Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1910-05-10

Victoria had everything much as 1t was
ia 1890 and had, moreover, sealed uL
against all use the apartments which
Lad belonged to the prince consort. Tn,
king renovated and opened all these
apartments.
The King also instituted many reforms
in the way of business administration. he
found that some of his mothers favoritt
servants had been paying exorbitan'
phi for all sorts of palace supplies
and were waxing fat on secret commits
sions.
Then he looked up a lot of tradesmeIl
who had been advertising themselves rs
purveyors to the queen and royal house
hold and found that a great number
of them had never received the proper
warrant from the lord chamberlain
which is demanded in such cases. He put
the tax collectors after them ana a
large number of London West-end nat
tiers, tailors, bankers, and what not had
to pay heavy fines. Two men had claim
ed, without warrant, to be rat catchers
to the king.
Only one Individual escaped the gen
eraI prosecution. He is James OConnor,
who keeps a baked potato stall near the
hCuSes of parliament. Over the stall
O'Connor displays the royal arms, with
the announcement that he is a purveyor
to his majesty,
1t seems that some years ago. when
the king was prince of Wales, he visited
the house of commons to hear Gladstone
speak and, leaving about midnight, decid-
ed to walk home to Marlborough house.
Near the Mall he was attracted by the
appetizing odor Of baked potatoes. which
emanated from O'Connor's - stall He
stopped and bought a penny's worth and
devoured them on the spot, O'Connor rec
ocnized his customer and thenceforth
decorated his stall with the royal arms.
WOMEN AND CARDS.
From his youth up the king had beer
fond of the society OF charming ana
clever women Some of his early affairs
were not free from scandal, but of late
years he exhibited more discretion, at
least.
When he was q young royal prince
there we're any number Of women ready
literally to throw themselves at him. In
European high society an affair with 4
person of royal blood is still considered
scarcely a breach of moral law. | have
heard a clergyman of the American
Episcopal church boast that he was de-
seconded from an illegitimate son OF
George IT. and what was considered a
distinction by this clerical snob, is
scarcely looked down upon in English
society. where some OF the proudest ducal
houses claim descent from the natural
CHI ldren of Charles H.
One noble beauty who made con
quest of the young prince of Wales.
wooed him i'm the character and zephyr
draperies Of Cleopatra, in apartments
through which he had TO pass to reach
his own II, like ANTHONY. the prince was
tempted he at least did not desert his
kingdom for the temptress. In fact, he
has always avoided any really serious en-
tanglement.
His preference was chiefly for the So
cietv of women of mental charm and
sprightiness. Since his accession, the
Hon. Mrs. Keopel has been almost al
ways a guest at small informal gather
ings where the king was present. She
was one of Sir Thomas Lipton's guests
aboard the Shamrock In the Solen, of
the Isle of Wight, when the mast fell
and narrowly missed cracking the king
head. She had one of the hest boxes AT
the coronation i'm Westminster Abbey,
and. coming in late, with a great flour
ish created almost as great a sensation
as the royal entry itself.
The king took an interest in Mrs Lang
try's career, though he seldom saw her
of late years Some say he thought she
went too far, when, at a small party,
she dropped a piece of ice down the royal
neck