Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1894-12-06
ROYAL PAGES.
The Boys In Blue and silver who wait on
KinRe and Queens.


Kings and Queens.
II Is only at the imperial and royal
courts OF Europe that "the pretty page
with the dimpled chin" so sweetly
sung by the poet, and who constituted
one of the most picturesque and ro-
mantle features Of mcdimvil times,
still survives.
Royal and imperial pages range in
age from twelve TO sixteen years. They
are appointed by the sovereign, enjoy
pay. prerogatives and perquisites,
much as do the grown-up attendants
on royalty and are prescribed certain
definite duties. The duties are, possi-
bly,, no more important than in the
days OF yore, when there was no postal
service and the love-lorn princess was
forced TO rely upon the secrecy and the
fidelity Of her page for the conveyance
of messages TO her knight or trouba-
dour. But tact and discretion in per-
forming them are probably more neces-
sary now than ever, owing TO the
popular craving for information coh-
cerning the personal and home life of
emperors and kings, and the attempts
are often made TO extract information
of this kind from the pages or persons
who imagine that because they are
young their tongues are likely 10 be
loose.
To toughen them against such at
tempts and qualify them for this SER
vice the royal pages are subjected to
very careful training. At the court of
St. Petersburg, for instance, there is a
~
are educated and maintained at the ex-
pense OF the crown.
Gentle BIRTH is the first qualification
for the post of royal page At the
courts of Vienna and Munich an ances-
try of no less than sixteen generations
free from plebleian strain on either
fathers or mothers side Is required In
the candidates. In England and Rus
sia so long a nobility Is not demanded.
The pages of honor in the court of
Queen Victoria are generally the sons
of distinguished officers of the army or
of high dignitaries of the royal house
hold. Thus, among the lads who at
present hold the Office Of pages of
honor to the queen, are the fourteen
year-old Sir Albert Seymour.
At the court Of Berlin the pages fig
ure at all state ceremonies clad, like
those of England, in blue and silver,
and at the court banquets they stand
behind the chairs Of the royal and inn
perial personages. These personages,
on rising from the table sometimes adj
dress few kindly words to the boys,
and present them with sweetmeats
from the epergnes Indeed, the late
Emperor Frederick was wont TO amuse
himself by examining their mouths full
of bonbons until they could not speak,
and then plying them with questions
demanding an immediate answer, or
else cracking jokes that were sure TO
make them laugh. These pages are
chosen for the occasion only from
among the best looking boys of the
School of Cadets, nearly all the men,
bers of which are of noble birth. This
School of Cadets is a sort OF German
West Point, but the pupils enter at the
age of fourteen and receive their COM
missions as officers at a much earlier
age than in this country.
At the court of ST. Petersburg the
corps of pages is a sort Of imperial
school where a number OF lads, sons of
noblemen and state dignitaries, both
civil and military, are educated at the
czar's expense and under his supervi-
sion. On attaining their eighteenth
year they usually obtain commissions
as officers of the regiment Of Chevalier
guards. The czarina maintains sim
liar institution for girls, who, on
graduating, receive the titular APP
pointment Of maid of honor TO her
majesty.
At the court Of France, as long as
there was one, similar provision was
made for education Of the pages at the
sovereign's expense. They were care
fully taught how 10 write, they had a
special riding school at Versailles, and
they were instructed in fencing. Their
uniform was OF royal blue with gold
buttons. and one Of their duties was 10
attend upon the sovereign when he
went out walking or driving. II must
have been no joke to be page 10 King
Louis XVIII. lie was so enormously
fat that IL was impossible for him 10
walk. Yet as he was accustomed 20
| devour two dozen lamb chops for
breakfast, and two fat capons on walk
ing In the middle OF the night, and to
eat at other times in proportion, he
had TO take exercise; and 30 a special
carriage was constructed for him
which had no springs or straps behind.
and went jolting over the cobble stones
with which Paris and Versailles were
paved In those days, In a manner quite
terrific. However wholesome such
jolting may have been for the king, II
must have been very uncomfortable
] for the pages, whose duty II was 10
stand behing the royal carriage or on
the doorstep at either side. An old
relative Of mine. the Marquis de Chan
aleilles. who died only a few months
ago, had related 10 me the torturea
which he endured as one OF these poor
pages. Louisville Courier-Journ
largest spring In tho World.
The largest and most wonderful
spring OF fresh water In the world a
on the Gulf coast OF Florida, In Her
nando county. The Wekochee river, n
stream large enough 20 float small
steamer, Is made entirely OF water
sponted from this gigantic natural
well, which is ninety eight feet In diam.
eter and about seventy or eighty feet
deem The urafar A. aafd A.. L.. - =