The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-08-29
BRITISH TOMM|ES HOLD THE RECORD AS WR|TERSO OF LETTERS Between Dinner and Bed-
 time Subalterns Labor
 Over Missives LINCOLN'S WORDS ARE
 QUOTED IN BRITAIN Gettysburg Address Quoted in Appeal for Funds for Hospital-Many New Words Coined Since the War Began

London. August s-(Special.)-An ex traordinary bet that was once made b; the late King Edwand and that consistef of the sum of s50Oo against a common O, garden carrot, has been recalled by the death, this week, of Henry Steel, a Shef field magnate. The latter who, from ar humole position as racing bookmaker rose to great wealth as head of a stee business. bought with winnings on tn, turf, was we'll known to the late king. a. well as to Lord Rosebery and other prom inent patrons of racing. The bet men toned was made by Steel and his book making partner with King Edward wher the latter was Prince of Wales. Tn, odds were S5000 to a carrot against 8 horse, the vegetable being wagered b, the prince. He lost and paid with s carrot formed of coral mounted in gold which was among Steers most cherished possessions. When the King came t. Sheffield to open the new university the onlookers at the procession anc stepped aside to give him cordial hand. shake.
 Robbed of Career By Microbe /
 Alas, there is to be no crown regatta this year. The war has killed this great social fixture, so beloved of fashionable Americans and eke of Wilhelm, the wal lord himself, just as it has previously slain Ascot, Goodwood, Epson and the London season" But the Royal Yacht club. the most exclusive one in the world which is responsible for Cowes week, Is still carrying on,' as the naval phrase adapted to civilian life goes, and among other things 1t has just elected the Earl of Ranfurly to be member of its dis tinguished committee.
 Lord Ranfurly, who, by the way, will be 59 this month, will duly appreciate his new honor, for he Is before everything else an ardent sailor An ex-governor of New Zealand, he is descendant of VII liam Penn, and uncommonly proud Of the fact, so much so that he once pal a special visit to Pennsylvania to see the Penn treaty field. He comes down from John Knox, too, the famous Scots di- vine, who bullied a queen and whom the Kaiser was quoting not long ago. Knox, in fact, is the earl's family name, his Christian name being the odd appella- tion of "Uchter' But for a microbe he probably would have been an ad- miral today. The microbe was that of scarlet fever and it laid him low, when, in 1869, he was a cadet in the training ship Britannia. Because his recovery was slow and his health seemed to be seriously affected, he left the navy, but eh was just as keen a sailor as ever. While at Cambridge, indeed, he used to keep a steam yacht, in which he always travelled from the college town to London by way of the Ouse the Wash and the east coast That was a long way around, but not so curious a route as an Eng fish newspaper some years later chose for Lady Ranfurly when once she was about to return to New Zealand Her -%..~.~ |. P. and o. steamer "Himalaya,' and the journal in question gravely announced that her ladyship was going back to the antipodes ''va the Himalayas," a de- cidedly fatiguing and circuitous route for a feminine traveller.
 Both Are Irish
 Both Lord and Lady Ranfurly are Irish. the latter being the only child and heress of Viscount Charlemont. Lord Ranfurly's place in County Tyrone is in the heart of the Irish linen industry, and he owns the greater part of the town of Dungannon just as Lord Hindlip does that of Kil- marnock, and Sir Joohn Ramsden of Huddersfield His only son. Lord North land, who was recently killed at the front, was one of the tallest men in Eng land.
 After passing through both Harrow and Cambridge, Lord Ranfurly went to Aus tralia and started growing oranges and lemons on the banks of the Murray river. He made go of it. too and today holds considerable and valuable tracts of land in the country of the Kangaroo He succeeded his brother in the title in 1875, and shortly afterwards became lord-in- waiting to Queen Victoria. being then described by folk who had seen him fin harness" as a man who could plough an acre of land one day and play the courier to perfection the next"
 He was governor and commander-in- chief of New Zealand from 1897 to 1904 (his term having been extended by pop ular wish) and had lively and adven- turous time there, which included three exceedingly close slaves. Once when he was playing polo he was nearly shot