People Talked About

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIX, Issue II, 12 July 1902, Page 66

People Talked About

Lady Campbell, who has, with her distinguished husband. Sir John Logan Campbell, been the recipient of a host of congratulations on the well-deserved honour granted by His Majesty the King, is a daughter of Sir John Craeroft Milson, K.C.S.I. She was married to Sir John in 1858. Mrs Campbell is a great reader, and a cap tai conversationalist, and shares to the full the respect and splendid popularity of her husband. O O o o o Electoral Predictions. The Dunedin "Star,” which has taken to prophesying of late, is already forecasting what the next Parliament will be. According to the "Star’s” vaticinations, Mr Seddon will no longer be Pre mier—whither he will have gone is another question—and Sir Joseph Ward will occupy the seat of the mighty one. Fallen, too. from his high estate as Minister of Lands will be Mr Thomas Duncan, of Oamaru. and in his stead will reign Mr R. McNab, of Mataura. This last prediction sounds extremely likely if the fitness of Mr McNab is to have due weight with the new Premier in the choice of his colleagues. There is no man in the House more respected than the member for Mataura. Earnest com-

Whom the Dunedin "Star" tips for the portfolio of Minister of Lands. mon sense is the keynote of his character. He would make an excellent Minister of Lands, for lie has infinite capacity for taking pains, and has long been associated with those industries which look to the development of the land point of the colony for their advancement. Mr McNab, too is young, and to judge iv his appearance—he is one of the best

set-up men in the House —-there is not a more energetic individual in Parliament. Coronation Honours. Mr Gilbert Parker, now Sir Gilbert, was one of the men through whom His Majesty showed his appreciation of literature in the recent distribution of Coronation honours. Perhaps it was owing to the fact of his being a Canadian and associated with colonial literature, as much as to the literary merit of his works, that Mr Parker was made a knight. He is still a young man. having been born only thirty five years ago. His father was a retired military officer living in the Dominion. Sir Gilbert grew up in Canada, and for a time held a lectureship at Trinity College. Toronto; but ill-health made him travel to Australia, where he was associate editor of the Sydney "Morning Herald" for some, time. Leaving Australia, he travelled among the South Sea Islands and Northern Canada, and coming to Englnd in 1890, he took to fiction. He has now a recognised place among the leading writers of the day. Readers will remem-

ber him best by such stories as “Mrs. Falchion.” “The Trail of the Sword,” “An Adventurer of the North,” “The Seats of the Mighty,” “The Battle of the Strong,” and “The Right of Way.” Sir Gilbert's amusements are golfing and riding.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, one of the two representatives of literature to receive Coronation honours, is un<|iiesCn'nahly best known as the creator of that marvellous and fasci-

nating personality, Sherlock Holmes. But it is probable that the new knight will be remembered by posterity for other works than this. Clever as are Sherlock Holmes’ adventures. they cannot compare in the way of literature with some of the same author’s historical novels. “The White Company” has, in the eyes of thousands of admirers, claims to rank with “Ivanhoe” as an historical romance. Wonderful descriptive power and knack of felicitously carrying the reader to an earlier age are characteristic of “The Refugees”; while the story of “The Great Boer War” seems likely to remain the best, as it is certainly the most unbiassed, history of that memorable struggle. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is the eldest son of Chas. Doyle, the artist, and nephew of Richard Doyle, of “Punch.” He was born in Edinburgh in ’59. and educated at Stonyhurst and at Edinburgh University. He early determined to be a doctor, and practised at Southsea from 1882 to 1890. He is an M.D. of Edinburgh, and has at one time and another done a lot of travelling. In South Africa he was senior surgeon of the Langmein Field Hospital. His literary works are numerous, and besides the works already mentioned include, notably, “Round the Red Lamp” (a series of doctor stories), “The Stark Munro Letters,” “The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard.” “Micah Clarke,” “A Study in Scarlet,” etc., etc. He is a fine athlete, and devoted to golf, cricketing. and cycling. He is a great club man. belonging to the Reform, Athenaeum, the Authors’, the National Sporting (he is fond of boxing), and M.C.C. The Poet of Imperialism. Admirers of Mr Rudyard Kipling will be pleased, or the reverse —just as they happen to regard these things—by the action of the poet of Imperialism in declining Coronation honours. Tn this

connection, Mr Kipling's poem, “The

Last Rhyme of True Thomas,” comes to mind. As my readers may remember, the first verse starts: "The king has called for priest and cup. The king has taken spur and blade. To dub True Thomas a belted knight, And all for the sake o’ the songs he made.” And the last line of the last verse is an indignant refusal on the part of Thomas: “And —ye —would — would — make—a knight o’ me.” Mr C. W. Goodson, of Auckland, now in England on a visit, has, according to papers received by the 'Frisco mail, achieved the honourable distinction of paying off his creditors in Norfolk aft'r 23 years, and received nt their hands a silver casket holding £125 in gold as a token of esteem. Mr Goodson's struggles to pay fOtT his Eng'lish creditors are somewhat romantic. In 1879, while he was in business at Norwich, Mr Goodson found it necessary, through misfortune, to make a deed of asstgn-

ment, his liabilities being about £5OOO. In 1880 his creditors accepted a composition of 8/5 in the £, and Mr Goodson emigrated to New Zealand in the hope of better fortune and of wiping out the deficit. He worked with a will, and gradually built up a business and saved money.

When he was on the point of sending money to his creditors in England a wave of depression swept over NewZealand, and he found himself bankrupt. For the third time he began again from the beginning, and resolutely battled with fortune. A few years ago he paid all his New Zealand creditors in full—£4soo—and they presented him with a gold watch and a silver salver. A few- days ago Mr Goodson himself met his English creditors at Norwich, and paid them in all £1795, wiping out his indebtedness. There was quite a happy creditors’ meeting, and Mr Buxton, who presided, in handing Mr Goodson the casket, said that they all had a high appreciation of his honour. The souvenir, which, with its valuable contents, was then handed to Mr Goodson, bore the following inscription—- “ Presented to Mr Charles William Goodson, of Auckland, New Zealand, in appreciation of his high sense of personal honour. Norwich, 24th May. 1902.” Mr Goodson’s reply was a model of modesty and good taste, and was received with great applause. <-> o o c o

The above is a portrait of Mr John Piimmer, well-known as "The Father of Welington,” who. on the Saturday before last, celebrated his ninetieth birthday. Although confined to his bed, Mr Plim mer personally received the eongratulationse of hs many friends.