The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1909-01-24
Strange Gifts to Royalty
Monarchs Receive Many Odd and Curious
Presents From All Over the World.
THE GREAT ZULU CHIEF, DI:

Were royal parsonage to accept
all the offerings made by subjects and
admirers, known and unknown, stand
ing room in royal residences would
soon be at discount. All royalties
but reigning monarchs especially, are
constantly bombarded with gifts of
every kind aud with letters offering
presents. Some years ago, when the
King, then Prince of Wales, was spend
ing his usual summer holiday at
Marienbad, a census was kept of the
contents of his post-bag. Within 20
days he received 1900 begging letters,
800 requests for his autograph, 260
requests for lock of his hair or other
similar memento, and 800 presents of
various kinds. The latter were most
miscellaneous assortment and included
all kinds of jewelry, from silver studs
TO gold watches, many different kinds
of cigars and cigarettes, also gloves,
ties, walking sticks, scented soap and
sweets. 1t need hardly be said that
gifts of this kind are never accepted
by those to whom they are sent.
Where possible they are returned;
when the donors are anonymous the
presents are devoted to charity.
The senders of these presents are no
doubt inspired by many different mo-
tives. Some desire to popularize new
tie or trinket, and merely to be able
to say that His Majesty has accepted
such an article is sufficient to start
boom; with others the desire is to say,
"The King possesses something which
j sent him.; others again-simple
souls--are actuated by feelings of pure
loyalty or devotion. In the latter cate
CORY may be classed the Dutch school
girl of Deventer who, on her twelfth
birthday, sent to Queen Wilhelmina a
large cake which she had herself made
and baked and ornamented in letters
of chocolate with the Queens name
which was also her own. The young
Queen accepted the gift in the spirit
in which it was made. She wrote to
the child an autograph letter, and sent
also her photograph, on which was this
inscription: ''From Wilhelmina to
Wilhelmina, on her twelfth birthday
There lives no monarch more beloved
by his own subjects than is the veneer
able Franz Josef, Kaiser of Austria.
incidentally, it is worth mentioning
that Franz Josef, as lineal descend
ant of Roman Empress, has better
right to the title of "The Kaiser'
than is possessed by his enterprising
neighbor, the head of the HohenZol-
lerns. The Emperor of Austria re-
ceives all kinds of small gifts from
farmers and peasants, such as cakes,
preserves, fruit and flowers. What
is perhaps the most curious offering
which was ever made to him was the
work Of Hungarian blacksmith named
Szigoric. In some mysterious manner
the man had succeeded in mailing to a
goose's egg without breaking it a
horseshoe, n iair Of pincers, file and
knife. The Emperor accepted this
weird curiosity and sent in return hi:
photograph and sum of money.
The German Emperor, although per
haps not so widely beloved as His
Majesty of Austria, has his genuine
admirers. One of them visited tn,
palace at Berlin on chilly autumn
day three years ago and left with thu
sentry an envelope addressed to tn,
Emperor. 1t was found to contain
bank note for hundred marks. Al
anonymous note begged the Empero
TO purchase with the money some suit
of warm underclothing; for, wrot
the donor, 81 saw Your Majesty a
the review yesterday, and it seemed t
me that You were not as warmly cla'
rs you should be-. !"
Presents arrive at the British cour
from all parts of the world. A regis
tered package from Vermont wa
found to inclose a gigantic prize pc
tato weighing nearly five pounds.
was sent by a farmer named Hewlett
and addressed. fTo His Majesty tn
King of England, House of Parlis