PRINCE OF WALES IN AMERICA.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 16590, 12 November 1919, Page 9

PRINCE OF WALES IN AMERICA.

MEMORIES OF 60 YEARS AGO. ; TLo visit oil the Prince of Wales to ; tho United States after Ilia journey to Canada will he an historical event, says ; “H.M.F.” in tho London Daily Mail. | It is the first time in history tliat a i Prince of Wales has visited the States ; as hcir-apiiarent to tho Throne of | Great Britain. j King Edward VII.. then Prince of ; Wales, visited tho United States in I 1860, also after a visit to Canada, and | also as tho result of an invitation from ; the President, hut it, was intimated that ; from the time of his entry the Prince j would drop all Royal stale and would ; travel and ho known as Lord Renfrew. ] Some few persons are still alive remember well Unit memorable journey , of nearly 6'o years ago. "Lord Ren- | freiv” visited Washington, Mow York. ; Chicago, Philadelphia, Albany, Boston, i and other cities, making a. more exten- i sire tour than that apparently ar- : ranged for his grandson. It is stated ' that at Detroit the Royal party had , to be taken into their hotel by a side I entrance, .so great were tho crowds in ; the main street. Tho city was illu- , minated. the craft in tlie river were j ablaze with lamps. "There could not have been greater curiosity to see him ( if tho distinguished visitor had been , George Washington come to life again," ! it was said. | During his stay in Washington, where j he was the guest of President James j Buchanan in the White ilon.se, thej Prince paid a. visit to Mount Vernon , and George Washington's tomb. "There ■ is something grandly suggestive of historical retribution,” wrote The Times ' correspondent of that day, "in the reverential awe of the Prineo of Wales, the. great-grandson of George 111, standing bareheaded at the fool of tho coffin ot Washington. For a few mo- ' incuts tho party stood mute and mo- , tionlcss, and tho Prince then proceeded ; to plant a. chestnut by the side of the : tomb. It seemed, when the Royal youth closed in the earth round the little germi that he was burying the hist faint trace of discord between us and our great brethren in tho West.” 1 It was in Philadelphia, Mrs. BcllocLowndes records in her life of King Edward VII, that the- Prince heard Adelina Patti for tho first time. At the grand.ball in tho old Academy of Music, Kcw York, the Prineo danced with many partners from among 3000 guests. The building could have accommodated 6000 people, but not comfortably' so, when tho "crinoline,” the feminine mode- of that day, was taken into account. Tho King of tho Belgians, in a letter to Queen Victoria, wrote; —"Bertie has got well through his tremendous tour,” And a tremendous tour it was in those days—6o years ago ! Very different in time and comfort from tho tour our Prineo is having. "Lord Renfrew” in 1860 sailed on hoard the frigate. Hero, escorted by 11.M.5. Ariadno. The outward journey was all right, but on the way home there were dangers and difficulties. In the "Letters of'Queen Victoria” occurs a passage; “Our poor Bcrtio is still on the Atlantic, detained by very contrary winds which these largo vessels, with only an auxiliary screw and only eight days’ coal, cannot make any way against. Two powerful steamers have gone out to look for him.” When tho “two powerful steamers’ sighted tho Hero it was found that a sudden storm had driven the ship back from the coast, and tho Royal party , had boon reduced to salt faro with ; only a week’s provisions in store. ,