KINGS OF THE ROD, RIFLE, AND GUN 



William Cotton Oswell 



THOSE who were present at the " Speeches " in Rugby 

 School on June 24th, 1894, are not likely to forget that 

 day. For the occasion was made memorable by an 

 address from the man whom all Rugbeans honour and 

 love, the man who has immortalised their beloved school 

 in the best and manliest story of English public school 

 life ever written " Tom Brown's School Days." Judge 

 Hughes chose as the subject of his address the career of 

 one of his contemporaries at Rugby under Arnold, whose 

 portrait had on the previous day been added to the 

 interesting gallery in which the "counterfeit presenti- 

 ments " of famous " Old Rugs " are preserved. The hero 

 for whom " Tom " Hughes, in his own strong, earnest 

 style, claimed the honour and respect due to a noble 

 specimen of English manhood was William Cotton 

 Oswell. To many of his hearers the name was probably 

 unknown, for Oswell was one of those modest heroes 

 who do not court publicity. " His only fault," says his 

 old friend Sir Samuel Baker, " was the shadowing of his 

 own light." But those who had the privilege of knowing 

 Wiiliam Cotton Oswell and were acquainted with the 



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