The Washington herald., 1913-05-25
Court Gossip of Interesting
EpentS on THO Continents
Copyright. 1918. by A. D. Jaoobsonj

Copyright 1913. by A D. Jacobson)
Those acquainted with the life and his
tory of Prince Consort Albert Of Eng
land are well aware that he was a man
of keen business instinct with penchant
for economy. particularly in regard to
the personal expenditures of Queen Vic
toria and himself At times, however.
his economy was carried to ridiculous
/ extremes. Some time after their mar
rage the prince turned his attention to
domestic finance. and with view Of lin
Iiting the royal expenditure the underlings
of the palace actually were ordered to
| find" their own soap. A little later they
| were deprived of their tea, only cocoa
being dispensed to the servants. But the
| climax came when IL was reported that
mops, brooms. and brushes in the future
were TO be found by the users them
| selves.
Economy in candles, too, was carefully
studied and Nine Titjens, the famous
songstress, told the story that being
| summoned to Windsor to sing before the
Queen. she found herself Obliged to dress
by the light of only two candles. On
| asking for more she was informed by a
servant that the allowance to each room
was two candles and no more. But"
| added the maid considerably. there is
no regulation which would prevent you
cutting those two candles in half and
making four
| An amusing rule concerning the royal
candles stipulated that the ends OF those
used for lighting the ballroom on state
occasions should become the perquisites
OF the footmen. This had the amusing
effect Of causing these men to forget
\ their duties. when guests were depart
ing. that they might linger in the vicin-
J ity OF the ballroom As soon as the room
was empty they would sweep in and tear
the candle ends from the sconces, each
| fighting and struggling to get the great
est number.
On the other hand. it was a somewhat
eNtravagant custom on the part of Queen
Victoria to have a fresh bottle of brandy
placed in her carriage every time she
went out. This custom arose from an
incident which happened during a long
drive IN Scotland. The prince consort
tainted and the coachman had to gal
Iop his horses some five miles of road
before brandy could be procured. The
incident prompted the Queen to give in
structions for a fresh bottle of brandy
10 be placed in her carriage every time
she went out. out she never had cause
to open a single bottle.
The Kaiser has done well TO forbid any
paintings dealing with the Franco-Ger-
man war to be included in the forth
coming Jubilee Art Exposition. at Berlin,
and in particular those OF Anton Won
Werner. whose brush was employed to
glorify the leading incidents of Sedan
and the proclamation OF the German EN-
nfr VV1f thA
has not yet gone so far as to cease hold
ing his annual review of the Guards In
Berlin. on the Tempelhofer parade
grounds. on Sedan Day. which continues
to be a thorn In the flesh OF the French.
When Verestchagin, the Russian painter.
held an exhibition at Berlin Of his realis-
tic scenes from the campaign of 1877,
the late Kaiser forbade his soldiers TO
go and see them on the ground that they
would inspire in them horror OF war.
The Kaiser's concession to French sus-
capabilities recalls similar tactful act
Of the late King Edward of England.
when a few years ago the French
Municipal councillors visited Windsor
Castle. He then gave special orders
that all Waterloo trophies should be re-
moved temporarily from case and
chapel
As King of Prussia. Emperor VII
helm proves his belief in the system of
national theaters by contributing lavish |
ly toward their support. He is in !
Prussia. the owner of the "Koenigliche |
Schauspielhaeuser." of which there are |
six. three at Berlin and one each at |
Cassel, Wieahaden, and Hanover. The |
Prussian ministry OF "Cultus' has to |
set aside annually 100000 mark for the |
royal theaters at the capital alone. be-
sides which the Kaiser gives another |
halt mil ivy
purse. But even so there always is an |
annual deficit, often amounting to a
quarter a million mark, which the
Kaiser also makes good out OF his own
pocket. The most pronounced interest
the Emperor takes in his Berlin Opera
House. which is but a stones throw
from his castle, and he now and then
runs in to witness the rehearsals and /
even to conduct. II is altogether to his
influence and taste that the productions
there have attained their present per-
lection in scenic mountings.
1t Is rather a shock to learn that Rome
now officially regards herself as having
been founded in 80 B. c. II there was
one date which We got into our youthful
heads as firmly as 1866 A. ID. it was 753
B. c. No doubt severe rationalists do
not worry over such things. Rome was
not built in day is Mommsen's way /
of dismissing the question. But we
cling to Lempriere's precision: 'Romo-
lus is universally supposed TO have laid
the foundations of that celebrated city
on April 20. according to Narro. IN the
year 1851 of the Julian period, isl years
after the creation of the world. 773 be-
fore the birth of Christ. iSl years after
the Trojan war, and in the fourth year
Of the sixth Olympiad. II
Though the world was but $751; years
old when Rome was founded. according
to the Lempriere mode of reckoning. the
Julian period was already no years
ahead Of that calendar. The explanation
Of this puzzle, which may astound some
readers. is that the Julian period was a
purely artificial invention of Joseph Seal
lger at the end of the sixteenth century
with view to securing universal chro-
nology. Under the Julian (old Style CAL
endar the solar cycle. in which each day
In the week gets its turn as the first
day of the year. was IS years; the lunar
cycle. which placed the new moons at
the same day of the civil month, was 10
years, and the cycle of indiction, which l.
had something to do with judicial acts
1t Constantinople. was but L. Multiplied