Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1884-03-02
A TITLED coW8oY.
The Earl Of Ayrssford In Western
T. xas.
Enjoying Himself Until His Debts are Paid
His Associates Honor His
Title, But Consider Him
q Good Fellow.

would looked 10 nnu MIN, ne would De
not only the subject Of curiosity and
comment, but person of distinguished
consequence. There Is an earl out here
and he passes for good fellow, but
that's all. The democratic cowboy re-
pudiates his title and calls him "the
Judge" which fits his LOrdship no bet
ter than it does many OF the judicial
persuasion.
Years ago, from the time when Texas
was first discovered by Sam Houston
and Davy Crockett until the Texas and
Pacific Railroad made the country &C
cessible, the Staked Plain was supposed
to be a barren desert, dry and dreary,
and the reckless pioneers who tried to
cross 1t left their bones upon the sand
as testimony to its dangers. Gen. John
Pope made transcontinental survey
ia 1852 under the authority ofan act OF
Congress introduced by Thomas IL.
Benton, and his trail passed through
this place, which Is situated beside
three great, wonderful wells Of ice.cold
water, thirty feet wide and fifty feet
deep, whose source Is somewhere in the
mysterious bosom of nature, and whose
surplus is swallowed greedily by the
thirsty sand. In old days the buffalo
shared the blessing with the Indians,
and then the pioneers who crossed the
continent with fleets OF prairie schooners
used to anchor here for rest and recup-
GRAFTON after struggling with the dam
gers of one Gesert and before attempting
the difficulties of another. Tue ranch
man has discovered that Gen. Pope was
wrong when he marked this country
off on the map as worthless and unin-
habitable, for to day the land is redeem
ed from the coyote and prairie dog, aud
IL the pasturage Of nearly million cat
tie, yielding revenue that Is as large
in proportion To the capital invested
here rs any section Of similar area In
the world. The cow man claims that
for grazing the Staked Plain has no
superior, and he will argue all night or
until the bottle is empty, % convince
you that Wyoming and Montana are
not lit for cattle to live On in cOmpari-
son.
Tie soted Earl Of AZ leSrord
here. He made his appearance last
August In charge OF an agent of Jay
Gould. A Pleasing location ut the
ht ad Of L. creek twelve miles north OF
this village seemed 10 strike his fancy,
and he bought large tract Of the Texas
and Pacific land grant, and settled
down, as he says TO stay. He insists
that this Is to bs his future aud prrman-
cit home, and that 10 Inducements
could could COAX him back to the fogs
Of London.
Why did he come here, and why
does lie stay? BY referring 10 Burke's
Peerage you will see that the seventh
Earl of Aylesford is Mr.. HeLeage
Finch, end that he inherits his title
from famous jurist Of that name. He
was born in l849, and came into his es-
tates, which are among the largest
and most profitable in England, about
the time he reached his majority. In
1871 he married Edith, the daughter Of
Col. Peers Williams, NJ, p, Of Temple
House, Berks, and has two children.
HIlda Gwendolin, born in 1872, and
Alexandra Monica, born In 1875, to
whom the Princess Of Wales is god
mother. The Earl has three brothers,
Clement, Charles, and Daniel, all OIL
GERS in her Majesty's service. He was
an intimate satellite OF the Prince of
Wales, accompanying his Royal High
ne ~ on bis India expedition and being
his companion in many famous frolicd
that her Majesty's subjects are willing
to forgive and forget. At one time the
Earl was said to be the greatest spend
thrift in Europe, and when the Crown
Prince of Russia visited England he
entertained him on scale Of inOrdinate
extravaganza.
After being divorced from his wife,
the Earl was banished from society
and limited to an allowance of 500, 0OO
a year. He came 10 America, and
alter spending some time in New York,
sought place in which to bury him
self, aud finally selected Texas. Mr..
Gould sent land agent out with him,
and when location for . ranch was
decided upon, the Earl deposited $780,
100 in the bank of Big Springs and
commenced the erection OF house
upon his property. 1t is a plain, uu.
painted frame affair, one story and
attic, with seven rooms. The interior
Is plasiered and handsomely decorated.
In loOks, the Earl Is as fine speci-
men OF manhood as one often cncOunt-
e.s. He is six feet two In his stockings,
broad and robust, and bearded like
Turk. His gray flannel shirt and
cream. CUiOIed cOrduroy5 are Vtry be-
coming. and q sCsriet tie uuder his
chin gives good contrast TO lis sun
buried lace. He had not been here
long when his two brothers, the Hon.
Clement Finch and the Hon. Daniel
Finch, arrived, bringing with them
rctinue OF five.
Servants. GrOOms, Cooks, and Wallets.
twelve dogs, a coach and q dog cart,
and a goodly quantity of commIssary
supplies. Clement remained but few
weeks and returned to Eugland, but
Daniel shares the Earl's exile, and APP
pears TO enjoy life on the frontier as
much as his celebrated brother. Al
though the Earl has q, 900 acres ofland,
he has, so far, purchased no cattle, and
shows no sigss OF making such al in
vestment. lhe popular opinion is that
be lacks the means. There are twenty
horses in the stable, but no cows. Tue
$50, 900 which was deposited In August
is pretty nearly exhaused, but draft
on England for 10000 was placed in
the bank for collection Oh the 1st of
January, which Is supposed TO represent
the Earl's annual allowance, and the
people expect him TO purchase herd
of cattle when then the cash comes
back.
The Earl and bis brother spend their
TIME riding, hunting and having fun
with The cowboys with whom they are
very popular. There was good deal
of guyiDg at first, but his Lordship
TOOK II SO good naturally, and respond.
ed SO promptly and aptly in kind, that
it soon ceased, and the cow punchers
now regard the seventh Earl of Ayles-
ford as one of them, and treat him 40
cordingly. AS have said, they call
him "the Judge" and his brother "the
Kid" and the familiarity does not end
there. Scarcely knife 10 lifted ut the
EsrPs table without the compsnionship
of some cowboy from q neighboring
ranch, and the boys for miles around
know that q fresh bottle Is opened
whenever = guest enters the house.
Many q night had the Earl slept beside
the camp fires or ia the cabins of the
heIders, and rs has often shared his
bed with them. Although they profess
for the Sristocracy aud pre-.
tend to despise his title, one eau detect
an admuslion that approaches rever-
4. Al l. =