The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-06-10
A Curious Ceremony at
the Tower of London.
Beating Bounds of the Pre-
cincts and Liberties.
Costly Gravel PathsyyWhat a Coffee
Dealer Gets as B:frleS.

Details have just como TO hand OF tho
curious ceremony that takes place every
three years In London on Ascension day
It IS known as beating the bounds OF the
precincts and the liberties OF the Tower
of London. f" The White Tower was tho
scene. The story of the observance says:
Al III O'Clock "a procession was formed OF
the Beefeaters and Lieut. -6en. clark,
who took the place OF the governor oi the
Tower Gen. Milman. This proceeded 10
the church, which was already nearly
filled with the inhabitants of the Tower
and their children. Shortened matirs
having been read, n second procession was
formed Tits WAS headed by the neo'nan
Porter carrying the silver mace, the hehi
OF which represents the White Tower. by
his side was the headie OF Meliclose
SQUARE, where at one time there was an
ancient court house presided over by the
governor of the Tower Following these
WORTHLESS were the children OF the Tower,
all armed with willow wands.
These proceeded the Beofeaters, who
marched along in paiTs while n heads-
man of the lower Ieoman daoler
Sweeny, the Oldest servant OF the queen, .
carrying the state AK. with the edge icS
wnr.. thus showing that no man might
fear him that day, followed in thor wake.
The rear OF tho procession was mace up
Of numb of reporters, who, entcrlns
into the spirit of the thing, had also iur-
nished themselves with WILLOW Wanus.
Between these and their note books they
had about as much as they could manage.
The procession moved across the east
drawbridge, on to the Tower wharf, past
the Traitors Gate, and over the west
drawbridge. TO the Tower stairs. Here
the utility of the wanGs was hrst Demon
stratod: on the wall, Immediately over
post inscribed with the ld-famed
name OF Finney, were few marks that
had been rendered somewhat leglble by
means of chalk; these were vigorously
thrashed by the children. The old Gus
tom was that the children themselves
were thrashed so that the position might
Go indeli3ly fixed on their memory in
decd, where the mark was sufficiently
low several small victims were incLnti-
nently bumped upon 1t; but other ages,
other manners To cay IL Is the young
sters who do the thrashing.
From the stairs the gathering pro-
ceoded up Tower Hill, the procession,
as far as numbers were concerned, hav-
ing reached imposing dimensions Many
were the affectionate inquiries addressed
to the headsman as To his chopper.
Having carefully thrashed the walls at the
foot of Great lower street and Muscoyy
court the procession turned up "a oul Go
sac leading into Messrs. Sewell and
Blaikie's wine cell.r. Keep close TO
me-, whispered the headsman this is a
BIT OF all right" And, on rounding the
corner, there appeared long table, set
out with buns and sundry assortmeuts of
the wines that are red. All, after this,
was but an ant-climax. In front of the
Mint the procession divided. one part
So
Aldgate, and the other preceding us far
as Spitalhelds.
Surrounding the residence OF James
H. Heekin of Linwood, o., is a series Of
wnlks made of small gravel. 10 the
casual observer there is nothing in the
walks TO call for special notice. In fact
unless his attention was called to the
matter, he would be apt TO sniff up his
nose kick the tiny gravel and say in n
slangy way, "There are Others. But
there are no others like this. 1t is the
most expensive series of gravelod walks
in the world, composed, as they are, of
seven or eight tons of gravel, each pound
of which cost Mr.. Heekin something like
20 cents. Some were less costly, but 20
offset this and increase the average cost
some Of the tiny stones were weighed out
at cost OF 80 or more cents q pound.
The stones have nothing to recommend
them as things Of beauty. They are small,
brownish and grayish in oolor " ith a few
stones here and there OF n reddish cast
but, all in all, not beautiful or striking
in any particular. Naturally ono would
think a business man too filed with con-
mon sense TO indulge in such luxury,
especially when beauty and art are absent
in thes result But the facts in the case
are Mr.. Heekin bought all these tons Of
gravel without seeing them, and very
much against his will. In % cer' ain sonse
he was imposed upon, and he very wisely
concluded TO make the best OF a bad bar
gain. So he made the walks around his
house, and at his leisure has prido In
tramping over the most costly eravclcd
walks upon tho face OF the earth. 1t came
about in this way MR. Hcekin il a very
extensive dealer In and roasicr OF coffee
AS IL comes from the hands OF the inn
porters tho little berries aru adl.l:oTascd or
rather mixed, with considerable numbers
OF worthless pebbles, though they cost as
much rs the coffee Itself 1Aese must 10
removed from roasted coffee For a period
of years they were kept and as thty
accumulated. MIR. Heekin hauled them 10
his suburban home amt used them TO
make gravcled walks Thus more than
5000 worth serve at last "a useful end.
There Is n mistaken impression among
some classes of our foreign born citizens
that the native born son OF an nliea is not
a citizcr. In the case II foreign official
as "A consul, his child born IN TINS country
Is not "a citizen OF the United States, bnt
in the case of an alien WHO masses his
home here, and whose child continues "A
resident no naturalization is roCosslry
for the son, in virtue of birth, is an
American citizen. This, however, Goos not
apply 10 those aliens who are not per
mitted to become citizens
The News Self Educator Feature Is
o valuable helper 90 all. Young and old
are reaping the benefits thcrefrom.