Register (Adelaide, SA : 1901 - 1929), Thursday 13 April 1916, page 4


CONCERNING PEOPLE

The condition of the Commissioner. 4-t Public Works (Hon. H. Jackson) continues to improve. He passed a eatislao- _ tory day on Wednesday.

Just 40 years ago Mr. Frederick Chappie, C.M.G., gave his firat lesson as head master of Prince Alfred College, at Kent Town . This institution, by-ihe-way, has nearly completed half a century's useful educational work in the community, for the foundation stone of the college wns laid in 1867 by the late Duke of Edinburgh, on the occasion of his visit to Adelaide.' Mr. Chappie retired from his post 12 month* or more ago, having seen the school ad-vance from a roll of 150, when he assumed control, to a total of more than 400 at one time. He had two predecessors in tiie head master's chair— the late Mr. S. Fid-dian, MA, and the late Mr. J. A. Hart-ley—and has been succeeded by an old Prince Alfred boy, Mr. W. R. Bayly, B.A., B.Sc. A Londoner by birth, and scarcely past the 'allotted span,' Mr. Chappie may claim that the thousands of scholars who passed through his charge during his 39 years' labours included many exception-ally brilliant students, who have achieved distinction in every part of the globe. It is interesting to recall that, so far as is known, Mr. Chappie's long college record has been eclipsed in length of time by that of only one other head master in Aus-tralasia—the late Mr. Weigall, of the Syd-ney Grammar School, whose death oc-curred a couple of years ago, after he had to his credit a term of 40 years' service as head master at the well-known college. Mr. Chappie, who today appears the embodi-ment of health and alertness, has figured prominently in efforts for the welfare of soldiers in camp and elsewhere, and is con-nected with many other activities. The rare honour of C.M.G., which was conferred upon him not long ago by His Ma jeety the King, was hailed irith satisfac-tion by 'old reds.' Mr. Gunn, M.P. (Secretary to the South Australian branch of the Federated Cou-riers and Drivers' Industrial Union), who proceeded to Melbourne on Saturday, in

connection with the filing of a plaint in the Federal Arbitration Court. returned to Adelaide by the express on Wednesday. Mr. J. Christie Wright (the newly ap-pointed principal of the School of Arts) will leave for Sydney to-day to enter an officers' training school in preparation for active service. Mr. C. W. Babbage, a former Adelaidean, who was educated at the school conducted by the late Mr. John L. Young, is living at St. John's Hill, Wanganui, New Zea-land. He still keeps up his interest in the sciences, for a knowledge of which he was noted at school. Mr. Babbage is President,

Secretary, and Treasurer ot the Wanganui Astronomical Society. Writing to an Adelaide friend, he says:— 'We have a good 10½-in. refractor telescope (mounted equa-torially), clock, and spectroscope. We have discovered 130 new double stars. Mr. C. W. Babbage is a brother of Mr. E. H. Babbage, at one time manager of the branch of the Bank of Australasia in King William .street. Messrs. C. B. Ware and J. Bullock left Adelaide by the Melbourne express on Wednesday. They will proceed to China and Japan, and then to America, and ex-pect to be absent from South Australia for Reveral months.

With reference to a personal paragraph in The Register on Wednesday concerning Major F. J- D. Darvall, it should be explained that his new position is that of general Btaff officer, in which he will remain during bis stay In South Australia. At a recent meeting of the District Council of Woodville the clerk reported the deaths of three old residents of the district —Mis. Mary A. Chapman, of Findon, and Messrs. H. T. J. Matthews, of Woodville' West, and John Roiitledge, of Seaton. It was decided that letters of condolsnf* should be forwarded to the relative*