PERSONAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2849, 21 October 1908, Page 77

PERSONAL NOTES.

— Captain George G-ilmour, of Birkenhead, has given £10,000 to endow a chair of Spanish in the University of Liverpool. For many years Captain Gihnour was engaged in business in South America, and is anxious to encourage the study of the Spanish language. — The Rev. F/ederick Wale, the rector of Holy Trinity, Shrewsbury, who wks killed recently when Alpine-olimbing, was a gTandson of Dr Richard Whately, the famous divine, author, economist, and wit, who was Archbishop of Dublin from 1831 till his death in 1863, and whesa episcopate, owing to the prominent part which his position constrained him to take in matters of public controversy at the time, may be regarded rather in a political than in a spiritual aspect. — Sir John Tollemache Sinclair, " who has just made an offer to the French Government of one of Murillo's masterpieces, has an interesting family association with Byron. His father was a schoolfellow of the poet, and jiot very long ago the present baronet, who is now in bis eightythird year, erected a beautiful memorial of Byron on the outer wall of No. 8 St: I James's street, London, where for a time J the poet had lodgings. It consists of a marble portrait in high relief, surrounded I by a wreath of laurels, and ia the -work oi an Italian sculptor. —Mr Chevalier likes to tell the foilow1 ing story. In his early days, while peri forming in a provincial hail, he was much • gratified at what he conside-red the very 1 cordial reception he had received from hie audience. '"I am glad they liked the per- ' iormance so much," he remarked to the manager afterwards. "What makes you think that? I can't say I noticed any- | thing particular," replied that gentleman. "Didn't you bear them banging walking- ' sticks and umbrellas on the floor?" asked ' Chevalier. "That wasn't applause, old i chap," replied the manager, with a laugh. 1 "The post office is on the floor above xis, and they were stamping letters for the ' mail !" — ilr E. C. Las-ton, who has just issued i a challenge to the world for the memory" i championship, although only a young man # of 23 years, ie a veritable walking encyclopsedia, for he has memorised dates !of the principal events in the world's ' history since the Creation. It was quite ) by accktent that he discovered that he luad an exceptional gift of memory. He was being trained as an army officer, When an 'attack of rheumatic fever dispelled his hopes in that direction. At that time he happened to meet the Zancigs in India, who, noticing what a remarkable memory he had for dates, advised him to cultivate it. He then purchased a copy of Haydn's "Dictionary of Danes" and sought .to commit to memory ihe dates of the meet important events in the world's hi6tory by writing 50 to 100 dates oh a piece of paper, and rewriting them "'three or four times I until he had fully grasped J;hem, with the result that he has a repertoire of thousands ' of dates, and can give the correct answers without the slightest limitation. — The Archbishop of .Canterbury is one of the bu&lest of men. For two hours after bicakfa-st he is engaged with his correspondence, but should it happen that he has an official engagement in the morning, he is obliged to start out with his secretary, who jots down the replies while they are travelling together. Interviews with, various people take up Ac r«st of tno morning, and after a hurried lunch th«ro are usually more interviews and letters, which keep the archbishop engaged until ■ 4 o'clock, iv hen lie is due at, the House 'of Lords, which Dr Davidson zealously at- ' ten-de. After -the House vises tomce dinner,; and the entertainment of all sorts and con-, ditions of people, from stray curates to foreign diplomatists. Occasionally lie 'finds , i time for a game of racquets with Ills' ' chaplain — a recreation which hi 6 Grae^ considers is one of <he best remedies for jaded mind and body. i — An in:?iestin<j little story is attached to fie lP.oaei oi a ccal mine being shown , by Mr K«:i- Har-lic'a two brot'.-ers at the Y\'!ute City, Manchester. The- three brothers were coai nuneis at Mot her well arul Hamilton, in Scotland. William worked with "John Keir" ; in fact, the n:c<l ol bhows tbe identical work that the ■ labour member did when, as a boy of t-e>n, he feet out to earn his own living. -The future M.P. worked as a "trapper," and, as his brother William explained, it was during these long, silent, solitary hours that "John Keir" tau?ht himeelf how to write. A piece of whitish .rock fell from the roof. "John Keir" noticed that it had a fairly flat, smooth surface. This he 1 blackened with smoke. Behind his ear ho carried a sharp-pointed steel implement with which to raise the wick of his laihp. On tlie sooty film that covered the piece of rotk he laboriously traced with this instrument the letters of hie name. —Dr Ryle, the Bishop of Winchester, who tel^'orated his siher wedding recently, is one of t.he most ardent disciples of • motoring among the clergy. A short time ago his lord&lup \sa6 presented with a , ohequo, contributed from all parte of hie d'oc*e, for the purpose of providing him , with a motor car as a convenience ami helii in his work. In *pite of the fact that Dr llyle's chauffeur ha*, been fined for re-r^]t?=^i <lr.vxri^ T the H-hop Him*self i-^ "no [ lover of the modern craze for speed, foi , j in his letter of thanks for the abon 1- ! mci jor.ju gift ne stated that he n^ ou ! i- ! in_' a car 'V>pcfMally trustworthy in lull I cl -i'i)!!i;? ai.<l mUm," v.nhout being eon I >;i:i_ui,uily swift in mo\ ement." All his I I.'.'- Dr R\l" lu;s 1-cjii a groat lo\ev of ouf- ! <W i -,)0,;.-, and even jiou, although he js <r. < . 50, h<» g , ,- in a good deal for long walk- and unn rennis, and h.-, Mithubiasin fir iiioket is a>. ken now a-> it was in his l!i ,n <lay^. Dr Kyle's chi"f hobby, how- • c..-.. !■> a ujiiquc one: it is the collecting <.f portraits of Erasmus, and tliere is piol,ibi\ no one vl-^ti in tiie world who lias ' .-o Hum likc-iK'-'vO's of tliat famous man as . 1 hi^ i iiil^iip po.-^f es. ] — l'.-o'iabl\ few athletes have had so ■ jnt"- -.ling jiikl romantic a career as IJalph ito <i. At i-chool he was noted for his iiwg--' and ungainly frame. Rose determined to improve it. Without sayings a word to [ am one, ho quiet'y practised jumping in a ; ociiier of his father's ranch, with the re- \ t-ult that when he was taken with his' school's team to the intei'-eollegiate sports ' i he ainazr<! even one by clearing sft 10£ in. ' Then he turned his attention to hammer ' and weight-throwing — making his iown ham-m?:-s and sliot out of old lead-piping in a , sand mould of his own. Here again he was • hid own coach, takicg no one into his con-

fidenoe, and yet when his father sent him to Michigan to study Lair he not onlybroke -the shot-putting records, but also won the discus and hammer events in the Western inter-collegiate championships. — The well-known South African mineowner and millionaire, Mr Joseph Benjamin j Robinson, who was recently included in ' the list of new baronets, owes his wealth ■partly to chance and partly to his capacity . for seizing opportunities. Forty years aga i he was a sharp youth of 19, engaged in • rearing horses, cattle, and sheep. Then came the- discovery of diamond diggings on j the Vaal River, and he was quick to try j his 'prentice hand in diamond dealing at - the fields. When the Kimberley mines i | were discovered three years Jater he was ' already looked upon as a capitalist. Then Transvaal gold began to be talked about, the first ore 'being brought down from . Witwatersrand and panned at Kimberley, jin 1886. The next day— « Sunday — Mr Bobinson was off by coach. So, too, were others, but they went 6a to Barberton— -or "De Kaap"— which was then booming. Fortune tempted Mr Robinson' to alight at Potchefstroom, and proceed by cart to , • Witwatersrand, where three days later he bought the Langlaagte Estate, the mine which is now the largest gold producer in i the world. For the last 10 years Mir Robinson has resided mostly in England, his residence, in Park lane — Dudley fiouse—being one of the most magnificent in Lon~ don. — The life-story of Sir Rudolph Slatin* Inspector-general of the Soudan, reads like a romance^ of the Middle Ages. 'As a boy of 1? Slatm left "Vienna to become a clerk in a commercial house in Cairo. The keen eye of General Gordon singled him out, and at 23 the Austrian clerk became ' Governor of^Darfur. He soon made a name for himself. "The Hammer of the Arabs" he was called, foT he was one of the bravest of fighter's. JELe had only been Governor of Darfur, a few months when the Mahdi' swept down upon his province. Twentyseven times did Slatin drive the enemy back. jßu-t numbers told in the end, andt he was overpowered. He was held. prisoner by the 3yia,'hdi for 12 years, during which! ■•time he suffered terrible indignities. Then: ■ he escaped with a prisoner and two nuns, and there was no happier man in all Egypt? , >**hen the British forces swept away; . 1 Maihdism. Some time ago it was rumoured!., ", that Sir Rudolph, who is a confirmed'! . bachelor, was going to marry. He was.'j % asked if the report was true. "I marry?",, asked Sir Rudolph, with a smile. "No." thank you. I have been a prisoner for .12 years — -never again !" 1 — The breakdown in hfealth of Lord., Tweedmouth came as a great shock to h*t > • many friends and admirers. A tactful, > ] 'kindly man, he has earned 1 popularity inj. j all quarters, and ihe services he .haw j r rendered to his party have • been invaluj-, . able. I»ord Tweedmouth ia one of the beer. raconteurs in society to-day, and one of) his most amusing stories concerns a ,pre-,,. .deoessor of his at the Admiralty, who,., knowing little of naval matters, wasy , during an inspection at Portsmouth, senfe, away satisfied, after asking where therf quarter-deck of a torpedo 'boat was, with the remark of an officer, who said: "Oh, that is all right, sir ; the fact of the matter is, we have just 6towed the quarter -decic,> for coaling." Lord Tweedmouth says hfrg will never forget the surprise and choc/C, i which were occasioned him 'by the fall qs*-J the last Liberal Government over the* > memorable Cordite division. All hadr, eesmed well when he left the House and) drove to hie home in Park lane. He had!-., i no sooner got inside the door, however, *,& than the telephone feell tinkled. He pus his ear. to Ihe receiver, and the melancholy. ■ new* -jkvjs delivered to him that while ha 'had.baeri driving-home the Government baa . fallen.. ,' . — Many rumours are rife at the moment ixjoncexning the Commander-in-Chief oi r-'ir -'i ■India, ilt is said that King Edward pro- ■_> poses to advance Lord Kitchener . to tOa-'-i .rank of an earl; and that he will probably, marry a very wealthy American widow, fer ■>.- some years resident in London. , Tiho - f«.inoua ( , soldier has just celebrated his &tbgi-<, eighth .birthday, so if the * rumoured mar-i-riage takes place he will -not be amongst the yqung-e.^t of bridegrooms. Lord \ Kitchener has been described as a womanhater. This may not be quite correct, but he is certainly not very popular with th»r: ladies. During the South African war a, trooper in one of the Canadian -regim-exite had an intense desire to see Kitchener in the flesh. Being disappointed on several' occasions, he at length took the bull Yty the horns and marched up to the official}' " resid-e-r.ec of the Commander-in-C-hief : n.h Pretoria and demanded to see LowJt[. Kitchener. "K. of X.'" was very bngjr;<|." but b& consented to see the man, and tfcaff trooper was therupon shown into the | room. Drawing himself up to his full 6fr, of height, the man gravely saluted and»j stood at attention, gazing critically at the general, but not speaking a ward, i Kitchener waited a moment for the man ■* to tppak, and then asked- what he hadq to say. "Just this," answered the trooper; "When I left Ottawa my old father saidthat you were the one main who could carrji . this war through, v.nd," he continued, in. a hurst of confidence, "dash«d if I don't j think to now, too!" "That all?" asked] the> general rather taken aback. Th& trooper «alutod and quitted the room, remarking gieefully to the horror-struck -.' .itf-oflicerb, "I did see and speak to him am way."