PRINCE OF WALES

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 31 December 1927, Page 9

PRINCE OF WALES

best story told of the Prince o Wales during his tours of Cauad —probably the best story of the tour ■of His Royal Highness over th world—is being told now, afte he has made another tour froi the Atlantic to the Pacific. Th story is vouched for by a high railroai official of the 'Grand' Trunk Pacific now retired, who accompanied tin Prince at. the time. It wa s in the summer of 1919, ant the Prince was travelling westward or the way to his ranch in Alberta. Can ada had a bumper wheat crop thai year, and the Harvest was in full swing The Prince asked that his train be halted for an hour or so, that he might stretch his legs, and the officials “parked” it a few miles outside a Western township. Tn a little time, the Prince and his equerry, 'Lord Claude Hamilton, who was a bit taller than his Highness, appeared, wearing hob-nailed boots, loose walking trousers, closely-buttoned coats, and plaid caps. Each carried a stout cane. Lighting their pipes, they started at a stiff pace up the road. A little, over an hour later the pair came trudging back, covered with dust and perspiring with the heat. With them were two farmers in overalls. The Prince and his companion passed on, and joined a group of trainmen, who were playing baseball to while away the time. “Say, boss,” said one of the farmers to a railroad official, “what’s the matter with thi s country?”' “Looks all right to me,” said the official of the Royal special. “I never saw Canada in better condition. What’s the trouble?” “Well, I’ii tell you. The ■crops are so heavy this year that we can’t get enough farm hands t’O do the harvesting. ‘ 1 see by the papers that there are immigrants and others who want work. That’s all bunk. They don’t want work. I’ll prove it. We saw these two birds hitting it up along the road without any luggage, and asked them if they wanted to put in the next four weeks at good money. ‘How much?’ asks the big fellow. T told him forty dollars a month, with board and lodging. ‘That doesn’t’seem very much to me, what kind of work do we do for that?’ he asks, sucking at his pipe. I told there that they had to pitch hay. help with the stock, tinker round, helping us

OFFERED JOB ON FARM

of build a root bouse and get in shape for la I the threshing machine when in came rs round our way.” ie “'How did he take it?” asked the er official. m “Put up a howl. Couldn’t see it aie tall. Said he’d never done any farming d for less than fifty dollars a month and c, found and that he wouldn’t do no earie penter work •on a root house for nobody.’ ’ d “Did you meet his raise?” n “Not right then. We walked along i- with them and boosted the rates to it forty-five dollars a month, and finally came up to fifty. Say, mister, you e haven't any idea how bad we need t form hands up here. ” s “'Then why don’t you pay ’em?” 1 a “Isn’t fifty a month during a nice dry season like August is in Canada s enough? I used to farm down in the o States and never got more than that '- even in the winter. They’re out of a e job, ain’t they?” i “Why didn’t you take the big fellow' i on at fifty, the wage he asked?” ' “That ’s just the point. He bad him going, and ne was on the edge of takr ing it when the little fellow butts in t and wants to know what kind of vittles i we fed our farm hanus. That’s what he . wanted to know. I told him he’d eat l what we ate. Ha! Ha! What do ) you suppose was the next, question he • ’ asked? ‘What timo do we have to turn out in the morning?’ i “Well, that’s a fair question,” said I the railroader. “What time do you turn out?” “Five o’clock. We tramped along 1 with these two birds for two .miles, try. ing to persuade them, but they don’t want work, no-how. There they are now, down there, playing baseball with your train crew. What’s Canada coming to when her people won’t work? That pair ought to be deported. . Where did they come from, anyhow?” “The big chap pitching the ball is Lord Claude Hamilton, and the little fellow batting is the Prince of Wales. Came along and I’ll introduce you.” The railroader led the farmers up tc the Prince of Wales and introduced them.’ 'The Prince invited them to take refreshments with him, gave each a box of cigars, and wished them prosperity. The special train pulled out with the Royal feathers flying from the locomotive flagstaff. The farmers cheered the > Prince as hi s train departed westward.