The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-04-10


in have been appointed bakers to her |
majesty, the queen, his royal highness,
the Prince of Wales, and other mem |
bers of the royal family. And it is
significant fact that 1t is not in the
Piccadilly windows of the shop, but in
those facing Bond street, that the
royal warrants are displayed. Picca-
dilly is by far the finer and most i'm
posing street of the two, but Picca-
dilly has never been taken specially
under royal protection.
Two doors from the lucky bakers is
a quaint little old-fashioned shop, in
the windows of which are shown
cheese, butter, eggs, bacon and poultry.
In any of the small streets of the big
cities of America, If such shop were
seen, one would wonder how it came to
be overlooked in the march of inn
proVement and escaped demolition.
But this insignificant shop has no rea-
son to apologize for it's presence. 1t
has a big pull with the royal family.
Signs announce that the proprietOrs are
not only "cheeSemOngerS by appoint
ment to his majesty the king but
"buttermen" to the Duke of COnnaught,
"poultererS'' to the Duke of Edinburgh
and purveyorS to the king of Sweden
and the house of commons. The Duke
Of Edinburgh, who became the Prince
of Saxe-COburg Gotha, has been dead
patronage still counts for something.
Sandwiched in between the Cheese
monger's" and the bakers is a cigar
shop, on which is emblazoned the royal
coat of arms. A document, framed and
hung in the window gives the authority
for displaying the proud heraldic de-
vice. 1t reads: you are hereby APP
pointed cigar merchant to his majesty
the king. Given under my hand and
seal at Buckingham palace this 23d day
day of July, 1901, in the first year of
his majesty's reign" Then follows the
illegible signature of the keeper of
his majesty's privy purse" 1t is
royal warrant, and to a British trades
man counts for more as an advertise
ment than does a standing page in
Sunday newspaper on the other side.
AS one continues his course through
Bond street 1t is seen that these royal
warrants have been laVish1y bestowed
there. Two other cigar dealers proud
ly display them, one of whom enjoys
the additional distinction Of being ''to-
bacconiSt to the king"
Time was when royal warrants pos
seSSed potent powers and might get a
mans head cut off, but in these days of
triumphant democracy their chief func-
ton seems to be to help tradesmen sell
their wares. And perhaps some day a
radical parliament may put it's foot
uOWH On IuGIl DIS 1uL6E10I1Il& Will The
free play of competition and the
beneficent law of the survival of the
f1ttest. But meanwhile Bond street
flourishes on them and has no difficulty
in maintaining it's steep prices, despite
the competitor of less favored regions.
Royal armorial bearings are about
the only form of advertisement that
Bond street allows itself, but of them
it makes the most. Some of its shops
display half dozen Of them, and they
are by no means confined to English
royalty. The emperor of Russia, the
king Of Portugal and the king of
Sweden lend their aid as patrons" for
those of royal blood are never referred
to as customers" One shop boldly
declares itself ''purVeyors to all the
courts of Europe" A student of her
aldry may spend a very interesting
half hour in Bond street studying these
devices.
But if these grim old warrior mon
archs who used to display them proud
ly when they led their armies to bat
tie could come back to earth and see
them employed as advertisements for
tailors, dressmakers, haberdashers,
cheese dealers, bakers, hairdressers and
shoemakerS, what a shindy they would
raise with their inglorious descendants
who authorized such use Of them.
American girls are among the last
CuSlO1u6IS OI bOIlU street.. 1n0y may
turn up their pretty noses when they
first see it, and declare truthfully that
| there isn't a third-rate town in the
| United States that can't show more
| imposing street and finer looking shops,
but the royal bait held out proves too
much for them. What is good enough
| for a queen or princess is none too
| good for them. and as for the expense
well, Bond street label is supposed
| to be the indisputable hall mark of
| faShion-with a big Of"
| In it's ancient days many Of the no
bility and gentry lived in little old
| Band street. AS the favorite prone
| made of swelldom it was natural that
| Beau Brummel, when in the height of
| his fame, as the arbiter of masculine
| fashion, should there frequently dis
| play the elegance and eccentricitieS of
his attire. All the gay old bucks used
to strut up and down the street every
| pleasant afternoon.
At No. Al Old Bond street, Laurence
Sterne died on March IS, 1868, within a
month after the publication of his
Sentimental Journey" The ground
floor of the house is now a shop for the
sale of Turkish cigarettes. 'T never
heard of him." said the proprietor when
I asked concerning the famous author,
"he wasn't in my line of business, was
he ?'
After the battle Of Cape ST. Vincent
and the expedition against Teneriffe in
which he lost his arm, Nelson, in 1897,
| laid up for repairs for three months at
| No. $50 New Bond street. At that time
! his friendship for Lady Hamilton had
not, according to his biographers, rip
ened into a guilty passion, and 1t was
his wife who nursed him and person
ally dressed his wounds. A COMPARE
tive modern building now occupies the
site.
Lady Hamilton, whose beauty still
survives in twenty-four portraits of
her by Romney, took up her residence
at No. $50 New Bond street in 1911
| That was ten years after Nelson's
death, and 1t is hardly consistent with
what is known of her character to sup
pose that her choice of abode was in
fiuenced by it's proximity to the house
where her heroic lover had suffered.
The house, a very plain one, is now
occupied by naughty fish dealer with
the royal coat-Of-arms over his door
Il amt never card tell of Lady Anil
4 ton" said the fish dealers clerk who
responded to the visitors inquiries
Lived in this ere 'ouse once you say
Well,' he added with a laugh at his
own jest, II 'ope there wasn't anything
fshy about her character. I've 'eard
tell that in them old days some of them
fine ladies WuZ a queer lot"
Jackson, the pugilist, Byron's in
structor in the ffstic art, occupied
rooms in New Bond street, where he
spared with his aristocratic patron
OF him the poet wrote:
All men Impractical in exchanging knocks