American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1919-02-14

LII OINN lHc udyo VI
presumably the Bull hotel at
Rochester was merely a COM
Portable roadside coaching inn
between Dover and London, with no
claim to fam2 other than that of being
q favored resort of the military from
the adjacent town of Chatham. 1t is
true that Queen V~ictoria--then but q
princess-was compelled, because of
q mishap to the bridge across the
Midway and the stormy weather, to
stay In the inn with her mother, the
duchess of Kent, for one night only.
They were on their way to London
from Dover. The event happened on
the Goth of November, 1896, and caus-
ed a 1utter of excitement in the city
and inspired the proprietor to add the
words "Royal Victoria" to the inns
name, and to Justify the adornment of
the front of the building with the
royal coat of arms, writes b. w. Matz
in the Christian Science Monitor.
But it remained for the Plckwick-
ians to draw the inn out from the
ruck of the commonplace and to
spread its fame to all corners of the
globe; and the fact that 1t once had
royal patronage is nothing in COMPARE
son to the other fact that 1t was the
headquarters of the Pi~ckwickians on a
certain memorable occasion. That is
the attraction of it; that is the i'm
mutable thing that makes Its name 9
household word wherever the English
language is spoken. Indeed, that was
the one notable event in It's history
which filled the proprietor with pride
and in his wisdom, in order to lure Wis
itors into its comfortable interior, h'
could find no more magnetic announce
ment for the signboard on each sid'
of the entrance, than the plain unvar
nished statement: "Good House, MIC
Beds. Vide Pickwick."
Was Familiar to Dickens.
IT may have boasted a history befor
then; it is difficult to say. 1t existe'
in 1927 when Dickens housed tn
famous four within its hospitabl
walls; and he doubtless knew 1t Ion
before then when, as a lad, he lived J
Chatham; anyway 1t was always
favorite of his, and furnishes tn
scene of many incidents in his book
In addition to the part it plays In tn
early portion of the "Pickwick Ps
pers; - 1t no doubt is the original {
the Winglebury Arms in "The Grea
Winglebury Duel" in Sketches b
Boz" and is certainly the Blue Boa
of "Great Expectations" He fir
quented 1t himself and the room /
occupied on these occasions Is know
as the Dickens room and is furnlshe
with pieces of furniture from his res
: dence at Cabs Hill. We know, to
that he conducted his friends over
on these occasions when he made pl
+ grimages with them around the nelg
T. borhood.
s The house has been slightly alter'
p since those days, but it practically r
a mains the same as when Dickens d
d posted the Pickwickians in it's cou
l. yard that red-letter day In 1927. j
Ie outside Is dull and somber looking, b
its interior comfort and spaciousne
soon dispel any misgiyings which ]
exterior might have created.
re The entrance hall is as spacious
it was when Dickens described 1t,
Id 1.-The Great Winglebury Duel" as
ne namented with evergreen plants t.
ID minating In a perspective view of I
id bar, and a glass case, in which we
in displayed a choice variety of delit
q cies ready for dressing, to catch I
eye OF a newcomer the moment
Ill enters, and excite his appetite to t
~ highest possible pitch. "Oppos
DOORS" he says, lead to the 'coff'
or and commercial rooms; and a gre
wide rambling stalrease-three sta
and q landing-four stairs and anotf
landing-one step and another landl
IL and so on-conducts to galleries
ne bedrooms and labyrinths of sitti
an rooms, denominated private wh'
sc you many enjoy yourself as priyat'
ie- as you can in any place where so
I'd bewildered being or other walks IL
Itb your room every five minutes by n
re- take, and then walks out again,
open all the doors along the gall'
till he finds Ais own"