The sun., 1919-03-17
Walter Norton, First White
Baby to Escape Maoris,
Lauds New Zealand.
HALE AND VIGOROUS AT 80
Took Dickens's Place as Com
mons Reporter and Knows
Many Notable Britishers.


Grimace.
81 say. now, I wish were in my old
haunts in Cawnpore and Delhi he ven
tured. 80 warm and cosy. you know.
call this weather fairly beastly. Would
you call It n customary visitation"
Having been assured that the frigid
rain was merely the fag end 81 an an
eelic winter Mr.. Walter Norton of
Napier. New Zealand. the halest. brisk
est octogenarian with two to carry one
would be likely to lay eyes upon in many
q day, took UP the business end Of a chat
which was scarcely less than a memoir
OF the British Empire--goings and COM
ings in peace and war that would read
we'll between the covers of a book. Not
that this interesting specimen of the
British gentleman adventurer has any
use for tall talk. for he was constantly
self-deprecatory; but his tales Of this
and that in the South Seas. in India
and Afghanistan. in Africa and the
Orient hurry the Imagination.
Expects to See Lloyd George.
He Is on his way to see Lloyd George,
whom he knew years ago, to ask the
Premier's help in locating his two Anzao
sons, Major Sam and Lieut.. Harold, from
whom he hasn't had q word in seven
months and who have been in the British
army since the first ]. 900 took ship from
New Zealand. He doesn't believe they
were killed or seriously wounded. other
wise there would have been word from
the British War Office but he can't I'M
derstand their silence, particularly as he
read. with something Of a start, this
wedding item in copy OF the London
Times the other day:
n
rs, at ST. Mary's, West Kenslngton.
Harold Norton to Stella Davidson.
daughter of Lieut.-Col. Davidson. A.
and S. Highlanders. and Mrs. David
son, Argyll Mansions. West Kensing-
ton. granddaughter OF Nine. Annes-
ley of Quillebaudy, France"
Pater has the not unnatural notion
that Son Harold might have spent a
shilling or two with the cable company
in the transmission 10 New Zealand OF
the news of this important family occur
renee. so he Is England bound to look
now not only for two missing sons but
for a totally unexpected daughter-in-law.
The public press has carried no mention
whatever of Major Sam, so far as the
old gentleman can find. but he is sure
Sam is on the top side Of luck. for neither
son got a scratch in four years of war
But enough OF that" remarked Mr..
Norton. Let me tell you something
about New Zealand, where a man can
live on $40 week and save money;
where We bought the finest cuts Of meat
at eight cents the pound right through
the war; where eggs never rise to more
than three or four cents dozen, and
where a family of five can enjoy a splen-
did dinner for a shilling. If the world
A. ~ a L..
New Zealand. I suspect; for dear heaven.
your prices in America are-oh, l find
no words to describe them!'
In the Days Of Maori Cannibals.
Naturally his gentle odyssey of world
wandering began upon the blessed isle
of the South Seas. His parents, n Bir
mingham man and London woman.
went there In 1887, in the days when the
Maoris had a taste for white flesh and
had not gained the liking for rabbits
which they subsequently formed. He
was born few weeks after his parents
landed and It was touch and go for sew
eral years as to whether he would en-
dure to succeed Charles Dickens as
House OF Commons reporter or whether
he would contribute his bit to the vigor
OF Maori chief But the family clung
TO the coast line and spent much time
trading with the islands, so the Maorls
didn't get him.
Therefore. say" he continued,
though I could not prove it, that I was
the first white child born in New Zealand
who escaped the Maori, pot. At my
parents sent me to England to school,
and at Manchester. years later. / met
Lloyd George, who was Of course much
younger than myself. Eventually l be-
came a printer and was In the employ
OF the famous Sir Sidney Waterlow, who
had 1900 mon in his establishment
Later still became a newspaper writer
and that became my life work. In the
meantime I served seventeen years as
reporter in the House, succeeding Charles
Dickens. whom knew well. and making
the acquaintance and I believed the
friendship of many of England's notable
men-Mr. Gladstone, John Bright, Sir
William Harcourt, Joe Chamberlain, Mr..
Balfour. James Bryce and many more OF
course.
81 have always been q wanderer and
In the scope of my wanderings I have
served in seventeen campaigns under the
British flag as a correspondent for Brit
ish papers or syndicate3 Of papers. II
was with Kitchener in border campaigns
In India, followed Bobs into Afghanistan.
went through the Boer War and then
had a shot at the Russo-Japanese affair,
though that was a disappointment be-
cause the Japs bottled us and news pick
ings were very poor. Before that / had
done the Franco-f'russian war and
few other wars or near wars"
But 1t was on the topic OF New Zea-
land that the father in search of his
sons waxed most eloquent.
Even the Sands Are Perfection.
at is earths paradise" he said, sim
ply. Mature has made perfect high
ways of the very sands of the beach,
and II Is a beach 1000 miles in length.
The sand is white and as firm as as
phalt and the road is fresh after every
tide. There is nothing more glorious
than TO drive upon these beach roads
at early morning or evening. New Zea-
land has been good TO me and to my
family. Under one OF our land holdings,
thousand acres, we found some years
ago solid bed of asbestos under eight
feet of soil--stuff so white and soft
and light that II is pleasure to see
and to touch. They tell me 1t has made
me millionaire.
I'VE have no politicians In New Zea-
land" he continued. Men are elected
TO office when the people are satisfied
that they are the right men or the
right women, for we gave woman her
rights long ago. 1t Is a happy land"
Three Brooklyn Boys Disappear.
William Vncca of 1908 Ridge boule-
of Brooklyn last night that his son,
nj AiSaY raI