National Republican., 1883-03-02

day) $2,671, ,040. Independent of this the
queen and the duke of Edinburgh are both
fabulously rich on account Of private fortune.
The latter inherits all the business shrewd.
ness Of his father. Visitors to London rarely
miss seeing Albert hall and the Albert memo
rial which stands near. Well, just south and
west of that is the great property Of South
Kensington, which was made the subject of q
land speculation that would break the heart
OF railway land agent of the mighty west,
its management was SO clever and successful.
II was all managed by the prince consort,
who was grasping sort, and shared with his
royal wife no end Of acquisitiyeness.
The queens own purse, holding something
over $250,000 o year, is not much used, and, as
the sums it has had has been accumulating
for years, and she has herself speculated not
little, the result is evident, and her wealth
is always growing. She never pays for trav-
cling. No matter how numerous her suite,
she receives the free pass from the obsequious
railway men with open hand. Horses and
pigs are something Of fancy, and she has the
finest collection of swine In England. These,
coming in the end to the condition Of pork,
are sold not only in the public markets, but
to the royal household itself.
The land speculation have Just spoken
about was the redemption of that great elbow
of marsh that formerly swept from the south
west slope Of Constitution hill down to the
river, taking In Kensington and Fulham, and
so on down to Putney. The great architect
and engineer, Cubit, completed the plans by
which it was fairly drained. This was done
by an appropriation from parliament, when
it was found that the entire property-some
$1,000 acres-wns owned by land company,
of which tho prince consort was chiefest
stakeholder After that came the location of
the Kensington gardens and museum, and
then the building lots, and the return ON that
move has been about 430,000,O00, and is not
over yet. 1t would I'LL column Of this paper,
closely printed, to give list of her majesty's
possessions. She owns nearly dozen estates,
which are rented, Is q large owner In the
London and Northwestern railway, and is q
holder in the stock of the Peninsular and
Oriental Steamship company, which pays an
enormous dividend and she has material in
terests all over the world whose returns she
looks after as sharply US may be.
Her personal servant, John Brown, Is very
rich too. He has bank account In London
alone of nearly f1 100000. He is the principal
depositor both at Coutts and at Gosling's, and
he holds several handsome properties in his
own name. Her majesty has been very gen.
erous to him, and given him money and lands
with great liberality, have often seen Mr..
Brown. When from time to time officers of
the late campaign have been decorated at
Windsor, only journalists who have served
ms war correspondents have been admitted to
opportunities to witness the investure of
most unheroic soldiers with unwon honors at
the hands Of their sovereign. John Brown
always accompanies her, standing little
behind and to her left. Tall, spare, sharp
featured, with fine blue eyes, and q really
good head, with pleasant demeanor, and
very thin legs, he standsserious and attentive
behind the chair which he has watched and
guarded over for nearly forty-fve years. Mr..
Brown is credited with great personal bravery.
On three occasions when her majestys life
has been attempted he has distinguished him
self by his well-directed efforts to protect the
queen, and on one occasion O successful en-
deavor to hold the would-be assassin. With
the household servants Brown is naturally
enough unpopular. Ho enjoys the confidence
of the queen, and rules the household with a
rod of iron so far as he may. He is an au-
thority on court etiquette, a linguist, speak
ing half a dozen languages fuently, q classi-
cal scholar as we'll, and student Of politics.
i have never head what his origin was, be-
yond the fact that he is Scotch beyond a
doubt and has been in the service of the
royal family since boyhood. Rumor gives it
that the prince ofWales hates him like poison,
and declines to meet him except when forced
to do so by royal command. The queen has
always sought to put him forward, but with
out success exactly, and there are stories aaoat
which l advise you not to believe.