People We Hear About.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXIX, Issue 24, 13 June 1901, Page 10

People We Hear About.

An Irishman named Mr. P. Mullins has been decorated by Emperor William, of Germany, for the excellent Bervice he rendered at Osborne as telegraphist during the illness and obsequies of the late Queen. A ReuLer'o telegram from Montreal says : ' Mr Blake, M P., haa severed his connection with the law firm with which he has been connected for over forty years. This disposes of the rumors regarding the hon. gentleman's return to Canadian politics.' Miss Bertha Roy, of Canada, has won a musical prize worth 5000 dollars, for which there were 700 competitors. Her father was organist of St. Roch's Catholic Church, Quebec, Canada. She is only 11 years of age. The head brewer in Bass's brewery at Buxton-on-Trent, England, is a Bandon man, Mr. O'Sullivan. He holds the blue ribbon in a special line of chemistry, and is considered the first brewer in the world. The recipient this year of the late Marquis of Bate's marriage dowry is Mary Lynch, who, for the last nine years, haa been a domestic servant at Cardiff, England. She was married on April 15, and in the afternoon she attended at the Mayor's Parlor, accompanied by her husband, her bridesmaid, and the best man, to receive the dowry, which amounted to £30 14s, being the interest on £1000. The Duke and«|Duchess of York have seen a good deal of the 1 idolaters 'on their voyage to Australia. At a dinner on board the Ophir at Gibraltar, among the Rook nobilities was the Right Rev, James Bellord, the Bishop of Mileris. At Malta, on landing, the daughter of Sir Edward Strickland, the Catholic Colonial Secretary of the island, presented the Duchess with a bouquet of flowers and the Duchess kissed the little ' idolater.' The Dowager Duchess of Abercorn has a remarkable reoord in the highest department of the peerage. A daughter of the Dnke of Bedford, and granddaughter of the Duke of Gordon, she is the mother of the present Duke of Abercorn, grandmother to the Duke of Marlborough, and great-grandmother to the heirs-apparent to the Dukedoms of Leeds and Devonshire. Her family call her by the old-fashioned name of ' Grannie.' Friday, April 1 2 (says the St. James's Gazette), was the birthday of Sir Charles Gavan Duffy, the man who fifty years ago was prosecuted by the Government, but who to-day enjoys a British title and a British pension. As far back as the thirties he was editing a newspaper in Belfast, and it will soon be sixty years since he marched to gaol side by side with Daniel O'Connell. From Ireland, aft» j r a year of imprisonment, expecting death or transportation, Mr Duffy went to the other end of the world, and in Australia the ' rebel ' became a Prime Minister. Senator J. H. Keating, who headed the poll in Tasmania, ia only 2!) years of age. Mr. Keating, who graduated with distinction at St. Ignatiup's College, Riverview, Sydney, is described as a fine platform speaker, and is exceedingly popular. Mr. Keating took the LL.B. degree in 180(5, and has been practising in Launoeston during two years. Acting on the suggestion of Mr. T. B. Cnrran, it is the intention of the Riverview ' old boys ' to tender Mr. Keating a complimentary banquet. The late Captain Mayne Reid, the most popular writer'for boys, was born in Ireland in 1818, but spent, of course, a number of yean in the States and Mexico. He obtained his military rank in the war between the United States and Mexico in 1846, in which conflict he won distinction both by his qualities as a leader of men and also by his p«rnon<«l bravery. The record of this incident in his career is given largely in his own words. Later, he sought to assist Kossuth, but before he could reach him the Hungarian patriot's efforts had been defeated. Mrs. Marion Mulhall, the widow of the illustrious Irish statistician, ia now in Rome. She is living in strict retirement at the Convent of the Assumption, Corso d'ltalia. A few weeks ago Mrs. Mulhall was received in special audience by the Holy Father. The Pontiff spoke at length with deep sympathy of the loss entailed by the recent demise of Mr. Mulhall, the loss to her and to Rome. His Holiness dwelt with paternal affection upon the sorrow which he himself had felt when Michael G. Mulhall had passed away, and told the widow how he had offered the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass for the repose of the soul of the deceased. The Sovereign Pontiff assured the widowed lady that the deepest regret was felt throughout the Vatican for the death of Mr. Mulhall, who, it will be remembered, held the dignity of Papal Private Chamberlain of Cape and Sword.