Mr. John Foster Fraser.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIC, Issue 13462, 7 December 1907, Page 1 (Supplement)

Mr. John Foster Fraser.

Travj er, politician, author, journalist. lecturer, Mr. John Foster Fraser lias played many ' parts in his thirty-nine years of his life, and played them well. The eldest son of the Rev. John Fraser, he was bom in Edinburgh, and inherited from his father a passionate love of roaming which sounds a little odd in view of his father's calling. But then the Rev. John Fraser was a sailor before he entered the Church, and as such travelled far and wide. From his grandfather, who was for many years a leader-writer no - the " Scotsman," ha inherited the literary ta-te? and ability which have placed him in the front rank of .descriptive writers. The literary bent showed itself first, taking him at an early age into provincial journalism. from which —it's a way Scotsmen have —ha found his way to London. .Then in 1595 the vagabond came uppermost and he spent a 'year or so on cargo-boats in the Mediterranean.

His appetite for adventure thus whet-. ted. Mr. Fraser found no difficulty in swallowing the rather large morsel of a bicycle tour round the world for "Travel." His tremendous journey, made with two companions and during which the party traversed seventeen different countries, covering close on 20,000 miles in 774 days v brought the travellers ,mto widespread fame, whilst Mr. Fraser, as the chronicler of the party and the author of "Round the World on a Wheel," "arrived" in the literaiy world as a writer •with a distinctive and admirable style and the possessor of rare descriptive powers". Since then—well "it's a long firory. He has twice been across Siberia. He .made his way through Manchuria when it was closed to foreigners. He has toured Canada and America, and he has spent much time- in the Balkans, and he lives lo tell the. tale. But then, despite fires, bombs, brigands and trifling incidents of that kind, Mr. Fraser wiil not admit that he has had any thrilling adventures.

• A fine-looking ■ man. Big and burly, ■with ■ the fair. liair • and grey-blue eyes of the Scot, and a plump, healthy, pleasant face. Not. at all agressively Scotch in speech or manner. Indeed like the majority of educated Highrander.s, ho speaks much better and purer English than many Saxons, and he lias- a charming bonhomie of manner, -which has won him count-less friends. To-day lie is- the special' Parliamentary correspondent, of it .ho " Standard/' a position he formerly iiohl for 'the " Yorkshire Post " ; ;nul ho has strong political ambitions. As a. Conservative .'lie has twice* contested IT'uddersfield, and, although he .did not win the seat.. lie won golden opinions both as an able speaker and as a "white"' man all through. Also he achieved the (Vstuwjtion of haying ilia biggest Parliamentary poster on record. No doubt 'he will sit in. Parliament -some day, for the powers of the party have a. very favourable eye upon him.- Then Mr. Fraser is well known and popular all over the country as a lecturer, and can tell some omncdng stores of h\s experiences, notably of ilia provincial mayor Who could not graep the fact, that the earth ■ i:« round. .Altogether a brilliant, forceful, yet, withal' amiable personality, and • a. very hardworking man. who* averages fifteen newspaper and other articles a, week—M.A.P.