PARS ABOUT PEOPLE

Observer, Volume XXXV, Issue 13, 5 December 1914, Page 4

PARS ABOUT PEOPLE

LET it be known to all men that Mr H. N. Bagnall has made a joke. The City Council discussed the fish market the other night when, nearing the close of the talk it was noted that Horatio appeared to be in great pain. He squirmed in his chair, half rose, thought better of it and sat down again. His neighbojuxis l eyed him curiously. The crisis passed, H. N. B. stood up and with a "now or never" expression declared: "Seems to me that if you go floundering around this fish market business you're bound to mullet!" John Court, in the chair, fixed him with a "fishy" glare, every "mussel" taut, as if he doubted his "herring." H. N. B. went white at the "gills" and "scaled" for the supper room to "echnapper" sandwich and a "piper" two of tobacco. In the supper room he unburdened his "sole" to caretaker Lovell, who, it is _ rumoured, considered Horatio's joke somewhat out of "plaice." We make no excuse for adding these few remarks. It serves H. N. B. right.

Mr John Rutherford Blair who lately died at Wellington at the age of 71 was an old time printer with a large and generous heart, carrying on his business from 1869 to 1894 and then retiring. He was best known publicly in Wellington as the habitual chairman of the Education Board for many years, by his unostentatious benevolence and his interest in public affairs. He was for a period mayor of the Windy City, was very largely interested in local commerce and a director of several companies. His talents were of the painstaking and not of the brilliant variety, and he was a man whose word was his bond—a fine type of the square dealing business man. ® @> ®

Gumsucker:—"The Terrible Cossacks" are getting some of the space they deserve in current literature. I used to know one of them —Dr Abramouski, of Mildura Victoria, medical man. He had been a surgeon with the Cossacks and lie carried the military style as to the manner born. Bushmen laughed at the doctor when he turned out on horseback for the first time, for he rode at a hard trot without "posting"—legs at full stretch and toes resting lightly in the stirrups. He afterwards compelled the bushmeti to regard him as the best horseman and horsemaster in the countryside. He never mounted by the stirrup, but by a light spring from the near or off side —and he dismounted without stirrups. He had an uncanny habit of riding at a splitting gallop without a bridle, controlling his horse per knee and heel, and was as much at home standing on a horse as sitting on it. Australians have a belief that the horse was discovered by bushmen, and that everybody else Avho dares to ride is an interloper. Any imported horseman is looked upon as an interloper into the hair and hide arena. © © <&

Mr Robert Semple, the well-known political Scientist, whose works were reflected a year since, finds nothing left to exercise his brilliant ingenuity on New Zealand, and so may take his wares to Australia, whence it is understood he first emanated. Australia is three dozen times the size of New Zealand and ten million Semples could get hopelessly lost in a corner of the Northern Territory or in the Queensland Never Never.

It is to be hoped that Mr Semple will not go outside the city radii, for it would inexpressibly grieve > his many New Zealand business friends to hear that he was not on hand to guide the destinies of Australia. It has been declared by an untrustworthy man that Mr Semple is going to Australia to work. The accusation is unworthy a New Zealander. A soldier's farewell, Robert!

Mr Hungerford Roche, who passed away last week, was one of the best known men in the Walkato, having settled there very soon after his arrival in Auckland, more than 50 years go, and remained there ever since. He quickly entered public life, and was one of the very few remaining members of the old Auckland Provincial Council, the former training ground of our Parliamentary representatives. In after years he allied himself with the Liberal party, of which he continued to be a firm supporter to the last.

Mr Roche was a man. of simple faith, generous heart, genial wit, and unswerving integrity. His word could be accepted without hesitation, and relied' upon with absolute confidence. He hailed from the Emerald Isle, and he possessed in a marked degree that gift of powerful, pleasant oratory so generally inherited by the sons of Erin. His speeches were as forcible as they were persuasive, as witty as they were wise, and, however much some of his audience might differ from his views, all recognised that he was a man of earnest conviction, and frank, fearless utterance. A constant, faithful friend and a manly chivalrous opponent, he has gone to his rest leaving behind him a clean record, a bright escutcheon, and an untarnished name.

Poole, or to give him his American lecture tour title, the Hon. Charles H. Poole, is hustling his way through the Auckland West electorate. Chawles is developing a fine lower chin these days, possibly the result of adopting this 'ere blarmed Amurrican accent. He had a happy time at the Windsor Theatre the other night when the audience was palpably with him. Added dignity was given to the proceedings by the presence as chairman of Mr Thomas Gresham, who has decided to give up his forlorn hope and ask his supporters to throw in their lot with Chawles. By the way, prominent upon the platform was one Tibbutt, photographer. It is understood that his presence carries the weight of exactly one vote. Arthur Rosser was there on the platform, too, and, although he yawned several times, it is opined his presence really will have a beneficial effect. Before closing this little eulogy let us remark that there was one impertinent man in the audience. C. J±. P. remarked at one stage: "If I am not returned at the electionswhereupon the rude man referred to broke in: "You will go back to America and lecture again.

Each election brings along its surprise and the forthcoming tussle is no exception to the .rule. lhis year's surprise packet is John J. Sullivan, who is standing m the Liberal and Labour interests tor Parnell. Why J. J. should have been taken up so enthusiastically by Parnellites it is difficult to say exactly, but possibly his barney with Jimmy Gleeson, with the addition of his fluent tongue, had a great deal to do with it. His youthful enthusiasms are apt to run away with him at his meetings but it seems that even if he just stood

before his audiences, moving his lips but not uttering a word he would win the plaudits of the crowd. Since he got going properly he has had scarcely one hostile interjection at his meetings. And then his meetings for ladies only— the fair damsels simply flutter all over him.

Rev. A. A. Murray, the much esteemed minister of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, got to work last Sunday evening on the thrilling subject of Armageddon. As preliminary to his great discourse, he had a theological bout with a clerical brother—who was not present. The reverend brother's name was not disclosed, but the preacher stated that the errant cleric and himself had passed through the same theological college. Then Mr Murray proceeded to relate, in tones deeply tinged with horror, how the other parson, only a few weeks ago, preached a sermon, in which he had the awful temerity to declare that there was to be no Armageddon as he, Mr Murray, understood it; that, in fact, the only Armageddon was the great battle which had already been raging thousands of years, to wit, the eternal struggle between good and evil. Mr Murray denounced this rather reasonable utterance as "handling the Bible deceitfully." a .• *

Then the preacher went on, with a sort of gloomy joy, to assure his hearers that Armageddon would certainly take place, but it was not the present great conflict in progress in Europe, nor was the Kaiser AntiChrist, though he was quite bad enough to be that somewhat elusive individual. The battle of Armageddon, Mr Murray explained, will not take place till all the saints have been transported bodily to the skies. This assurance was received by the congregation with sighs of relief. Some fine morning the unregenerate will wake up to find that all the saints on earth have disappeared. Then Armageddon may be looked for, and the present war will not be a circumstance compared with it. But it will occur in the valley of Megiddo, near Jerusalem, so there does not appear to be much cause for alarm in New Zealand. It is to be a sanguinary business, for the valley of Megiddo is to be swept by a deluge of blood about four feet deep. Through this flood the unfortunate horses of the irate combatants will have to wade bridle deep. This was the lurid picture drawn by Mr Murray, who appeared to know all about it, and it is no wonder that, notwithstanding the alluring prospect of an early morning ascension for the saints, many of the congregation wended their way home in a rather pessimistic mood, for alas, even in St. Andrew's kirk, there are many who are rather dubious about their future.

The young New Zealander who blithely recites "Not Understood" may occasionally remember that it was written by a man named Bracken, but there, in many cases at any rate, his knowledge of the poet ends. However, the name of Thomas Bracken may now be mentioned without shame. The neglect of sixteen years has been repaired, and in future the youth of Dunedin will be shown the memorial of our best known New Zealand poet, and will probably be taught more about him than has hitherto been the case. Committees formed in Wellington and Dunedin have collected subscriptions towards the memorial, and the money came very freely until the war stopped the canvass. It is, however, intended to resume it when the Kaiser is beaten, and the Government will then be asked to subsidise the fund, the idea being to found a literature scholarship to perpetuate Bracken's fame. The memorial is of solid concrete with marble faces and a grey granite pillar. On one of the slabs, facing westward, is the inscription: "Sacred to the memory of Thomas Bracken, poet, journalist, legislator. Born in Ireland in 1843; died in Dunedm in 1898." Then follow two verses ot "Not understood."