People

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXX, Issue 6, 6 February 1902, Page 10

People

Mr. George Hutchison, ex-M.H.R. for Patea, is at present practising as a barrister in Johannesburg, South Africa. Not long ago he was engaged for some days in defending a number of Dutchmen, charged with high, treason, before a Military Court. Colonel Collins, who has been elected Mayor of Boston, is popularly known in the United States as ' Pat Collins.' Every movement for the amelioration of the condition of his native land, since he was a boy, has found in him a stout and able supporter. Sir Antony McDonnell, late Lieu-tenant-Go ver nor of the North-West Provinces of India, has arrived home after 36 years' service in the far East. Sir Antony is a Mayo man. He is a brother of Dr. MacDonnell, M.P. for one of the divisions of Queen's County. Herr Anton Lang, who acted tho character of ' Christus ' in the ObcrAmmergau Passion Play of 1900, was to have been married at Christmas to the soloist whose rendering of the ' Mystical Song ' aroused universal enthusiasm. The bride-elect was some time ago residing with an English Catholic family in Liverpool. She is a daughter of Jacob Rutz, the village smith, who is leader of the chorus, and was formerly reciter of the prologue. Mr. Barton completed his 53rd year on January 18. With the exception of Mr. Drake and Mr. O'Connor, he is the only member of the Federal Cabinet who has never led a State Ministry. Mr. Barton was born in t- .-v, and at the age of 21 he took his M.A. degree at the University of that city, being called to the Bar in the following year. When only 2ti he made his first attempt to get into Parliament, but was defeated by six votes. -Two years later, however, ho succeeded, and at the age of 'AG was elected Speaker of the New South Wales Assciiiilv. Mr. W. O'Reilly, champion amateur shot-putter and hammer - thrower of Australasia — he won the title in this Colony a few weeks ago — is a native of County Meath, where he was born 28 years ago. He came to Australia in 1891, and has done comparatively but little in the athletic line since, chiefly through lack of opportunity, for that he is a keen enthusiast_in all round athletics goes without saying. O'Reilly has done many sterling performances in the hammer-throwing, shot-putting, and weight-throwing line, and is also an adept at collar and elbow wrestling, in fact, i.s unbeaten in the lastmentioned athletic exercise. O'Reilly is best known in Australia as a shot-putter, his style of ' put' being the aenie of gracefulness and fairness, whilst there are few who can approach him for distance covered. The fact that Sir Thomas Lipton has spent a considerable portion of his time of late in the United States accounts in bomc measure for the ' tall ness ' of the following story which he tells against himself :— ' Recently,' he says, ' 1 stepped into a smoking cuavpartment of a Caledonian train, and was followed by an elderly lady, who carried a small and obtrusive dog. " This is a smoking compartment, madam/ I said. "It is not," the old lady answered, with asperity. " I beg your pardon," I persisted, pointing to a legend on the window, " it i.s." "I don't care," she retorted. "At any rate, 1 never allow anyone to smoke in my presence." By-and-by I produced a favorite pipe and began to smoke. A moment later the woman snatched the pipe from me and flung it far out of the carriage.

Thereupon 1 lifted the pet dog and hurled him after the pipe. The lady laved until -the .next* \staftura;- ssas reached^ wheiushe' tiad~^ei"drfested. The- argument -bade fair/to~Tlafet -for seyjeral tfte was Solved by the r arrival;Voiv > the little dog carrying the pipe in his mouth.' The appointment of Lord Dunboyne as King's .Remembrancer recalls (says the ' Catholic Times ') the curious case of the holder of ,the title of Dunboyne a century ago. He was Dr. Butler, Catholic Bishop of Cork, when he unexpectedly succeded to the peerage. He petitioned the Pope for a dispensation to marry, and received in reply a severe and indignant censure from the Vatican. He then seceded from the- Catholic Church and married a Protestant lady. There was no issue to the marriage, and shortly before his death he was received back into his old communion. As an evidence of his penitence he bequeathed valuable estates to Maynooth. The addition ho thus made to the college is known to this day as the ' Dunboyne Establishment.' D. Joseph Zemp, of Lucerne, Vicerresident of the Federal Council, has been elected President of the Swiss Confederation for 1902. Dr.. Zemp is a Catholic Conservative. Dr. Joseph Zemp was born in 1834, in the canton of Lucerne. He studied law in Munich and Heidelberg, and on his return to Switzerland became well known as an advocate. Though he was a prominent member of the Lucerne Council from 1863 onward, he did not enter the National Federal Council until 1891, but his reputation was such that he was chosen for the presidency in 1895, the post to which he has been again elected. Under the Sw^ss constitution the Vice-president of the Federal Council, the executive authority, consisting of seven members of the Federal Assembly is usually elected to succeed the outgoing President of the Confederation. The term of office is one year, the holder not being re-eligible until the expiration of another year. Mr. Justin McCarthy was 71 on November 21. Though he has taken his place among the old men and has left} tho political arena for ever, he is working with his pen. He has written as many miles of manuscript aa any living man. It must" seem an age Lo Mr. McCarthy since he caught his first glimpse oi .London. The Crystal Palace was in Hyde Park then, and the Duke of Wellington was walking down Whitehall in his blue coat and white duck trousers. Lord John Russell was passing Reform Bills ; Dickens, Carlyle, Thackeray, .John Bright and all the great Victorians were in their prime.