PERSONAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3098, 30 July 1913, Page 77

PERSONAL NOTES.

Mr Andrew Carnr gtc- sail] recently that he was often asked why public libraries attracted him. Jr was hereditary. 11 is father collected books to lend to neighbours, and that was the 'term of the public libraries idea. lie had now established nearly 2500 libraries, and as he was continually called upon for more from different parts of the English-speaking world lie hoped to see 5000 (stablished. • —The King recalls the fact that he hits hacked the winner of the Derby only onco in ins life. That was the occasion upon which Diamond Jubilee carried off the race in the Royal colours. The late King Jviward strongly urged his son to “have a. hit on. 1 King George ultimately nlaced a £5 note on the horse, and considered that that had completely settled its chance of winning. It may he added that he expended the money he had won upon the purchase of a bangle for the Queen. M. Briand. the French ex-Premier, who was seriously injured in a motor car accident. afterwards said to a representative of the Echo do Paris that he and his companion. M. Willen. were pinned down by the wreckage. “I told XT. Willen to hurry -up and get free. And what do yon think ho did first when he had got free? Instead of trying to get me out ho took his camera, begged me to keep steady, and then took a snapshot of the scene, which ho considered historic.” The King’s new naval aide-de-camp, Captain Ernest Frederick Gaunt, is an Australian who has made rapid progress in the service of recent years. He has a kind of Continental reputation, for he received the commendation of the Austrian and German Commanders-in-chief as a result of his work during the Boxer outbreak in China: and not long ago he was thanked by the Italian Chamber of Deputies

for avenging the death of an Italian naval officer in Somaliland. Captain Gaunt was in command of a landing party which exacted retribution for the murder. Sir George Martin completes shortly a quarter of a century as organist of St. i'anl's Cathedral, having succeeded Dr Stainer in 1833 This long record, however, is easily beaten by Sir Frederick Bridge, who has presided in the organ loft at Westminister Abbey for nearly 40 years. Still. <£s years as organist at our great Metropolitan Cathedral is something of a record. Canons come and go, but he looks like remaining for ever Sir George Martin was not an infant prodigy; but at the early age of 16 ho learned to play the organ in the church of his native village of Lambourne, Berkshire, practically without tui- ) lion. It was the vicar of Lambounie who ’ urged the youthful musician to proceed to ' Oxford and study under Dr Stainer, at that ! time organist at Magilahn. ! -—Zntphen, when a movement has just | neon set on foot to commemorate Sir Philip j Sidney, is little known to British tourists, | though (he people who call Holland "flat and ugly'’ would modify their opinion if they travelled the road between Zntphen and Arnhem. As the spot near the vanished walls of Zntphen. where Sidney refused the proffered water, because another dying soldier stood in greater need, is no longer remembered, and the house at Arnhem where he died cannot he discovered, the committee arc in some doubt where to erect the statue. Londoners now possess a namesake and collateral descendant of flic hero of Zutpheu in the Rev. Philip Sidney, a promising young clergyman who base just taken over the work of Father Stanton at Sr. Alban's. Holborn. Tiio iiifr Alt Alfred Austin, die Law Journal points our, was the only Poet Laureate who has ever ham a practising lawyer, flu was an earnest candidate for • forensic honours in the London courts and on the Northern Circuit until the competence lie acquired on his father’s death enabled Inn to indulge his taste for literature and tra\el. Though he was the only practising lawyer whine brow has been adorned with the laurel wreath, he was not the only Poet Laureate who enjoyed a legal training. i homes Shadwcll. who ichiefly remembered because Drydeu made him tlm subject of his most biting satire, was also a. member of the Timer Temple: The rest to some faint 'meaning make pretence. But Shadwel! never deviates into --ease. But the poet whose humor.ality is likely to depend on those scornful lines was never actually called to the Bar. Nicholas Rowe, who succeeded Nahum Tate in the Lau-reate-ship, was equally unfaithful to ike law —Dr Charles Briggs, professor af the Union Theological Seminary, and the bestknown theologian in the United States, has just died. ‘“After his suspension from the Presbyterian ministry, s <, strong was hihold over his immediate followers that instead of ejecting him the Union Seminary followed him into the wilderness and became a non-sectarian school of theology.” says Tiic Times. "Dr Briggs sought ordination iu the Episcopalian Church in ord -r that ho might be able to preach. The action of tile Union Seminary and Dr Briggs's change of churches give the key to hls_ position. He cared very little for denominational burs or for tradition. 'Which will you believe—-Christ or Briggs?’ was a cry raised at the time of ins (rial for heresy. One of (he points brought against him was that, he credited vlartineau and Newman with as high a place as •Spurgeon in the Kingdom of Heaven. Li his defence he admitted that his classification might be obnoxious to the majority of Presbyterians, but added that the average opinion of 1 lie Christian world would not assign Spurgeon a higher place. In tho United States his influence was very considerable, and :t is not perhaps unfair to trace to it a good deal of the movement now visible for closer relationship, and I possibly amalgamation. between Various 1 branches of non-Homan Catholic Churches.”