The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1920-04-15
HAS BOOKS OF
WILLIAM ".
Navy Lists, With Comments on
Superior Officers, in New
York Library.
WASHINGTON GREATEST MAN
King Of England So Termed Him In
Speech Long After His Visit to
New York-Eighteenth Gen.
tury Slang.

New York.-Under the title "a
Kings Books" attention is invited
by The New York Public library to the
sery human personal comments and
titles bestowed on his superior officers
by a British prince, in annotations
made by mis- own hand. during his serv-
Ice afioat in one Of his majesty's ships.
In the Bulletin. recently published,
are described some old volumes OF
British navy lists. once the property OF
william ". "the sailor king" A num-
Der of the volumes have his autograph
signature. civilian Henry" on the
title page. with his naval rank at that
date. and the name OF his ship. Such
Is the case with the list of 1855. when.
In addition TO his name, he has signed
himself Lieutenant of the -Hebe."
The young prince had amused HIM
SELF" according to the Bulletins edi-
tor. by annoting certain volumes OF
the set. (which he seems TO have had
In his cabin and. IL the COM
ment opposite the name Of his grace
the duke of Bolton. admiral Of the
White, looks suspiciously like the word
mad II may be that the prince. even
as a lieutenant, was in position to
know whereof he wrote. II was
by no means the only comment at his
disposal. The Right Hon. George Lord
viscount Mount Edgecumbe. admiral
Of the White. is tersely described as
damned miser.' This is In the list
for 17ss."
Eighteenth Century Slang.
Reference is made to other express
sions "mysterious today to every one
excepting those familiar with sailors
slang of the eighteenth century: 9TH
ers whose Significance has no shade Of
doubt-the blunt language of the quar-
ter-deck or the barracks" And there
Is nj least one which some discreet
hand.T possibly his own. when he had
succeeded to the throne .had seen At
TO cut out with n sharp penknife."
-All are in keeping with the charac-
ter Of the man who. when he became
king. over forty years later. was
known for h.s good humor-but also
for his seafaring manners" SAYS the
writer. In stressing his "biuff and
hearty nature the library publication
cites the fact that, "at the most solemn
moment In his life. as he acceded tn
the throne. and spoke of his late SOW
ereign and brother. George ". with
M much feeling as anyone not n
trained actor could put into his voice
for that monarch" he "instnntiy added
in his usual easy-golng gr7uffness. as
he affixed his first signature as king to
some papers OF state: This Is a
damned bad pen you have given me-"
OF more vital Interest to New York.
ers is the princes connection with
their own city Of Manhattan. AS
Prince william Henry the king stayed
for some time in New York. with the
British military and naval forces then
GTs2) occupying the city. contrary to
the wishes of General Washington and
the American army. encamped In New
Jersey. The prince had his quarters
In Hrnover square. and skated. ac-
cordinR to tradition. on the Collect
pond. Colonel Ogden Of the First Jsr-
sey regiment formed an elaborate and
well-matured plan to capture the
prince and his admiral and take them
into washington's camp. General
Washington approved the plan.
Thought Washington Greatest Man.
'Somethlng seems 70 have affected
the prince favorahiy toward this coun-
try and its first president. He had,
throughout life. an extraordinary
weakness for making speeches, some
of which We're not remarkable for their
tact. A happier example of his
oratory WIS afforded when he was
king and happened TO be entertaining
group OF gentlemen which Included
the American minister He was seized
8. with his fatal habit of making a
speech and said that IL had always
been with him matter of serious re-
gret that he had not been born free,
Independent American. so great was
his respect for that nation. He said
that he considered Washington the
greatest man that ever lived.
"Coming as this did from tho king
OF England, compliment could go no
further"
The acquiring by the library OF a set
OF British Army Lists" beginning
with the year 1855 and ended with
1912. dates back to the Astor library
and the time when Doctor Cogswell,
its first librarian, was In Europe "with
his princely endowment In his pocket"
"These books" says the Bulletin,
had been the property OF William Nv.
king OF Great Britain and Ireland. and
Of one or nnother Of his sons, and they
bear the bookplates OF one or more Of
these personngcs."
--------
IL His Faithful Friend.