People and Their Doings.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20311, 22 May 1934, Page 6

People and Their Doings.

The First Man to be Arrested at Addison s Flat was a Nelson Anglican Bishop .* Mr John Booth is Returning to Ireland After Many Years : A Novel Stratosphere Ascent.

ti.ol C/KDA x was wie sixty-sevenui huniversary of the finding of gold at Addison’s Flat by a negro named Addison. The Flat is about seven miles from Westport, and it is recalled that the first man to be arrested there and locked up for the night was a Nelson Anglican Bishop, who was taken in charge by an Irish constable because he looked like a rather suspicious character. The bishop had, in fact, lost his way at Dirty Mary’s Creek. The next morning, however, he was released through the intervention of his guide, the late Phil M’Ensor. Before the finding of gold, Addison’s Flat had been known as Waite’s Pakihis. During the gold boom there was a population of 11,000 in that locality, with a police force of a sergeant and junior constables. Now all the evidence of its former prosperity is a few houses and prospectors’ claims dotted here and there. But a fair amount of gold is still being won. In the old days the richest finds of black-sand gold were uncovered where the old Anglican Church stood on the Skippereen Road. W ® \JR JOHN BOOTH, of Avonside, who left Christchurch last night to join the Mariposa, is returning to Dublin, where he was in business up till his retirement in 1923, when he came to New Zealand on account of his wife’s health. The climate was everything that was claimed for it., and it gave Mrs Booth, a very delicate woman, a twelve years’ lease of life when she would not have lived a year in Dublin. Mr Booth is going to Ireland to settle tip his affairs, and he may return to New Zealand, where he has now' more friends than he expects to find in Dublin. Mr Booth, who has been a parishioner of Avonside since coming to New Zealand, has been a frequent contributor to the “ Star ” on matters of historical interest, and he hopes to be able to entertain a circle of friends in Christchurch by the same agency during his absence. @ ® ® JJF.W ZEALANDERS now in England and those on the way there will have the opportunity to see some favourite musical plays ot the past once again. A series of revivals, each, it is hoped, to run a month, is planned for the Garrick Theatre. London. “ The Geisha,” “ The Quaker Girl,” “ Chu Chin Chow,” “ A Country Girl” and “ The Arcadians ” are on the list for presentation. Of this quintet, “ A Country Girl ” and “ The Arcadians ” were revived by a J. C. Williamson company in Christ

church this year, and the same firm has been successful in Australia recently with a revival of “ The Quaker Girl.” by another company, which may in due course tour New Zealand. But when local theatregoers next see “ Chu Chin Chow it will probably be as a “ talkie.” An English picture version of Oscar Asche’s famous war-time show is now in the making, with the famous George Robey as Ali Baba. W ® QENERAL GOERIXG has been very busy lately with every kind of travel. Among his many other offices in the German Government, the General holds that of Air Minister and he has been encouraging “ air sport ” by the provision of a smart blue uniform rather like that of the British Royal Air Force. Now, in order to provide a scientific basis for the training of young airmen, General Goering has arranged for a Chair of Aviation to be inaugurated at the University of Jena. Germany’s first Air Professor will be Dr John, who is to “ deal in a scientific spirit with the whole field of aviation.” ® A PROPOS of the superstition about 13 being unlucky, a correspondent remarks that conversely there have been many who have regarded 13 as a lucky number. And to illustrate his point he tells the story of the young soldier who, in the time of William and Mary, was tried by court martial for falling asleep when he was on sentry duty at Windsor. Denying the charge, the soldier declared that he could not have been asleep at his post at the time mentioned in the charge against him, for the reason that he heard St Paul’s clock strike 13. While the soldier was under sentence of death several persons testified that the clock did actually strike 13 that night, and the King’s pardon was conceded. There is an allusion to this story in “ A Trip to Windsor” (1774): The terrace walk we, with surprise, behold, Of which the guides have oft the story told; Hatfield, accused of sleeping on his post, Heard Paul’s bell sounding, or his life had lost.

gIR DOUGLAS MAWSOX. the explorer, was 52 on May 5. He is to look back upon one of the most interesting and adventurous careers of any explorer who has been associated closely with Australia, lie was a member ol Shackle ton’s Antarctic Expedition in 1907, and took part in the ascent of Mount Erebus and the magnetic pole journey in 1908; and led the memorable Australasian Antarctic Expedition in 1911-14: while he commanded the British, Australian and New Zealand Antarctic Expedition in 1929-31 Sir Douglas has many distinctions, and is now busily engaged at his regular work as Professor of Geology at the Adelaide University. 38? 3EF 32? "YJR M. E. RIDGE, a young American engineer. intends to do something novel in stratosphere ascents. He proposes to show that a metal gondola can be dispensed with. Hitherto it has been believed that the gondola was necessary not only to provide breatheable air at great heights, but also as a protection against decreasing air pressure. Mr Ridge believing that the weight of the gondola prevents the maximum height being obtained, has sought the assistance of Sir Robert Davis, the inventor of deep-sea diving apparatus, and Professor Ilaldane, the authority on respiration, and he has had made a suit in which he hopes to attain a height of twenty-five miles. He has already experimented successfully with it, wearing it in a steel closed cylinder from which the air was exhausted till the atmospheric pressure was the same as at 90,000 feet, four miles higher than the present stratosphere record. He intends to make an ascent unprotected except for this suit. 3S? 33? 32? CIXTY YEARS AGO (from the “Star” ° of May 22, 1874). Education in the armies.—The Courier du Bas Rhin gives the following statistics of the percentage of soldiers unable to read and write in the several European armies— Prussia, 3.84; Russia. 1185: Spain. 50 00; Italy, 35.00; Great Britain and Ireland, 13.00; France. 35.00. Hokitika, May 21.—The census returns for the province show a total population of 14,823—males 9458, females 5365 The number of houses is 4974. The Chinese population numbers 898. Wellington, May 22—The passengers of the Golden Sea are taking proceedings against the captain, for an insufficient supply of water.