People We Hear About

New Zealand Tablet, 23 July 1914, Page 41

People We Hear About

The death occurred recently, at his residence, Maida Vale, London, of Signor Tito Mattei, the famous musical composer. lie was horn in 1841 at Campobasso, near Naples, and gave his first public concert in that city at the age of five. Before going to England, where he had lived for over sixty years, Tito Mattei had, at the age of eleven, been appointed a professor at the St. Cecilia Academy in Rome, and he was still a boy when his splendid pianoforte playing delighted Pope Pius IX., who in proof of his appreciation presented the young musician with a gold medal. The wit of Mr. Lowther, the Speaker of the House of Commons, is proverbial. But he excelled himself recently when called upon to intervene in a squabble which had occurred between two ladies who arc frequent visitors to the Ladies’ Gallery. There was some bickering over a favorite seat, and, as the trouble seemed likely to develop into an unpleasant quarrel, Mr. Lowther was asked to secure due observance of law and order by other occupants of the gallery. His reply must surely have cast oil on the troubled waters if the ladies had any sense of humor. ‘ The Speaker,’ he wrote in a message, ‘ much regrets that he is so fully occupied in endeavoring to keep order among the demons below that lie has no time to attend to the angels above.’ Monsignor Benson recently • slated that his conversion to Catholicity began when he was travelling down the Nile in Egypt. ‘At one place,’ he says, where we stopped 1 discovered that the Catholic Church was located not in the middle of the city, not near the hotels, where it would have-the “patronage’’ of the fashionable, but in a section where the poor Arabs lived in mud-huts. Here was a priest giving to these people the same message that was given to the members of the Roman communion in the most stately cathedrals of the world. The thought broke in upon me, I think for the first time, that that religion must be the true religion of Christ, for He had come that His message might reach all.’ Irish people in all parts of the world will regret to hear that the venerable patriot. Dr. Thomas Addis Emmet, grandson of Robert Emmet's brilliant brother, Thomas Addis Emmet, of ’9B, is in feeble health at' his home in New York. He is under the constant care of nurses and physicians. Dr. Emmet, writes the New York Freeman’s Journal, who has been a world figure as a physician and a militant force in the fight for Irish Home Rule for half a century, is approaching his eighty-sixth birthday anniversary. Dr. Emmet is one of the few men in America who have been made Papal Counts. He is a convert to Catholicity, having become a Catholic in 1867. He was born at the University of Virginia, where his father. Dr. John Patton Emmet, foremost chemist of his day, was delivering a course of lectures. Until a few years ago he was consulting physician and surgeon to six of New York’s great hospitals at one time. During the life of the Irish National League of America he served as its president. At different times he has been an officer of nearly every national medical association.

Remuera (From an occasional correspondent.) In spite of the unsettled state of the weather, the Remuera Catholics’ third annual ‘ At home,’ popularly known as the ‘ Green Ball,’ which was held at the own Hall on Wednesday evening last, was admittedly the most brilliant social event of the year. The proceeds of these At homes’ go towards the building fund for a new church at Remuera. Last year’s gatheriug yielded a profit of .£B4, and as Father Doyle was anxious that th.s year’s entertainment should eclipse all preceding oifes, everything possible was done to make it an emphatic success. This object was achieved, the guests present numbering fully 1000, including spectators, who were accommodated in the balcony seats. All were received by Father Doyle and his ' official committee in the main hall and directed to the ballroom, or to the card-room, where progressive euchre was played, as they desired. There were visitors from every part of the city and suburbs, and also from Hamilton, Rotorua, and Cambridge, as well as from Wellington and other centres. Among those present were Rev. Fathers Holbrook, Fordo, O’Doherty, Kirrane, Clarke, Skinner, and Dignah. The scheme of decoration throughout was green and gold, and the supper tables looked particularly attractive and dainty under their floral and silver decorations. ’ Most of the success of the function was due to the devoted and hard work of the hon. secretary, Mr. F. W. Grey. Karangahake (From our own correspondent.) When it became known that Mrs. P. Nolan was leaving the district, it was decided that a public farewell should be tendered to her. Although the notice was very short, the Societies’ Hall was crowded on the evening of the social. Several vocal items were rendered during the evening. Very Rev. Archdeacon Hackett addressed the meeting, and spoke in high terms of the sterling character of Mrs. Nolan, and the high esteem in which she was held by the people of Karangahake, and on conclusion presented her with a purse of sovereigns from her friends and well-wishers. Mr. George Snelgar replied on behalf of Mrs. Nolan. At the annual meeting of the Catholic Club, Mr. John Patton was elected president, and Mr. M. Farrell secretary for the current year. A strong executive was also elected. At a meeting held on June 28, resolutions were passed regretting the loss the club had suffered through the departure of Mr. J. Arns from the distinct, and authorising the presentation of a souvenir. In accordance with above resolutions a souvenir was forwarded to Very Rev. Dean Darby, Hamilton, where Mr. Arns has settled, for public presentation, along with a letter from the club’s secretary containing the resolutions. Mr. Arns was a most enthusiastic supporter of the club since it started, as well as being a hardworking member of the congregation, and his place will bo hard to fill. Mr. Thos. Dolan, another prominent member of the club, has also left the district, and will be much missed by his fellow-members. A strong protest was forwarded to the Prime Minister by the club’s president against the introduction of the Referendum Rill, and a further, protest was signed by the Paeroa, Karangahake, Waikino, and Komata representatives of the Catholic Federation on Sunday, July 12, and forwarded to Wellington by the Very Rev. Archdeacon Hackett. A strong feeling of, indignation has been aroused in this district, amongst all sections of the community against the Prime Minister for permitting such a one-sided and unfair proposition to come before Parliament.