The Southern herald., 1919-01-10

% presumably the Bull hotel at
Rochester was merely a com
Portable roadside coaching inn
between Dover and London, with no
claim to fame other than that of being
favored resort of the military from
the adjacent town of Chatham. It is
true that Queen Victoria-then but a
princess-was compelled, because of
a mishap to the bridge across the
Medway and the stormy weather, to
stay in the inn with her mother, the
duchess of Kent for one night only.
Ihey were on their way to London
from Dover. The event happened on
the 29th of November, 1886, and caus-
ed a flutter 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 1t remained for the Pickwick-
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 c0mparl-
son to the other fact that 1t was the
headquarters of the Pickwickians on a
certain memorable occasion. That is
the attraction Of it; that is the i'm
mutable thing that makes its name a
household word wherever the English
language is spoken. Indeed, that was
the one notable event In its history
which filled the proprietor with pride,
and in his wisdom, in order TO lure Wis
itors into its comfortable interior. he
could find no more magnetic announce
ment for the signboard on each side
OF the entrance, than the plain unvar-
nished statement: Good House, Nice
Beds. Vide Plckwick."
Was Familiar to Dickens.
It may have boasted history before
then; it is difficult to say. 1t existed
In 1927 when Dickens housed the
famous four within its hospltable
walls; and he doubtless knew it long
before then when, as a lad, he lived in
Chatham; anyway it was always a
favorite of his, and furnishes the
scene Of many incidents In his books.
IN addition to the part it plays in the
early portion Of the "Pickwick Pa
pers;" it no doubt is the original of
the Winglebury Arms in "The Great
Winglebury DUE" in Sketches by
Boz" and is certainly the Blue Boar
of Great Expectations" He fire.
quented it himself and the room he
occupied on these occasions Is known
as the Dickens room and is furnished
with pieces OF furniture from his resi-
dence at Gad's Hill. We know, too.
that he conducted his friends over il,
on these occasions when he made nil.
grimages with them around the neigh.
borhood.
The house has been slightly altered
since those days, but it practically re-
mains the same as when Dickens de.
posted the Pickwickians in its court
yard. that red-letter day in 1927. IFS
outside is dull and somber looking but
Its interior comfort and spaciousness
soon dispel any misgiyings which its
exterior might have created.
The entrance hall is as spacious Ms
It was when Dickens described it, in
'The Great Winglebury Duel" as or
with evergreen plants ter
in a perspective view of the
Dar, and a glass case, in which were
displayed choice variety of dellca-
les ready for dressing. to catch the
we Of a gewcomer the moment he
nters, and eKcite his appetite to the
ighest Dessibie pitch. Opposite