''A Sprig Of Acacia.''

''A SPRIG OF ACACIA . ''

SO much of interest attaches to the late Bro . Richard Eve P . G . T . that we feel no apology is needed for the insertion of the following sketch of his career , which appeared in " Sheldrake's Aldershot Military Gazette . " We have altered our contemporary's " Mr . " Eve to " Bro . " throughout :

It was in the year 1862 , or a little later , that Brother Eve , who was a native of Kidderminster , came from Wales to Aldershot , ar . d from that time it may be truly said that his interests have been wrapped up very closely in its welfare and advancement . Then , of course , a very young , man , Bro . Eve was one of the most active solicitors in the district , and very speedily he made his presence felt ,

the tenacious manner in which he fought for his clients calling him into marked request . His offices for some years were in Victoria Road , the present residence of Dr . Coghlan , as a matter of fact , and from which * he moved , as our readers are aware , into the present premises , that were erected in Station Road at his own orders . For some years he worked absolutely alonebut always extending his

, practice . Very early in his practice here , however , he took into his service Mr . Charles Bateman , who remained in his employ for no less a period . than thirty years , as confidential clerk and manager , discharging himself for some years the office of Clerk to the Aldershot School Board . Owing to advancing years , and a consequent inability

to attend personally to business matters , Bro . Eve took into partnership Mr . Norman Clinton , son of the late respected Mr . William Clinton , of Aldershot , and together the business continued to prosper , Mr . Clinton at the present time proving himself a most apt pupil to his fighting chief .

So far as we have been able to ascertain the deceased has left but very few relations , perhaps a neice or nephew , no closer ties . As a bachelor , he had no home ties , but he spent not a small portion of his time at his residence in Station Road , albeit he had a beautiful place at Kidderminster , and a fine old country farm and residence at the neighbouring village of Frimley . Perhaps that farm and his great love for dogs were the only quiet hobby that Bro . Eve had . He was

essentially a fighting man , an ambitious man , of the right sort , if one might be so permitted to put it , and very early in his career at Aidershot it is found that he asserted those qualifications . He saw the necessity of a man of his position in a town that had an undoubted future before it , holding public office , and he was early afforded the opportunity of making a bid for such . The office of Vestry Clerk

became vacant , and Bro . Eve was fortunate enough to be selected to fill that important post on the iSth of September 1864 , the late Mr . Eggar being the then chairman . Again in October of the same year , Bro . Eve had the opportunity of putting himself forward as a candidate for the office of Clerk to the Burial Board . His opponent was Mr . Bayliss , the then Clerk to the Local Board of Health . Here again he

was fortunate . He was nominated by the Chairman of the Board of that time , the late Mr . Daniel Bateman , and the late Mr . William Sheldrake seconded his appointment , the deceased being elected to the office by five votes to three . Both the offices named he has rilled and discharged the duties thereof up to the time of his death with credit to himself and satisfaction to all concerned .

In the year 1 S 66 Bro . Eve , who by that time had become a leading member of the community , decided to offer his services to his fellow ratepayers . Accordingly at the election for representatives on the Local Board he came forth as a candidate with the late Captain Newcome and the late Mr . Joseph Lazareck . Bro . Eve was not then successful , but something had occurred in the method of conducting

the election , and Bro . Eve disputed the Captain ' s right to retain the seat . The result was that the captain lost his seat , although no blame whatever had attached itself to Captain Newcome . The opportunity wished for , however , for public work was not long in recurring , for before the year was out Bro . Eve had been returned as

one of Aldershot's representatives , and with but one or two breaks he has been a member of the town authority ever since . His last public appearance was at the meeting following the death of his old friend Mr . Lazareck , when it was noted by some that he was by no means up to his usual standard of health . The news of his attack , however , came none the less as a surprise to even his most intimate friends .

In 1 S 77 he came forward as a candidate for School Board work , and he was made a member of that body during the early chairmanship of . the late Mr . Clinton ( one of his staunchest friends in his political work ) . Upon that Board he remained until 1 S 80 , and we may safely say that he has ever taken an active interest in the

educational work of this town . If proof were wanted it need only be pointed out that Bro . Eve has for some years past given annual prizes for competition amongst the scholars of the Board Schools , and nothing seemed to afford him greater delight than to present those prizes at the annual break , up for the holidays . The children will miss alike his kindly gifts and his words of advice on those occasions .

As a County Councillor for the East Ward , with Mr . H . Wells , for the West Ward , he has been able to do much quiet work , and especially as a member of the General Purposes Committee , has he on more than one occasion been able to raise his voice on Aidershot's behalf . It was he who was mainly . ^ instrumental with the

assistance of his co-worker , Mr . Wells , in obtaining additional police , mounted as well as foot , for this town ; and the juries have to thank him for obtaining for them their fees , small though they be . In any matter of finance , too , Bro . Eve always used his best endeavours to see Aldershot obtained its fair quid pro quo .

As president of the Aldershot Institute , and indeed as one who made it possible for the existence of that institution , he will ever be kindly remembered , for his purse may b « said to have always been

''A Sprig Of Acacia.''

open , and certainly his presence at public functions in connection therewith could be always relied upon . It was he who so cordially welcomed , but a year or so ago , the Countess of Airlie and her husband the Earl , whom we all so sincerely mourn , at the opening

of the successful Japanese Fair held at the Institute , and many another important personage , Lady Audrey Buller included , has Bro . Eve welcomed to that building , and had the opportunity of extolling its usefulness , its aims , and its claims upon the public recognition . lost

The Aldershot Volunteer Fire Brigade has , by his demise , its first president—one of the best , for no one could have taken a more active part in the welfare of that important body than Bro . Eve . He worked alike in its interests as its president and as a member of the District Council , where his voice was always raised in anything that tended for its good .

He was president of the Aldershot Bowling Club from its beginning , years ago . He was the solicitor of the Aldershot Market Company , and also the solicitor of the Theatre Company . Our neighbours at Farnborough by his death have lost the lord

of the manor , and , in many ways , Bro . Eve has won the respect of the inhabitants of that rising parish . It was he who met the late Mr . Henry Dever , the then Chairman of the Farnborough District Council , half way in the matter of providing Farnborough with a recreation ground .

It was not a generally known fact that Bro . Eve was a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society . He was also a member of the Imperial Institute ; a trustee of the National Liberal Club , and a Director of the Club Company ; he was also one of the three trustees of the National Sunday League , in the welfare of which , in common with his friend , Sir John Hutton , he took a very deep interest , and of which he has always been the honorary solicitor .

As already stated , Bro . Eve was a fighting solicitor , but he will be most remembered in his profession as the solicitor who was engaged by , and who at the request of Mr . Wilfrid Blunt , went out with the Hon . Napier to conduct the defence of Arabi Pashi , the fallen Egyptian monarch . He also used his legal attainments as champion of common rights , and our older readers will well remember the uncompromising fight that he fought with Mr . Pain ,

at Frimley . For nearly a week , in the law courts , did he contest that gentleman ' s right to close one of the prettiest pathways that run over the common land in the Frimley district , and it is a matter of history too , how he was successful in that fight . In any case that was being conducted for the preservation of common rights Bro . Eve was ever an interested follower , and the Footpath and Commons Preservation Society had certainly no more ardent member or supporter .

The two great aims of his life must , however , be said to have been to rise in the ranks of Masonry and to occupy a seat at Westminster . In the former he was pre-eminently successful , but in the latter , fickle fortune , though often courted , never smiled upon him . As an individual there are few men who have done more for Masonry and its charities than had Bro . Eve , the Past Grand

Treasurer of England . A Mason when he came to Aldershot , the deceased gentleman at once identified himself with the Panmure Lodge , and it must always be a proud memory to that Lodge to know that one of its members should only a few days before his death have received from the first gentleman of the land , His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales himself , a letter wherein His Royal

Highness assured his brother Mason , in sympathetic terms , that he would be cordially welcomed back into the active ranks of the Order . The " Daily News , " too , speaking of the death , rightly observed that " Liberalism had lost an active soldier , and Masonry one of its most prominent members . " Not so very long ago H . R . H . the Prince of Wales also nominated the deceased gentleman to a seat on the

Board of General Purposes , one of the highest honours that could be accorded him , and another high token of the respect and esteem in which he was held in the order was forthcoming when a " Richard Eve" Lodge was founded . It would be difficult to tell of all the good that he has done for Masonic Charities , or of the undying interest that he took in the Royal Masonic Institution for Boys , and

in connection with which he was the chairman of the Board of Management . As a matter of fact , Bro . Eve practically re-modelled that institute , and set it upon its present satisfactory solid basis . His death will remove an active worker from Masonic circles , and a really brilliant and witty speaker from all its social functions . In politics , Bro . Eve was an out and out Liberal , some would

say an out and out Radical . At any rate he sought for no quarter , but stuck to the guns of his choice to the last . It is common knowledge that had he but gone over to the ranks of Unionism , the North Hants Division would have been pleased to have returned him as member for the constituency . Suffice it to say that he never went

back in his politics . It would have been a proud moment in Bro . Eve ' s life had he in any one of his elections been returned , but though he never did succeed he never lost faith in the well-worn motto " Try , try , try , again . " He did try , and he used his money , gave his time , and threw his whole energies into the cause of his adoption , and . never lost his faith in William Ewart Gladstone .

It was as far back as 1885 that Bro . Eve unsuccessfully contested the North Hants constituency against the then Mr . Sclater Booth , afterwards Lord Basing , in the Liberal interests . It was a fearfully hard fight , and in which Bro . Eve , as stated , was unsuccessful . He again unsuccessfully endeavoured to wrest in 18 S 7 the seat from the

present member , Mr . A . F . Jeffreys . Meanwhile in 1886 he had also fought two contests with Mr . Ritchie , the President of the Board of Trade , for the seat of St . George ' s in the East , being defeated , however , at the general election of that year , and again at the bye one about two months later , when Mr . Ritchie accepted office . His own home , Kidderminster , was the next scene of Bro . Eve's electioneering activity , and there in 1893 and again in 189 ; be coa «