"Pars" ABOUT PEOPLE

Observer, Volume XXI, Issue 1154, 9 February 1901, Page 6

"Pars" ABOUT PEOPLE

Very Rev. Dean Mahoney, of Nelson, set aside the decrees of dogma the other day, and Bpoke straight from his heart, the occasion being a open-air meeting to memorialise the death of oar late Queen. The meeting was representative ef all denominations, and was addressed by several clergymen, among whom was the rev. dean, who, after an eloquent tribute to Her Majesty's excellence, olosed with the following peroration: 'I do not wish to preach a sermon, but we should remember that that which has happened the Queen will happen to each one of us Let as therefore, as she did, keep this before as. I am sure that she died a good Christian death. Let us

keep this in mind, and remember that Almighty God blessed her reign, and that she is now in Heaven with God, " who Bball wipe away all tears from their eyes." ' None the less open-hearted was a sermon by the Very Rev. Father Ferye, of Meanee, Hawke'B Bay, at the Roman Catholio Church of that town. The sermon was most impassioned, andoonoladed bb follows :— • She was indeed a model of true womanhood, a devoted wife, a loving mother, leaving as a rich dowry to her subjeots the memory of her blameless and spotless life. She would be remembered in future ages not so much for the splendour of her armies, the strength of her navy, the brilliant oonquesta achieved in her reign, as for the virtues which emanating from her made her court the purest of all times. No wonder then the obaroh was draped in royal mourning, and that the hearts of all were griefstrioken, bat still amidst the sorrow Christian hope bade us look up to the jealms of the King of Kings, where our Christian and most righteous Queen was now reigning in the Kingdom prepared for her.'

3. H. Witheford proved himself an extremely active, man when boarding the troopship Cornwall from the deck of the Eagle, in mid-stream (both shipa moving) ap a rope ladder swinging at any angle. There's many a younger one would have shirked it. Hon. Hall- Jones has been telling the Mayor of Hawera that his Department will subsidise subscriptions up to £160 for ereoting a town olook in that town. Upon which the ' we ' of New Ply month rises to say that ' a similar movement was started and funds subscribed in New-Ply-mouth two or three ago, and the olook is still oonepieuous by its absence.' Give him a banquet, the same as Auckland, and the clocks will come all right, aB quickly as thoughts of love. One of the features of the Commonwealth Press banquet— itself the moßt notable gathering of pressmen ever seen in Australia— was the presence of Mr Frank Brewer, the senior of journalistic oirolefl in Australia. He joined the Sydney press in 1834. Mr Brewer, who has been overtaken by total blindness, was highly pleased to be present at the consummation of Australian Union, and was the recipient of many attentions -amongst others who came up to shake him by the hand being the Bight Hon. E. Barton, the Federal Premier. Mount Eden Road Board Chairman Hough, who hails from somewhere near Yorkshire, and has been kioking with glee since the passing of the drainage scheme, burst through his. shell with a vengeance on Proclamation Day. The weight of theroyal message staggered him for a moment, and then things bummed. It was read with great solemnity, and then oame a burst of oheering, followed by a burst of champagne corks. Onehunga Erson has, since the First Contingent bungle, placed a watchman in the tower of 'Dulce Donum, 1 whose special duty it is to immediately signal when troops arrive at Onehunga. The doctor dons that uniform and gives the boys a real Irish welcome, occasionally wet. (Mayor Qoldie please note.) Councillor Hannan, who on the day of mourning took up his stand inside the statue enclosure and passed the people through from gate to Bate, in order to avert a block, is not deserving of the highest praise for the way in which he comported himself. The ceremony of passirjg, uncovered, the statue was quite as impressive as any part of the proceedings, before or after, and should have been carried out with a due regard to propriety. But Mr Hannan seemed to be in no vein for this. At intervals of every second or two the Councillor's voice was heard, in loud and hilaiious tones, cracking jokes with some or giving ordera to others, and in other ways proving the effioienoy of its owner to fill the post of a circus crier. The spectacle was altogether lamentable. Long Barry, of Waibi, is said to be a sure starter for South Africa at an early date, and the son of a noble lord in the Stafford line iB likely to manage affairs in the big gold produoer. Barry will leave footprints in Waihi that will take a life* time to eradioate. Mr J. Endean, whose portrait appears in this issue, made his second rescue, a few days baok, of persons drowning in the harbour. The more recent oase was that of a young fellow named Clausen, who during a gale was thrown, along with two others, into the water through the oapsizing of a boat they were in. The other two swam to the shore, bat Cluaeen clung to the upturned boat. The boat sank with his weight, and in trying to reach the shore he Bank, and would have drowned had not Endean, notioing the danger, hastily thrown off hiß boat and vest, faced the gale, and pluokily swam out and rescued him, just as he was sinking for the third time. With the assistance of a Mr Bailey, who also swam out, the drowning youth was brought ashore. A little over a year ago Mr Endean was also instrumental in b»ving the life of a boy named Blade, who was blown olean off the wharf through the fury of a gale, and had got well out in the roughest of the water. Notioing the boy's peri Mr Endean dived off the wharf without diverting himself of more than his ooat and vest, and effected a rescue, the boy being in a very exhausted condition. Young Endean is a lieutenant in the Auckland Navals, and as a volunteer and in all kinds of sport is most enthusiastic.

Oounoillor John Patterson has been noted einoe the year one for his long coat and Bide whiskers, but never before, have tneAuokland citizens Been him to advari] tage until he donned the top hat for procteeeional purposes. Its rake is perfection —a real Irish oant. Donald Maodonald is said to have made Op bis mind to try his fortunes in London on the conolasion of his lecturing season in Australia. By • the - way, Donald has done remarkably well out of his war lecturing. When he left Kew Zealand his dear profits totted up to a good deal over £6000, and Edwin Geaoh, who manages him, had also netted £2000. And there are several more colonies yet to work. Lieutenant - General Reginald PoleOarew, who is reported to be coining to Australia as the first* Australian Commonwealth Army Commandant, ib said to be one of the handsomest men in the British Army. He is a bachelor, and on the Bunny side of fifty. A few days ago, while a good, Btiff breeae--in faot half|a gale— was blowing, the habitues of the wharf were interested in a fleet of fißhing yachts coming op the harbour. The boats bad evidently beeo in shelter, and were taking advantage of the lull to get their oatdh to the wharf. One boat was bo well bandied that she outstripped the rest, and by skilfal manoeuvring was the first to make fast. In the stern was a figure enveloped in oilskins and' a aou'-wester, which, upon removal of these turned out to be a woman, the wife of the fisherman. It appears thiß woman goes with her husband every trip, and not only helps in the catch, but does her fall share of Bail hoisting, navigation, and cleaning up. But the way she steereafwas a revelation. Tommy Quoi and Ah Chee came in for some, special attention from the crowd watching Saturday's procession, and were a bit non-plussed until, to their Celestial amusement and gratification, they notioed they were in the thick of the Salvation Army. Good converts. Enoch Bond, who has lately passed through a trying ordeal in the distressed female line, has bid adieu to Auckland for a short season only, and is reported to have resigned his seat on the Licene ing Benoh. If so, why is there not a fresh appointment ? A characteristic story of the late Queen and her womanly sense of the proprieties is being related. One of the officers killed early in the South African war left a young and pretty widow, who in time bore a posthumous child. Her Majesty waß deeply affected at the incident, and summoned the young mother to reoeive the Royal condolence in person. After some kindly and sympathetic remarks Her Majesty promised to be god-mother to the child, and asked the mother to send her her photograph. The widow did so, but fashionable vanity was stronger than grief, and the photograph, whioh was specially taken for the occasion, displayed the lady in full evening dreßß. The photo was returned with an intimation from Her Majesty's secretary that Her Majesty had Bought a pioture of the widow of a brave officer, not one of a belle of the ball. Colonel Dawßon appeared in daylight, uniformed, for the first time in the recollections of many Auoklanders on Saturday. Why does he not take up the sword again and help Auckland Volunteering? The women of Auckland — whom Heaven bless— are bearing up splendidly under the load of good things said of them on account of their expedition in raising that £20 for a Wreath for our late and beloved Qoeen. It is gratifying to hear that they raised the sum bo quickly, and that the publio are not slow to give them praise. But in the midst of it all there rings forth one dissentient voioe. A male correspondent, who writeß in a large, determined hand, says all this praise is flam and humbug. ' The women,' he says, 'oolleoted the money, but who paid it ? Why, the men. To say, therefore, as the women are doing, that the wreath was paid for by them is tommyrot, and like their impudence.' Evidently the wife of our correspondent dropped a half-orown in and went home that muoh short, henoe his righteous indignation. Anyhow, he's giving no praise.

W. J. Speight, in frook ooat and peewee hard knooker, holding a long stave draped with heavy bows of crape and coloured streamers, was the most conaoiouß individual in Saturday's procession. It was often remarked, says the Lance, that ez-Jußtioe Martin wore a bracelet welded on to one of his arms immediately above the wrist, Apropot of whioh the story is told that on his recent tour of the world Mr Martin made a journey into the deflert with the Arabs, living with them in their own fashion, and that during the trip he was presented with this bracelet by a notable man amoogat the Arabs, who welded it deftly on to his arm. The bracelet was said to possess some mysterious charm. Evidently, it was not a charm against women. Mr David Byrne, of the Melbourne Age, is b charitable and just man. According to the Freeman's Journal; he has given a grant of £1,000 to the widow of Mr T. J. Lambie, who was killed in South Africa. Lambie was war correspondent for three newspapers, and the Age proprietor, according to report, is the only one that hsß contributed towards the grant. One of the members of the ' Sixth ' who joined at Welligton, and ib proceeding to the front for the seoond time, is an old Auckland boy, Mr William Lorrigan, grandson of the late Mr Daniel Lorrigan, a very old identity. Young Lorrigan originally went with the Fourth Contingent, and was invalided home with enteric Some time ago he passed his exam, at the Sobool of Mines, Coromandel, and mastered the lessons in assaying as applied to the cyanide prooese, but abandoned bis career in favour, of service to the Empire. On tbe completion of bis teim, however, be intends to return and follow his profession.

Premier Beddon, who never tires of oomplaining about the little bits of space the papere on the other devote to Mew Zealand, is evidently bent on returninp good for evil, and accordingly has never missed a ehanoe, sinoe the day he landed, and took over the Continent, of keeping us posted in everything Australian. Everything Australian means Diok, for aooording to the cables Diok is running Australia, and Lyne, Barton, Hopetoun, and all the other somebodies are as nothing in particular. It does as good to see the oolumns sent across to us of what Australia — that iB, Diok —is doing in the way of mail subsidies, Koiprooity of trade*, Fiji annexation, penny postage, militarism, all-red cables and signals from Mars and New Zealand— and when Diok gives op control and comes baok to us, well, we'll miss it. But after the way our Premier has boomed the other side, it seems to as to be right up to ihem to say a little more about us. The very latest about Organiser Ed wards is that he has written to all the electoral committees, inquiring earnestly after their health and asking them to be good enough to raise a fund of £500 for fighting exes. Not a bad Borew, for that is probably what is meant, all minor incidentals— such as printing, stationery, etc.— being defrayed it is said, in a way, which baffles the keenest politician, even Pirani. But five hundred a year! lib enough to make the mouths of politicol parrots water, and auctioneers and glib-tongued hawkers to wish they could organise. If the appeal comes off — and it's a very strong one— there is sure to be a rueh for that billet from all and sundry, and then who knows but that Edwards will be sorry he made it ? But joking apart, is it not about the coolest request that was ever made, even by a political agent ? —and political agents, as a rule, are not modest.