The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-12-17
MELVILLE STONE
A PAPER KNIGHT
King of Italy Confers Royal Decora-
tion Upon the American News
paper Man.
Stone Will Now Be known as Sir
Melville, and Photographers
Will Wax Merry.
New York Sun Special Service.

New York Sun Special Service.
Chicago, Dec. 17.-William E. Cur
tbs in a Rome letter to the Record
Herald says: -~s..
and honored American journalism by
making Melville E. Stone of Glencoe,
ILL.,, Il grand commander Of the Order
of st. Maurice and Lazarus. This ele-
Yates Mr.. Stone to the rank Of knight,
and confers upon him the title Of Sir
and the right to wear a dazzling deco
ration, a cooked hat, knee breaches of
silk, silk stockings, diamond buckles
upon his slippers, a pink satin sWal-
low tail coat trimmed with IL ounces
of gold braid, a striped waistcoat, a
ruffled shirt. a short horned collar and
a sword.
1t also gives him the privilege of
visiting the capital of Italy at any
time and he may remain as long as he
pleases at his own expense; he may
also accept railway passes and free
tickets to the circus in Rome and all
other Italian cities, and enter the
presence of King Victor Emmanuel
and his successors as long as he may
live and give them the latest news
from everywhere. These privileges
are not hereditary, however. Sir Mel
vile must play lone hand, so to
speak, and his posterity will have to
hustle for themselves. ..-. =
This decoration has been bestowed
upon Sir Melville because of the en-
ergy and skill he has shown in the
diffusion of knowledge. The king is
| under the impression, that he writes
all of those beautiful pieces which
appear in the newspapers marked by
the Associated Press" and by the
royal command the Collegio Heraldo
made an investigation Of Sir >Melville's
entire career, from the time when he
received the largest number Of pic
ture cards from the superintendent of
the Methodist Sunday school in Ma
coupin county for punctuality, obedl-
ence and perfect lessons, down to his
| recent triumph of ''scooping' all the
newspapers Of the old world on the
news of the pope's election. The ST..
| Maurice part of the decoration is due
| to his business ability and enterprise:
| The Lazarus end of it is a recognition
of his humility his piety, his abstemi-
GUS habits and his amiable disposition.
Sir Melville Stone. liz
The next time he comes to Rome
Sir Melville must kneel and declare
| that he is the kings abbidientissimO
servitore, Whereupon his majesty will
| hang a red, white and green striped
ribbon around Sir Melville's neck,
with. a bauble hanging from it, and
by schedule, the Collegio Heraldo will
give him a large piece Of sheepskin
properly inscribed, which he can take
home to show to his friends at the As
ISOLATED Press meetings and hang up
in the front parlor Of the Baronial
Villino at Glencoe. ,.:~--g =,
| He will then be permitted to wear
an armor made of stove pipe and a
coal .scuttle upon his head, and ride
around the county carrying d. hoop
pole shod with an iron spike and chal-
| lenge other knights to joust with him.
If he wants to set up a coat of arms
he can do SO, but for that privilege
the Collegio Heraldo will separate
Esfim from a considerable portion OF
| his incoma