Some Remarkable Freaks of Fortune.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3360, 14 November 1889, Page 2

Some Remarkable Freaks of Fortune.

An aristocratio costormonger is what one hardly would expect to find in Shoreditch, yet wo are assured that some years ago this was a favorite character of Lord Lonsdale's. It was no unusual tiling forMf this eccentric nobleman to lay aside his dinner dress and robe himself in the corduroys and cobured neckerchief of the coster. And a capital coster lie made, too, having a pair of lungs liko a couple of foghorns, and a genius for acting the part which was irresistible. The late Hon. E. Grosvenor, son of the Duke of Westminster, was fond of assuming the character of enginedriver. He was a capable driver in every way, and used to gratify this curious taste on the duke's privuto railway lino in Cheshire, These were voluntary freaks, of course, of Fortune's favorites, and harmless enough. Some others have . been brought about by dire necessity, J Lord Hinton, the aristocratic organ-grinder, is not unknown in the West End of London, He is wont to perambulate the streets with liis instrument of torture, and is careful to inform all his patrons, by a card attached to his organ, chat he is "the son of Earl Powlett." WejX often see bis lordship from tho win- y dows of Tit-bits Offices playing his organ in tho vicinity, and lie looks as though he made a pretty comfortaide living. He is always accompanied by his wifo, who was once a ballet, girl at the Surrey Thettre. His marriage was tho cause of his biiing disowned by his father, It is pleasing to see that the lady for whom ho sacrificed so much dutifully takes her turn at the handle, Sir Thomas Echlin, Bart., has, through stress of circumstances, been obliged to enter the Royal Irish Constabulary, and now holds the position of police sergeant in the Dublin police. Sir Thomas is the seventh baronet of tlw name. The present baronet's father was a laborer, while one of his brothers was a•' footman, and another stationmaster on one of the Irish railways. The . baronet is said to bo a most careful * and diligent officer, being held in tho * highest esteem by his comrades in tho forco. In official documents lie A still retains his aristocratic title® and rumour lias it that many a\ wealthy dame lias tried to lure Sir Thomas into matrimony in order that she might have tlio honor of being lady Echlin. Visitors to Berlin will remember the splendid confectioners' shops which bear in bright red letters the name of" Carl Maria Von Donan," and which purvey tho best sweets and caramels to be found in the city. These shops are the result of an arictocrutic freak on tho part of a young nobleman, a member of ono of tho most powerful families under the Empire, who, in soarcli of lucre, opened a small shop in Breslau for the supply of first-rate sweets. This freak proved an astonishing success, and now the aristocratic confectioner derives from this source a considerable yearly income. Sir Frederick Hughes, Bart, whose death tool; place recently, was tlio bolder of a baronetcy conferred on-, him by King George 111. for distill-L guished naval services. ThrouglSJ various freaks of fortune he was obliged to settle in Tasmania, where, ut the time of his death, he held the i. position of a small working farmer. In tho little town of Tillicoultry is a firm of machine makers and spinners trading under tho designation of "James Wardlaw and Sons," The premises in which business is carried on are small, and the trade done is by no means extensive. The head of this lirm, a keen business man. in daily attendance, is Sir Henry Wardlaw, Bart., of Pitreavie, who can trace his descent back to a.d. 500, and the creation of his title 1681, It if unforiiinately a freak of fortune that the only part of Sir Henry's estate now in posession of the familyis the old burial vault in Dumfermline Abbey. The lute Lurl of Sealield bad a curiously chequed career. During the time that he bore the courtesy title of Viscount Heidhaven he was successively an auctioneer's clerk,gj& storeman at a salary of !10s and a bailiff in the town of Oamaru, New Zealand. Sir Charles Burdett, .Bart,, the seventh nobleman of his line, and once it holder of her Majesty's com- i mission in tho army, is unfortunately Jfl another victim of Fortune's freaks. $| It is reported that lately ho was \ sentenced at Auckland to 11 days' V ' hard labour for stealing roses in the domain. In the Australian colonios he had been known for many years as a veritable " J ack-of all-trades." Ho picked up a precarious living by-' stripping the bark from treesj poking for bushmen, and doing ptld jobs about squatters' stations. It is no unusual thing to see him trudging along the road with shoeless feet, wearing a shocking bad hat at which any Whiteohapel "old clo' man" would elevate his nose. Colonel Mapleson, in bis recently published book, gives an interesting account of a gentleman who acted as a sundwieh man in his cmploA who had once been a favourito uf Fortune. Formerly he was a captain in tlio army, and many a time, both in London and Edinburgh, had lie paid his six guineas for a box at the opera. The turf ruined bim. He became a member of Carl Boa's band, and came into LIO,OOO. This he lost by speculating in property, and again he became a supernumerary ut the theatre. One evening, as he took part in the mimic fight in tho second act of " Trovatoie," one of his companions, by mere accident, put his eye out with a spear. This S disqualified him even as a super- r uumerary, and he was obliged t$

as a sandwich man, and lor tho last four nud a half years lie Las been paradiug Bond street and Kcgent street, receiving payment 9d a da).—Homo paper. Ihe Australian Cable' The Premier's Health. Wellington, Thursday. Nothing has been dono with regard to tho proposition to duplicate Australian cablo as the Government ire still waiting for an answer from S.r H. Parkes. He was cabled to a weok ago but has not replied. So far as Now Zealand is coucerned, however, they will not agree to anything which tho Government "have decided that would have the ollocc of giving the Eastern Extension Company n monopoly. Tho Premier is not much better for his trip to Nelson, but the reports going about as to tho serious slate of liia health are exaggerated. a Indian Occult Power. 4 Tho Eastern travollor and historian, Maurice, tells tho following experience with an Indian Yogi:" The old man snid,' If you will take your feats I will troy my prayorr; then I think I skull have power to move any object in this room,' He prayed. I saw on the tablo a manuscript book, also somo peacock's feathers. Having jjduo through the prayers, and burned Ij^mse,' Now,' said lie,' I Imvu the powor to tnovo by my will, If you will pleaso to cull it, I will comiiiaud anything in this room to move.' I said, 1 Will yon please to move tlmt book on the standi' He pointed to it aud said,' Come this way.' Tlio book trembled, fell to the floor, and slipped along the floor to his feet, lie told the feathers to come, They leaped about tho room. I was astonished. I said,' Tell me how you do this,' He said,' You, an enlightened man, ask a poor Brahmin heathen iiow lie does this! I believe in Hrahm, tlio I ono living and true God. He moves j all material things, and just as far as! I become Brahm-like.just so far as I j control my passions, subdue my' nature and livo in the divine, I in the same ratio have I power to! movo anything within the nitigi; of j iuy voice or my radiations. Aud so,' j said he, 1 by prayer, by holy life, 11 obtain this divine power from lirahm.'l

And then ho told me how ho lived—about bis bathing, about his food, «|out his prayers—a most devout mo."—Golden Gate.