National Republican., 1874-05-07
OLDEST INHABITANTS.
INTERESTING PERSONAL REMTYIs
CENCES OFMRS. AENE RoYALL.

MEMOIRS OF THELATE EDTTREss OF 18th
PAUL FRY'' AND 1.-THE HUNTRESs"
HER EARLY, ROMANTIC AND ADvEN
TURoUS CABRERA ROUGH EXTERIOR
BUT A KIND AND GENEROUS HEART.
There was a very interesting meeting OF th
'Conscript Fathers" OF our city yesterday eV'
ming at the City Hall, DR.. ]. B. Blake presiding
and J. Carroll Brent acting as secretary. Ant
the usual routine business was transacted, tn
venerable Jas. LaWrenson, elected Q member a
the last meeting was welcomed and made sui
able acknowledgement, and promised, at the mex
meeting, to give his "reminiscences Of Washingto
since 1884 A work by Judge Tucker Of Virgins
printed by Jacob Gideon. jr., In 1872, and put
lshed by Jos. Milligan Of Georgetown, was pre-
sented by Mr.. S. P. Tustin, and thanks giyer
Then John Bowling, esq, in accordance with sr
invitation at the last meeting, was called upon u
give his "reminiscences of Mrs Anne RoyalL whicl
he did, giving many interesting facts of her earl
career before her advent in Washington, AM
hitherto very little known to the public. A com
plimentary vote Of thanks for the interesting ad
dress was unanimously passed after its conclu
tfen. The following is the address:
PERSONAL "REMINISCENCES OF MRS. ANNE RoEALI
BY John Bowling, esq.
NJ President and Geatlemen Of the Society Of oIdes
Inhdbtants:
By the kind partIalIty Of this venersbie assc
citation, as indicated by its unanimous vote at on
last meeting, lin view Of my supposed opportunI
ties, ] have been requested to give some persona
"reminiscences of the late Mrs. Anne Royal. 81
we'll known, in a general way, to our older inhab
itants for her eccentric oddty OF manners srIsInI
from peculiar accidents Of her early life, known
letme say, to but very few. Had her early histor,
been known her bruSque and rather masculine
manners and striking individuality of character
would think, have been covered by the mantle
OF charity In many cases where she was misunder-
stood and hastily condemned as q selfish and
heartless eeggsr and pestilent scold.
I'm the whole course Of my long experience
haVeneVer known any one whose innate character
and real nature were so little known or under
stood BY superficial observers Of her conduct, as
think will be manifest from q plain and candid
statement of the leading facts in her singular and
romantic life. At one time could have given
names and the day and date for what I say, out
in despite Of my conceded tenacity of memory, 1
cannot do that now, but will state, without pre-
tense to precision, substantially, such cIrcum-
stances in her life will account, II not atone,
for her oddities, and give better insight into her
true character than has hitherto perva6ed the
popular mind. In view Of her varied life and ad-
Venturous history, have often thought and said
that, If those who condemned her for want Of con-
fOrmity to the received standard Of propriety and
conduct, and even tried to have her convicted in
the May term Of 1922 as a common scold, and
which resulted in q fine Of ten dollars in July or
August following, knew her true nature-her ex-
ceeding beneVoleDce and warmth OF hesrt-asI
and her moro intimate friends did, they would
never have treated her Yagaries and eccentrici-
ties In such harsh, unrelenting and uncharitable
manner, as though they originated In mean mo-
tiVes, and, in intent, were positive crimes Twas
then living in Mt. Sterling, KY, making my first
essay in life as publisher Of q weekly newspa-
per; but, gentlemen, thought land in this, 1
think, you will agree with me) 1t was very small
business, considering her advanced age, and that
her many good qualities Of head and heart and
her unquestiOned virtue and integrity so far out
weighed the eccentricities Of character which
rendered her amenable to the charge of teehnI-
cal violation Of an old, obsolete statute.
Well, gentlemen, ! will never forget the day
when first met Mrs. Anne Royal. I think It
was in the afternoon, in October 1873. was then
learning the printing business, and living with
the late Jonathan Elliot, publisher Of the WGsh-
ingoH City Gazette, few doors east Of Shilling
toms corner, on Pennsylvania avenue; and not
having acquired at the time any great knowledge
of 1.-THE art preservative Of all arts )" was almost
daily assigned to duty in the counting room, or
front office" as it was called to attend to calls
or answer questions as to the absence of the ed
itor, &c. While thus engaged, and sitting alone
an old lady-about hfty-fve or slxty-calIed to
see the publisher, and, he not being in, she &C.
cepted my offer Of a seat, and, fixing her large
piercing eyes upon me, commenced Interviewing |
me" in manner SO searching and exhaustive |
that the modern Paul Pry's Of the newspaper |
press could not excel her in cross-Questioninx |
My age; the facts Of my parents death, on east |
street. in 1919; the character aud extent Of my ed
ucation, and, in fact, everything connected with |
my brief career, she mastered very quick, and, as
the sequel demonstrated, never to the day of her
death forgot She was peculiarly interested in
the welfare Of struggling orphans, and especially
In cases where they eVinced any respectable
amount Of talent and intelligence; and the unpro-
tected situation Of my brother Thomas and my
self as "houseless orphans" (as she occasionally
,alled US in her Paul Pry, the HERtress, and some
Of her bOoks,) ELECTED her heartfelt sympathy,
and made her our fast friend through life.
As the proprietor did not return as soon as ex-
pectsd she asked me If knew anything about the /
history of the District Of Columbia, remarking
hat she had made inquiries OF q dozen aged per-
IONS ofsOme pretensions, who ought to have known,
md yet could get no satisfactory answer. told
her tnat knew very little personally, but had
ateIy read "Warden's History Of the District"
printed in Paris, in English, and had CLEANED
hereby some general facts, some Of which men,
ioned This, Of course, pleased her very much,
md especially as I promised 1.-THE work being
carce, and having been returned TO the owner)
% write down such facts as could remember
The promise 1 complied with, and she incor-
'orated the rude sketch in her Forthcoming book
'ftravels in the South or the "Black Book,"
Orget which.
This gentlemen, was the beginning Of nv &C
uaintanee with the unique and remarkable
haracter Of whom 1 have been called upon to
peak, and gratitude, being 9 leading and re-
eemtng trait in her character, the trI1ing cour-
esy displayed on that OCCASION the sequel will
how, was never forgotten by herself or her
riends.
Mrs. Royal possessed q compact, round form,
nd her masculine tone Of voice, piercing, large,
ark-blue eyes and independence of manner
10 one who saw her will ever forget, especially
Then excited by anger. After our long CONVEX
alton was brought to a close, (and the publisher
OF rctnrning) she desired to be introduced to the
oreman, John a. N. Duncanson) and at once |
shered her into his presence, announced her
ame informed him she had q novel (''The Ten
esseean') prepared for the press and wished to |
now It's cost, &c. An animated conversation be-
Ween herself and the foreman soon sprung up |
nd her tone Of voice and manner being some. I
hing out of the common waY, the dozen appren. }
ices or SO In the eomposngroom broke into i'm '
Moderate nts Of laughter, which excited the old Q
aay into strain Of the most terrible denuncia- '
.<1 eRd InveetfVe ever listened to, forming o | a
erfect contrast between Mrs. Royalls aniable
iacidity in the front once and her fiery and fierce
TO what she considered an nl-man-
erred insult in "the back Office" She told them
hat "It was very easy to see, from their want Of
manners ane decency, that. they came of low pa
ents, were vagabonds raised in the dirt" &C.,
their conduct with mine, when, in
act, had ! been in their place, with no previous
cquaintance, it is probable the general example
night have rendered me equally guilty with the
outhful victims OF her fierce abuse. 1t is hard
o say, If our circumstances had been changed,
low 1 would have acted. Perhaps no better. q.
The interview with Mr.. Duncanson having
nded, 1 accompanied her to the door, and before
'arting, she told me she had been not quite o
Teek in thu city; WIS stopping with family
amcd Dor -ett, in the rear Of the Old Brick Capt.
ol, on Capitol Hill; had came from Alabama, and
vas engaged in writing q book OF travels and
Eould be happy to see myself and my brother ct
ny time, as she had seen q good deal Of the
Torld and could entertain, II not instruct rs, by
etaIling anecdotes about what she had heard or
cen in her travels. We often visited her, as re-
uested. Ii
This, gentleman, is the accidental way in which
made the acquaintance Of Mrs. Royal, and now /.
~ T""ts in her life az recol. |
of some or the gsHsEes - tsS'' I
L.