People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXV, Issue 20, 16 May 1907, Page 28

People We Hear About

Sir Joseph Ward, K.C.M.G., Premier of New Zealand, who has taken, a lea-ding part in the Premiers' Conference in London, was sworn in a Privy Councillor on Thursday, and during the weeK was made an LL.D. of Dublin University. Speaking of Cardinal Gibbons, a Baltimore priest says that during the forty-five years of nis ministry, Cardinal Gibbons has never been ill enough to omit the itiaily recitation of his breviary. ' If everybody adopted the Cardinal's regime as regards work, rest, worry and abstemiousness,' says the priest, ' the occupation of mental healers, faifch curists and health faddists would vanish, and medical science wouFd have to deal only with tho diseases incident to old age and accidents.' Lord Roberts once found himself among new friends at a London Club. There was a very tall man present, who, evidently believing himself to shine as a wit, seized every opportunity of raising a laugh at other people's expense. On being introduced to Lord Robert's the wit lent down patronising to his lordship and remarked : ' I have often heard of you, but '—shading his eyes with one hand, as though the famous general, being so small, could be seen only with difficulty — ' I have never seen you.' To this Lord Roberts 'promptly replied : ' I have often seen, yon, sir, but I Slave never heard of you.' Lord Dunraven, of ' Sweet Adare,' who was 65 on February 11, has, peinaps, crowded as much action and adventure into his life as any person now living. He has served in the Guards, on the London County Council, and as Under Secretary for the Colonies ; was a war correspondent in Abyssinia, and in the Franco-Prussian campaign ; is a world-renowned yachtsman, and fought in Souvn Africa with the Imperial Yeomanry. One of the few Irish peers who can boast a Celtic origin (he traces his descent from Ollium Olum, a fourth century King of Ireland). Lord Dunraven is immensely interested in everything Irish, and has ideas of his own about Irish self-government »as well as a plan for the reform of the House of Lords. Lord Sligo was seventy-six in March. The earldom of Altamont, borne now as a courtesy title by his eldest son, was created in 1771, the third Earl being! made Marquess of Sligo in 1800. Lord Sligo has taken pleasure in reviving ofd Irish names in his family, his three 'daughters being the Ladies Eileen Agatha, Moya Meiisen'de, and Doreen. Lord Sligo is heir presumptine under the special remainder to the earldom of Clanrioaide, which was created in 1880, and of which so much has been heard recently en account of the present Lord Clanricarde's unpopularity in Ireland. Lord Kitchener's pitiless contempt for anything which savors of effeminacy is well illustrated in the following story. Shortly after his return from Egypt he was accosted in a friend's house by a young lord, whose zeal (or impudence) in soliciting celebrities' autographs is the cause of constant vexation. ' Do honor me by pencilling your name on this, Lord Kitchener,' he gushed, producing a very flimsy lace handkerchief and laying it on the table. ' Then I'll have the autograph worked in silk and keep it for ever in memory of the hero of Khartoum/ Kitchener picked up the scented siand kerchief and sniffed it. ' Your sister s, I presume ?' he questioned, fixing the gilded youth with a scornful eye. ' No, sir ; my own. A very pretty pattern, isn't it ?' 'Very,' was Kitchener's dry response, as he passed the ■hantdlkerchief back unsigned. ' What is your taste in hairpins, by the way ?'. Atf amusing story is told in connection with Mr. Albert Chevalier, the famous coster impersonator. During a brief interval between two performances he goodnaturedly agreed to pay a flying visit to a suburban district in order to aid in a friend's benefit. This left no time for a change of costume, except the addition of a lig>ht overcoat, and Mr. Chevalier appeared at the railway bookingk>ffice in brave coster array, greatly to the admiration of a gentleman of the calling who was also waiting for a train. Fascinated by the appearance of such an elegant member of the craft, the man followed Mr. Chevalier to the ticket-office and, open, mouthed with wonder, heard him ask for a first-class return to Hammersmith. Recovering a little from his amazement, the coster inquired of the clerk : ' 'Ere, guv'mor, what 'de arsk for ?' and on being answered, ' A first-class ticket to Hammersmith,' replied, enthusiastically : ' Then just give me a Pullman to Whltechapel, guvnor !'