PERSONAL

Observer, Volume 2, Issue 49, 20 August 1881, Page 570

PERSONAL

— Mr Hugh Wickens lias returned from the South. — Mr Dowling is getting up a dance at Parnell. — Mr Edward Lewis's evening party is expected to eventuate early in September. — Ewington's intensely moral speeches are not appreciated Toy the North Shore people. — Captain Whitmore, of the ship Ashmore, is "becoming very popular here. — The Micks had it all their own way at the Mount Albert "Cinderella." — J. 8., the eminent engineer of this town, is contemplating a trip to Taranaki. — Miss L. James, of Mount Albert, promises to be as good artist as her late sister was a musician. — Martin Murphy keeps the Hospital Hut at Tiki, and (bar Bill Wiggins) is in all respects one of the best fellows on the field. — Willie Russell has left the employ of the Railway Department and gone South "to twavel wound you know, clear boy." — Now that the originators have departed, our boys will be able to imitate the Cole waddle and the Hopkins drawl to their heart's content. — The Messrs. Lane, of Totara, have instructed their solicitor to proceed against Mr Houston, of Mongonui, for libel. — Corcoran, of Coromandel says his hotel is finest in the Colony, "wid a bat room and ivery convaniance." — It won't do Tom will it, for the Observer to get full particulars of that affair? Quite right, muni's the word. — The Co. has returned — not alone ; but where was the Kerosene Tin Band on the occasion ? — Sir George Grey was knighted in IS4B. Major Atkinson thinks he is very much benighted now. — It is rumoured that the Hon. F. Whitaker will be a candidate for a city constituency in the next general elections. — Sir G. Maurice O'Rorke's prospects of election for the new electorate of Manukau are regarded as risky. — Mr J. Sheelian is expected to contest one of the Napier constituencies in the coming elections. — A marriage will shortly take place between Mr D. ltussell, chief officer of thes.s. Te Anau, and Miss Q.ueenin, of Parnell. — Archibald Forbes reached England from America just about the time we were expecting him in New Zealand. He was seedy, though not so ill as he had been. — Mrs Hampson has once more taken xip her abode in Auckland. There is still plenty of work for her to do here, for many of her former converts require putting through the mill again. — Captain Fairchilil thinks it would take £2,000,000 to make a decent breakwater at New Plymouth, and that when built it would be useless. — Miss K. O. Hern, of Newmarket, was to be married on the 17th of this month to Mr W. Doran, of this city. We haven't heard if the ceremony eventuated. —Now that Mr Cotten has been appointed solicitor to the Borough some curiosity is manifested as to who is to succeed him as Returning Officer. — So Mr James McGowan is anxious to represent the Thames constituency in the next Parliament. Mac is a hard-headed Scotchman, and has been a member of the Thames Borough Council for years. — Mrs Blank, of Ponsonby, is going in for the fine arts. One day during the week she was seen leaving Boyd's pottery with two enormous^ vases of the Day and Martin blacking principle under her arms. — Thomas Spurgeon, who, by-the-bye, like his father, objects to the prefix " Rev.'" being attached to Ins name, says {jargons generally are " a queer lot." Tommy is evidently on the right track. -^An anonymous correspondent, writing in a palpably feminine hand, says: — "It is not generally known that Mr Edward Whitaker is considered the beau in the Bank of New Zealand." — Since Mr Griffin's able memorandum on New Zealand fungus, some of the Queen-street restaurateurs having been seriously considering the advisability of adding soup a la hineola polytrictra moid to their bills of fare. —Captain Stephenson, on his first trip to Mongonui in the Glenelg, after trying for an hour to show the natives how nicely he could come alongside the wharf, had to give it up in disgust and anchor out In the stream. — The passengers by the Rakaia are not over much in love with the Captain. They say they had too much Dr Raleigh, and too' little music ; whilst the crew complain of the superabundance of water and the scarcity of nuu. — Pilly asserts that there is no truth whatsoever in that yarn about soft places existing on Rink floor. Certainly lie ought to be a good authority, considering the numberless times he has reclined thereon in more or less graceful attitudes. —The griffin was a fabulous animal which kept guard over sacred treasures, and was the emblem of watchfulness and perseverance. Mr Griffin, the U.S. Consul, does ample justice to his name by his active zeal in bringing the treasures of New Zealand under the notice of lus countrymen. —The chief officer of the Arawata went out shooting at Motuihi early one morning, and returned with two rabbits dangling at the masthead of his boat. Seeing his success the captain and purser started out next morning, but although the former lay on his stomach in the wet grass for threequarters-of-an-hour, watching a burrow, they returned empty handed. # — Landlords in Auckland are severely exercised over the bill to abolish distraint for rent, and some of them have sent a memorial to the Hon. F. Whitaker, representing that if they are deprived of the power of indemnifying themselves by seizure of the goods of defaulting tenants, they should at the same time have a right of speedy ejectment.

— It is currently reported that a mature syren who keeps one of the hostelries in the Tiki district is going to sue Fitzgerald, the lucky miner, for £1000 damages re, breach of promise. Fitz looks fully twenty years i younger since he struck gold, and meditates pleading that a "man may not marry his grandmother." — Captain Bone, of the ship Rakaia, is a young man of something under 28 years. He was here about seven years ago as second mate of a large ship, last year as chief officer of the Wanganui, and now lie has command of one of the finest vessels which has visited this port for some time. Few persons indeed succeed as he has done at sea, but according to all accounts, he well deserves the promotion, being energetic and withal, a gentleman. — Mr Angelo Forrest says its a trifle cool our asking, ' • where Angelo is, " when a notice in the Observer's advertising columns shows that he lias temporarily retired from the profession of teaching music, and is devoting all his time and energies to the rapidly increasing business of the Auckland Music Warehouse, at which, by the way, several cartloads of new pieces, pianos and instruments have just been received. — "Burgesses" flourish at the North Shore something after the manner of pvimpkins at Mt. Albert. The Bishop when presenting six prizes to Sunday school girls at a "tea fuddle" on Friday evening last, had occasion to remark that although five of the winners were named "Miss Burgess," they did not all to belong to one family. We should think not. Anyhow, Aye didn't want a prize. Nor did any other kids, oh no, of course not. — F. G. E. waxed unusually eloquent at a "tea fuddle" last week, and related to "his beloved friends" how upon one occasion, the blessed truths of Christianity made such an impression upon the mind of a savage that he " wept like a hart." The beauty of the similie was entirely lost upon the greater part of the audience (we couldn't see it anyhow !) and a suppressed titter went round the hall, much to the astonishment of the speaker. — The following verses were written by a lady on Mr Reader Wood when he was elected some years ago for Parnell, and are thought to apply equally well to Waitemata : — Parnell's pride, and Parnell's boast. Dear Reader ; A man at most, Who never changes sides ; O ! dear, no, For very good reasons, I trow. He stands in the Opposition ranks As George's comrade, But his pranks Are known to his colleagues so well, They dare not trust him For fear of 'a sell. — One of the young lady worshippers at St Peter's, Onehunga, is very near-sighted, and after evening service has a habit of peering right into the faces of those near her. A couple of Sundays ago, in pursuit of her usual custom she brought her face into such close proximity to that of a young man that he could not resist the temptation of snatching a kiss from the ruby lips, and then escaping unkn own into the darkness. The young lady does not believe in the maxim, "Never kiss and tell" and her papa and mama are indignantly endeavouring to discover the identity of the individual who had the temerity '"to offer such an insult to their daughter." — Mr and Mrs Fred Marshall have no children, but they rejoice in the possession of a woolly little canine idol, called "Jack," whose amiability and intelligence are warranted equal to that of any infant ever christened. "Jack "is cared for with a tenderness and solicitude truly affecting. He lives on the fat of the land, and, being a dog full of dramatic instincts, accompanies his master to the Theatre every night and waits in his dressing-room till the performance is over. "Jack" has never been known to mistake an interval for the end of the piece, or misbehave by following Mr Marshall on to the stage. His acquantance amongst other dogs is both limited and select — in fact, when at home, he only bows to a poodle of prepossessing appearance, which belongs to Mr Marshall's brother. — To the Editor : Sir, — A paragraph in your issue of August 13th does an injustice to the memory of a very old colonist. I refer to the paragraph under the heading of " Society," in which you say : — In order to prevent misconception, we desire to explain that the Thomns Russell advertising ships' stores and chandlery in 1864 was not the Mr Russell so wellknown in connection with the Bank of New Zealand, but a very ordinary person, who had a shop close to where Mr Graham's bonded store now stands. I feel quite sure that it cannot be your wish to hurt the feelings of anyone, but in this case you do so by drawing a comparison between Mr Thomas Russell, ship chandler, and the other Mr Russell, unfavourable to the former. I fail to see in what way Mr Thomas Russell, ship chandler, Avas a more " ordinary person " than the other Mr Russell, and think the balance is decidedly in favour of the ship chandler. I, as an old colonist, can aver that he was quite as respectable and moved in as good "society" as his namesake contemporary. As I fished for eels in company with Russell's sons (in the old Ligar Canal in Queen-street, then only a creek, in a gully, I think I should know a little about the family. Perhaps you would be kind enough to insert this for one of your first subscribers and admirers, also a — Colonist op 1542. [Our remarks did not refer to Mr Russell's status in society. We merely meant that Mr Russell of Bank notoriety was a more celebrated personage in so far as Auckland was concerned than his namesake, and we still think this— Ed. Ob.

— One night last -week, when it was raining as it seldom rains in tins city, Constable X45 was crouched in one of the doorways in Queen-street, taking shelter from the piercing 1 wind which was blowing, and thinking that it was just the sort of night when mischief would he on foot, when his eye caught sight of a suspicious looking stranger creeping stealthily along on the other side of the road with a bnndle in his arms, which he would every now and then hold in front of him and survey with a look of intense satisfaction. X 45' s suspicions being aroused, lie pounced on the stranger and demanded to Iniow the contents of the bundle. "■Well," said he, "these are sovereigns which I've just bought at half their value." This seemed incredible, that X 45 proceeded to examine.and discovered one of Jack Phillips' 55s suits, which he admitted was bought for half its value, being well worth £5 10s. " Ah ! that accounts for your dressing so well," said X 45, " on so small a salary ;" and he determined, as all other sensible people should do, to give Jack Phillips an order.