THE SOCIAL WORLD.

Observer, Volume 9, Issue 554, 10 August 1889, Page 3

THE SOCIAL WORLD.

No teson Current Social Event

—Captain Worsp has become the purchaser of Mr T. Morrin's late residence, at the Point, Remuera.

—The Rev. Mr Tebbs, of St. Matthew's Church, Auckland, who has been ill some time, has gone to the country for a change to re-establish his health.

— By permission of Bishop Cowie, the Rev. G. H. S. Walpole leaves Auckland in a fortnight, proceeding to England by the s.s. Arawa, so as to reach New York, and undertake his duties by ' September 18th.

— The Governor of Queensland intends to reside, during the hot summer months, at Too•woomba. Several houses in that healthy mountain retreat are understood to be leased to Sir Henry Norman. '

— On Monday afternoon, Gen. Strange, who has Jbeen visiting the Lake country, was shown over fhe Stud Company's establishment at Sylvia Park. Col. Carre and Capts. Morrow and James accompanied him.

— The fish market on Auckland Harbour Beclamation is now completed with the exception of the signal staff for hoisting the flag. It is to be hoped this new establishment will be a boon to our fishermen, and cause the industry to be developed to a greater extent than it has been hitherto. .

— Colonel Carr, B. A., formerly of Mercer Battery, and who served during the Waikato war, has been staying in Auckland lately. He has seen much service since, both in Afghanistan and Egypt. He has been paying visits to the old battle-fields, on the West Coast as well as in the Waikato district. He has inspected the North Head fortification, and proposes to give a lecture fan " Colonial Defence," probably in the Masonic Hall, on Saturday, the 10th inst., when Colonel Shepherd will preside.

— Sir Patrick Jennings, ex-Premier of New South Wales, and owner of squatting properties in that colony, Victoria and Queensland, was educated for the Boman Catholic Church. He is an excellent Latin scholar, and speaks Italian fluently. He is fond of amateur theatricals, and in his early days in Victoria and New South Wales frequently appeared on the stage in entertainments of the musical variety, and once played the big drum in a civic procession. Most of his education he received in Borne.

— The Auckland Poultry Show was opened on Thursday, Ist inst., and closed on Saturday, at the Agricultural Hall, and comprised an immense variety of fowls — Cochins, Brahmas, Wyandottes, Hamburgs, and Leghorns. The Plymouth Eocks, too, were numerous ; and there were some birds of a novel character, besides American bronze turkeys of huge size, an Indian finch, extremely diminutive, and a fine display of pigeons from different parts of the world. The arrangements were all well carried out, ana the Exhibition well patronised by the public during the three days it lasted.

— The erection of a Nurses' Home, as an addition to the Auckland Hospital.is making progress, under the direction of the contractors, Messrs Hirst and Moody. It is intended also to improve and beautify the Hospital grounds, and Mr Purdie has furnished a design for that purpose. The main entrance will be from Park Boad, ■which it is proposed v should lead by a sweep to iihe principal portal of the Hospital, the avenue to be planted with horse chestnuts. Trees will be extensively planted in other parts of the grounds, and it is to be hoped these improvements will cause the Hospital domain to rank in beauty and salubrity with any spot of the kind in colony.

. — The weekly meeting of the Mount Albert Musical and Literary Society took place at Fern■dale,on Friday last. There was a good attendance, and the lives and writings of Lord Macaulay and Thos. Hood were subjects of discussion. Miss Priestly read a paper on the former, and Miss Gox on the latter. Miss Astley also contributed a paper on Hood's writings, reading selections, and songs were given at intervals by Misses Astley and Warren, and violin and pianoforte duets by Miss and Master Dixon. The result of the chess tournament was announced, and Mr Battersby, President of the Chess Club, presented on its behalf to Mrs Garlick a handsome inkstand, as appreciation of kindness received from her.

— Mr V. A. Halasy, the Franco-Hungarian manager of the Melbourne French Club, has severed his connection with that institution, and intends to astonish the Australians with a fashionable restaurant, after true Parisian style. He left some time ago for France to import a chef de cuisine, assistant cooks, waiters, and to purchase part of the furniture and decorations to the extent of £2,000 which will be required to ■turn the barn-looking premises of the old Daily Telegraph* "office into a. Frascati, Cafe Helder, ' or jffaisoti JDoree. To start with an outlay of something like £3,000 and saddled with a rental of £1000 a year is a bold venture for a Melbourne restaurateur, without a hotel license.

— A recital of sacred music was given at St. Sepulchre's Church, Auckland, on Friday night last. Owing to the absence or illnesss of different members of the choir, the programme had to be altered in some degree. The organ accompaniments, -were played by Mr Eice, • supported 'by Mr J. A. Beale with violincello. A choice selection of hymns and pieces from various oratorios was gone through, including " O Best in the Lord," " Lead, Kindly Light," "To Thee O Lord, Our Hearts We Raise," "Arise, He ; Calleth Thee," &c.' Messrs Hosking and Morrl aon, and-Mesdames Burgess, Mackay, andHudson, were the chief singers. The collection for the Choir Fund was£s 8s sd. ' » ; " ;

— Mrs Hugo Wertheim's costume worn at one of the festivities at Government House, Melbourne, cost £600, the lace alone being worth twenty guineas a yard. Mrs Wertheim is the only daughter of her husband's uncle, a Frankfort millionaire.

—On Saturday evening last, an excellent entertainment was provided at the Auckland Sailors' Best. The programme included Bongs, flute and pianoforte solos, and recitations by various performers, who all did their best to ensure the success of the evening.

— The young gentleman from Auckland who, on Monday afternoon last, sat down on a piece of hot iron in Mr Devey's blacksmith shop, Te Aroha, and sprang unceremoniously seven feet in the air with a wild shriek of despair, now says he does not think much of the hot springs as a health resort.

— Mr C. C. McMillan, recently returned from England, declares that New Zealand is fast rising in favour in the Old Country. It is regarded as having vast capabilities in the way of agriculture, manufactures, and mineral wealth, but the fatal property tax stays the flow of both capital and population to the " Britain of the South."

—The free concert at the Wesley Hall, Auckland, took place as usual on Saturday evening. There was a large attendance. The Newton Band of Hope.led by Mr West, contributed items, and there was a good selection of vocal and instrumental music, including the well-known songs, "The Death of Nelson," "Where the Stormy Winds do Blow," " The British Lion," etc.

—The annual dinner of the Old Boys of the Dunedin High School took place in that city recently. Dr. Belcher presided. The toast of " The School " was proposed by Mr C. Kettle, and Dr Belcher responded. " Absent Old Boys," " The Exhibition," " Science and Literature," and other toasts were duly proposed and replied to. About 60 persons were present.

— On Thursday a Gospel Temperance Social was held in the Temperance Hall, Auckland, Mr J. T. Garlick in the chair. Mr Knott, of Clevedon, recited J. B. Gough's celebrated lecture, " Man and his Master." The delivery was very effectively, modelled on Gough's own style. Mr Joseph Newman moved the vote of thanks.

— The weekly meeting of the Auckland Athen£eum took place on Thursday, the Ist inst., Mr Newcombe in the chair. Dr. Lawry read a paper on the "Lunacy Laws," tracing the treatment of the insane from the earliest times till now. He carefully explained the Acts in operation in this colony. Mr Cox delivered an address in comment, but on the motion of Mr Ewington, the discussion was adjourned till Thursday, Bth inst.

— On Friday last, 2nd inst., the marriage of Mr Beaney, of Archhill Foundry, to Miss Mary Wood was celebrated, theßev. Mr Best being the officiating clergyman. The many friends of the bride and bridegroom assembled in the evening at St. George's Hall, Newton, where a supper and ball were given by the newly married pair in honour of the auspicious occasion. The gathering was a large and brilliant one, and the night was spent most enjoyably.

— On Monday evening, Mr J. A. Pond delivered an interesting lecture on " New Zealand Fibres." Specimens of various articles made from phormium tenax were exhibited, including some paper manufactured by MrTinne. Mr Guilfoyle, curator of the Melbourne Botonical Gardens, has also been successful in making paper from the leaves of a variety of plants growing wild, both here and in Australia. The cabbage tree, and Bank's Palm Lily, are amongst the number.

— The young gentleman, the son of a Colonel in Ceylon, who went out in the world, to seek his fortune, and found it in a few months, was lucky. In place of facing towards London, he went the other way, got a small concession of land from the Sultan of Johore, near Singapore, and after getting it, found that it abounded in rich veins of tin ore. Then he came to London, sold his concession to a Company in return for 40,000 fully paid-up shares, the value of which is now £240,000. Lucky young man, Mr Edward Watson, of Nuwara Eliza, in the balmy island of Ceylon.

—The Americans " dearly love a Lord," and when there is not one in the case they usually manage to invent a title to add tone to their social gossip. The following gem from the New York World refers to the reported betrothal of Mr Doty, the U.S. Consul at Tahiti, to the Princess Pomona, of the Paradise of the Pacific :— " The Princess is a beautiful and accomplished lady, about eighteen years of age, and a perfect blonde. She is the daughter of Lord and Lady. Darcy, her mother being a native Tahitian princess, and her father an English nobleman of distinguished ancestry. She has had all the advantages of education in Prance, Germany, and England. She is the possessor of immense wealth in her own right, and receives a large annuity from France under treaty stipulations. As may be naturally supposed, the Princess has not lacked suitors for her fair hand, all of whom, including the Earl of Dudley, she has persistently refused. Lord Darcy was himself anxious to have his daughter marry a scion of the English peerage, but gracefully yielded to the wishes of his lovely and only child to accept as a son-in-law a sovereign American citixen." The plain matter of fact underlying all this romantic nonsense is that the " princess " is none other than MissPomonaßrander.daughterof John Brander, a Scotchman who settled at Tahiti and married a Tahitian Princess. " Lord Darcy " can of course be none other than the stepfather of Miss Pomona— plain George Darsie, the " canny chiel " from the " kingdom " of Fife who married the late Mr Brander's widow,, and who some months ago paid a visit to Auckland in his capacity of Tahitian merchant. An Auckland gentleman, who died a short time ago, was well acquainted .with Darsie, and hisi humble parents, and .would have ,be%n,:Hugely amused had she iived to hear him spoken fas "Lord Darcy."

— Miss Ellen Hart, the leeturess, intends to start as an auctioneer in Melbourne. The advocate of* Women's Bights Bhould be a success at " knocking down," having gained some experience in knocking down provincial editors.

The Marchioness of Stafford describes Sir William Eobinson as "a tall, clean-shaven, clever-looking man, and devoted to music ; but he must be a tyrant, as he makes his aide-de-camp wear uniform at all times ; black uniform and cap too." This was at Adelaide.

Auckland Caledonian Society held their biweekly social on Wednesday evening, the 31st ult., under the presidency of Mr W. Davenport. The first item on the programme was a selection en the pipes by Mr J. S. Fotheringham, followed by an overture on the pianoforte by Miss Fortzer ; song, "Friar of Orders Grey," Mr Menzies, for which he was deservedly encored and gave " The Wolf." Mr Simpson danced the Highland Fling — accompanied on the pipes by Mr Fotheringham ; recitation, v The Prisoner of Chillon," Mr Mahuny ; song, " We'd Better Bide a Wee," Mrs J. Smart ; being encored, she sang " The Song That Touched My Heart," recitation, "Bobbie Burns is Deid," Mrs Anderson; duet, " Larboard Watch," Messrs Mahony and Murphy. During the evening, the chairman gave a couple of readings entitled " The 1 Quack Doctor " and " Simeon and the Wasps." A song by Mr Simpson, " Did You Ever See A Feather," brought the entertainment to a close, when the flop/r . was cleared and the company spent an agreeable hour on " the light fantastic toe.