People Talked About

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXIX, Issue XIII, 27 September 1902, Page 770

People Talked About

An Old Pioneer. Captain W. J. Barry is certainly one ox the most striking figures among ns. He is now in his 84th year, 74 j ears of which he has spent in these colonies. Arriving in Sydney in 1829, when the past century was but a babe in the hands of Father Time, he was one of the founders of Melbourne in 1835, and of Port Hesington, new South Wales, in 1839. He was m Auckland in 1837, when Queen-street was a fern-clad gully and not a white man’s dwelling was to be seen. The personal experiences of such a man cannot fail to be interesting, and we

are looking forward to the publication of the captain’s book, now in the press, which; embodies the history of his seventy odd years in the colonies. The work will he divided into three parts, the first being autobiographical, the second a historical retrospect of the early years of the colonies, and the third a collection of portraits and biographies of prominent colonists. o o o o o Back In England, It was announced the other day by cable from London that the Duke and Duchess of Orleans had arrived in the British metropolis, the King having intimated that the door of England has been re-opened to

them. The duke. Prince Louis Philippe. is the head of the house of Orleans, and probably the chief claimant to the throne of France, He is the eldest son of the late Comte de

Paris, and was born in 1869. In 1890 he entered Paris, notwithstanding

the Expulsion Act of 1886, and claimed his rights as a Frenchman to undertake military service for his country. He was arrested, but shortly afterwards liberated. After the death ot his father he received his supporters in London, and then removed to Brussels, as being nearer France. His marriage to the Archduchess Maria Dorothea of Austria was celebrated at Vienna, November 5, 1896. It was alleged' that some of ibis followers were implicated in the conspiracies against the Republic in 1899. One In a Hundred. The Ameer of Afghanistan married five wives the other day, but the Emperor of China, a widower, has had

A Royal Romance. love romances in Royal circles have been rather common of late, and now comes the story of another. According to advices from HiKla--I’esth, the Grand Duchess Helena, daughter of the Grand Duke Vlaaimir of Russia, recently eloped with a student at one of the Russian Univer-

an even more trying matrimonial experience. All the marriageable daughters of the highest Manehu families were ordered to assemble in Peking last, month. Out of these the 100 most beautiful and most accomplished were selected. The Emperor had then to choose for his Empress one, and one only, fromf these 100 loveliest and wisest girls. What would have happened had he fallen in love with the jot we are not told. Fortunately in this all but impossible task he has had the guidance and advice of the Dowager-Empress.

Chairman of the Wan Commission

Great interest attaches to the selection of Lord Elgin as the chairman of the War Commission. The object of the Commission is "to inquire into the supply of men. munitions of war, equipment and trans-

in rt in connection with the South African War, and into the military

sities, notwithstanding the fact that she was unofficially betrothed to Prince Louis Bonaparte, who holds the rank of general in the army of the Czar. The story goes that the young Grand Duchess was devotedly attached to the student, but cared nothing for Prince Louis, and feeling it hopeless—as it doubtless was —to obtain her parents’ consent to a mar-

operations up to the occupation of Pretoria.” Lord Elgin is a Canadian by birth, being born at Monklanas, near Montreal, fifty-three years ago. He is the son of the eighth earl and his second wife, th? fourth daughter of the first Earl of Durham. It is noteworthy that his ancestors played an important part in the history of the Empire, for his grandfather, tne seventh earl, was the well-known Ambassador to Turkey, who collected the Elgin marbles, whilst his father was an eminent Viceroy of India, ana 5 ice-Plenipotentiary to China.

An Agricultural Expert.

King Lewanika of Barotseland, who spent the first week of his visit to England amid the peaceful surroundings of a Dorsetshire village, displayed keen interest in British methods of agriculture. Once his royal gaze fell upon a reaping machine, and conversation upon other topics had to be suspended until the true inwardness of the contrivance had been explained. Then, as somewhat of a wheat-raiser himself. His Majesty said. “Well, that’s the limit,” or words to that effect, in the Barotse language. Nothing impressed the great chief more deeply than the exceeding fatness and power of our huge draught horses. After the leaner creatures of his own land the noble Clydesdale moved him to frequent expressions of surprise and admiration. O o o o o Composer of “Ben Bolt” Dead. Ihe death is announced in New York of Mr Thomas Dunn English, the composer of the well-known song “Ben Bolt.” Mr English had at different times practised law, journalism, and medicine. Mr English was born in Philadelphia in 1819. In addition to the popular ballad “Ben Bolt” he wrote the "Book of Battle Lyrics” and several novels.

riage with the humble lover, resolved on the desperate course of running away. The young couple got as far as Varsovy, but were there arrested. The young lady was taken back to her home, and the young man. who is said to be a member ot one of the revolutionary committees at his university, is reported to have been sent to Siberia.

Cut a piece of paper in the shape of a perfect square (figure 1 of explanatory design). Fold the paper along the diagonals a-a, turn it around, and fold along the lines b-lb. When this is done, figure 2 can easily be made. Fold the ends b and a as shown in figure 3. You will now have a series of eight small wings around o-a as axle. Fold the paper at point a and fold it carefully in such way tnat you get two new regular points as shown in figure 4. After going through the same operation with an the eight wings of the folded paper, you will get figure 5. Fold each wing of the paper again, the point S toward the centre axle (figure 6) and take care that you get the folds at point a. correct as possible. To finish the frog (figure 7), unfold two of the upper points (a) atnd ibend them to firm the front legs; while you fold the two lowers points (a) to form the hind legs. The left side of figure 7 shows the points not yet folded, while the right side gives the shape ot tne finished legs.

Two butterflies cut out of tissue paper fly about as if alive, set in motion by a fan. They light on the fan. play in the air, descend on a flower —in short, imitate real butterflies to perfection. All that is needed to make such butterflies is coloured tissue paper and a pair of scissors. 1* old the paper and cut the shapes ot the butterflies as shown in the circle oi our illustration. Fasten the butterflies to a long hair with the help of a diminutive piece of wax. Tie this hair to another which is fastened to your head, likewise with wax (as shown in illustration). Throw tne butterflies in the air with the left hand and move your fan underneatn them to keep them in the air. It is amusing to have a bunch of artificial flowers on which the butterflies can alight, only to fly away.

The performer takes a large com, marks it before the eyes of the audience, covers it with a handkercfiiet. and asks somebody to hold coin ana handkerchief over a glass filled with water (figure 1). Stepping back a few paces, he asks the person noiaing glass and coin to let the com drop into the glass. Then he removes the handkerchief and—the coin cannot be found in the glass. The performer claims that the coin must be in somebody’s poeket, etc., and stepping up to someone pulls it out of its hiding place and shows it to tne audience. To perform this trick, provide yourself with a round piece of glass (tig-

gure 2 and 3a). and a piece of thin rubber band, on one end of Whien a hook made of a pin is fastened, while on the other one a small piece of wax is stuck. The rubber band is fastened by the hook to the lining of the sleeve. After the coin has been returned to the performer —having been marked and given to the audience for inspection—the wax is pressed to the coin so that it will disapjiear under the cuff as soon as the rubber band is let go. Instead of the coin, the piece of glass the size of the coin is covered* with tne handkerchief and given to one of the audience, together with the glass filled with water. When the order to drop the coin in the water is given, the piece of glass, being transparent, will not be seen in the water, ana tne coin will have disappeared. To find the coin in somebody s pocket is easy. The performer pulls it out of the cuff while everybody is looking at the glass of water, pulls it from the wax with the index finger, and is now ready to make it appear wherever he wishes. 4-4-4-Dry Water A ring or coin! is thrown into a basin filled with water; the performer announces that he will take them

out of the water without wetting ms hand.

Solution: Get some lycopodium powder and strew it over the surface oi the water. The hand when being immersed will have to go through the layer of powder. The powder clinging to the hand forms a sort ot wa-ter-tight cover. As the powder is invisible at some distance, the performer can show his hand witnout fear of detection.