The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1884-10-30
LONDON's GREAT TAILOR.
Recollections of the Man Who Put
Disracli on the Road to Fame.

RecoIlections Of the Man Who Pu,
Disraeli on the Road to Fame.
'1remember Henry Poole vcry well,' >
said q gentleman to a Philadelphia
Times reporter. "Ho was fine, tall
handsome man, over six feet in height,
with bushy blonde whis&ers. Ht
measured forty-two inches around tho
chest. There was no mistaking the
man when you saw him; he walked tho
streets rs If London were his own pri
vato property. Henry Poole was the
second son of the old tailor of thai
name. He was educated at Cambridge
and graduated with bachelor of art.
degree. He might never have taker
to the tailoring business, but his broth
er died and then Henry thought he saw
his way to make q big thing of it. You
SEQ tho large connection ho had among
his college friends helped him. He
was man who always dressed with
great taste, and not only expected but
insisted on all his employees dressing
well, too. When Henry Poole took the
business in hand first there wore not
more than n hundred mon emploved
in ten years there wore nearer thou.
sand"
'Is there any truth in tho story OF
Poolo's patronage of Disraclip"
"Oh, yes. Disraeli was in very poor
circumstances when he first obtained
tho clerkship in tho homo office. Poolo,
who was always in and out of every
place where young men congrcgatcd,
saw him, took fancy to him, and be-
iieved there was something great in
him. He took Disracli out with him
one evening to dinner and proposed
that he should supply him with clothes
suitable to the position in society that
Disracli ought to hold. Tho future
primo minister jumped at the offer, and
there is littio doubt that he also receiv-
ed pecuniary assistance from the
shrewd and generous tailor"
Ibid he he not assist tho late En-
peror of the French in tho same wayP'
Eyes; but there was q reason for
that, you Know.
"Oh, yes. You refer to the story of
Poolo's wife"
NO no; there is not word OF
truth in that. 1t was Miss Howard.
Shc was cousin of Poole's. Hcl
mother kept 4 very fashionable little
hotel in Dover street, Piccadilly, just
behind the White Horse collars. She
was created Duchess dc Bcauvcrnc by
Napoleon on his marriage TO the pres.
cnt Empress, on condition that she left
France. He also settled q very gooG
income on her. Poole did not marry
until late in life. His wife was n lady
with whom he had fallen in love while
quite young man at college,"
'dc was very strict, was he not, II
buSincss?n
Il should think he was, indeed. II,
mover allowed anything to go out O
his shop that had not been tried on an(
fitted over and over again. Ho woul,
employ man and keep him in his en-
ploy for the simple reason that he wa
of the same size and build rs q goot
customer. have known man to 81
for couple of hours on saddle
block, only having the crease in u pai
of riding brecches rectiiicd. Ho rcduc
cd tailoring TO science"
Odd he do any cutting or measuring
himsclf?"
mo, sir! There is y story told Of
Lord Hardcastlc meeting Poolo on tho
chain pier at Brighton. He stopped
him and said: Look here, Poole, | got
this coat of you and sec how badly il
fits Poole took Il bit of chalk out OF
| 'iS NttioLSotb )oChCG lllNl luUEhCu DIS
lordship's coat all over and said: Take
that coat to my cutter, my lord, and he
will make the necessary alterations ~
''Hc was very cxtavagant in his hab
its, was he notP'
Every. lie had house ut Brighton,
another in Burlington street, near his
store, which was n perfect minc of art
and on the Thames, at Hammcrsmith,
he had Il regular palace. His cham.
paign luncheons cost him fortune.
He had one of the finest hunting studs
in Great Britain. He never cared
what he paid for n horse, and althou, rll
he was such a big man he was MAJ.
niicent cross country rider"
"He did not die rich, did hep"
"No, he was worth about G25, 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 fault. IIo could never
pass boggar, and many half-sovcr.
eign 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 never the least mistake about who
was master on his promiS1s ;,