PERSONAL NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3250, 28 June 1916, Page 64

PERSONAL NOTES.

Ciirdimial Bourno is a wonderful linguist, speaking six or riiveii languages with ease. Lt >s said that it takes liim °nly six months to pick up a working Up to the'age of 1?, Si) Wilfrid Laurier could speak nothing but French. He hired out with a Scotch iamier in order to learn Fnglish, and, living wilh the family, ,;as greatly iuiiuenccd in after life by their example. By the will of Air Richard Hardiug Davis, novelist- and • war correspondent, most of ins estate of £50.000 is 1.-it to his widow and daughter, says the "New York World. When the daughter becomes 21 half goes to her and half to Mis Davis "as long aa she remains my widow." Sir Edward Elgin 1 is nothing if not an optimist. Not long ago he gave- some good advice to an audience of musicians. "Above all," ho said, "let us be cheerful. Good music need not bo dull. 1 know it is an old problem whether a dog howl.-', because it is happy or miserable; but, anyway, he looks miserable, and too many English people look miserable when they sing?' None of the obituary notices of the late Viscount St, Aidwyn "(better known as Sir Michael Hicks Beach.) seems to have told the story of how ids official career began. He was dining at a table where sat Disraeli, .surrounded by a galaxy of politicians clamorously anxious to distinguish themselves. Sir Michael, as he then was, sat taciturn and unconcerned, ate his dinner, and said next to nothing. "Who is your silent guest?" asked Disraeli of his hostess. She told him, and on the following day the Prime Minister offered him a secretaryship as a tribute to the man who kept a wise tongue. Lieutenant-general Sir William R. Bird wood is a nephew of that eminent octogenarian, Sir George Birdwood, and is one of Kitchener's men. Lord Kitchener "discovered" him in the 'nineties, and he was appointed a Special Service officer in the South African campaign, the War Secretary having the highest opinion of his talents as a soldier. Afterwards Lord Kitchener took him to India as his military secretary, when; Ids knowledge of Oriental language and dialects made him indispensable. Before the war broke out Sir William was Secretary of the Army Department at Delhi; hence his nickname—"'Secretary." "The death of George \V. Smalley indubitably the best known of the long lit of American correspondents in London, recalls the changes which time has made in the status of the correspondent at our own and at foreign capitals," says $} e New York Tost: "If it was true that Mr Smalley had outlived his reputation, the fault was by no means altogether his own. Many causes have conspired to make seemingly impossible to-day the "influence once wielded by men like Mr Smalley. First of all, there is, of course, the free use of the cable. Its lowered rates have led managing editors and press associations to cover the foreign field so freely as to cut the ground out from under the feet of any who would send news letters." John M'Bridc. shot in Dublin for participation in the Sinn Fein rising, was the "Major" M'Brido of the Boer war, when .he fought against the English troops. An attempt was made at one time to bring him into. Parliament as member for an Irish constituency at a time when much fooling was aroused by a proposal which was ultimately abandoned. Then he was forgotten, except for his matrimonial adventure, and he dropped out of notice in this country as an official of the Dublin Corporation. Some sensation, however, was caused when he married Miss Maud Gonne, tho brilliant and attractive woman who played a most active part in Irish political affairs, (specially in connection with the Homo Rule Union, and who was for years a frequent visitor to the House of Commons. She divorced M-. Bride after a comparatively brief married life. From tho time he ascended the throne the Kaiser assumed despotic authority over all his relations, interfering in their domestic affairs, and ordering their goings out and their comings in. One instance "of this is fairly well known. Princess Frederick Leopold, sister to tho present Kaiserin, went skating with only ono lady in attendance, and getting on to thin ice, fell in, being promptly rescued. William, on hearing of it. immediately ordered the punishment of Prince Frederick for allowing his wife so much liberty. Neither Prince nor Princess was allowed to leave their house for a certain number of days, and all lights were to be put out in their rooms at S o'clock every evening, as though they weretwo naughty children. Mr Charles Morloy, tho nephew of Lord Morloy, is dead. When Mr John Morloy was editor of the Pall Mall Gazette hjs nephew was hia private secretary. He was at one time editor of the Pall Mall Budget, and then of the Pal] Mall Magazine. "Ho wrote countless, sprightly interviews with celebrities wdion interviewing was a new art in English iourualism and a singularly fine gift for the bright description of odd and 'out-of-the-way' happenings," says the Westminster Gazette. "Hip shrewd powers of observation, an excellent end fastidious style, and a keen sense of humour made his work exceedingly attractive. A journalist in every litre, yet modest, almost shrinking; a cynic of the _ tongue, a flaneur with a contempt for politics, yet a man whose deeds, equally with his written words, testified to a keen

desire to better the conditions of humanity. especially amid the dregs of life. There was in him the makings of a Charles Dickens." Among tho many airmen who have won distinction in the various theatres of war is Squadron-commander Smyth-Pigott, one i)i the party of lour who took part in tya_ aeroplane raid on Constantinople, lhc flight of over 300 miles, going and returning, was the longest on record on war service, and was made in unfavourable weather. The record for cVstancc was previously held by the French airmen who raided Stuttgart from Nancy, Hying 230 nines tnoro and back. Squadron-com- !;• :i ' ! '■ ■'" : O-Figots iias ...0 a- received the D.S.O. for an earlier exploit in Decern"■T. !:i ' st - when he attack'd the railway brv.ige at Jvuleii Burgas., distending to yythm 3Coft before releasing his bombs. <•' >v..> heavily fired on, and was handitapp'.d hy engine ticnhle, but returned "' : '"■-'.'-_' °. the base ?-fier a four hours' flight. - ( he daring airman is a Somersetshire man. ; ; , 'o' •'" " '■ ■'■'. aL '' - s ' ll ' Cecil ~—Mr r^^^U/ I '--■■/;;..'•'■' •'.■/• v v - v - th * -■■'■:;,:■ Groat Thoughts some particulars oi that famous sc ng. Th o> i;, mil of tile ' ner was I'atiiej' Michael Walsh, tho parish st of Kileia.hane. near to the little town "i Sn-.-"m. "lie was a v.ond-rftil old boy and a. ko--n spo/rtsinan/' said M; Graves. "He used to keep beagh ~ -ah] I recollect that, Ua child 'en. wo bad the greatest fun with tluvso dogs. I can r e -I! a picture of the cM ; r.?ntl: man in the days wh n he was g.-fting stout. He would climb to the top '•' : mound, w-f'-hing tho hunt through nis ley l-gktsses, waving his croai stick, and slrnntn :■ to Iho younger dogs. He was quite a cliHracter, and a v.-rv fine man." Father Walsh, it seems, was a skilful perlormer on the Irish pines, and an enthusiastic collector of the beautiful old Irish