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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZurich Herald, 1956-02-09, Page 7Kensington Palace Does A Cometback In all the heart of Loaldon it must have been one of the Only one royal palace stands most depressing experiences of embowered In green parklaid, her life. Chopping streets actually flank The suite had been occupied the southern walls of Bucking- for a quarter of a century of ham Palace and King George V widowhood by Queen Victoria's epee seriously considered selling daughter, Princess Louise, and it for $10,000,000 to convert into left untenanted for another ten Aces. But he longed to live in years. Dust and cobwebs lay tesinquil Kensington Palace, now thick. to be the wonderful new home "No longer suitable for human of the Duchess of Kent, habitation" was the verdict. There were staircases wide as stables, chilling corridors along which all coal and water had to be carried, and rooms that led into one another in gloomy vis- tas. The walls were damp and mil- dewed—and no wonder, for very little light came through the grimy latticed windows. Above the ceilings could be heard the soft tap of the death-watch beetle. The Duchess of Kent had the help of experts, of course. Angry questions were asked in Parlia- ment when the Office of Works bought a $2,500 Adam mantel- piece to grace her drawing -room. The $200,000 spent in repairs has also been criticized. 1f you look' carefully you can spot the Duchess's windows from the Park, for they are draped in white -frilled nylon, an enchant- ing modern touch. And every- where in these redecorated, re - planned rooms is grace If .you could walk down the blue -carpeted corridor. you would be charmed by the white paintwork. The yellow ceilings are intended to create a sun- shine effect even on a dull No- vember day. The drawing -room is a won- derland of gold and white. The settees have been, upholstered in geld, and pieces of antique furniture which were wedding gifts have been brought out of store after thirteen years. Prin- cess Alexandra has a separate sitting -room in which she can entertain her own friends with a modern radiogram. Upstairs are six bedrooms, but two of these are small guest bedrooms. The Duchess's bed- room is carpeted In cherry, with curtains of white and red -flow- ered chintz to set the theme, and a bedspread of pure white satin. Princess Alexandra has chosen a white wallpaper patterned with pink and red carnations. By contrast, the young Duke of Kent and Prince Michael have austerity rooms. The Duchess of Kent's wing of Kensington Palace has be- come as glamorous and beauti- ful a home as the similarly re- modelled Clarence House. And now, needless to say, there are ether kinsfolk of the Royal Fam- ily who have been eyeing the remaining vacant suites and gently hinting that they too would welcome the grace -and - favour of these desirable royal residences. Not so long ago Kensington ralace was slipping into ghast- iky Ther walls were bulging—according to a report —the rafters rotting and the old panelled walls and painted ceil- ings slowly crumbling in decay. The Duke of Edinburgh spent the last night of his l4achelor- Iaood in Kensington Palace but the servants found the scrubbed board floors creaking so badly that they tiptoed about for fear they would wake him too soon. The Duke stayed in the palace flat occupied by his. grandmo- ther, the Dowager Marchioness Of 'Milford Haven. But her rooms sure now a ghost suite, empty And echoing. It is not idly that Kensington has been called the "sleeping beauty" palace. When au official took stock of the hun- dreds of rooms, at ,least four out Of Ave were empty. Yet Kensington Palace has been a royal home for 250 years And for over a century it was the chief official home of roy- alty, just as Buckingham Palace b today. King' William III found the London smog so trying • to breathe that he bought the pal- ace when it was called Notting- ham House, rural home of the ]Carl of Nottingham. At $55,000 purchase price it !!seems a bargain. But William repent ten times this sum in five e• ars in making lffe had scarcely begun a new wing than the walls fell down, idling eight workmen, and then a disastrous Are meant that much of the work had to be done all aver again. Like William, Queen Anne died in the palace. Queen Vic- iloe'ia was born there. When Qeerge II was living there as povereign, his wife laid out the gardens. Convinced that she was paying the bills out of her privy e, the King never inter - fond. He had a rude shock after her death when he examined lids bank accounts and found the Queen had drawn park money t,, the tune Of $100,000. Today Kensington Palace is the only royal residence In Lon- don with, state apartments regu- larly open to the public. You can stand in the very room where Victoria, as an eighteen - year -old girl, stood in dressing - gown and shawl to receive the stews that she was Queen of England. You can see her doll's house, a truly enchanting relic, Or you can shiver in a room so draughty that King William *aught pneumonia when he fell asleep there. There Is, a staircase that was *ought to be made of ebony until restorers tried to clean it wad discovered "the black was merely dirt. So much dirt and aubbish was taken out of the palace during the clean-up for the Duchess, of Kent's suite that ilt took twenty truck loads to siert it all away. When King George VI allotted the Duchess a twenty -two -room smite in the Palace as a grace- s d -favour residence, he warned her that it would take time to put it into shape—and as the Ttxchess viewed her new home tr ERRY MENAGERIE "Pardon me. Could you direct nne to the nearest belfry?" Young Men Wanted By Rails Realizing the need for young men to plan a career, we inves- tigated the possibilities of a young man trained as Agent - Telegrapher. We discussed the matter with J. E. Cassan, presid- ent of Cassan Systems Scheel, 20 Spadina Road, Toronto, who has been specializing in this training for over 50 years. Records show that every gra- duate has been placed in posi- tions, and during the past five years the school has been unable to supply the demand in On- tario, let alone the other prov- inces. Training may be taken at home with the use and loan of the Self -Teaching Code Ma- chine, with the privilege of at- tending school any time for check-up and speed tests. Train- ing is also given in Day and Night School. If a Railway car- eer interests you, secure book- let without obligation: Tele- graphers and Station Agents work five-day week, eight-hour day, receive Union pay, pen- sion and express 'commissions, all of which means big wages. 300sieie iI Q}ILLiON DOLLARS €iTOTAL SPENT ,iBY CONSUMERS eee 200 0 1940 1945 1950 1955 SPENDING UP, WILL RISE. --Demands of the American people for goods and services was ate record annual rate of a92 billion dollars In 1955, 9 per cent above 1951. Consumer spending rose to the highest level in history and investment by business ex- panded sharply. Government expenditures -i -federal, state and ;local -leveled off. A. look ahead to 1956 sees continued strong COOSUatter spending, business investment rising further, federal frovesemient purchases about at 1955 level, State acid local gov- ernments will upend Increasing amounts for schools, roads and Other f eefl les. SPENT BY GOVERNMENT Sim eeee•-•-•'4ENT FOR PRIVATE INVESTMENT FAT OF THE MOON -The weird -looking object above is a fairy- tale moon—being explored by space travelers—made from some 40 pounds of pork fat. Creator is confectioner Jean Chabot, shown finishing his "masterpiece" in Nice, France. The pork - fat moon required 20 days' work to complete. They Tried To Fool Their Fellow Crooks A couple of seedy rogues — "Lord and Lady Scot" .as they • called themselves — were great- ly interested in the newspaper accounts of the newly -arrived Count Cagliostro, a , self-styled alchemist. They were particu- larly ',eon to get their hands on magical ' Egyptian manuscript which, it was rumoured, could perform all manner of marvels and could even predict winning lottery numbers — eighteen cen- tury equivalent of our ,Pools. The Count was only too eager to advertise himself through newspaper interviews. For he had come to England to fleece credulous — and wealthy'— mugs. So when , the Scots read all about the Cagliostros having taken furnished apartments at a Mrs. Juliet's No. 4, Whitcomb Street, Pall Mall, they made a note to mark down the Count for plunder. The Scot's chance to meet the Count came when his landlady suggested that an impecunious Portuguese lady, Madame Ble- vary, would like to earn, a trifle acting as interpreter for Coun- tess Cagiostro, who knew no English. The Cagliostros were exceed- ingly kind to Madame Blevary and when' she brought along a starving ex -Jesuit seminarist, named Vitellini, introducing him as a fellow -countryman of the Count's who could teach Eng- lish, the Cagliostros welcomed the man, and took pity oh his obvious poverty. Now the Scots' 'chance had arrived. For Vitellini . was not only .poor and grossly dishonest, but he was also very thick with.. the Scots. He introduced them to Madame Blevary as two im- poverished Scottish aristocrats who really deserved to know the secret of predicting lottery num- ... bees. For good measure, Vitel- lini promised Madame Blevary a cut on the profits if she could arrange to introduce the Scots to the Count. After some trouble — for the Count showed a curious reluc- tance to meet strangers whom he himself had not marked down for prey — Madame Blevary managed to effect an introduc- tion. And from that. moment "Lady Scot" — actually Mary Fry, the jailbird — began to worry the life out of poor Alessandro di Cagliostro for a winning lot- tery number. The cream of the jest in this priceless example of diamond cut diamond is that the Scots believed implicitly in all the fancy claims that the Count.had made for himself, The Count, of course, knew that his claims were no more than a crevice to part the wealthy riches. But he saw, too, with alarm that he would be forced to give some sort of answer to the ex- tremely importunate Lady Scot. The Count — brought up in the slums of Palermo — could tell a dangerous type when he met her. And he recognized just that in this demure but demoniacally obstinate woman. In desperation, though he hadn't enough real confidence in his psychic powers to predict• to- morrow's weather, he told her what his magic book had turn- ed up for the next lottery. The Count and Countess had arrived in London from Portu- gal in July of 1776. The first number that he gave to Lady Scot was for the draw on No- vember 14th. She and her confederate didn't stake much on this first number. But they were not at all sur- prised when the number came up and launched them on an amazing run of good fortune. (It was the Count who was As- tonished!) Now their pressure increased, the heat was well and truly onl In spite of his refusal to give another ntunber, the Count was forced by the Scots -- now GOOD LOOKS "Don't judge a book by its cover" goes an old saying. Like- wise the appearance of a fabric is no assurance that it will wear well. The right amount of sizing in a fabric can enhance the look and feel of the material. But sometimes sizing may be used to 'fill out' a fabric and skimp on the actual amount of yarn used. Sizing of this kind is very often soluble in water, and one or more washings will get rid of it, leaving the fabric limp and lifeless. Water' soluble sizing is often affected even by the slight moisture present in dry clean- ing. And the job of removing spots and stains is made much more difficult. The Canadian Research Insti- tute of Launders and Cleaners, which conducts regular tests on a wide variety of fabrics, says that taffetas have been a chief offender. They warn too of linens that have been heavily starched. Here again the excess starch will wash out leaving the linens looking very forlorn. One simple but effective test may be used to show up excess sizing that has been used to conceal poor quality. Just rub a portion of the fabric between your fingers. If excess sizing has been used, a trace of white powder will usually appear. Remember too that when buy- ing a garment or cloth where a crisp effect is desirable, it's best to ask the question --will this article stay . crisp after cleaning? backed up by Blevary and Vi- tellini — to give "just one more number." Two days later, November 16th, number 20 turned up — exactly as the Count had pre- dicted. On November 17th, his predicted number — 25 — net- ted the Scots $65. And with the turning up of two numbers, 55' and 57, on the following day the Scots netted over $2,5001 The Count, certain that this run of luck could not possibly continue, refused point-blank to predict any more numbers. But he had reckoned without the Scots. For the first time in their un- scrupulous lives they had touch- ed "honest" money. And they were not going to -be sent back to dangerous criminality if they could help it. But when the Count refused to receive them, Lady Scot forced her way into Countess Sera- phina's room and sobbed out a lying story about her husband having abandoned her, with 3 starving children on her hands. The tender-hearted Countess got one more number out of the angry Count, and sent the tear- ful woman away with it — num- ber eight for the December 7th lottery after pressing a gui- nea into her hand. The Scots put everything that they could raise on this num- ber. And the Count must have felt faint indeed when he heard that it had won them over $3,500. This big win started a life of persecution for Count Cagliostro which must have almost made him wish that he were back in some Palermo jail. In despera- tion, he and his wife moved to Great Suffolk Street. But Mary Fry took a room in the same house and by a trick got the Countess to accept a necklace, and then had the Count arrest- ed for "stealing" it. She even brought an action against him for practising witchcraft, so that her friends could break into his laboratory and steal his precious manuscript while he was ans- wering the charge. When the rogues could not read what it contained — and it would have been difficult for anyone since it was pure gib- berish — they broke into the Count's room and held a loaded pistol to his breast, demanding the secret. Only the knowledge that there was no secret gave the Count courage to refuse their request. "My stay in England has cost me over $9,0001" he declared — and decided to leave London. But this he could do only with the consent of the Scots. Arrest on trumped-up charges was only too easy a way to keep him in England for ever. Finally, the Scots, realizing that they could not get the "secret" of the manuscript, agreed to let the Count leave the country in return for enough lottery numbers to provide them with a fortune. For good measure, hoping to teach them a good lesson and praying that he would never clap eyes on them again, he gave the first half-dozen numbers that came into his head. Then, before the first of thein could fail to come up—as he was convinced they all would fail— he and his wife hurried off to France. Sitting in his dungeon many years later --condemned to a life imprisonment from which he was to emerge only in his cof- fin -•- t he wretched "Count Alessandro di Cagliostro" must have wondered why he had got into trouble by pretending 0 have magical powers when, In fact, he really did have them. For how otherwise can one explain how those last six reck- lessly chosen numbers all turn- ed up? Numbers which had en- abled• the confidently plunging Scots to net a fortune of over $150,000, Animal Toppors A southern farmer recently complained to a sheriff that his Jersey cows came home the other week so drunk that they couldn't be milked. Seems the animals had a little party down ley a stream into which had been spilled gallons of whisky from an illicit still. Two men were arrested. 1955 was quite a year for ani- mal binges. In January a mon- key started the ball rolling by getting tipsy on a bottle off Benedictine. Eighteen -inch tall. Jokko staggered around the house in Southend where he lives, found a pair of nylon panties, put them on and tot- tered off out of the house and down the road. Passing children were delight- ed, but a man yanked Jokko off to the police station where they put him in jail until Our Dumb Friends' League turned up to bail him out. In September last an animal ambulance was called to Sam - My, an eighteen - month - old pony, who was skipping and dancing about a field blind drunk. But it wasn't really Sammy's fault, he had merely been eating some fermented po- tato peelings he found on the small -holding in Romford, Es- sex. When he had finished, he walked unsteadily into the field where his owners found him later . . . on his knees. It took eight men to carry Sammy away to sober up. CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING PEP UP" TRY CellBdrgTABLETS Ondollar at TONIC BABY CHICKS SEND for full details about our new 'rweddle series 400, 401 and 402, These are regular egg machines. They will lay more eggs on less feed than any other breed we have to offer. any other pure bd compare crosslbreed if you do we know you will be back for more next year. Also first gener- ation Broiler chicks, turkey poults, laying and ready to lay pullets. Catalogue. TWEDDLE CHICK HATCHERIES LTD. FERGUS ONTARIO ASK for Bray weekly lists specials. Broiler cockerels and mixed chicks: for February. Pullets (a few start- ed) including special strains such as Babcock Leghorns, Ames Hybrids. Particulars, Bray Hatchery 120 John N., Hamilton. "OXFORD" Approved Chicks live, twenty-nine years are carefulsuselecf gabecausee wege They veryohe b best goodwant kind of chicks for our own flocks, — big, vigorous, and early maturing. Columbia Rocks, White Leghorns, Sussex, Barred Rocks, Hamp x Rock Crossbreds, New Hamp x Sussex Crossbreds. Leghorn x Columbia Rock. Write for free folder. The Oxford Farmers' Co -Operative Produce Com- panvOnited. 434 Main Street Wood - FOR SALE TRUCK - TANK 1 865 gal., 4 -compartment truck - tank with bucketbox at rear, hose - reel and two side delivery doors. 8800. This unit is very suitable for farm trade agents. NORDICLD CTS CPANYLIMITE Servicing — Manufacturing Petroleum Handling Equipment 144 SixteenthLStre21-50 eToronto MEDICAL PROVEN REMEDY — EVERY SUFFERER OF RHEUMATIC PAINS OR NEURITIS SHOULD TRY DIXON'S REMEDY. MUNRO'S DRUG STORE, 335 Elgin Ottawa $1.25 Express Prepaid POST'S ECZEMA SALVE rB shesHande weepingt skinr}rtroubles Post's Eczema Salve will not disap- point you. 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WANTED OLD Steam Thresher Catalogues and early threshing photographs wanted. Buy or exchange. H. S. Turner. Goderich, Ontario. nor The Rao Vif V AGENT - TELEGRAPHERS perform a National service. Worlc is just as important as the man in the Navy, Army or Air -Force. Union pay and good prospects for promotion to $5,000 Lob. Yoe con qualify by mail with use and loan of Self - Teaching Machine. Demand for men. Free book explains. Cassanstems 20 Spodina Road Toronto. IT MAY BE v'UR LIVE If life's not worth living 'it neay be your liver! It's a fact! It takes up to two pints of liver bile a day to keep your digestive tr.., t in top chapel If your liver bile is not flowing freely your food may not digest ... gas bloats up your stomach , .. you feel constipated and all the fun and sparkle go out of life. That's when you need mild gentle Carter's Little Liver bills. 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