OUR HOMELY KING

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 19, 22 January 1921, Page 7

OUR HOMELY KING

JELLIOOE, ON THE EVE OF BATTLE

(?aOU (Wit OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

LONDON, 2nd December. The etationmaster at any big London railway, terminus is an impprtgnt personality, and ona who is brought into personal contact with tho great oijes. of all lands, many of whom aid frequent travellers to this country. Tho most recent station: master to retire, aftur fifty years of service with the London arid North Western Railway, is Mr. Joseph Jones, so well known at Euston. In a 'farewell interview, touching briefly on the characteristics of some of the prominent people he has met during his" period of duty,. Mr. Jouea said: ■ ■. ".' ■'King Geocge has the homely way—tho. kind way. Quoen Mary has a personality that is all charm, and I might put it that she seems to say, 'Come here' with her eyes. Queen Mary is. certainly most attractive, ' and her aspect is the, essence of friendliness." .. '. '' ' HUMAN AND KINGLY. , "I met King Edward very often—the first time when I was at Liverpool as a clerk in the train department, and we put 'on a special to take him up to town, where tho Duko of Albany was dead: 'It' 6 too lato to > see him, poor chap,' sai4 the. King, 'he is already gone. But I should like to' got there as soon as pos : I sible.' King Edward's manner was a Eort of handshake. I never knew, bjm to miss saying the human" as well''as the 'kingly tiling." WE WILL DO OUR BEST. "X saw Admiral JeUicoe off 'to join the | Fleet at tho evo of the wair. I wishec) him 'Good luck.' His reply was: 'It's the Great Unknown we're going to;' but, Jqijos, you may depend on it that all of ua wijl do our bos,t." "; Neatly summing up other notable popple, Mr. Jones considers President Wilson the "most autocratic mitn" he over met, and the lato Tsar' the "least autocratic.'' "Gladstone vvas j;he most powerful dynamo of a man I have spoken to; Mr. Balfour the most placid. Haig is most unlike the ■ generalissimo of romance. But it seemed to me that his faoe meant 'I know exacti ly what you can do. Trust in me, and I'll t^ke care of you for ever.' " •

Mr. Jones knew Parnpll whan h:e was an q[d man,., and.ho has known ten LordsLieutenant of Ireland, who iraed to take over shiploads of horses in the days when there were no motor-cars.