The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-06-21
THE MAN WHO MADE DISRAELI.
Confirmation of the Theory that the Tailor
Makes the Man.
Philadelphia Times.

Makes the Man.
Philadelphia Times
II remember Henry Poole very well, said R.
Day. yesterday. He was a fine, TALL handsome
man, over six feet in height, with bushy, blonde
whiskers. He measured forty two inches round
the chest There was no installing the man
when you saw him He walked the streets as if
London were his own private property. Henry
Poole was the second of the old tailor of that
name. He was educated at Cambridge, and
graduated with bachelor of arts degree. He
might never have taken to the tailoring business.
but his brother died, and then Henry thought
he saw his way to making big thing of it. You
see, the large connection he had among his col
lege friends helped him. He was man who
always dressed with great taste, and not only
expected but insisted on all his employees dress
ing well, too. When Henry Poole took the bust
ness in hand first there were not over hundred
men employed; in ten years there were nearer
thousand"
us there any truth in the story of Poole's
patronage of DisraeliP
''Oh, yes Disraeli was in very poor circum-
stances when he first obtained the clerkshp in
the Home Office. Poole, who was always in and
out of every place where young men congre
gated, saw him, took fancy to him and be-
lieved there was something great in him. He
took Disraeli out with him one evening to din
ner and proposed that he should supply him
with clothes suitable to the position in society
that Disrael ought to hold. The future Prime
Minister jumped at the offer and there is little
doubt that he also received precuniary assist
ance from the shrewd and generous tailor"
did he not assist the late Emperor of the
French in the same wayF
Eyes, but there was reason for that, you
know
.'Oh, yes You refer to the story of Poole's
wifep
mo, no; there is not word of truth in that
1t was Miss Howard. She was a cousin of
Poole's. Her mother kept very fashionable
little hotel in Dover street, Piccadiily, just be-
hind the White Horse Cellars, She was created
do hxrN
riage to the present ex-Empress, condition
that she left France. He also settled very
good income on her Poole did not marry until
late in life His wife was a lady with whom he
had fallen in love while quite young man at
college"
"He was very strict, was he not, in businessP'
81 should think he was, indeed. He never al
lowed anything to go out of his shop that had
not been tried ON and fitted over and over again.
He would employ man and keep him in his en-
ploy for the simple reason that he was of the
same size and build as good customer. l have
known man to sit for couple of hours a
saddle block, only having the creases in pair of
riding breaches rectifed. He reduced tailoring
to a science"
did he do any cutting or measuring him
self"
mo, sir There is a story told of Lord Hard
castle meeting Poole OH the chain pier at Bright
on. He stopped him, and said: Look here
Poole, got this coat of you, and see how badly
it fits. Poole took bit of chalk out of his
wa1Stcoat pocket ana marked his lordShlpS coat
all over, and said: Take that coat to my cutter,
my lord, and he will make the necessary altera-
tons"
He was very extravaganza in his habits, was
he not?"
Very. He had house at Brighton, another
in Burlington street, near his store, which was a
perfect mine of art, and the Thames, at
Hammersmith, he had regular palace. His
champagne luncheons must have cost him
fortune. He had one of the finest hunting studs
in Great Britain. He never cared what he
paid for horse, and although he was such a
big man, he was magnificent cross country
rider"
He did hot die rich, did he2"
mo; he was worth about 925, 900 when he
died. and the result of the sale of his houses and
horses barely settled the claims of his creditors.
He was generous to a fault He never could
pass beggar, and many sovereign he's given
away to people who, perhaps, didn't deserve his
charity. He was the best of employers, and he
kept men with him for years; but there was new
er the least mistake about who was master on
his premises"