SOME REMARKABLE PERSONAGES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10927, 17 November 1913, Page 5

SOME REMARKABLE PERSONAGES.

The death has occurred at Saffron Walden of Mr Alfred Hirst, the blind philanthropist. The fourth son of Mr Charles Hirst, who was well known at Huddersfiold, where ho was a leading wool stapler, Mr Alfred Hirst was educated at Huddersfiold Collego and spent threo yoare on a sheep run in South Australia. At the age of twenty-eight Mr Hirst lost his sigh irretrievably, but continued in business. After his retirement through ill-health in 1885, lit* devoted much time and thought to tho task of helping the blind, and cooperated with the late Dr T. R. Armitage (founder of tho British and Foreign Blind Association), Sir Francis Campbell (of tho Royal Normal College), Mr H. J. Wilson (of tho Gardner Trust), Sir Owen Roberts, and many others. Never, even when his sufferings were most severe, did he lose Ins keen interest in politics, literature and tho welfare of his fellow-suf-ferers. Mr Francis Hirst, the editor of the " Economist," is his son. AN UNCROWNED KING.

The " Anto Shimpo," a Japanese daily published in AntuUg, has a pioturesquo story of an uncrowned, king, a fugitive from Korea to China, who is said to hold sway over 180,000 Koreans who have followed him. Yi Siyung fled from Korea before the annexation, when the Japanese ascendancy was growing more and more menacing. He took with him, according to rumour, a fortune of £40,000. Part of this he invested in the purchase of arable land from the Chinese Haniho, and the remainder he devoted to various enterprises which yielded him increasing profit. In time he doubled his fortune. He began to invite Koreans to join him and to hold lands from him and cultivate them. Between January of last year and March of this alone it is said 10,000 Koreans settled on his lands- Servants of Yi meet the newcomers, and they appear not only to be provided with lands, but educated as well by their protector, who has established a number of schools in the region. Yi lives in state. He has a castle surrounded by the houses -of Koreans under his command, ten Chinese constables serve him as a bodyguard, and post-horses and watchmen are stationed all round a circle six miles in diameter, of which the castle is the centre. EMIGRANT TO AMBASSADOR.

The story of the little Jewish boy who could not sing " Land where my fathers died " is paralleled by the career of the new- United States Ambassador to Constantinople. "Mr Henry Morgenthau," says the "Jewish Chronicle," " began his career in America as a bay immigrant from Germany. In this way, perhaps, President Wilson, is providing a very effective reply to the Restriction agitators and a vivid demonstration of the fact that America, while it offers a royal road to prosperity to many strangers, derives, in its turn, much advantage from their presence. Mr Morgenthau is not the first Jew to be given the American Embassy in the Turkish capital. Mr Oscar Straus received it on two occasions, and was par-, ticularly successful during his stay at Constantinople in protecting Christian interests. The occupancy of the post by a Jew should be an invigorating influence upon the prestige and the selfrespect of the many Jewish subjects of the Sultan." AN INVALID EMPEROR. The reigning Mikado (Yoshihito) is said to be a permanent invalid, though he has recovered from an attack or pneumonia that held him prisoner in the Ayoama Palace. A procession of priests went on a pilgrimage _to the sacred mountain of Fujima to implore the intercession of the first imperial ancestor on the potentate's behalf, 1 and his Moajesty is now said to be on his way to recovery. On the other hand, European despatches contradict this inspired report, and proclaim the Mikado to .be a permanent invalid, owing to the natural weakness of his constitution. The sickly aspect of .the Emperor when he appears in public gives a spectator the impression that his Majesty can never display the energy essential to his alleged plan of personal rule. As a factor m his country's diplomacy Yoshihito may be said to be eliminated. A FAMOUS ITALIAN IMMIGRANT. Cesare Conti is another boy immigrant who cannot sing of America as " Land where my fathers died." "Born in 1866 in the Italian province of Massa e Carrara, near ancient Florence and Pisa, soon after his tenth birthday his family decided to emigrate to the 'promised land' across the Atlantic. When they arrived here Cesare was sent to the public schools for six years, after which he was ready to take his place as an independent worker. He became an office boy in the very bank of which he is now the president," says the "American Magazine." "Only forty-six Mr Conti is the head of _ a number of firms of the widest activities. Cesare Conti, Inc., maintains immigrant banks in most of the large American cities; the Lloyd Sabaudo Steamship Company carries passengers and freight between New York and Boston and the Italian ports; the Italo-American Stores Company exports autos, shoes, machinery, tools, etc., to Italy, and brings back paintings, hats, wines, cheese, oils, cigars, fruits, lemons and garlio for the princely firms of Fifth Avenue and the tenement stores of Mulberry Street. Cesare Conti is an ambassador between Italy and the United States—unofficial, it is true, but most potent in cementing increased harmony"

REMARKABLE POLICEMEN. " A young school teacher, dissatisfied with liis became a common policeman, and in a comparatively short time he found himself a head constable, with a salary of £6OO. Now, a man m such a position who made it his chief ambition to make his town a better, safer, happier place tcj live in would have the assistance of the entire police force and the backing of every philanthropic agency in the town in every effort lie made towards the prevention of criminals in posse, and the reform of criminals in esse/' says a writer in the " Nation." The " Daily Mail" publishes a paragraph which shows what a constable can do in saving life. After twentyfive years' police service in Fulham, S.W., Constable Samuel Prior, known as " the children's friend," owing to his devotion to the work of rescuing children from evil surroundings, has retired on pension from the Metropolitan Police Force. The caro of neglected children was his hobby. In eight years he rescued 600 children from an environment of crime. He received over 250 rewards and commendations from the Commissioner of Police, the naval and military authorities, and London Magistrates.