The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1905-06-01
GREAT BRITAIN'S
ROYAL MESSENGERS
They Are a Glass Of Servants
Of Which the General Pub
lie Know Little.
DUTIES ARE MANIFOLD
BESIDES Carrying Dispatches They Are
Often Placed in Charge Of Goods
Sent by the Rolay Family TO
Relatives and Friends.

4
81 state servants about whom the gen
eral reading public knows very little.
for the reason that they are rarely seen
and go about thei. work with still ton
CUES and apparently stcaithy steps.
They are the nations emissaries known
As kings messengers. These men are
not. as their title would seem TO Imply.
exclusively attached To the sovercign's
person. Though they bear his majes-
ty's messages, carry dispatches from
the palace To the various government
Offices. and from London 10 the capitals
of Europe. they are rally servants OF
the country. and represent so TO speak.
necessary cog In the machinery OF
administration.
There are nine kings special foreign
service messengers. In addition TO those
attached To the home service. The
foreign service messengers are care
fully picked men, generally from army
officers. educated and with charnCSls
for integrity. The salary attached to
the post IL from 4 ESQ 10 E400. and
they are allowed El a day for personal
expenses. Altogether their cost to the
country In nearly 10000 year.
They travel at stated times and In
all wenthers. Men OF robust health.
care Is takes that they are always In
the pink OF condition. When a mes
icnger returns from n journey abroad
doctor. and II u IL found that his gem
eral health In not excellent. his place
IN taken by another man until he In
tit again. These messengers are NIL
! engaged on foreign ofiice work. But
they do not merely carry dispatches
and treaties. When his majesty de-
sircs To confer decoration on some
foreign royalty or distinguished per-
sonage the insignia are taken by a
messenger to the British embassy OF
the capital whittier he IL bound. and
through the medium OF the ambassa-
dor RENTED TO the intended recipient.
When foreign scamcn render help TO
their British brethren In some near or
distant seat may be by gallant res
cues from drowning-their act In rec
ognized by the board OF trade by the
presentation OF medals. These are
conveyed by the kings foreign service
messengers and conferred through the
proper channels.
Besides his dispatches and other
things intended for the British embas-
sizes abroad. he IL often placed In
charge Of goods. sometimes a vanload of
presents sent by the royal family TO
relatives and friends. He In the Gus
todian OF these presents. When they
are bought they are taken 10 "A special
room In the foreign Office. The railway
companies are notified OF their lmmi-
nent transit and make arrangements
accordingly. The messenger sees that
they are carefully packed and put on
the rail. and accompanies them as far
az Paris. where the British embassy
takes charge OF them. He does not
return empty handed. II may be that
on the Journey home he has In his
charge. In addition To documents. an
other vanload OF gifts. These are taken
10 the foreign Office. whence they are
distributed to the king and queen and
other members OF the royal family for
whom they are intended.
On all these Journeys. which. as may
be imagined. are varied, the messen-
gers are me. by representatives OF the
British embassies. They are immedi-
ately recognized by n certain badge.
The messengers know their way about,
for all are excellent linguists: but the
badge IL necessary and serves it's pur-
pose. In that. on crowded platforms.
with passengers rushing TO the exits.
IL hastens Identification, and therefore
saves time, for In the case OF dispatch
bearers IL frequently happens that ex-
petition is OF the utmost Importance.
IL is singular fact and worthy OF
being recorded here that no matter how
strained have been the relations be-
! tween Great Britain and neigh boring
countries, the messengers. whether
! they be special treaty ones or those
never been interferred with. They
have not. however, been without their
/ adventures.
While messengers have escaped
/ rough usage, there are instances on
record OF their having been Swallowed.
| Every European government has a
| certain number OF spies In It's employ
/ ment. The kings messengers are well
/ aware OF this fact. and IL In ever pres
ent with them during their journeys.
| They are always on the alert when
they meet an affable. loquaciouu and
cunningly inquisitive man I'm a railway
! carriage on foreign railway. The
| work OF foreign messengers IL mach
easier now than IL was during the
early Victorian era. That period sug-
gests tedious journeys made by mail
coach-jouIneys attended with dis
comfort and danger. But now, thanks
! TO the growing amity which marks In
| tcrnationRl relations. many important
dispatches hitherto carried by fiiessen-
gers are intrusted TO the ordinary
postal service. The tendency. In fact
Is TO curtGil the cost OF the special
messenger service. and recently fresh
arrangements were made. the effect oi
which has been to materially simplify
the method OF transmitting important
documents between London and Paris
ut any rate. But there VIII always b'
special foreign service messengers, wh'
will be required 10 make periodical
Journeys to Berlin. ST. Petersburg
Vienna and other European capitals.