The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-09-13
HIS

BY ALBERT KENYON

/ 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, stopped to look at It no
ticed man standing before the statue
admiring 1t and asked him II he could
tell any interesting facts concerning
its construction. He replied very CIV
lily and proved quite an admirable
guide He was evidently not a polish
ed gentleman, for he was plainly dress
ed and misappled 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-
Pile 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 queenE
Hi! In contact with 'er majestyi
Not al, sir. Hi never sor 'er except
when she was bout having. But Hi
was hoften at court, sir"
Had you duties thereT"
''No, sir. Hi 'ad no duties at court;
Ell went there to see the notables.
SIR"
II presume you could give bits of In
formation about many royal and emil
nent people"
Yes, sir. Hive seen Justice B. often
and Justice w. occasionally and many
of the most heminent barristers III
England"
ARMY magnates7"
mo, sir. Hi never met any army
officer. But Hi once met parson. HI
'ad official connection with him, SIR"
''In what wayr
"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.
cied be might be sergeant-at-arms or
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 II such succeeded in getting there
1t was his duty to put him out. Hav.
ing been brought up to consider ques.
lions as to peoples business III bred.
refrained from asking him what his
Office was. let him so on talking. ex-
pecting that In time he would state 1t
of his own accord.
1T must have taken a 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 ut
would only be needed to guide the
mass as 1t was swung on to its 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?"
i looked at the man surprised. He
appeared to be sufficiently intelligent
to know that a 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.
"weil, sir. 1t 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"
81 think you would in this case. The
figure is solid and must weigh great
many TONS"
"And 1t 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 thingl Hits
rank treason. SIR"
He seemed terribly shocked.
was not especially edited by this
latter part OF his chat. though before
he got on to 1t be talked sensibly
enough. so l thanked him for the IN
formation he had given me and start
ed away. saying:
II expect to go to court soon. Per
haps shall have some attention from
you there In your official capacity"
"Hi shall try to make 1t as easy as
possible for you, sir, IL you do"
This added so largely to my curios-
Ity that I 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, II was now too late
Some time after this | was walking
On Oxford street with my friend Har-
grave, a Londoner. when | saw APP
the man had met at the
statue. 1t did not occur to me to ask
Hargrave who he was. for ! had no
dea he would know.
- a.