Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1890-10-24
HER COUNTRY HOME,
THE RURAL RESIDENCE OF ENG
LANDS MIGHTY QUEEN,

Smoking Nook-A Royal cooperative
Museum-The New B%anqueting Hail..
The first thing that strikes the visitor to
Osborne is that her majesty has a capital
eye for situation. She occupies the western
wing, which juts out considerably from the
main building. From her rooms she can
look straight down the wooded slope to
the shore and right across the Solent-a
charming mixture of meadow and thicket
and water dotted with snowy sails. The
equerries and staff live around the corner,
and, like Dick Swiveller, command a CAPT
tai view of over the way. The terrace in
front of Osborne has a stiff, prim look
about it, and you catch yourself thinking
of the first book Of Euclid as you glance
around. But there is a glorious vine tree
running along a jutting pier which takes
away something of the bare mathematical
appearance, and would have gladdened the
heart of Capt. Cutie. The workmen have
strict orders not to scrape the lichens from
the stairs and balustrades in their clean.
ings up; the queen delights in the appear.
ance Of antiquity they give. There is very
little statuary in the grounds; but on the
southwestern side, facing each other across
the pathway, are two splendid antlered
stays, cast in the same mold rs the pair
which form a prominent feature in the
grounds at Balmoral.
The new wing which is being built on
the western side is already of imposing ap-
pearance. What u splendid banqueting
hall this will be. The size is go by 80 feet,
and the work of the most solid description.
The iron girders across the roof weigh
each two and a half tons, and the walls
have been strengthened with iron in a way
that would make the ordinary builder
open his eyes. The corridors around the
hall are very spacious, and elaborate ar
engagements have been made so that the
dishes from the kitchen can be delivered
down both sides simultaneously. The
building alone will, it is said, cost e12,0 900.
IN MEMORY OF BROWN.
The fruit garden and Conservatives at
Osborne are not of much account. Suffi-
Gent egrapes and dollhouse flowers are
grown to provide for the queens table, but
many things are daily sent down from
Windsor. The head gardener is an English
man. 1t is very hot in the grounds at o.
borne, and the visitor will be glad to rest
himself on the neat granite seat erected
along one of the p~athways-as the inscrip-
ton on it records-to the memory of the
late John Brown. It appears that when
ever the faithful henchman could get away
from service he liked to come to this shady
spot to smoke his pipe. Whenever he was
missed the attendants first sought him
here. A brother Of his-a fine, stalwart
Highlandman-is now in charge of the
lodgegate.
Down by the sea is a jetty, which is used
by the royal family for boating and yacht
ing purposes. There is q bathing machine
here, and just beside it is a curious range
ment to enable the ladies and children to
battle in comfort and safety. 1t is a great,
gayly painted barge with hollow center,
something like a canoe. The bottom of this
is so arranged that when the craft is run
along it's rails into the sea the water comes
in and the hollow space becomes a tank in
which a child might wobble about till it
turned into a water baby. A royal road to
learning-how to swiml
Perhaps the most interesting sight about
Osborne is the Swiss chalet and the delight
full garden surrounding it. Here is pleas
ant record of the family of her majesty,
Those tall bushes over there were planted
many years ago by the queen and the prince
consort-these smaller ones by their differ
ent sons and daughters; the tiny ones by
their grandchildren. Each tree has a plaque
underneath telling by whom it was planted
and when. That umbrella pine was planted
by the queen in 1862, in memory of the
prince consort. Further on, and side by
side, are two stately bushes-living mem
cries of the marriage day of the Prince and
Princess of Wales. These W represent
the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, and
the latest pair stand for Princess Beatrice
and Prince Henry of Battenberg. The royal
children were trained-among other things
in gardening here, and each Of them had
q bit of ground to keep in order. Every
thing is just as it was when they were chill
dren, and the gardener will show you their
different plots, which are side by side, and
all exactly alike. There is a neat tool
house, in which are ranged their little
wheelbarrows, spades, etc., and the donkey
cart in which they drove their produce to
market. Everything is marked with their
different initials.
THE ROYAL MUSEUM.
Here also is a museum with u part fitted
up for each member of the royal family,
and there are some wonderful curios
shown by the Prince of Wales and his
brothers, got during their foreign wander.
ings-strange animals shot by themselves,
crocodiles from the Nile, tigers from India,
bustards, deer; all ann of strange gifts
from different savage chieftains, elephants
tusks given Sir Garnet Wolseley at Ulundi,
and a very special Egyptian mummy-no
doubt of the bluest blood of his time. The |
chalet itself is aquaint building, the upper
part of which is fitted up for the queen.
Down below live the keeper and his wife
former hale, CHEEKY looking cockney,
whose 70 years lie lightly on him. He
Is a man with a history. He was in tt 9
service of Earl Beaconsfeld, and for many
years acted as coachman to the late Dean
Stanley. Through the influence of Lady
Augusta Stanley he obtained his present
place some seven years ago, and the queen
has no more devoted servant. But all her
servants speak well Of her. Most of her
work. they say, is done in one or other of
The marques erected by the house, and
they add that she sticks at it early and
late. There is one continual stream Of
bearing documents to be at
;ended to. And If, in addition to state
business, one thinks of the points which
arise in connection with a property like
Osborne, on all OF. which, | was tcld, her
majesty herself has something to say. it is
Easy to understand why her daughters
nave to beg her to be more punctual at the
O'Clock dinner!-Pal Mall Gazette.