, General Botha is a model husband and father, his wife is a cultured lady of charming appearance and demeanour, his children are well brought up and receiving the best of education, both in the language of their country and English. Nothing more charming could be imagined than the homo life of the Botha family, and Lord Pvoberts, since going to Pretoria, lias taken many opportunities to express the pleasure of himself and his esteemed consort of meeting the familj of the plucky commandant-general of th« burgher army — a feeling which was freely reciprocated. — Major Adj'e, who died the other day, passed through the Crimean campaign unscathed, but he had a narrow escape on his way home by soa. Early one morning his servant awakened him and said he had better get tip. As it was before his usual hour for rising he did not get up. After a little while the man looked in again and repeated his suggestion, and when his master asked why he insisted on disturbing him so early he said,, "I beg 1 your pardon, sir, but the ship is on fire." A few minutes later Major Adye - knew that the flames were close to the powder magazine. By the united efforts of crew and artillerymen they were, fortunately, extinguished. ' — The Grand Old Man of the musical world is unquestionably- Giu3eppe Verdi, who, tin. October 9, completed his eighty-seventh year. He 'has lived to see some of his great productions become classics on the operatic stage, for it was he who wrote "Rigoletto," "Traviata," and "Trovatore," three works which a.will probably always find a place in the repertoire of great 'singers. Shakespeare has long been a fascinating study for him, for 5{5 years ago lie wrote an opera on "Macbeth," and 11 years ago he produced ''Othello.'' which was followed by "±'alstafF," and is to be succeeded by yet another work inspired bj" the poet of all time. — Dr Gott, who has recently announced his intention of resigning the Bishopric of Truro, , , was formerly the Dean of Worcester; his absent-mindedness was so notorious that h© eirued for himself the. sobriquet of "Dean Iforgort." ELe liacl on one occasion invited a number of friends to dinner, and a short time before the dinner hour he suggested that a stroll through ihe grounds would be a good appetiser. After spending a quarter of an hour or so admiring the greenhouses, etc., (.hey suddenly cauie across a small door in the %\a)l. '"Ah," said the Dean to his astonished gue^u, "thid will be a rmielf shorter way homo for you than going by tho-lront way" — and, all unconscious of his invitation, he opened the door and bowed them out ! — The Bishop of Bipon is one of the most popular of living preachers. He was bora in Liverpool nearly GO years ago, and is tha pon of the Rev- R-:my Carpenter, He is Irish on his mother's eicle, which. -may account to some extent, for the vivacity of liis cLar.jscter and for hi« iiuent eloquence. He became a curate in 1864- at Maidstone,' and then had a career of rapid promotion from, one -living to_ another. i£e was a favourite Court preacher, ' and it tiled to be said that Dr Boyd Carpenter would- become Archbishop of Canterbury. He has, however, remained" in the bishopric of B.ipon since 1834. He wa~ at one time Canon of. Windsor and Hon. Chaplain to the Queen. A prolific author, and lecturer, a poet, he is also" a profound student of Dante. "Very bright, cheerful, active, and eloquent, he is one of the smallest bishops on the bench. — Sir Andrew Luskin ex-Lord Mayor of London, has just entered on his ninety-first year. Born at Barr, Ayrshire, in 1810, Sir Andrew married in 184-8, and from 1863 to 1885 represented Finsbury in the House of Commons. He was Lord Mayor in 1873-74-, being created a baronet at the termination of his year of office, and in 1895 he resigned his seat as an alderman owing to fairing health. Lately, however, he has been feling very mucll better ,and and no one looking at him would think) he was a nonagenarian. Sir Andrew has interested himself in Sunday schools and the temperance question, and though he is not so actively engaged in shipping circles as he was, 'he still retains his position on two boards of directors. As a sharp man of business, he still -has fewrivals, and his popularity in the city is unequalled. Among the blind men who- have made their mark in the world few,' if any, have done more for those similarly afflicted than has Dr-F. J. Campbell, who was 68 on -October 9. To him in large measure is due' the establishment of the Royal College and Aca-., demy of Music for the-Blind at Upper Norwood. It was an accident when he was quite a child which deprived him -of his sight/ but instead -of sitting* down under his misfortune, he at once began to educate himself in a school for the blind in his native State of Tennessee, U.S.A., especially devoting himself to music. For that purpose he went to the Censervatoire at Leipzig, one of the' headquarters of . music in Germany. Then he returned to the United States to earn hie living by teaching music, and about 30 years ago he came to England, where he has lived ever since. — When periodically the press of the country assures the public that our relations are rather strained with the French, Sir Edmund Monson must have all his powers oi diplomacy drawn -upon so as to remove the tension, * and keep the diplomatic concert in tune. Sir Edmund would be almost as much a Frenchman as he is an Englishman, seeing that his connection 'with France began so long ago as 1856, were it not that he has served _ his country almost everywhere. At first he was merely a Consul, but he gradually rose until he became Minister Resident and Con-sul-general to the Republic of Uruguay in 1879, and as Minister Plenipotentiary he went to several South American countries, until in 1884- he wals brought back to Europe. To full Ambassadorial honours, he rose m 1893, when he was sent to Austria, and in the same year he was made a Privy Councillor. Ho was 66 on October 6. -