PERSONAL MOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2812, 5 February 1908, Page 81

PERSONAL MOTES.

— Mr* D.aYid James Shackleton, M.P., who succeeds Mr Keir Hardie as chairman of the Labour, party in the' House'*"6f Commons, -has represented 1 ; the dithexoe Division of Lancashire in Parliament since J. 902 .. He was borTi 40 years ago, and has- served labour Lancashire for a. -great' part of ! his life; He "h^s..,bflefi president of the North '^Counties * weavers Amalgamation, member ■ci L the Parliamentary Committee j of the ■ Trade Union Congress, of the i Blackburn Chamber of Commerce, and the Legislative Council of the Textile Factory Workers? Association^ -— Major-general William Spottiswoodte Trevor, V.C., died in. London _on Saturday, November 2. He wa»=»born in India on October ,9, 1831. .In the'.Bhotan expedition of 1865 he. headed 'the assault at the capture' of Dewangire, receiving' five wounds, and for bravery in this action was awarded the Victoria, -Qross and£,t]iß brevef^^^Mtjor. ; The gallarit general 'was one ofr One': very;: few remaining survivors of the_ hostages^ given to Akbar Khan on. the "occasion of the retreat .'from Oabul -in, 1841^ and up"' to .the time of hip dearth retained recollection of the evert^sjj.^'-his Captivity. .',; —Mr Samuel Gurtis Candle^ who is -.probably th'i oldest public servant'Jn Victoria",, has retired" from., •thby-posjiidn. of city "coroner. u Mr Canctler,' wSo is over 80 yea-:6 of age, was appointed coponer for districts lying between the Loddon-ahd Avoca Rivers m 1853 and, save for a'.perrdd of two years, he continued 1 to, act in the ( "service of ' the ' Government as coroner until "the end of last ■year. It was between 1855 and 1857 he was released from his duties, having, with other oivil servants, been retrenched by the then Governor, Sir <3harles Hotbjmi^; On 3rd August, 1857, he was reappointed coroner for Bourke district, and occupied that position till August, 1897, when oA the cTeath of Dr Youl he- was appointed .oitj coroner.

— The, Earl of Pembroke, who has been entertaining the Kaiser at Wilton "House"," his magnificent ~ seat .at Salisbury,, -is generally considered to "be one of the handsomest" men in the House of Lords. JB.& is & great friend of King JEdward's," and 1 has oeen Lord Steward of his Majesty's Household. He was twice a Lord-of the Treasury under the late Lord Salisbury, and he sat in the House of Commons for more than 16 years, when his good looks and immaculate oostume earned - r fdfr, him ' the' -nickname- "'of"Handsome' Herbert:" L6rd Pembroke' w on© -of th/^" fe* •British-" peers who have Russiait .blood hi their veins," the daughter of one of .the Russian Ambassadors ,to I^>ndon having married a former holder of the title.

— William Randolph Hearst,i v th~e proprietor of ova* hall- a dozen. Amer ican newspapers all of -a- more- or less- extreme- character, stands.. six- feet* two v in height,^. ** broad-shouldered, deep of chest, hugefisted, deliberate,, but assured in all his moveireuts- But for excess of paleness and smoothness in His skin one anight take him for an athlete. He does not look his '44- years. . more -ways than ids quiet ■voice and unhurried, considering air, he is, somewhat, off -a surprise. He neither -smokes' nor drinks; he never speculates; he sold the rrcehorses he inherited from his father, and is never seen on a. race-track; yachting, dancing, cards, ihe- .Newport life, have not the smallest attraction for him. For a. multi-millionaire he has scarcely any friends among the rich, and to_ "society" he " is wholly indifferent. _He lives in an unpretentious house in an unfashionable quarter, of New York, and outside of his family, of his wife and one son, his politics, and ha papers, appears to have vo 1 ' interest* whatever.

— Lord Dudley is one of the most versatile of living peers. A good all-round sportsman, he is also a noted traveller and a clever. pu>>lio— speaker. Succeeding v.iv& father as the second earl at the age of 19, he very quickly began to assert himself in Useful publio work, and in 1805 he became Parliamentary Secretary to. the Board of Trade. Four years 'later he earned distinction under Lord ""Roberts in South Africa., and in 1902 he waa offered the Vicsroyaltyj of Ireland. He. is immensely rich, being the owner of 30,000 acres in England, - besides large ' estates in Jamaica. Both Lord and Lady Dudley were in Jamaica' at the time of the reoent earthquake, 'and * Lord Dudley's coolness during- that terrible affair provoked 1 rauve>r sal edmu-atipn. . While he- was standing talking to. a friend, a severe shock," which caused, thq house to tremble, made him rush outside to seek a place- of safety ; but suddenly- remembering that he was without his hat, he. returned. indoors and ccolly fetched it.

— y«rjf few people know that the Eaxl of Minto . Viceroy of India, is the only man who ever survived' a broken neck. In hi* younger days the Earl was one of tne most daring and ardent ' of sportsmen, ' and' he scarcely had »*rival.in ridihgt rowing, shooting, and -fishing-. His lordship's great passion, however, was for horse-riding, and it is related how he took his degree in a "riding costume covered by an academic down. Immediately after the ceremony he leaped into the saddle and galloped .off to the racecourse, arriving just in time to win the 'Varsity Steeplechase. In 1876 the Earl rode Zero in the race for the Grand National, and it was then that "he nearly met his death. Zero fell at one of the fences, -and everyone thought that the rider had been instantly killed with' a broken neck. Sir James Paget was summoned, and even to- the doctor's astonishment his lordship recovered, the famous physician declaring that in the whole of hi* experience it was the only instance he- knew of the vertebra going- back into its place after beingetretohed. — When John Scott (Lord EHon) was i< - the Bar he was remarkable for the sangfroid 1 with which he treated- the- judges. On one occasion a junior counsel, on- heating their, lordships give judgment ag&tntt'his clients exclaimed that he was "euip'rised: at such a. .djeci«ion..",. This was' construed .into contempt of .court and he was' ordered to attend at the court njSxt morning, fearful of the . consequences, he consulted his friend, John Scott, who told him to be perfectly at ease, for. he would: apologise for him in a way. that would avert, ..any unpleasant result. Accordingly when the name of the delinquent was called, John rose and coolly tddressect the asjemblad tribunal i "1 am sorry, "my lord*, ii&t my young friend has bO far forgotten hlmsalf as to treao your honourable bench, with disrespecb. He is extremely penitent, and you will kindly ascribe his unintentional insult to ignore pee. You must ego at once that i\ did originate ,in that. He said he was

Surprised at the decision of your lordships. ■ Nbw,~if he"^ had* not > been *• very ignorant of what takes " v place at this court every „ day — had h«- known yoa but half as long as I haye — he -would not be surprised at any- " thing you. did." — Among those . who were honoured at the hands' oT the Gentian jErriperor recently was Lord Lyvederi, who- received the second] class of the'Orde.r-jrf the Crown of Prussia." in recognition of his ' efforts to- promota j good feeling between England-, 'and' : Germany, by organising interchanges of visits between the municipal authorities of I the two countries. Lord Lyveden's career has been as varied as that of any other member of the peerage. He has been a soldier, has served on board several vessels, has been connected with the dramatic pro* fession, and has done scores of other things __ that enabled him to get an insight into life. He is a tall, breezy man, with plenty of conversation ar/d wit, as is only ritjhfi and fitting .in the chief of the family which, produced that celebrated wit, raconteur and divine, Sydney Smith, canon of St.^ Paul's -<38*hedra}.- For if \Be present psttronymio of the family, is Veinon, it was formerly 1 Smith. The first Lord Lyveden ,- obtained permission from- the Crown to change his name on' the strength of " the fact that his mother -had been 1 a member' of the Vernon family. The. -desire to have a more patrician sounding title,, no doubt, also had some< thing to>*fa;with ; the 'ohange"l '" .' r- JThc number of "crowned- heads that visited the shores' of England last week (says -the Graphic- of November 30) waa surely unprecedented. There "they were, ol«$ and young, but chiefly young and beauti< ful, and all filled with the most untiring energy. The energy of Kings seems almost supernatural. Not only .do they share >u^ the occupations of ordinary mortals, eat. drink, and sleep (of the latter apparently very little -suffices), but they also manage to make some sport, art, or industry their own, and to. excel in its profession. Thai Kaiser himself may be said to have dabbled in most occupations. He has compose^ music and written operas.; he is an archi* tect, a sculptor, -one of the most" eloquent' and ready orators of the d/ty-; v he know< more about, politics, the navy and -the army than nsost of hi* aiinisfcvrs ; he is a fin« rid§r, a yachtsman-, and' a goad shot, and particularly fond of wild boar hunting, in which lies, a spies of risk. The King of Portugal is brave as a lion, and has even appeared for a wager as a matador in the bull-ring. The- King of &pain is as practised' a shbfc jts' the Prince of Wales, and' {ha , fatfef i» one of the best in England. The 1 o^d Emperor of Austria- was- jverjf fond,* -ia hjs younger -days, .ol chamois .hunting, -a' dangerous and' difficult, sport; while tha King- oE Spa ill and 'the Kaiser both driva their motors at considerable speed. < ■ — It is stated on good authority (sayt P.T.0.) that arrangements have been -com*., jpleted rnjDSnstantinqple to assure the ..sue* J" cession, to fiie throne of the Sultan'a,iavour«' " v ite'sd"ff,~Prmce Burhaa-Eddinej an the placa . of the heir-apparent, Prince Rechad,brother of the Sultan j Prince Youssoufß; Izxedinne, son of tUe late* Sultan, Abdul] Aziz.; and of ail those other princes, 12 '!» number, whose rights to the throne arat prior to"thoße of tne young prince in ques*' tion. - The Sheikl-ul-Islam, that is to sayW the "Jgading 'dignitary of the Moslem! Church at Constantinople; the other greatf ecclesiastical dignitaries, the Grand Vizie^ and the "ministers are understood to have^ given their sworn- adhesion "to the changot m th» law of succession, on the expresat understanding that they shall be kept \ni their present places by the new Sultan, andl that there shall be no application of the; constitution granted in 1876, 'providing for a| popular and parliamentary form of govern*, ment, which has always remained a dead letter. The scheme of Abdul Aziz, as outlined by the late M. de Blowitz, has never got beyond the visionary stage. For, fault* and unsatisfactory as is the present regime irTTarkey, -it Isnr the" ©ye* t>?"most of th< Powenr-prefeTaW»~to the'dbaoß %hich wottu ensue if on the death of the Sultan hit successor were to attempt to drive all pre^ sent office-holders from power, avid to en< deavour to inaugurate a constitutional form of government. . . > — Bob ''Reid , (writes Spencer Leigfaf Hughe* --in M.A.P.) is now Lord Loreburn, the Lord High Chancellor, the second man after royalty in the table "of precedence. The first four men in that table, tho Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Chancellor, .the Archbishop of York, and the Prima Mmisfciiy differ in matir respects. There is certainly nothing archiepiscopal in She en* nobled Bob Reid— but the four *re all alike in this, they are all Scotsmen. The Lord, Chancellor's Oxford 1 career was notable alike in the schools and in the cricket field. Hia fame asa cricketer was imrnanse in. his da-« — but hi» grim self-control is shown in tha fact that just when that fame was at it^ zenith he felt that unless he- gave up th 4 game it would interfere with his career in . life — and he gave it up at once. Had ha been a man easily discouraged he -migh( have shrunk from trying his luck at tha. Bar after a remark made -by Jc-weti, tha: Master of Balliol. It seems that when th<^ Lord Chancellor was leaving Oxford Jowetfy in that abrupt and -high-voiced style of his,, politely inquired what path in life the' ■ young^ man had mapped out for himself? "I think of going to the Bar," said young jßeid. ."You will do no good at the Bar — - good morning," was the somewhat disconcerting reply. Years passed, as they do both! ■In novels and in real life, and Mr Reid revisited Oxford at the time of the Parneil Commission, or just after it. He had net become Attorney-general then, but he waa one of the leaders of the Bar, and his success had been immense. Jowett met him, and they had a long chat. Just as they were parting Jowett said, as >f_an afterthought had occurred to him ! "By the wayv - Mr Reid, I told you you would be no goo. ' at tha Bat— J beg your r pard©rs— goo< morning." And to-day the man wno. wa told by the famous Master of Balliol th& ' 1 he -would- do no r good a-fc.the Bar is on tn< Woolsack, having reached the tip-top, thi final climax* of- a legal career".

-—Pat had got hurt— not mueffmore tfiai a> scratch, it is true, but his employer ha( visions pf being compelled to keep him folife, and' had* adopted the wise course o sending him. at once to the hospital. Aftel the house-surgeon had examined him care fully, ho said to the nurse t "As subcutl ' neous abrasion is not observable, I do no think there \» any reason to apefehttu tegumcntal cicatrisation of the wound.' Then, turning to the patient, he asked* quiTaicallyi "What do you think, PatJ'f "Sure/ 1 said. Pat, 4< you'ro «, wonderful' thought-reader, doctor. You took the verj, words out of my mouth. That's iuafc vhas t was going to **xli

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— He: "What would your father do if I lold hiri I wanted to marry you?" She: rHe'd refer the matter to me." He (hopefully) : "And what would you do?" She : "I'd refer the matter to the young man Jftho proposed to me and was acc-epted while you were trying to make up your pund."

— Advertiser: "I wish this advertisement placed in- some yart of the paper where people will be cure to see it." Editor: "Yes, sir ; yes, sir. I can nut it right alongside of an editorial, if you wien." Advertiser : "Hem 1 Please put it alongside of the football news,"