Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1897-04-28
APPLE WOMA ICKS.
A Unique Parsonage Who Pestered Par
lament For Long Time.


lament For q Long Time.
Up to the year 1S43 there stood
an old conduit at the east end of the
Serpentine in Hyde park, London,
which had once been connected with
miniature waterfall Here an APP
pie woman, Ann Hicks by name,
drove thriving business in the sale
of apples, gingerbread, nuts and
other comestibles dear to the heart
of the British schoblboy, until her
shelter was demolished and her es-
tablishment reduced to mere open
stall with a canvas covering.
But adversely only served to de
velop AIMS great qualities, and she
Immediately became letter writer
of the highest order She first adj
dressed herself to Lord Lincoln.
then chief commission of woods
and forests, stating her hardship
and asking permission to construct
locker for the safe disposal of her
wares at night-a request which
was deemed reasonable and was at
once granted.
Encouraged by her success, she
next made application to be allowed
to build a brick Enclosure, as the
wooden locker was insecure. This,
after some hesitation, was unwill-
ingly con ceded, and Ann, whose
ideas were evidently of the most adj
vanced liberal type, put wide in
depreciation on the permission and
converted the brick inclosure into a
little room, which had not only q
door, but window as well.
A third communication stated that
her locker was not large enough.
Might she make it higher, to give
space forA the safe storage of her
ginger beer bottles? Again the APP
plication was successful, though the
height was limited to five feet.
Once more she wrote, this time to
ask permission to repair the roof,
and when the request was granted
it was found that the repairs in
Guided the projection of a little
chimney and the construction of a
fireplace, on which Ann performed
culinary operations.
But now she was troubled by the
ubiquitous schoolboy, who had the
impertinence to look in at the VIM
dow so a fifth application was dis
patched asking leave to put up a few
hurdles to keep him at respectful
distance Then the hurdles were
gradually moved outward, and a
small garden was inclosed, and so
by degrees the white cottage, as
it came to be called, assumed all the
dimensions and Importance of lit
tie estate
Ann was now in the zenith of her
!, power, but her career, like that of
many another conqueror, was to be
cut short just as her empire was ex-
tending its bounds and she was be-
ginning to hold undisputed sway.
Evil times were at hand.
In 1850 preparations, were being
made for the great exhibition of the
following year, and an order was is
sued for the removal of all obstruc
tons from the park, the white cot
tage being included in the list
But Ann S was. not nature made
to yield without a struggle. She
resolutely refused to move, doubt
less on the principle that an Eng
lish woman S house is her castle, and
her indiscretion even carried her
the length Of departing from the
strict lin1itso of the truth. Her grand
father-so her story ran-had 100.
years before saved George II from
watery grave in the Serpentine and
had consequently been allowed to
raise a permanent erection in the
park besides. which her cottage
had cost her not less than e130
Lord Seymour, then chief COM
missioner, laid the case before the
Duke of Wellington, and that con
queror of conquerors, after investi-
cation, ordered AIMS eviction and
the demolition of her cottage, the
result of seven years concessions
and appropriations.
To soothe her wounded feelings,
an allowance was granted her for
IL months, but though our heroine
accepted the solatium she was by no
means satisfied and placarded the
trees and fences of the park with
notices of her wrongs. For months
she pestered members of parliament
with her story, and at last Mr.. Ber-
nal Osborne yielded to her solicita-
lions, and on certain day in July
1851, the house of commons had the
unique privilege of listening to the
recital Of the imaginary wrongs of
an apple woman.
Full explanations were given, and
Ann, after her brief but brilliant
career, vanished from public view
oy1d poccod rna ro,1,o;,,do,, of lo,,