The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1901-02-25
COOPER "EGCTA' NBATE STRANGE Old CUSTOMS
QUEER OFFICES CONNECTED
WITH THE THRONE.
Many of Them are Hereditary Sine
cures That Have no Sort of Relation
to Present Day Conditions.

You may expect that the reformers
in England will attack parliament inn
mediately upon its assemblage for the
purpose of cutting off the sinecures of
a queer lot of people who have lived
about the queen, says William II. Cur
tbs in the Chicago Record There are
thousand or more attendants at Wind
sor castle. Many of them hold their
positions by hereditary right and have
little or nothing to do. The sovereign
of England has, however, several hon
Orable and remunerative appointments
which King Edward VII will cling to as
tenaciously as his mother. He has the
privilege of appointing six trumpeters,
who draw pay at the rate of $3.50 a year
and are given quarters in the barracks
at Windsor with their families. These
appointments are not hereditary and
the late queen used them to reward
soldiers who had distinguished them
selves by extraordinary gallantry
one of the most desirable posts at
Windsor castle is that of 1.-The kingss
Inner" who in ancient times decorated
books and manuscripts with initial let
tiers and who now prepares the parch-
ment commissions when his majesty is
pleased to confer knighthood or some
other honor upon one of his subjects.
The gentleman who now fills the post
has extraordinary skill with the pen
and brush and his diplomas and certi-
ticates were greatly admired for their
exquisite taste and skillful execution.
He receives a salary of $1,000 a year.
The clockmaker at Windsor castle re-
ceives the same compensate ton and it is
his business to keep all of the time
pieces in repair. The historiographer,
who is supposed to keep a record of
events, holds a hereditary office with
salary of $1,000 d year. The master
of music, Sir Walter Parrett, the IA
1n11C icf
ranges concerts for his majestys diver
sion. The surveyor of pictures is paid
$1,000 the librarian (Who by the way is
Richard r. Holmes, an eminent author)
receives $1,000 the examiner of plays
$1,000, the keeper of the swans is paid
$500 and the barge master, who looks
after the boats used by the royal family
at Windsor, has a similar compensa-
ton.
The kings champion is a relic OF the
middle ages. On coronation day it is
his business to prance around in ar
mour mounted on a mailed charger
with a long spear and a monstrous
sword and challenge all the world to
dispute with him the title of his sove-
reign to the scepter. This challenge
holds good during the period of sove-
reignty or the life of the champion and
may be accepted by subject or alien.
Queen Victoria and her uncle, Will
absurdity at their cOronatiOns, but the
champions pay and perquisites still
continue for they ere hereditary and
cannot be abolished even by act of par
lament without some indemnity.
The present champion is Francis Sea-
man Dymoke, who is now a venerable
man, and if any should take the trouble
to accept his challenge he would have
to resign in favor of a more brawny
Briton. He receives a salary of 5000 a
year and certain allowances of food and
clothing which he draws from the lord
steward of Windsor castle.
Another ancient supernumerary is the
page of the pipe, who also holds a here
ditary office which dates back to the
time of Charles II. That merry mon
arch acquired the tobacco habit from
some of his Virginia colonists and re-
quired page who was paid a salary of
$500 a year to keep his smoking appa-
ratus in order. In a moment of gene
rosity his majesty made the appoint
ment permanent. Until 1865 the honor
was held by the Duke of Grafton who
got hard up and sold it to a merchant
named Harrison. AS Queen Victoria
did not smoke the office is a sinecure
but the descendants of Harrison are
entitled to the privilege of entering the
presence of their sovereign at any time