PERSONAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3100, 13 August 1913, Page 77

PERSONAL NOTES.

Everyone will regret to hear (says London Opinion) that Sir James Mathew Barrie s natural pleasure in his new and well-merited honour has been dimmed by a painful incident. Sir James was an intimate friend of the late Captain Scott, and has been much upset by the receipt of a letter from the explorer written after his companions had perished in the tent beside him. One cannot extract from the dramatist the contents of that letter, but it must have been one of the most tragic documents ever penned; and some day. maybe, it will line] its way co the British Museum.

Dr Brent, the American Bishop of the Philippines, who has shocked New York society by travelling in the steerage because he strangely believes that “a bishop’s place is among the poor.” is the sou of a. Canadian clergyman, though he now works with the sister Episcopal Church of the Cubed States. V hen he visits England his territorial title proves a sore trial to servants. by whom lie is gem-ra'ly announced as “the Bishop of the Philippines.” Once when dining with a leading London Nonconformist he heard himself gravely described as “tile Lor;; Bishop of the Philistines. Daring Ids hns\ life of mission work Bishop Brent lias found time to become a theological writer of rising reputation. Sir. Jonathan Hutchinson, surgeon and scientist, whose death occurred last June, will he best I tnown to the general public by his book on “ Leprosy and Pish-eat-ing ” (says the Manchester Guardian). The peculiar distribution of leprosy, on islands, shores of continents, along the courses of rivers, in every climate, and in numerous races, led him to the conviction that a common factor existed in the eating of fish and of decomposing or bad fish He travelled to South Africa and India when 75 years old to investigate on the spot difficult points raised against his theory, and in ISC6 he published in book form his facts and conclusions. The diplomatic profession has. gained a notable recruit by President Wilson’s appointment of Dr Henry Van Dyke to be United States Minister to the Netherlands. Dr Van Dyke has occupied since 1900 the chair of English Literature at Princeton University, and is himself one of the most delightful of living American writers, both in prose and in verse. He has also won a high reputation as a preacher, and is entitled to wear the D.D. gown of the three leading American Universities— Princeton, Harvard, and Yale. For 26 years ho was pastor of the Brick Presbyterian Church, Fifth avenue. New York. In 1902 he was elected Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States. As Ids name suggests, he is of Dutch extraction. The distinguished Canadian author. Ralph Connor (the Rev. Charles Gordon, D.D.). has just arrived in Great Britain to attend the Pan-Presbyterian Conference. Dr Gordon is one of the most popular of living novelists—no Canadian novelist, indeed, enjoys a wider vogue with our English reading public. He has put much of personal experience into those very readable tales of Canada's cities, plains, and mining camps—“ The Sky Pilol,” "Black Rock,” “The Settler,” “Corporal l.'aincroi ” “ The man from Glengarry,” and the rest —that with their humour and pathos and gallant spirit of adventure have caught the interest of a large and increasing circle, and, incidentally, have made the average stay-at-home Englishman vividly intimate with the life and character of our kinsfolk of the great Dominion.

The sons of two remarkable men have just gained promotion. (Sir Lomu Mallet, whose father was at one time the ablest man in the India Office and a great champion of Frcetrade, has been appointed to the ambassadorship at Constantinople. Sir Louis has spent some years in the diplomatic service, and has more recently hold high posts in the Foreign Office. lie has an intimate knowledge of Near Eastern affairs, and is just the man for looking after British interests at this moment of desperate entanglement in Turkey and the Balkans The other appointment is that of Mr Band Thomson (till lately inspector of prisons) to an assistant commiesioncreliip of the Metropolitan Po’ice. He was once resident in the Tongan Islands, and has been governor of Wormwood Sent hits Prison. He now succeeds Sir Melville MaCnaghten as bead of the Criminal Investigation Department at Scotland Yard. Nir Thomson is the son of a former Archbishop of York, om of the ablest, churchmen of his day. Cromat tie Sutherland I.eveson-tlower, fourth holder of the title of Duke of Sutherland, died rather suddenly a few weeks ago. Tin fourth holder of the title, he was the lamest land-owner in the United Kingdom, and, with the exception of the Czar, the largest landowner in Europe. In the county from which he took his title he owned nearly a million and a-half acres. He was married to the youngest daughter of the fourth Karl of Rosslvn. The Duke returned large tracts of land to crofter cultivation. Ills old Highland Castle of Dimrohin. hi> favourite residence, and the stronghold of the elan of Sutherland, stands high above Moray Firth and overlooks the North Sea. It is said that the Duke could walk from Dinirobin Castle in a straight line for 50 miles without leaving his own property. The rise of the house of LevesonGower was remarkable. In less than a century and a-half they successively won their way from the posit ion of simple Yorkshire squires of long lineage to the five baronies, four viscountcies. five earldoms, marquisate. and dukedom which they now enjoy. This swift advance was due almost entirely to thr unfailing fortune which followed them /ft their choice of wives. 'Lite seats of *he late Duke—-Dnnrobin Castle. Trenchant Hall in Staffordshire. Lilleshali in Shropshire, and Stafford House in London —all canto to them through marriage. The Duke took a great interest in Canada, and every year he visited the country. Ho purchased large tracts of land in Alberta and British Columbia for the purpose of carrying out ;,n extensive scheme of immi- j gration. Earlv this year the Duke sold 50,00fi acres of land in Sutherland to Mr •T. W. Stewart, an American millionaire. J The Duke could lioast of owning a gold

mine on his Sutherland estate. The go'dfields are near Helsdale. Thov were discovered in 1C69 by Mr B. M. Gilchrist, who had rived in Australia. On his representations licenses to work the mine were granted, and in three years some £12,000 worth of gold was found. The enterprise was later abandoned.