PARS ABOUT PEOPLE

Observer, Volume XI, Issue 750, 13 May 1893, Page 15

PARS ABOUT PEOPLE

Ask ' Tim Doolan ' about that '"ruling passion ' discussion with John Abbott.

There are a few curious things to be seen at the Union Parliament. One of these is Mr F. G. Bwinerton, on the Liberal benches. Is this a sign of the times P

Mr H. Wilding occupies a seat on the Liberal aide of 'he House at the Union Parliament. Preparing for the future, eh ?

The poet Wills declares ' future generations ' will do him justice and recognise the genius which some of hie contemporaries fail to appreciate. This hint should not be lost. Wills ought to have a statue.

Tom Jackson appeared for the last time before an Auckland audience at Harold Ashton's seoond sixpenny pop Jast night (Wednesday). Tom has booked per Talune for the other side. He goes to London to study music.

Grattan Riggs back in harness once more? Glad to hear it! Pollard, of Lilliputian fame, has engaged him as business manager. Grattan has been ' resting ' quite a long time and ought by this to be as fresh as paint.

Cabled that Duchess of Sutherland is tired of Holloway Gaol and wants to go home to mamma. Says she isn't feeling well. Paw thing ! Good many people in Holloway Gaol and other gaols would probably be glad to get out because they ' don't feel well.'

Tabernacle congregation enthused at the sight of the Rev. Tommy back in the pulpit on Sunday. They looked as if they would have liked to have given him a round of applause. He goes back to London Tabernacle for a year, leaving Mrs Tommy and the olive branches behind him in Auckland in the meantime.

Hurst's historical painted pig — when will its mem'ry fade?— has been rivalled by painted fowls. Who is the committee-man of the Poultry Association, who to heighten the attractions of his pair of roosters, touched up their understandings by means of grease paints, and so got the pull over the other competitors at the last show ?

Amongst the most recent signatures in the visitors' book at the Free Library may be seen those of half-a-dozen Gaiety girls. It is gratifying to find the fair creatures considered our collection ' very fair ' and ' pretty good ' etc. This ought to encourage the City Fathers, to say nothing of the amiable Shillington.

A correspondent of the morning paper suggests that if Parnell had had a public reading-room young Forgie might not have met his death in the prize-riDg. Which seems to us about as reasonable an assumption as that if Waikomiti had had a theatre the late Mr Thompson might have gone there every night and possibly thus escaped taking poison into his system.

John Abbot, of all people in the world, turns from the worries of capital to the peaceful joys of labour, anc sings :

Labour is rest from the sorrows that

greet us, Eest from all petty vexations that meet

us, Eest from sin-promptings that ever entreat

Eest from world-sirens that lure us to ill. John, what dost thou mean ? The ' petty vexations that meet ns ' are the bills absorbing forty per cent that our genteel trade won't renew. We know that. Bnt the ' wcrrld sirens that lure us to ill ?' Oh, naughty, naughty, naughty John. Hast thou really to seek refuge in labour from the willul thoughts of tight clad Gaiety sirens that unbidden to thy poetic fancy fly?

The champion mean man has long since been found. JELiB name is legion. Bat we do not hear quite so much of the champion mean woman. How would the lady we are going to tell of fill the bill P She resides in the country but ran up to town a month or two ago, to spend a holiday at the houße of a friend residing ih one of our suburbs. After stopping a few weeks with her friend, the latter became busily engaged on some needlework and the visitor volunteered to assist. She assisted for three days, when her hostess thanked her and said laughingly ' Beally, I ought to pay you for what you have done for me.' ' Let's see, instantly replied the. guest, with a business-like air, 'three days work, isn't it ? Well, I'll charge you 4s a day — twelve shillings.' ' The money was paid,' as the police-court reporters say, but thereafter the relations between hostess and guest became considerably strained !

Had those services in the cause of the ratepayers that Oliver Mays was boasting about the other night anything to do with a public hall. Good old Oliver ! Cute old Oliver !

It is Btated that Mr Ernest Benzon, who gained notoriety as the ' Jubilee Plunger,' as well in Australia as in England, has been engaged by Mr Thomas H. French, theatrical manager, to play in the States. The play in which Mr Benzon is to make his debut is • The Prodigal Daughter,' in which baccarat and horse racing are conspicuous features.

Everyone knows Mr H. Sergeant, who has for the last seven , years been head waiter in Mr E. Waters' restaurant, and everyone will, therefore, be interested to know that he has gone into business on his own account. He has taken over the management of the Blue Post Dining Booms, in Victoria-street, and under hia control the establishment will become very_ popular. Mr Sergeant will devote special attention to the restaurant, and it is his intention to meet a growing want by providing a good, substantial ninepenny dinner for business men. The establishment has changed its name. It is now the Cafe Imperiale. We wish Mr Sergeant every success in his venture.

One of the last to see the late Hon. John Ballanee before his death was Mr E. S. Barry, of Messrs J. and J. Dickey's, who happened to be in Wellington on a holiday visit. Mr Barry was a fellow apprentice with Mr Ballanee at Sherard's ironmongery in Belfast, and served with him there for seven years. He had not seen the late Premier for ten years, and when he sent up his card the other day Mr Ballanee would not be denied him. They spent a conple of hours together, talking over old times, and Mr Ballanee brightened up wonderfully. Mr Barry relates many incidents of the late Premier's life that are not generally known. 3?or instance, who would believe that while still an apprentice Mr Ballanee successfully published the Ulster Charivari, and Belfast Punch, a weekly paper. And yet he did, showing he was a born journalist. Mr Barry was fortunate enough to hear his first public speech. They attended an early closing meeting together when they were both lads, and a resolution having been passed permitting apprentices to speak, Mr Ballanee got up and made the best speech of the whole agitation. The Belfast newspapers reported it at some longth, and he won great credit for his oratorical power.

The following conversation was overheard in Queen-street between two members of the straw hat brigade : ' I say, old chappie, how does Johnny manage to look such a howling swell; has he got a rise lately P' ' I don't know,' answers Chappie No. 2, ' but I know where he gets his coatp, he goes to Craig.' 'Who's Craig?' 'Don't you know Craig ? He's the cotter at the D.S.C., that new company. Johnny's cut his eye teeth and knows where he gets best value for money. A coat that fits looks well till it falls off you.' The above is genuine, but it's such an uncommonly good advertisement that we shall expect the company to clothe the staff right away down to the p.d. at a terribly heavy discount.

City Council announcements of importance in this issue.

See MacCormick's list of houses ' for sale 'in another column. Mr MacCormick may be consulted at his office, 109 Queenstreet. He is sure to suit you.

Board of Education notifies that annual exam, of pnpil teachers, etc., will be held at Auckland, Thames, and Hamilton, Monday, June 26th, and following days. For further particulars see advt. in another column.

Nothing looks so nice as well-fitting boots, especially when worn by ladies ; and kid boots especially always give the feet a neat and trim appearance. Ladies' kid boots and girls kid button boots can be obtained in all styles and at prices to suit the purchaser, at Thos. Ellison's Boot Establishment, 74 Queen - street, Auckland. — Advt.

As an example of how low profits are cut now-a-days as compared with the past, we have only to refer to the very handsome silver patent lever watohes, sold by Mr Skeates, jeweller of Queen-street, for ,£3 10s each. These very goods, Mr Skeates states, are sold at positively no advance on English retail price. They are manufae tured in quantities to his order by the English Watch Company of London. — Advt.

The craving for liquor is a disease which is not confined to ignorant men only, nor bad men, nor weak men ; but men of good understanding, of rare gifts of the loftiest aspirations, and of will sufficient for any purpose but tlie one — they cannot break the drink habit. There are men who have been trying for thirty years to abstain, and still they drink. One or two bottles of R. T. Booth's Golden Remedy No 1 will cure the worst case in the colony.— (Advt.)