The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-24
THE PRINCE OF WALES
A woMAN'S BIOGRAPHY OF r'HE
HEIR TO THE BRITISH THRONE.
Incidents of His visit TO America, M
dia and Egypt Related and the Bac-
carat Scandal story Retolu-


Correspondence of the Associated Press
LONDON. Jan. l5.-The desire of the Eng
lish people to know all the det4lls -of the
official and private life of their royal family
will be partially appeased by the publica-
ton in London this week of the first COM
plete biography of the Prince of Wales
Singularly enough, no complete record Of
the remarkably active and diversified career
OF the heir to the throne has been given to
the world before. Attempts in this direction
have been discouraged by the subject him
self, and the present book furnishes in
ternal evidences that it was not compiled
under the royal sanction. for, while it
breathes the spirit of the courtier rather
than of the critic, it records such episodes
as the famous baccarat trial, which the
prince would probably be willing the pub
Tic should forget. Two quotations from its
references to royalty will, however, give
the Keynote of this spirit. Concerning the
prince the writer says: He is familiar
with an almost bewildering variety of SUBJ
Jects, and possesses d wonderful faculty
for almost instinctively grasping the i'm
portant features and the really essential
points of any matter under discussion"
An estimate of the Duke of Clarence in
|Nconnection with his career at Trinity Col
lege, Cambridge, illustrates hoM qualities
which would commonly pass current as
weaknesses assume the shape of virtues
viewed through friendly spectacles. He
had not 1t is said of the duke NOR was
it desirable that he should have, the spe-
cialfzed intellect which wins university
prizes and scholarships. but he displayed in
marked degree that peculiarly royal quail
ity of recognizing intellect in Others"
The authorship of the new book is con-
cealed from the public, but the Associated
Press learns that it is the work of a jour-
nalst, well known in London, Mary Belloc
(Mrs. Lowndes, formerly on Mr. Stead's
paper) 1t will be issued in the United
States next month by Appleton. In pic
toral embellishments it is particularly rch
containing no less than eighteen portraits
of the Prince of Wales alone, and many
other likenesses of him in company with
other members of the royal family The
prince is illustrated from infancy to the
present day. There is the prince in shoot
ing clothes as sportsman, the Prince as
yachtsman, in a rakish cap, the prince
as admiral, the prince in fancy costume
for the Devonshire ball, in knickerbockerS
with the garter on his leg, on horseback
in his capacity as colonel of the Tenth
Hussars and IN various other uniforms and
ordinary clothes.
Most of the historical chapters of the book
deal with matters already published In de-
scrlblng the tour of the prince through
America in his youth it reveals the inter
esting fact that before he was launched
on his journey his father. the Prince Con-
sort, supplied him with memoranda to be
used In replying TO the addresses which
would be made to him during his progress.
1t explains that 1.-The best proof of the
Prince Consort's wisdom is to be found in
the fact that every one of those notes aft
erwards turned out to be simply invau-
able owing to the peculiar aptness. with
which they had been framed to suit the
circumstances of each locality where
address was likely to be received
An incident is related of a hunting trip
which the royal party made to Dwight,
Ill. When the prince and his retinue APP
preached farmhouse the farmer, who was
the Duke of Newcastle Not YOU, New
CASTLE" he shouted. II have been a tenant
of yours, and have sworn that you shall
never set foot on my land" So the prince
passed on.
The Southern shareholders attempted to
lure the prince into the South to exhibit
to him the better side of slavery. but, the
biographer ayers. he was not impressed by
the slave cities, and fatty refused to leave
his carriage to visit the negro quarters at
HaxhalPs plantation.
A great part of the work describes in de-
tau the onerouS public formalitieS which
have constituted the life of the heir appar-
ent-the cornerstone layings, monument un-
Veilings, dedications and tours to India and
Egypt, to Ireland and other parts of the
kingdom. The royal progress through In
dla in 1915, it appears cost the government
presents were received by the prince from
Indian potentates which aggregated in value
81 100000. For one trip on the Nile the boat
which carried the princes suite was stocked
with, among other commodities, 5000 bot
ties of champagne 1900 of soda, 1900 Of
claret and ample supplies of other drink
ables.
1t is pointed out as an evidence of the
great personal popularity of the prince that
all the politicians, who advised the people to
ignore his presence in Ireland in 1885, insist
ed on abstinence from any display of per-
Sonal hostility.
The married life of the Prince and Prin-
cess OF Wales is pictured as ideal. Their
ough are described with minute details
which will delight persons who have an APP
petite for this sort of small beer The
| princes private library at the former resi-
dence is fitted with the furnishings from
| the cabin of the Scraps, aboard which he
voyaged to india All the finishings are
i'll dark blue or green leather, stamped with
the princes monogram. His literary tastes,
| judged by his book shelves tend toward
to documents on India, in which he IS great
ly interested, with great array of volumes
about the mutiny, we'll as complete coli
lection of literature on the Crimean war
and Of colonial histories.
There is whole room full OF cigar cases
and smoking paraphernalia, some of them
works of art which have been presented
cial room kept at even temperature through
the year. A stock of the princes special
tobacco is kept also at the Marlborough
| Club, the Jockey Club at Newmarket, at
the Royal Yacht Squadron's clubhouse and
on board all the royal yachts. The En-
peror of Austria and the Car of Russia
send each Christmas box of cigars.