LORD MARCUS BERESFORD.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 136, 30 May 1908, Page 4

LORD MARCUS BERESFORD.

MASTKU OF THK KING'S THOROUGIIDRKDS. Ijord Marcus Rerwford has been unfortunate of late. After a fall from a hor.-e came the death of Persimmon, 1 and now he has narrowly escaped a violent end as the result of a motor-car accident. King Kdwnrd was one of the lirst to congratulate bud Marcus on his escape, for the breezy Irishman, who has all the lovable traits of the Water ford family about him. is a close personal friend of the King, besides being in complete control of llis Majesty's thoroughbreds. He i rt a member of ilie Naval aud Military Club, ami, .-omc years ago. was a member of a son of informal committee who met to report on th--hand-grenade- for lire oxtiugui-diing I purposes with which tIn 1 dub had all that time been fitted. The great question wa-. " Wer<> the grenades a«s cili 1 cient a- the makers claimed':" and this agitated the minds of the member?* srt much that Lord Maivu* Rere.-foi'd gestetl a praeticul test as the only way of finding out. This proposal was received with acclamation. Late on" balmy summer's night the newspaper room'of the club was raided, and great stacks of journals and magazines were carried out armful by armlnl by eii-thusia-tic oHieer* into the courtyard in Piccadilly, and. wlien the accumulation grew imposing, set on lire. Then the amateur brigade got to work, ami the grenades were voted to be a triumphant success, although the bonfire, which w.t> a m«ht lurid one. had a regrettably fdiort life. The crowd wa> delighted with the wiiole entertainineiit. especially v, hen Lord Marcus made a speech, anil tliev r. greuod that Ihe arrival of a real lire brigade and a posse ot p(di. e put an end to the gratuitous -how. Lady Marcus |»ercsfonl, who. after being a Mi<ss Ridley, married Lord Marcus in IS7">. will always be remembered as the founder of the Cat. Club. For vears she lias made n speciality of rearing and breeding eats. At Rishamsgate she ha ri what she calls her "Caterie*. whei'e the cats live ill il r-reiqier-eovered cottage, with a -mall kitchen for cooking the food, racks to hold the whit ' Ciumel!"d bowls ami ]dates. a mediein.' chest, and a room of archives, wher-' doeuiuentary evidence of pedigrees and ih'-criplii.iis of all the «at, ; and kittens : n th" e-tablishment are lilcd. Iler example has been -inec followed by many oilier -o'icfv woine'n. but none have had >ii'h lin-k with their pets a* Lady Mar rn- Ih-re-sford.