The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-07-18 00:00:00

LORD HARTINGTON AND THE WAR
OFFICE.

The Marquis of Hartington, before leaving the
War Office on the resignation of the late Ministry,
addressed the following communication to the officials
in that department: " Although my immediate pre-
decessors have not considered it necessary to continue
a practice which had formerly prevailed, I am unwil-
ling to leave the War Office without placing on record
in a very few words my thanks to his Royal Highness the
Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief, the Parl:amen-
tary Officials of the Department, and the officers and
other gentlemen holding responsible positions in the
Department, for the efficient and valuable assistance
which they have given to me in its administration.
During my present tenure of office it has devolved
upon this Department to despatch and equip three
military expeditions to the Soudan, in addition to one
to Bechuanaland, as well as to commence prepara-
tions on a larger scale for the prosecution of military
operations and for the defence of the Empire in the
possible contingency of the outbreak of a European
War. The military 'IA administrative arrangements
for the performance of these duties have been
eminently satisfactory, and I think it may be stated
with confidence that never at any period of our history
have efforts of equal magnitude been made with so
much regularity and efficiency of administration. For
these results I feel that the public are indebted not
only to an improved organised organisation, but also
to the in dividual energy, ability, and industry which
have been displayed by the Chiefs of the Military and
Civil Departments of the Office, as well as by the
officers and gentlemen holding subordinate but re-
sponsible positions under them. It is especially a
pleasing duty to me to express my sense of the
harmony and good feeling which ha ,e prevailed
between the Military and Civil Departments now tom,
bined in this office, and to tender to all whose tact and
judgment have contributed to these results my watm
thanks for the assistance which they have given the
in the discharge of the important and difficult task of
the administration of the War Department during tho
last two years.

A self-made man having amassed a large fortune
in business was afraid that his descendants Would
become ashamed of their lowly origin, He, therdi
fore built a handsome house and bought a large estate
which he left to his eldest son, with the proviso that
it was to be his so long as he kept a portrait of dig
founder of the house dressed as a workman and with
a bag of tools in his hand over the dining-rooii
mantelpiece. If this portrait was removed, the MAU,
was to pass away to strangers. As might have been
expected, this portrait became more and More n object
of detestation to the nouveaux riches, and they would
gladly have got rid of it if they could have done so
without imperilling the family fortune. At last they
hit upon the following expedient. They had a Cm.:
Bader painted On the back of the old gentleman's por-
trait, and then hung the picture in the place assigned
to it, turning the old gentleman with his face to the
wall. Then when inquiries were made as to the
identity of the man in armour they said that this was
a "portrait of the founder of the house," and they
consoled themselves with the thought that if this was
not the exact truth it was within three-quarters of an
inch of it.