People and Their Doings.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXIV, Issue 936, 5 December 1933, Page 6

People and Their Doings.

The New Pioneer Hut Above the Fox Glaciei was ° Woman : A Rugby Selector Moves to the North Island . A Scotswoman Who was a Messiah Trainer.

J. N. MILLARD, who has been appointed to the position of principal of the Hutt Valley School, is particularly well-known to Varsity students throughout New Zealand as a Rugby selector. During his university career he represented New Zealand in athletics and Otago in Rugby, lie won athletic championships, and his University long jump record stands, as also does a similar record made by him as a high school boy. His B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees were secured at the Victoria University, where the subjects taken included chemistry, physics, geology, applied mathematics, magnetism, and electricity, first-class honours being secured in the two latter in his M.Sc. degree. Mr Millard was for many \ears a member of the teaching staff at Wellington College, and since 1927 has been first assistant at the Hutt Valley High School, where he has been head of the mathematics and science departments and had charge of the football and athletics of the school. Outside his school activities he has been a member of the Wellington Rugby Union since 1916, sole selector of Wellington senior Rugby representative teams since 1927, a member of the New Zealand University Football Council since 1923, and sole selector of University teams since 1921. He has been chairman of the Lower Hutt Athletic Club since 1927. and for many years has been actively associated with local amateur athletics as an official. sS? © that has been written of Annie Besant calls to mind another Messiah trainer, the Scotswoman, Elspeth Buchan, whose protege was an unpleasing Nonconformist minister. “ Illiterate and clever,” according to 11. V. Morton's “ In Scotland Again,” “ she had a valuable grasp of biblical phraseology and a bewildering gift of prophecj* and hocus-pocus.” At the age of fortv-five she persuaded the Reverend Hugh White that he was the Man-child and she the Woman of the Apocalypse. Though her followers on their remarkable journey into the wilderness witnessed no asi nt into heaven, the Buchanites survived Mother Buchan more than fifty years.

A PHOTOGRAPH on the illustrations * page to-day shows the opening of the new Pioneer Hut above the Fox Glacier at Weheka. The ceremonv was performed by Miss K. Gardiner, of England, who in company with Guides Alack and AVilliams, has recently made some very good climbs from the head of the Fox Glacier. *1 he partv made their headquarters at the new Pioneer bivouac, 8000 feet above sea level, from which a great variety of peaks can be reached, including most of the giants like Mount Tasman, Mount Haidinger, Douglas Peak and Torres. Miss Gardiner climbed Lindenfeldt, Haast and Grey Peak, and she made the first ascent of an unnamed peak off the Pioneer Ridge and two unnamed peaks on the Triad Range. From the new bivouac or hut all these peaks can be climbed fairly easily, the greatest advantage being that the climber can be back to the bivouac about midday. 32? \fOUNT TASMAN will be the ambition of many as the approach to it from the new hut is reasonably easy, although the remainder of the climb will test the best climber. Miss Gardiner has had some very trying experiences in this region in previous years, and she was very pleased indeed to be the first woman to have the pleasure of climbing from this bivouac, for on nearly all of her previous experiences to the head of the Fox Glacier she had had to camp on snow which, in bad weather, involves a great risk. However, this small hut with good mattresses and plenty of blankets will make all future climbing expeditions to that region a pleasure. 3$ 3? COME WHERE in the world, perhaps in a private collection, or on the dusty shelves of a second-hand book store, there is a book for which Alison Skipworth, who appeared in the film “The Sporting Widow.” would pay a lot of money. In fact, after thirty years, Alison Skipworth has launched another search for it. The volume is Oscar Wilde’s “ The Happy Prince,” with an epigram across the flyleaf penned by the author himself to the actress forty years ago. The epigram, as

Miss Skipworth remembers it, reads: “ Advice to a bride; Never worry over trifles and still less over serious matters. It is impossible to exaggerate the unimportance of everything.” “ For years I kept that volume among my possessions,” Miss Skipworth explains. ” Several times collectors offered many thousands of pounds for it, due to the fact that the epigram was one of the few unpublished pieces of Wilde’s writings. About the time Daniel Frohman brought me to America to make my singing debut, the book disappeared. Whether it was lost or stolen I never found out. Collectors and book stores on two continents have been notified by Miss Skipworths agents that a liberal reward for the books return will be paid and that no questions will be asked. © 32? 35 CIXTY YEARS AGO (from the “Star” of December 5, 1573) : Napier, December 4—The Immigration Commissioners held an inquiry to-day re the ship Hovding. They instructed the secretary to take proceedings against the captain under the Passengers Act. Alexandra, December 3.—There is a large meeting at Kuiti to-day. Te Ngaktu and Wahinui are angry at Tawhiao visiting here. Tawhiao told them he came of his own accord, and will return here to attend the race meeting. It was reported at Kuiti yesterday that there was a quarrel amongst the Natives at Maungatautai. Tauranga, December 4.—Great preparations are being made among the Natives for the reception of the Native Minister; the Maoris are flocking in from all directions. Drunken Ferrymen.—At the last meeting of the Waimate Road Board, another telegram from the Minister of Public Works, complaining of the working of the Waitaki Ferry, was read. It stated that information had been received that the ferrymen were constantly drunk, and that the lives of the passengers were endangered, and asked if something could not be done to remedy the evil.