The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-02-28

upon the queen the absolute necessity
of retaining the chief command of the
army in the hands Of g. member Of the
royal family
The duke, who is very conservative.
objected on principle to ali reforms, ana
in consequence OF this became such an
insuperable obstacle to all attempts TO
bring the English army up to date that
it was determined. after he had been
a its head for many years, to get ria
Of him. This however, was a matter
Of no little difficulty For he absolutely
refused to take any hints and when
the Intervention of the queen herSelf
was invoked and she urged him 10 re-
tire on the ground that advancing
years and long service rendered it ad-
visable that he should stop work and
spend the remainder of his DAYS IN
well-earned FepOse, he cleverly replied
that, being Of the same age as her
majesty, he could not dream or Shlrk-
ing his work as long as she remained
at the helm and that he considered
himself in duty bound to remain at his
post until she herself saw fit to abdl-
cate.
Eventually the old veteran was jock
eyed out Of his place by means OF
maneuver not altogether cTeditable to
those concerned, and for which the
present leader of the liberal party in
the house of commons is more partlcu-
larry responsible.
9 9 9
Much SPECULATION prevails as to the
disposition of Gloucester House when
the duke dies. since it is altogether too
palatiaI a mansion and likewise much
TOO costly a one TO admit of its being
retained by any of the dukes sons,
who, it is needless to say, do not IN
herit their fathers titles or rank. Con
trary to general belief, Gloucester
House does not belong to the crown
but is the private property of the Duke
of Cambridge, to whom 1t was De
queathed by his aunt, the royal duch-
eSS of Gloucester, whose husband, the
Duke of Gloucester, had purchased 1t
from Lord Elgin, after selling to the
then Marquis of Westminster what is
now known as GrOsvenOr House, the
town mansion of the Dukes of West
minister.
Gloucester House stands at the cor
ner of Park Lane and Picadilly, and its
windows look out onto both OF these
famous thOroughfares. 1t is filed from
cellar to garnet with art treasures,
including some magnificent pictures
and a wonderful collection of snug
boxes, many of them dating from tse
last century and painted by the leading
miniaturiStS of the day. The apart
ments. if Old-fashiOneds are very state
ly and contrast pleasantly with those
of the more modern palaces of. the
rich. Gloucester House is one OF the
few great mansions in London where
electric light has never been admitted
and where gas is merely tolerated be
low stairs and in the servants quar-
ters. Everywhere else the lighting is
done by means of wax candles, so dear
to our fOrbeaTs.
If the young Duke of Marlborough
is unable to buy Marlborough House
he might do worse than to buy GlOu-
cester House from the heirs of the
Duke of Cambridge. It is almost GER
tain to come upon the market at the
dukes death. as will also the superb
pictures and all the art treasures which
it contains Indeed, the proceeds of
the sale are likely to constitute the
principal if not the only, fortune left
by the old duke, who, though not ex-
travagant, has almost invariably lived
up to his income.