People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 13, 30 March 1905, Page 10

People We Hear About

Mrs. Eli/abeth Meagher, widow of General Thomas F. Meagher to whom a monument is being erected in Helena, Montana, has been invited by the memorial association to be present at the unveiling of the statue next July 4. The president of the Association, James H. ■ Lynch, is in receipt of a letter from Mrs Meagher thanking the association for their eftorts on behalf of the monument. Mrs. Meagher now resides at Rye, N.Y. Referring to the Most Rev. Dr. O'Reily, Archbishop of Adelaide, the ' Pall Mall Gazette ' says he possesses an accomplishment unusual in an Archbishop. He can set up type. He was editor of a weekly piajpex before he became a Prelate, and his compositors went out on srrike. In the emergency he took to the case himself, and industriously acquired the -art of type-setting. He afterwards called the strike a blessing in disguise, as it saved Mm the trouble of writing any more leading articles. Thenceforwafld he put them in type straight from his head. Mr. Thomas J. O'Brien, the prominent Irisht-Ameri-can citizen, of Grand Rapids, Michigan^ who has just been appointed by President Roosevelt as Minister to Denmark, is a leading lawyer of his jiati\e State, and was largely insi rumen tal in piling up a Republican majority in Michigan at the late Presidential Election. Born in 1842 in Michigan, his father was a native of County Cork, a circumstance which the new Minister to Denmiark nas not forgotten, seeing that Irish National objects have always been aided by him in his native State. It may be mentioned that in legal matters touching railroad affairs in the State Mr. O'Brien is esteemed one of the most valued interpreters thereof in America. The death was announced recently of the distinguished novelist, Miss Emily Gerard, who was best known in England under her msaiden name, though she had been married for more than thirty years to the Austrian General Ritter von Laszows'ki. By a pathetic coincidence Madiame von Laszowski sun ived her husband barely five weeks, his daath having oomirred in the early part} of December. Emily Gerard was a member of an anciemt arid honprable Scottish Catholic house, being tjhe eldest of the four daughters of the late Archibald Gerard, of Rochsoles, Lanarkshire, a cadet of the Gerards of Bryn, in Lancashire, who were raised to the peerage in 1876. The present head of the Rochsoles family is the eminent Jesuit scholar and divine, Father John Gerard ; bat the estate belongs to his younger brother, General Sir Montague Gilbert Gerard, a soldier of much distinction, who was knighted two years ago for his long sen ices with the Indian army. Miss Gerard published her first book, ' Reata,' in collaboration with her lister Dorothea (now Madame Longard de Longarcte), as' well as several subsequent works ; but she wrote also many novels on her own accoun*. She had a wide knowledge of German, and was for Some years critic of German literature for the ' Times.' Miss Gerard, and her two younger sisters all married Austrian officers of high rank. The deceased la3y's home was in Vienna, aavd it was at her house there that her lamented death ocaurred. Canadian exchanges contain details of the celebraton on February 1 of the seventieth birthday of :Hon. John Costigan, who has represented Victoria County in the Hiofuse of Commons at Ottawa continuously sa'nce 18(57. Mr. Costigan was born of Iriyh. parents at St. Nidholas, Quebec, February 1, 1835, a,nd was educated at Ste. Anne's College. In his leng and honorable public career he has occupied various Cabinet positions, end uhile ~j\articuKarly close to the hearts ol the Irish Catholics of Canada, has earned at the bands of all classes and crecids the reputation of being an honest man. Mr. Costigan hjas always taken an a c tive interest in all matters' concerning the Catholic people in Canada. His name will be for ev<er identified with the Catholic opposition to the New Brunswick school law, with remedial legislation for Manitoba Catholics and with the Irish Home FJule movement. While he was always aggressive when the rights of Catholics were involved, he was never offensive. He honestly believes that those who differ fnom him in race or religion think none the less of a man for not 'being widhy-washy in the advocacy of the claims of his people. His great popularity among all classes and credds shows the correctness of his judgment in uhat respect. Mr. Costigan was the recipient of congratulations from all parts of Canada on the occasion of his anfniversiary. He is the fatMer of the' House of Commons, and the Liberal members of the House teo'< advantage of the occasion and presented him with a cabinet of solid silver cutlery. Sir Wilfrid Laurier, on of the party, made the presentation.