New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-30
THESELF MADE MUNDELLA.


The vice-President of the Council and Senior
member for sheffield has passed so much OF hard
working and ds 10 nv
superiority of London aud more especially OF South
Kensington. to any other dwelling place whstso-
Liberals is not to be wondered at. Il now SIXTY
years since his father, an Italian and CaEbonsro.
wears later he married an Englishwoman. well
bred and we'll taught but, like himself, poor In
1925 Anthony John Mupdella was born. From hts
tenth year the little ItaloEngllsh boy was hard
at work by day learning all the details OF that
industry in which. he was so successful Is TO
be enabled tS quit 4 IN osSsfy to
education. Greatly encouraged to improve himself
intellectually. by his mother, he acquired from pig
their old comrade. kind Of strange. qnconven-
tiona political education. BE learned what IT was
not so easy 70 find out IN the England nS 81 i0rty
Thought than that prevailing among the industrial
folk of Leicester that there were large Thoughts
Snq recsty passed in this country. TOM Cooper
the venerable author of the "Purgatory Of Sun
Oides," was another Of bis early political pastors
politicians education. and put him on his legs to
make his first speech Meanwhile wears slipped BY.
prentceship was engaged at the age of nineteen %
manager of factory by Mr.. Harris, Of Leicester.
with whose son he has since sat IN the House OF
Commons. At twenty-three he was admitted into
another firm as junior and managing partner; AT
that time the house turned over about ElS,O0O por
amman. When the concern was transformed INTO
the returns were nearly half q million sterling.
So much for Mr. Mundellas career as an active
man of BUSINESS abandoned shortly after he en-
tered Parliament. It is curiousIy Characteristic Of
this architect of his fortunes that he mentions
apologeticay that. as his family consists OF wife
tary, he did not feel obliged TO- go on toiling to
amass great fortune, but felt justified In giving
up commerce to devote himself 70 politiGai nde ana
tic of HIM that, bile he was earning the magnii-
cent income of ESQ year. he succeeded in marry
ing the lady who now delights his many literary
and artistic guests by her quiet clever criticisms.
It is not necessary to know Mr.. Mundela very long
to understand that be is one OF those men who are
always Just little ahead. When all the world was
rLying about majolna he bought old Chelsea, mag
nifcent Crown Derby and beautiful specimens OF
powder-blue and hawthorn; and while nothing
went down but old oak chests and suchl,ke grim
furniture he acquired English marqueterie and all
tho ChIppeDdale he could lay hands on at reason
If it is to increased knowledge, skill and energy
that Mr.. Mundela looks as the mainstay OF Eng
land. he reiOices greatly in the beauty which has
succeeded the former depressing ugness of English
homes. As an art-collectOr he may be pronounced
omnivorous, taking an equally keen deiight IN the
magnificent Wilson which hangs IN his dining
ROOM his wonderful marqueterie upright clock, his
fine Chppendale furniture, and bis oiue-and-white
porcelain. He Is not teller OF wine stories, ana
infliots upon bis guests no legend concerning the
curious way IN which he got that particular Mon-
-ROthschild but as he sips the solitary glass IN
which he occasionally induiges, MS eye VIII rest
on the dessert service of matchless Grown Derby,
and he will tell how he picked IL up IN the DAYS be-
fore china-mania was known, from an old York
shireman for something under hve-pound mole.
There is o story, too, about some Crown Derby
vases the pride Of the collector whose pleasure 10
his pretty things is most agreeable to witness The
senior member for Sheffield, or rather for thar
larger constituency, the workingmen of the North
of England, is Just natural and outspoksb on
other subjects as concerning his chlna-mania 10
not common in this country, aud is altogether 80 IN
terestng and highly cultured com panion that one
completely forgcts that he is o self-made man.