PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXVII, Issue 20, 17 November 1906, Page 34

PERSONAL NOTES FROM LONDON.

(From Oar Special Correspondent.) LONDON. October 5. Air and Mrs Henry Wiffin, of Hawke’s Bey. who have been spending the past two years in travel, intend leaving London on November 2nd by the Croya, homeward bound. Mr Wiffin is one of the oldest settlers in the Hawke's Bay district. He went there with his wife 40 years ago, and has lived there ever since. Last year, having acquired a competence, he retired from active business, and with Mrs Wiffin set out to tour the world and re-visit the scenes of their youth. They travelled via San Francisco, and after spending four months in the United States landed in England in August of last year. Since then they have been visiting eld friends in various parts of the kingdom, and on August 10th they celebrated their golden wedding at Blandford, the little Dorset shire town where they were married in 1856. A dramatic episode of their tour was the meeting of Mr Wiffin and his brother, whom he had not seen sine.: he was nine years old, and whom he had lost all trace of for many years. On arriving in England Mr Wiffin made enquiries as to his brother's'whereabouts, ami eventually found him residing at Portsmouth. Neither recognised the other on meeting, for the boy of nine had grown into a man close, on fifty, and the elder brother had passed the three score years and ten. Mr and Mrs Wifiin intend to visit Egypt and Palestine on their way back to New Zealand, ami expect to arrive hottie about the end of the year. Playing tennis seems to have become an obsession with the New Zealander A. F. 'Wilding. Not content with h's galaxy of trophies won during the pa-t four or five months on open air courts he has this week been playing in the London covered court's championships, and this afternoon added yet another ■•up to his store of prizes by winning the singles from G. A. Caridia by three sets to love—-6 —3, 6—o, 6 —l. This was a fitting wind up to the New Zealander's tennis career in the Old Country, and to-night, he takes the train for Plymouth to catch the Paparoa by which- sterner he ri turnsjto the colony in company with his parents. ‘ How many piizcs Wilding has won since lie went up to Cambridge University 1 cannot say, but he must have enough to make a good display in quite a big shop window. He has this year won nearly a score of open competitions, and holds' several minor championships, English and Continental. Among English tennis players lie. ranks among the first half dozen, and it is an open question whether on current form it would

be safe to back any player to beat him. H. L. Doherty, S. 11. Smith. F. L. Riseley and A. W. Gore have all on occasions taken Wilding's number down, but outside these men we have not his equal in the Old Country as a single-handed player. Lord Itanfurly, who returned to his country seat near Dungannon this week, has completely recovered from the illness which confined him to his room for some weeks at Filey, near Scarborough. His lordship celebrated his fiftieth birthday in August last. Mr and Mrs Alex. J. Laurie, of Onehunga, Auckland, are on a visit to London. They arrived a week or so ago by the Corinthie, and Jiavc since been engaged in sightseeing in and around Ilia metropolis. They leave shortly for Scotland to visit friends in Dmnfriediire and other parts, and they will also tour in the North of Ireland. The length of their stay in the Old Country is as yet uncertain, and Mr Laurie has not yet decided whether to return to New Zealand through America, or to go by the Cape route and visit Johnnesburg. Mr P. Higgins, of Wellington, who travelled Home by way of Suez and landed from the P. & O. liner Victoria, at Tilbury last Sunday, has taken the trip primarily for his health’s sake. He expects to remain in these latitudes between three or four months, and contemplates touring in Ireland and Holland, after seeing something of London and the provinces. Mr and Mrs James 11. Jackson, of Wellington, are among the most recent arrivals in London from the colony. They came Home by the Horn route in the Oswestry Grange, and had a splendidly fine and very enjoyable passage. Holiday making is the chief object of their trip to Europe, but whilst here Mr Jackson expects to find time to do a little business for his firm. After seeing something of London they are going to make a trip through the Midlands to Liverpool and thence on to Scotland. Thereafter Belgium and Germany are to be visited, and in December they will leave for New Zealand, probably by the Messageries steamer from Marseilles. Air ami Mrs W. IT. Hales, of Wellington, are bringing their - holiday in the Old Country to an end this week. Today they left London for the Continent, and after visits to Brussels, Paris, Switzerland and the Riviera, will join the Orient liner Omrah at Marseilles. Air and Airs Hales have greatly enjoyed their spell at Home, and have nothing but good to say of the much abused English climate. It has certainly been on its very best behaviour this summer, and has caused many visitors to assume that we of the old land grumble at our climate without a cause. Mr George Coup, late of Kaiapoi, recently returned to London from his second year’s trip to the Gold Coast, West Coast, West Africa, where he has been engaged as dredgemaster—for the first year with the Ashanti Goldfields Auxiliary on the Offin River, and during the past year with the Aukobra Development Syndicate on the Aukobra River. Mr Coup arrived here on September Tilth, and his holiday has not been a very long one, for yesterday he sailed for Georgetown. British Guiana, under engagement to the Guiana Hold Company, Ltd. He is to go out and start a new dredge which has been designed and built by Messrs Inder and Henderson (late of New Zealand). Mr Coup expects to be out in British Guiana about four months, at the expiration of which he will proceed to New Zealand. Mr Leonard H. Harrison, of Christchurch, arrived by the Paparoa a week ago. He purposes attending the Victoria University at Manchester for two years at least in preparation for the B.Sc. honours examination of that . college. This degree stands high, I believe, in the scientific world. Mr Harrison graduat-

ed last year Bachelor of Arts at Canterbury College (N.Z.). In future lie intends paying special attention to the (study of chemistry. Mr Herbert Lee, of Christchurch, and Mr'A. W. Bately, of the same city, are in London just now. They travelled hither via San Francisco, Chicago and New York, meeting several old New Zealanders in the last-named city. Embarking on the Campania at New York, they arrived at Liverpool a fortnight ago. Mr Bately, who is on a business trip, leaves by the I*. and O. liner Victoria on the 29th inst., on his return to New Zealand. Mr Lee hopes to remain in London until after Christmas, and he may possibly prolong his stay indefinitely. Mrs W. 11. Perkins, of Greymouth, and Miss Adah Perkins have just returned to London from a Continental tour, in the course of which they visited Switzerland. the Italian lakes, the Rhine, and Brussels. Miss Perkins has commenced a three mont hs’ course of singing lessons at the Guildhall .School of Music, under Signor Albert. Afterwards her mother amt she will go to Paris, and probably will leave for New Zealand in January. Mr John Irwin, of Rakaia, leaves London by the Ophir to-day. bound for New Zealand. Mr Irwin arrived here by the Gothic on June "th, and has since been travelling about the country, chiefly in Ireland (where he spent a week at the Dublin Horse Show) and Scotland. He was on a pleasure trip, and found his stay in the Old Country extremely pleasant. Miss Sheila Mac Lean Edmond is returning to her home in Dunedin by the Shaw-Savill steamer Athenie, which sailed last Friday. She had a fairly lengthy stay in England, visiting many parts of the kingdom. Mr William Coote, of Wellington, lias been on a pleasure trip to the Old Country. lie travelled hither by the direct route, and since, arriving has been.touring in Ireland and Scotland. The last week or two have been spent in London, and to-day Mr Conte leaves by the Orient liner Ophir on his return to the colony. Mr E. Drury Butts, of Auckland, is revisiting England to see his relatives after an absence of nearly fifty years. He arrived per s.s. Afric in May last, but has seen littie of London, as his time has been chiefly spent in travelling in Italy and Germany, and in visiting brothers and sisters in Scotland and the English provinces. Mr Butts is now' on a visit to the. metropolis, prior to leaving bv the Afric on the 2.3 rd inst., for Sydney, en route for Auckland. To give members of the New Zealand Association an opportunity of foregathering. the committee have decided to set apart Wednesday evening of each week as a club evening, during the coming winter. The first of the series of weekly gatherings was held last Wednesday evening at the Association’s rooms in the .Westminster Palace Hotel buildings. A aeries of monthly social evenings is also to be held, commencing with a smoking concert on Wednesday, October 10. Previous to each monthly reunion a house dinner for members and their friends will be held at the Westminster Palace Hotel. Recent callers at the High Commissioner’s office: Mr Frank Healy (Blenheim). Mr J. Mcßride (Lake Wanaka), Mr J. 11. Plimmer (Wellington)’, Mr and Mrs Francis Richmond (New Plymouth). Mr. James Mackay (Wellington). Mr and Mrs Alex. J. Lauric (Auckland), Mr S. W. Buck (Auckland), Misses E. and C. Coles (Christchurch), Mrs W. 11. Perkins and Miss Perkins ;(Greymputli), Mr E. Drury Butts (Auckland),'Mr Fred. J. Tattle (Wellington), "Mr and Mrs A. R. Pontifax, Air J. 11. 'Coates (New Brighton), Mies Lily Rees Gisborne), Mr Harry Wiffen (Hawke's Bay), Air P. Higgins (Napier), Airs E. H. ( unuingliajii (Auckland), -Miss M. A. 'Cooper (Auckland), Air F. P. Taiboys (Dunedin).

Ceci! Healy made a big effort at the Raven-bourne Club's gala, held last 'Saturday at Westminster baths, to beat the 150 yards record of Im. 3Gs., set up by C. Al. Daniels at Liverpool last July. The Australian started in capital form, and at a hundred yards appeared likely to achieve his object, but in the last fifty yards he swam erratically, and tiring .visibly toward the end be finished in Im. 37 2-sth s., oust ide the American's figures. Nevertheless it was a line performance ami evoked great applause. The bath in which Healy swam was 42 yards long. By the N.Z.S.S, Coy.’s Paparoa, which leaves Plymouth to-morrow, the following are saloon passengers: Airs J. P. Cairns, Miss V. C. Clixord, Airs C. Dudgeon, Air and Airs P. J. Fryer and the Alisses Fryer, Aliss N. 11. Howell, Air A. Al. Jackson, Mr N. Nosworthy, Airs A. S. Roberts, Air It. Sissons, Aliss F. Snuggs, Air and Airs F. Wilding, Aliss C. Wilding, Air A. F. Wilding, Air D. G. Wright. Air and Airs G. G. Ashe, Rev. F. H. Baring, Air C. A. Baring, Air A. Brittain, Air J. Calderhead, Airs L. Christensen, All- B. Christensen, Air A. Christensen, Aliss L. Cliff, Aliss E. K. B. Davern, Air R. L. Denham, Airs C. A. Diaz. Aliss E. Al. and Aliss J. Al. Etches. Airs E. AL Glcdhill, Air B. Goodman, Air G. Haddington, Aliss A. D. Hook, Rev. J. Humphreys, Air H. A. Jefferson, Air F. Johnson, Aliss Z. L. Johnson, Air W. Al. Jukese. Air A. Kyngdon. Air and Airs 8. Levy. Aliss Al. Levy, Air J. AlcGimpsey, Air E. L. Metherel'l, Air 11. Oldershaw, Mrs K. Tepper and son, Mr A. G. Pickard, Air F. W. Sparke, Aliss E. Spencer, Aliss Al. Wengler. Air J. B. Wilks. Airs Wilks. Airs C. Al. Wilson, Air A. Al. A. Woodd and Air R. Ycarsley. There are 147 passengers in the third class. In the new chapter of his autobiography in the “North American Review,” Mark Twain relatesthe origin of a famous remark. He says:—“Nine year# ago, when we were living in Tedworth-square, London, a report was cabled to the American journals that 1 was dying. 1 was not the one. It was another Clemens, a cousin of mine—Dr. J. Ross Clemens, now of St. Louis —who was due to die, but presently escaped by some chicanery or other characteristic of the tribe of Clemens. The London representatives of the American papers began to flock in, with American cables in their- hands, to inquire into my condition. There was nothing the matter with me, and each in his turn was astonished and disappointed to find me reading and smoking in my study and worth next to nothing as a text for Transatlantic news. One of these men was a gentle and kindly and grave and sympathetic Irishman, who hid his sorrow the best he could, and tried to look glad, and told me that his paper, the ‘Evening Sun,’ had cabled him that it was reported in New York that I was dead. What should he cable in reply? I said. ’Say the report is greatly exaggerated.’ He never smiled, but went solemnly. away and sent the cable in those words. The remark hit the world pleasantly, and to this day it keeps turning up, now and then, in the newspapers when people have occasion to discount exaggerations.”