The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean., 1920-04-21
WASHINGTON GREATEST MAN
King Of England 50 Termed Him IN q
Speech Long After His Visit %:
New Yerk-Eiohteenth Cen.
tury Slang.

British navy lists, once the property Of
William Nv, "the sailor king" A num-
ber 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 1885, 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, If the COM
ment opposite the name Of his grace
the duke Of Bolton, admiral Of the
White, looks suspiciously like the word
mad it may be that the prince, even
as lieutenant, was in a position to
know whereof he wrote. It 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 1885,"
Eighteenth Century Slang.
Reference is made to other expires.
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 at least one, which some discreet
hand" possibly his own, when he had
succeeded to the throne, 'had seen al
to cut out with 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 his good humor-but also
for his seafaring manners" says the
writer. In stressing his "bluff and
hearty nature" the library publication
cites the fact that, "at the most solemn
moment in his life, as he acceded to
" the throne, and spoke Of his late SOW.
ereign and brother, George Nv, with
as much feeling as anyone not q
trained actor could put into his voice
for that monarch" he "instantly added
in his usual easy-going grunfness, as
he affixed his first signature as king to
some papers of state: "This is q
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
Q7S2) occupying the city, contrary to
the wishes of. General Washington and
the American army, encamped in New
Jersey. The prince had his quarters
In Hanover square, and skated, &C.
cording to tradition, on the Collect
pond. Colonel Ogden Of the First Jer
sey regiment formed an elaborate and
well!matured plan to capture the
1 prince and hfs admiral and take them
into Washington's camp. General
B Washington approved the plan.
!. Thought Washington Greatest Man.
f Something seems to have affected
the prince favorably toward this coun.
try and its first president. He had
/ throughout life, an extraordinary
weakness, for making speeches, some
of which were not remarkable for their
tact: A happier example Of his,
it9ratory was afforded when he was;
King and happened to be entertaining
a group of gentlemen which included
the American minister. He was seized
with his fatal habit of making a
speech and said that it had always
been with him a 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 the king
Of England, compliment could go no
further
The acquiring by the library Of 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 C0gsweh,
Its first librarian, was in Europe with
his princely endowment in his pocket
''These books, = says the Bulletin,
''had been the properly Of William Nv,
king Of Great Britain and Ireland, and
of one or another of his sons, and they!
bear the bookplates Of one or more Of
these personal ages:. 81, 5i.i.
a.R-E