Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1891-09-12
McroRlss rArHeR N AMERICA.
The Duke OF Kent Lived I'm Nova SCOTIA
for Seven Years.


About seven miles west OF the center
OF Halifax, near tho head Of Bedford
Basin, Is n beautiful spot, now much
used as a picnic ground. which every
Haligonian knows as The Princes
Lodge" II Is part OF the estate in old
Res leased by Sir John Wentworth
Duke Of Kent for his royal resi-
Dnce during the seven years that that
\prince, the father OF Queen Victoria,
Xed ia Nova Scotia. Sir John Went
Rorth has his country residence there
and called IL, In allusion to Romeo
aud Juliet" "Friar Lawrence's Cell" :"
The duke enlarged tho original house
uatil IL was u fine two-storied villa,
somewhat In the Italian style, with ex-
tensiye wings at the north aud south
aud great hall aud drawing rooms in
the center.
Back OF the house were stables for
his horses, aud the grounds. though
rustic and having oil the marks that
nature had originally put upon them.
contained many charming surprises.
His royal highncss who was ut this
time commander Of all fhe forces in
North America. had a telegraph bat
terry on an adjoining hill, by means of
which he could send his orders to the
citae 81 In town. In the neighborhood
OF the lodge were artilicers of various
sorts, so that the place was like little
feudal town. Indeed, tho prince him
--self used to put his hand to the jack
-e or drive the cross-cut saw, asd |
~e was little that went on that
rsonally oversee.
rict dlsciplinaran, but
- and affable in social
lily interested in young
6m he often did much.
lis ySo6 na6 hot been luxurious one,
Aandhe inherited many OF the sin, pie
tastes Of his father plain old Farmer
George" which. on the whole COM
mended him to Nova Scotians. So
ciety in Halifax in those days was
very gay, and II Is said that the prince,
by his moderation in the use of wine,
and by refraining entirely from cards,
had good influence over the young
men of the town. To cure intemper-
ance among his men it is said he used
TO make them turn out at 5 o'clock in
the morning for drill, which, of course,
made late hours away from barracks
impossible.
His punishments were very severe.
For one poor soldier he ordered 600
lashes on his bare back. and on the
grounds OF the lodge is shown cave
whers another was confined for Two or
three years until he died. Once or
twice, 1t is said, men committed sui
eide from fear of his punishments.
Prince Edwards friend and COM
panion during his Nova Scotia life was
a clever French woman. Mime. Al
phonsie Therese Bernadine Julie de
Montgenet de st. Laurent Baronne de
Fortisson. whom he first met in Mar
Unique. and who. when he married the
queens mother. retired to convent.
The Halifax people were dazzled
by the presence Of royalty among
them. and when the princes seven
year term had expired 1t took society
a long time to settle down to its nor
NAL condition. In 1900 the Duke OF
Eent began the erection OF the present
citadel In Halifax. first removing the
old insecure forljlications. aud then
building the massive walls that now
inclose the fort A conspicuous mon
umssnt of his royal highness still re.
naming IS the square wooden clock
tower below the glacis, directly abo .e
the middle the town,-HaTpsr'