Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-09-10
ROYAL TELEPHONES.
All the Palaces Of Europe Provided
with the Instrument.
Queen Victoria Was Very Reluctant to
Adopt the Invention, But the Prince
of Wales and Emperor william
Are More Up-to-Date.

of Wales and Emperor william
Are More Up-to-Date.
Now that Queen Victoria has at
length permitted the installation of the
telephone at Windsor castle, Osborne
house and Balmoral and Buckingham
palace, there is not sovereign in Eu-
rope who does not utilize this instru-
ment for communicating royal and i'm
perial wishes, as well as commands to
subjects and officials. Even the pope,
who has lately decided that, while a con-
fession may be heard over the telephone,
the priest cannot use the wire for the
purpose of granting absolution, has had
receiver installed in his private apart
ments, by means of which he often COM
municates with the Propaganda Eide,
which is situated on the other side of the
Tiber. and at a considerable distance
from the vatican. 1t is generally his
valet, Cintra, who does the talking over
the wire for him, but he occasionally
speaks over it himself, and only the
other day, when n Jesuit priest was
taken suddenly i'll during private au-
dience, the pope rushed to the little
red-lined booth and personally called
up the Jesuit college.
King Leopold is enabled, by means of
the telephone, TO communicate with his
ministers at Brussels, without leaving
either his palace at Lalen or his marine
residence at Ostend. When, year ago,
the little king of Spain was prostrated
with the measles, and secluded at one
end of the huge palace at Madrid, the
queen regent was able to hold inter
course with him, located in distant
wing of the ediiice, not only daily, but
almost hourly, over the wire.
Queen Victoria, however, is so ultra
conservative that it is most difficult to
get her consent to any modern innova-
ton, and it was only two years ago that
she permitted the installation of cleo
trio light in the state apartments of
Windsor. Previously electricity, as well
MS gas. had been uncompromisingly
barred from her private apartments.
Yet it is almost impossible to aggregate
the Importance of thus placing the vari-
Gus residences of the queen in telephone
communication with London, as far as
trar saction cf official business is con-
cerned.
Until now, whenever the queen was
desirous of consulting one of her con-
stitutonal advisers upon any point, or
when any cabinet minister had some
matter of urgency to impart to her
majesty, the unfortunate dignitary had
to travel all the way from Windsor 10
Ealmoral-a "a hours journey-or to
Osborne, which entailed u sea trip across
the stormy Solent, very often for the
sake OF only ten minutes talk with the
sovereign. Then, too, Lord Salisbury
and even Mr.. Chamberlain, both of them
lusy men, have had to spend a good deal
of their time explaining matters to the
queen in writing, the library et Buck
ingham palace containing many vol.
umcs of letters such as these written to
the queen by her various ministers
through her long reign of well-nigh co
years. llenccforth the queen will be
in position to be consulted by her min
isters at a moments notice, which will
greatly simplify matters.
In the same proportion that the queen
is old-fashioned in her views, in her sur
| roundings, in her manner and in her OPP
pearance, so is the prince Of Wales up to
date. Marlborough house and Sand
ringham are fitted up with telephones
and electric lights, in the most approved
style. Should the prince survive his
mother, his advent 20 the throne is like
ly to be marked by all sorts of innova-
tions, which will have the effect Of sim
plifying the present intricate manner
of conducting the business of state.
In this respect he resembles his
nephew, Emperor William, of Germany,
whose prediction for the telephone is
n source of disgust to the various gov
ernment officials at Berlin. There are
instruments in his library and working
| room, rs well as in number of other
of the imperial apartments, and he is
all day long engaged in ringing up one
government official or another, or else
talking with his friends and courti2rs
over the wire. He seems to find the same
pleasure in calling up the various gov
ernment departments over the telc-
phone that he does in alarming the vari-
Gus garrisons at night time, being cvi-
IDENTIFY under the impression that by so
doing he keeps the officials strictly at
tentive to their duties, and convinced
that if not the eye, at any rate the ear,
of the emperor is upon them.
Although it may flatter the pride of
the telephone people at Berlin to have
the emperor among the subscribers OF
tn system, yet he gives them far more
trouble than any other subscriber. For
when he telephones to any of the gov
ernment departments the operators at
the central Office are under the strctest
orders to abstain from listening to the
conversational. Y. Mail and Express.
Withering.
81 hab de pleasure oh announcin' dat