Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-01-23
QUEEN vlcroala's GARDEN.
Memorial, Trees and q House That the
Prince OF Wales Built.

Queen Victoria considers herself
really Mt home in the private garden Of
Osborne only. says the London Figaro.
For in this little corner of tho Isle OF
Wight alone does the sovereign whose
possessions cover one-seyenth OF the
globe have powers absolute. Else
where, and especially In the parks OF
the royal residences. she Is under the
tsonal monarchy.
The commissioner of public build
ings and works treats the crown as an
institution of which the rights are
strictly limited. Her majesty eau not
cut a tree without the consent OF the
proper official. To escape tins vigil
ance the queen has bought in the
neighborhood of her castle ut Osborne
some acres OF ground where she may
have "A gardener not subject TO changes
Of administration. She has even gone
so far as to disregard for once her po-
sition OF political imDartiaiitv and has
chosen IA former g%ardenerof Lord Bea-
conslield. a man accustomed 10 the
growing Of tory flowers. But any inn
prudence which lie might commit will
not easily reach the public. For while
ii Is easy to get permission to roam
about the grounds of the castle this
little garden is carefully shut of from
visitors. A correspondent of an Eng
lish paper recently had the good for
tune TO get into the Swiss chalet. which
her majesty has made into n family
museum, and to walk about the aisles
of trees where each tree commence
rates aa episode in the history of the
royal house and recalls a day of hap
piness or sorrow.
A short distance from the entrance
to this private garden is a wooden
PLAYHOUSE, built with their own hands
by the prince OF Wales and the duke
| OF Edinburgh in 1867. The heir TO the
crown has missed his vocation. He
clearly had in him the making Of a
notable carpenter. Even TO the pres
ent day the prince is very prond OF his
work, and. whenever he visits Os-
borne, he goes straightway to see if
the playhouse is still standing. Not a
nail has fallen, not "A plank has sprung.
The house, after thirty-four years, is
as solid as AT first.
In the little house are preserved the
! playthings of the royal children. Each
of The cui.iren had little carriages Of
his own. and all are here preserved
with the initials of the own upon
them.
The duke of Edinburgh was n iack
OF all trades. He was a carpenter
with his elder brother. Il mason with
his younger brother. the duke of Con-
naught. The miniature fortress they
built together is still preserved in this
same garden. 1t is made of stone and
brick. and is at least strong enough to
brave the seasons. The princes work
ed under the eyes of their father. who
was trying to teach them the art Of
fertilization.
This fortress has undergone some
assaults. The prince Of Wales, having
his live sisters and the youngest Of his
brothers under his command. attacked
its garrison. the dukes of Edinburgh
and Conuaught. Almost always the
heir apparent carried the parapct and
drove the two dukes into a cascmate.
where they had plenty of arms and
whence hunger alone could dislodge
them.
Nowadays the children of the duch-
ess Of Albany and Of the Princess
Beatrice attack and defend the fort
which their parents, their uncles and
their auuts have so often captured with
great valor after long and gloriou:
sicgcs.
The dav of her oldest daughters
wedding Victoria took a sprig of myr.
tie from the brides bouquet aud plant
ed it in this garden. Ii rooted itself
SO firmly that now it is grown into q
great bush. Every time one Of The
grandchildren marries the myrtle bush
at Osborne is called into requisition.
Not far from tie matrimonial bust
is a row Of mourning trees. In Feb.
ruary, 1862, every member of the
royal family planted a tree 10 perpetu,
ate the memory of the prince consort,
who died in December just before. o
the eight trees, those of the prince o
Wales aud the Princess Alice have
grown most luxuriantly. A little dis
tance away the queen planted the par
asol pine which is her memorial of hel
husband.
In another place are the trees com
memorating marriages-the trees o
the prince and princess OF Wales. O
the duke and duchess of Edinburgh
of the duke and duchess of Connaughi
of the duke and duchess of Albany
aud of the Princess Beatrice and Henri
of ~Battenberg. 1t is in the shade 0
these trees, whose foliage murmur
the memories of happy times, that III
queen likes to take tea during the he
days of August.
Now it is the new generation whic
is taking its turn at tree planting j
this garden devoted TO royal high
nesses. The children of the prince @
Wales and of the duke Of Edinburg
have the place OF honor. But The 10
vading family of Prussia casts rot
little of its shade upon soil whic
should remain exclusively for British
Although the children of the queen
daughters are not represented, III
descent Of the Empress Frederick ha
taken root there. The Princess Vic
tnrin Of Prussia. her sister li,e Prir
cess Sophia. AMI the Prince W alicnlaI
! who died in 1879. have each ii tree
. The collection lacks nothing but tn
tree Of the Emperor William.
After visiting this private garden a
Osborne one can explain the dislik
which Mr.. Gladstone inspires in th
queen. TIE great statesman find
pleasure in cutting down trees; tn
queen gets her enjoyment in the plan!
ing of them.
MIX OF Many C~ocoauuts.