The Bottineau courant., 1912-10-18
HIS
OCCUPATION
By ALBERT KENYON

I was stopping in London at Char
| ing Cross and one afternoon strolled
down Whitehall street and entered
Green park at the horse guards. Pass.
ing on through the park to Queen Vic.
toria's statue opposite Buckingham
palace, I stopped to look at it no.
decd man standing before the statue
| admiring it and asked him IL he could
! tell any interesting facts concerning
Its construction. he replied very civ.
| lily and proved quite an admirable
guide. He was evidently not polish.
ed gentleman, for he was plainly dress.
ed and misapplied his his.
"'Er majesty" he said, was one of
the finest sovereigns that hever lived.
Hi was In the public service under 'er
for many years, durin' which 'er peo-
pie was 'appier than at hany other
reign, though that 'appiness was con.
tinued under the reign Of 'er gracious
son King Hedward."
did your Office bring you in con.
tact at all with the queen?"
"Hi! In contact with 'er majesty
Not Hi, sir. Hi never sor 'er except
when she was bout hairing. But Hi
was hoften at court, sir"
"Had you duties there?"
mo, sir. Hi 'ad no duties at court;
HI went there to see the notables,
sir"
II presume you could give bits Of in.
formation about many royal and emf
nent people"
"Yes. sir. Hive seen Justice B. often
and Justice W. occasionally and many
Of the most heminent barristers in
England"
army magnates?"
mo, sir. Hi never met any army
officer But HI once met parson. Hi
'ad official connection with him. SIR"
I'm what way?"
"He was doin' too much talkin'. Very
windy. sir. Hi shut it off,"
was puzzled to make the fellow
out. At this bit of information fan.
c1ed he might be sergeant-at-arms OF
something of the kind attached to the
residence of some one Of the royalties.
employed to see that no inadmissible
person forced his way into the palace,
or if such succeeded in getting there
it was his duty to put him out. Hav.
ing been brought up to consider ques.
tions as to peoples business i'll bred.
refrained from asking him what his
Office was. let him go on talking, ex-
pecting that in time he would state it
of his own accord.
1T must have taken fine lot O.
cordage to swing that block O. marble
into position, SIR" said my companion
II don't think they used much cord.
age for the purpose" replied. 1T
would only be needed to guide the
mass as it was swung on to it's pedes
tai. They doubtless used chains to
lift it."
"Now, really, Hi wouldn't "a thought
that. Hi should think ropes would be
better. Chains might break the marble.
sir. They couldn't ave swung it by
the neck, could they, sir?"
looked at the man surprised. He
appeared to be sufficiently intelligent
to know that statue would not be
lifted on to it's pedestal by the neck.
what made you think they would
do it in that way?" asked.
"Well, sir, it seems to me the nat
ural way to lift person."
with rope? You would break a
living persons neck by lifting him
that way"
"But you wouldn't break marble
PERSONS neck"
II think you would in this case. The
figure is solid and must weigh great
many tons.''
"And it wouldn't do, sir-not in this
case-to swing 'er most gracious majes-
ty even in marble by the neck. 'Eaven
forbid that hany of 'er loyal subjects
should think O. such a thing! Hits
rank treason, sir"
He seemed terribly shocked.
l was not especially edited by this
latter part of his chat, though before
he got on to it he talked sensibly
enough. so l thanked him for the in
formation he had given me and start
ed away, saying:
II expect to 60 to court soon. Per.
haps shall have some attention from
you there in your official capacity"
"Hi shall try to make it as easy as
possible for you. sir, If you do"
This added so largely to my curios-
ity that was sorry had not asked
him the nature of the position he held
He was not gentleman and likely
would not have taken it amiss. How
ever, it was now too late.
Some time after this l was walking
on Oxford street with my friend Har-
grave, a Londoner, when / saw ap-
preaching the man / had met at the
statue. 1t did not occur to me to ask
Hargrave who he was. for had no
idea he would know.
.'Do you see this man coming?' ask
ed Hargrave.
Eyes"
''He's Calcraft, the hangman."
Then understood the mans refer
ences to cOurt-that he meant a legal