, 1876-04-14
A Rich Hermit.

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There is nobleman in England, to-
day, who is about seyenty-six years old,
and who makes hermit of himself to
all intents. and purposes, though why or
wherefore no one seems to know. This
eccentric man is the Duke of Portland,
one of the wealthiest peers now living.
His income is about two million Of dol
lars per annum, or nearly six thousand
dollars day during the year. A large
part of his property is in real estate in
the best part of the west end of London,
and he has fine town house in Cavendish
Square, though most of his time is spent
vt Welbeck Abbey. But whether in
town or country this singular man Is
scarcely,ev seen by any one, even his
servants being so disciplined as to serve
their master without appearing in his
presence. He is said to live, as far
as his food goes, with the austerity and
abstemiousness of a monk. He has but
two meals day, and these of the sim
plest food. He has an apparatus by
which his table is lowered through the
floor to the kitchen, when it is prepared
and hoisted back to his sitting-room by
an elevating process not unlike the tleva-
tors seen in some of our hotels.
When he goes out of the house he
rides in carriage especially built for
him, with heavy curtains, 50 that no one
sees the occupant, and in short he seems
to avoid all contact with his fellow be-
ings. Occasionally he has visitors at the
Abbey; though he never sees them, even
if they are in the house, for a week at
time. His guests are supplied with every
luxury. There is stud of fifty horses
in his stables, though he never hunts or
rides except shut up in his carriage. All
the approaches to the Abbey are as
singular as the strange owner Of the
place. They are subterranean. Thoe
are said to he fifteen miles Of these un-
derground roads upon the estate of Wei
beck Abbey, all well-ventilated and
lighted; many Of them artifcially, day
aud night; being also ornamented with
growing plants and statuary. This rich
old hermit is now engaged in building
subterranean church or chapel, also an
underground library, both Of which are
supremely ridiculous to think Of. But
there is no one to say him nay, and bis
immense income saables him to foot the
bills without any trouble. The duke has
a magnificent and costly museum, con-
structed of glass and iron, well filed with
curiosities, bnk especially rich in choice
oil paintings, ancient and modern, which
have been collected at an immense cost.
: A short time since this eccentric re-
cluse took it into his head that a Slarge
number of his oil paintings wer9 not
worth preserving, SO he eelected a5out
liity base-ss= md =
made of them, though they had cost him
thousands Of pounds sterling. If man
were to commit such piece Of vandal-
ism in this country he would be sent to
the nearest insane asylum, no matter how
rich he might be. This Duke Of Port
land, with his two millions year, was
never married, nor has he ever been in
love, so far as is known. He gives all
his orders in writing, dropping his notes
through small aperture where they de-
scend to a servant always in waiting, and
are instantly obeyed. Bets have some
times been made by men about London
that they would obtain an interview with
this strange man, but these efforts have
always proved signal failures 1t is de-
clared that if he lives Eve years longer
he will have tunneled half bis estate, as
be has just contracted for five miles of
ndw subterranean road, and has more in
contemplation. This is playing the
"hermit" indeed.