The Washington herald., 1910-11-04
WINDSOR NOW
READY FOR USE

WINDSOR caste. after elaborate repairs,
is in readiness 10 receive the royal fam
lily. II is well known that the late King
Edward made many improvements 10
his country palace. and it would have
hardly seemed possible that so much still
remained 10 be done; but even a casual
glance at the work just completed makes
IL obvious that these renoyations were
not prompted by supererogaJion.
Every corner OF the great domain has
been thoroughly overhauled. Sanitary
engineers have been busy testing and
modernizing the entire draining system
and electricians have perfected more up
to-date methods and designs In lighting.
Il Is. however. in the decorations that
the greatest changes were made. All
the beautiful solid oak work throu ghont
the castle has been stripped of varnish
and paint which a previoSs generation
deemed necessary, and the rich duh PAN
elings now stand out in their pristine
bea aty OF design.
In the long rows OF corridors this oak
work Is brought out In strong relief by
the polished walls Of a rich shade Of
green on cream ground. enriched
everywhere with gold. while in the state
reception rooms, the private chapel. and
the green drawing room. the mural dec
orations all are in what Is technically
known as fiat cream" picked out
with deep. red gold.
For Queen Alexandra's private use.
King George has set aside a suite of
apartments in the tower OF Edward III,
while the Henry III tower which COM
mands a magnificent view, was redec-
saI 8
Prince and Princess Alexander Of Teok.
The series Of improvements planned by
the late King Edward at Queen Adelaide
Lodge, in the Home Park, are being
carried out according to his ideas.
The Spitalhelds silk industry and its
phenomenal growth recalls the romantic
and tragic-history Of how the first
silk mill was established in England.
Early In the seventeenth century French
refugees had carried the Industry as far,
north as Derby, but owing 10 imperfec-
tons In the machinery, IL made but lit
tie progress.
At this period the Italians held the Sc
cret If the art OF spinning silk by ma
chinery, and that secret John LOmbe,
Derby workman, Was determined to
learn. Lombe went 70 Italy, gained en-
ployment in one of the silk mills there.
and In two years by bribery and other
articles, obtained ali the information he
desired. He returned to England and on
an island in the Derwent built the first
English silk mill. Parliament granted
him letters patent "a charter. also a
large sum OF money. for the encouraging
CT the infant industry, but only on con-
dition that he allowed complete models
to be made Of his machines. which were,
for fact. the wonder OF the times.
Lombe, however. was not 10 enjoy fame
and success long. The Italian silk manu-
facturers, incensed at his theft. resolved
upon vengeance. During his stay in
italy Lombe had formed a friendship
with an italian woman. and she il was
who was picked out as the instrument
Of an Italian vendetta She proved q
ready tool She was dispatched 10 Eng
land and two months later Lombe was
a dead man-poisoned by her hands
The old mill still was standing in the
early nlneties. but free trade and a radi-
cal corporation ended It's DAYS. Possibly
IL was used as an object illustration OF
the ruin0us effects OF the revocation Of
the silk duties.
Prince Henry XIV. Of Reuss-K oes-
tritZ. OF the media ICED. not Of the reign
ing house, is dead. at the age Of fifty
five. on his estates at Ernstbrunn. IN
lower Austria. Ills name recalls the
wrath Of Carlyle at the nomenclature Of
the house Of Reuss. In his Frederick
the Great" Carlyle speaks with contempt
Of those strange Reusses. who always
ia g.. -I-..-.--r---e.
whose nomenclature Is the despair Of
mankind. and is worse than that or the
Neapolitan laZzaronis, who confess at
least TO having no name ~ all" There
was, IA the great historians day. a
Henry the Eighte;h. with numerous
side branches. all likewise called Henry.
But Carlyle was wrong. From hts sar-
casm one would infer that the princes Of
Reuss were numbered beginning with
their founder as number one. Such Is
not the case. For while it is true that
since the beginning Of the eleventh cen
fury all males OF the different houses OF
Reuss. 20 Wit. Greiz. SchleiZ Iobenstein.
Koestritz. Reuss of the elder and Reuss
OF the younger line (the latter branch
still a reigning house in the German fed
eration) have been called Henry Heinrich
bers never should run higher than 100 for
each Of the different branches. beginning
afterward again with number enc.
Also be 81 understood that the num-
Der OF a Henry does not Indicate prog
eny from father to son. but presents the
figure succeeding that of the bearer s
as in the case of the above
Henry XIV. whose two sons are
named Henry XXXIX and Henry XII.
II IS a much mixed up nomenclature. but
Germany puts up with it, as the house
Of Reuss. though occupying a mere opera
b0uffe throne in a diminutive country. is
the oldest OF the Teuton-Siavic aTistOc-
racy, though It's real greatness dates
from the union OF the FIRST Henry COT
Plauen) with a daughter Of the Bohemian
Prince Brzecislaw IN 1875
They are a quaint. old-fashioned, and
selfish lot. the subjects Of his highness
OF Reuss only a handful, and all of them
farmers. A good story is told Of their
selhshness. There had been a protracted
drought and there was great suffering
among man and beast in the lovely sec
ton nesting among the slopes Of the
historic Thuringian Hills Led by their
pastors. the Reuss communities prayed
for rain, and for clear days later for
their harvesting. This is how they did II:
"Guten Colt. geb Regen und sounenschein
In Griez Scilleiz ind Lobenstein,
IND wollen die Anderen such vas habenL
So sollen Sic Dich SELLER frsgen-"
Roughly translated, this means:
Good Lord. give rain and sunshine
To GRIEF. scileiz end Lobenstein;
And if others want il. too.
Let them 60 and ask You.
To the Reussites. as TO the British, their
land is the hub of the universe.
The opening Of the Chinese National
Assembly the other day is hardly 10 be
taken as a prelude TO a regular parlia
ment in the near future. 1t is not in the
nature of things that people. after OPP
IL -. H.