138 IRiMiiG IRecoUections anb ^urf Stones 



laughter. Wells, however, didn't mind a bit. I 

 need hardly tell you he came in for a great deal of 

 chaff from his brother professionals, myself in 

 eluded. Once, as he was walking past, I asked him 

 where his hat came from. He turned round and 

 said : 



" You would like to know, wouldn't you, so that 

 you could get one like it ?" 



I answered : " If I did, I would be complete, and 

 get a monkey and an organ with it." 



It was a real organ-grinder's hat. 



Whilst on the topic of hats, I remember the late 

 Lord Westmorland having- a bet of a new hat with 

 Wells, which the latter won. He asked Lord West- 

 morland where he should get it, and his lordship 

 told him to let him have the size, and he would 

 send him one. This his lordship did. He found 

 out where the eccentric Joey Jones had his made, 

 and sent him a wide curly-brimmed white hat turned 

 up with red. This caused a great deal of amuse- 

 ment at the time. 



I think Wells was the tallest and biggest man I 

 ever saw ride 8 st. 7 lb. He was an extraordinary 

 good pedestrian, and would bet that he walked 

 eleven miles in two hours with four suits of sweaters 

 on. I recollect Sam Rogers offering to back 



