PERSONAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2779, 19 June 1907, Page 77

PERSONAL NOTES.

— The recent statement of the fact that the Duke cf St. Albans.- as Hered'tary High Falconer, holds tho wght to dnic down Rotten Row recalls to mind that Lord Forester and Lord Kiugodale, the Premier Earon of Ireland, enjoy the right to appear covered in the prcienco of royalty. In the ca«e of Lord Forester, this hereditary right was bestowed on one of his ancestors by Henry VIII, while King John grar.ted tho curious privilege to Lord Kingsdale's ancestor, Sir John de Courcy. — Lord Gwydyr, who celebrated his ninetv-seventli birthday on. April 27, enjoys the distinction of being the Eather of tho House of Lords. He wai born in 18L0, and can faintly remember the wild exhilarat'on which followed the defeat of Napaleon at, Waterloo. In the year that Queen Victoria ascended the throne Lord CJwydyr was secretary to the Lord Great Chamberlain, and he held this effice for *3 years. He has lived in the re : rjns of fire nionarchs, and he attended the coronations of George IV. William IV, Victoria, and Edward VII.

— Possibly no man has done more to safeguard the railv-ay p^seiifrpr than Mr George Westinghou«o, of air-brake fame. The patents which he controls number no fewer than 15,000, and more than 300 represent inventions of his own v. hich he has carried to successful completion. These inventions cover almost eierr pliaso of imlroad development haring to do with the sifcguarding of life and property. M-r West ing house is now 60'yearp of age; but in spur- of his yer.rs he personally supervises his many railway interest?, and in a<kMion finds tini.-> to nian and bring out, new in\er.tion*>. He flirerf6 the -work of lit* thousands of employes even whil^ he is Ira%el!'ng with his secretary from factory io factory in bis private ctr — a palatial hou-e on wheels, unique -in tho perfection and comfort of ita apnointmenio, and in its adaptability +o the daily n«vde of one of fie world's busiest m-en. So much of his time is n.ifised in thi6 private car that it might almost be counted as one of his homes.

— The career of Mr Rarmond Asquirh

chequer, furbishes a striking illustration pf how the sons of famous men sometimes literally "follow in their father's footsteps." Few men have had a more brilliant career at Oxford than Mr Acquith, the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Has university honours included a Balliol Scholarship in 1870, first in "Mods" 1872, and Craven Scholarship, first in "Greats," and Fellowship of BalJiol two. years later. Ultimately he became president of the Oxford Union. Commencing in 1697, his son, Mr Raymond Asquith, secured practically tho same honours, with the exception that he ber«o.« a Fellow of All Souls' instead of EaJliol, and, furthermore, A* carried off the Eldon Law Scholarship, worth £209 a year for three y*MWS. B*.is aow, a* hi* father was before him, a rising member of the Bar, to which ho was called three yeats ago.

— Tho Crown Prince of Germany is much mow of a popular hero than hit father. A thousand tales are told of his fondness for a jo!jjß~ and of his. old love affairs — by his future subjects. The people of Silesia, in particular, are never tired of tailing how th-a village postmaster near the Crown Princo'a oastle in that, province made him a. confidant. The Prince called- one 1 day At th» post 'office to buy some stamps. 7. he postmaster, it seems, took him for somo chanc* easterner; and whe» the stranger appeared inclined for conversation he poured into the Prince's ears a long and harrowing description of the extra work a royal visit entailed on the postal authorities. "But surely you axe paid for it?" asked the Prince. "No," answered the postmaster. "There is a lot of sorting to dp, and heavy bags of letters to be- carried up to the castle, and not one penny extra do we get.'" The Crown Prince took his departure without revealing who ho w.\f, but the same afternoon he again called at tho posi office, this time in uniform and with attendants and friends. They had all coma for their own letters 1

— The following character sketch of the Hon. Alfred Deakin, Prime Minister of the Australian Commonwealth, appears in the Liverpool Mercury: — Australia is proud of Alfred Deakin, his own colony of Victoria espeoially, for Deakin was the first of the natives to e;ive assurance that a statesman had been born under the Southern Cross The colonies had been previously i*ov.T-ied more or less well but by men imbibed with tho old ideas. Born in the country, he rooognised that if Australia was far from England, England was just as far from Australia. He was an Australian, not a colonist, and was one of those who helped to establish the Commonwealth, and to endow it with a constitution which, incon* sistenfc and illogical enough out of rasped! of tha past, yet marked a step i» advance. A good representative man, a man capable of holding his own in tho most distinguished company ; ta.ll, Wil made, straight, with -regular features, a well-trimmed beard, Alfred Dea-kin is all that is correct. Tha* is the keynote of his career. All that was demanded of him he has done well, yet nothing that has vividly seized on the imagination even of his admircre. A tall, handsome man, who pours forth a stream of silver oratory, correct in form, unimpeachable in matter, who reads omnivorouslar and quotes tho romantio poets, who writes on irrigation and stake* his majority on points of principle — such is the Australian Premier.

— The Hon. Charles Russell ie the second ' son of the late Lord Russell, of Killowen. I Born in London in 1863, he was educated 1 at Beaumont College, Old Windsor, and i in France, and he early deoided to become i a solicitor. He was articled to Sir John Hollams, and in due timo commenced praetic* for himself at 37 Norfolk strict, where his firm, Charles Russell and Co., still occupy offices. Mr Russell has been very successful m his profession. In 1993, when '"•only 30 years of age, he acted aa solicitor 1 for the British Agont in tho Behring Sea arbitration between Great Britain and the 1 United States— a eonsideiaVe honour for Ibo yourg a man. He also acted as solicitor I for the defence of the laro Marquie of i Qweensbcrry in the Wilde trial. He is now 1 solicitor for tho Government of tjic Domi- \ nion of Canada, as well as for tho Joekoy Club and the National Hunt Committee. Among his private chants he numbers her Grace the Duchess of Marlborough. Outside his professional work, Mr Russell takes a great interest in the educational movemerit, and holds the office of chairman of the Catholic Federation. H« is aJeo a director of the Equity and Law Assurance Society. Some years ago lie contested a division of Hackney in the Liberal interest, but was unsuccessful, and has not since tried hii fortune in the field of politics. — "Jehu Junior," in Vanity Fair. —Dr Ingram, the Biohop of London, is on the borderland of the fifties, and still ' a bachelor. Ho has proved himeelf an ideal ruler of. the see, for which his 13 years' acquaintance and sympathy with the life of tho people of London, and partfeualrly of the East End, admirably fitted him. He won tho real affection of tho people "down Ea-st" by his free and easy manners ' with them a-nd by acting up to his motto. "Don't be afraid to be human." He would often salute an irreclaimable ruffian with a genial "Hello, old boy !" On one occa- ,' sion he lent a seedy mdividua.l his great- ' coat, and it never returned. H» has been censured by a Parochial Relief Committee j .for indiscriminately giving half-crowns away. One lad, who played football with him, say« : "Jnjzram is pretty firm on hi« pins!" A friend tolls how on one occasion he was with Dr Ingram at «. bustling Midland railway station, when the Bishop was ac-oooted by fi somewhat imposing dignitary of ihc Church, who entered into grave t»lk with' Uiim. Suddenly Dr Ingram said, "Pardon me," and, hastening after a rotighlookins man who wai passing, hailed him heartily, and the greeting wa* a« heartily returned. After a few minutes of bright and laughing conversation, Dr Ingram returned to v«. "Whoever wan that?" &rked the elder dignitary, somewhat pompously. ."OL."" was the reply, 'that's one of the oU-verest of my Victoria. Park oppoicrrU W« always have ft ohat when we oii'si." '•You don't mean he* an Atheiet. surely?" Mra3 the response. '.'Yes." eaid Dr Ingram. "I de. or. afc all events, he fancies he's one : but he's such a pleasant feljow, and there's a lot that's good in him. 1 ' And rhen. with n grave pauce, he added: "And goodness can only have one source."

"THE CHIEF."

— A Tribute to Lord Lister. —

Lord Liater celebrated his eightieth birthday on Friday, April 5, in the midefc of the gratitude and admiration of all who • rcaliee his immense services to surgical science. It is in-torcstinif to recall (pays the Glasgow "Weekly Citizen) that {h$ foUowinft.

poem-picture, under the above title, was made of him, in' 1873, by the late W. E. Henley., Henley lay ill in a hospital in Edinburgh" where Lord Lister was at that time working: — His hrow spreads large and'placid, and his eye Is deep' and bright, with steady looks that still. Soft lines of tranquil thought his faoe fulfil— His f*te, «tonoe benign and proud and shy. If envy scout, if ignorance deny, -His lattUless patience, his unyielding willj Beautiful gentleness end splendid skill, - Innumerable gratitudes reply. His wise, raro smile is sweet with certainties, And seems in all his patients to compel Such love and faith aa failure cannot queLL We ho!<l him for another Herakles, Battling with custom, prejudice, disease. As once the son of Zens with Death and Hell.