The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-04-12
:. MAGMA CHARTA

Here IS a bit of sushv information ,ha, is al presen. going inc rounds ot the pa pers eredIted 10 that chiidrens magazine. is!sye 4.vaSe. Talking of the Magnl Caar,a. II says:
 There was no America so far as the people who lived al that time knew, when this old paper was written upon Amer lca was not discovered for nearly 100 wears ai.er |. l king wiote his name on th,s o paper. and though ne had Writ len hls name on many oiker pieces e. pauer. and they are lost, this one Was very carefully kep, tFaG, harm. though once :. Tel! into he hands of d tailor. who was abeai to cut Il up for pa;terns. and q: another tune .s was almost Ges- ,Foyed by ire.
 Visitors 70 10 look ., i: with erea, in- terest. They m! Il shrlvelled piece oi paper wilh the king name and the great seal oi England on II but they know that II stands for English liberty. and means that-as the poet Thomson wrote in the song. Rule Britannia" Bntons never shall oe slaves. 1, IS called the "Magna Chsra" which means simply the Great Paper" There have been other grea, papers. and other papers that
  5 known the world over as the "t.rea, taper.
 have sometimes thought ,h4; would take cay and correct ali the misstaie- menis that are aoatin. a'oaad. but tae.: i, seemed 70 me that perhaps people n yhi thlak ;ha; ! thought knew loo much.
 have h the pleasure at interviewing the Masn. GhaT;a Pefs9nat.y. ana s'r. Of fee. i; da,y to correc, any misrep.e segtations about he old sheet. iis age may oe oFrectis stated in li.fe i 4ke
 II cert -iaiy looks every yea of il; ba, |. t noi paper. l, has net the kine sig nature, ]; has not he grea, seal Q; Eng land on II. and the puh'.c are no; permit ted 70 see |. knos tha, CT, encyelo- pedla and book on the Magma Char,A says i s snci and that |, has the grea: sea- or II. but am speaking from ] per sonal ..C aainianCc with ;he celebrated document, and insist that II Is neither sigued nor sealed.
 Bat 10 begin d, the beginning. Here Is kow came to see the Magma Chat;a .
 have valued friend m Eagland ,o whom l am indebted for more favors than shall ever be able to repay. This gentleman believes tha; anything can be done II you can only ind man who knows nan.
 He said to me
 = Here Is particular favor you w4ai. There IS he particular man who can grant that particular favor. Now all you have 10 do is 10 ind your man who knows a man who knows another man who knows that particular man. Then you move on the enemy with caution There IS the house tha, lack bull, there IS the nal, ,ha, lay Tn the house that jack built there IS the "a. ,ha, ale the malt :ha; lay ln the house tha; lack built. There IS the cat and the dog and the COW and the maiden and the man. Al of whom were directly interested in the a;asiro- phe tha, took place in the house that Jack buil:.
 :. Now. my boy, f you can ge; proper letter of introduction 10 the man the maiden, ,ae GOV or the dog. don't you sec you ultimately arrive in the house that ac,: built: While f in your bEazen American way you had applied al the house n the tirs, place, you might be told by the footmau, as he closed the door in yoar face. that 'ack was not a, ome'
 .Wha, stupid way Of doing business this is.' said. Now Tn America should go directly ts the chef mai. pre- seni my card and ask for wha, wanted. l would say, Senator Palmer. would like :ac privilege of throwing a few handsprings down the chief aisle Of the senate cham ber or Fresiden, Arthur, would .iHe to slide down the dome of ihe capitol.
 .' You will allow me to observe" sad the Englishman. with that coolness that was characteristic of him. and which was always n raaEked contrast 10 the general impetuouspess of my own remarks, !" that you are totally Tn the wrong. While II Is possible that n your country Senator Palmer, for instance. would Teceive you with afIao.li:y and courtesy which. by the way, you probably would TO: de- serve-ye' al. thc same l imagine that your chances of acrobaiK exceGcsses would be increased If you came to the senator properly authenu sted with an introduction from some one he had on fidence in. HCgian nature IS about inc same on both sides of ;he Ailantic.
 '' B2, wha; aas all this 70 do ~lth ,he Magma Char:s asks an iTnpatier: read CT.
 Well. I'm coming to that. Tae lore going conversation took place 4. res taurant on ,ne Strand. and l had been holding forth on some of the absurd GUS toms of ye English. " Here.- said l. in dignaI,ly, a. l have been trying for a couple of years 10 ge: glimpse of the great charter and nov it seems that | shall have % 90 back 70 America wishou; seeing il. 1T any bi, of parchment, m the country belongs .o ;he people it is the Magma Charta, ard yes II $ kept locked up in the stone barn they call the British Museum. and he people are only allowed 10 look a; photographic copy Of itr
 Ny friend impassiyely replied A.