, 1885-07-25
nuarlna rAgIa EAaay ragza.


Isl ma OF lhf4r IttfEFtfs
lrhnidaiphii Cor Chi,ar, Tribune
Ny young friend had been abroad
several times, lived in delightful style.
and seen everything that was 10 be
seen, and at a cost TO himself Of pracii
call nothing. lie worked a scheme
that WIS cutie unique and satisfactorily
profitable. lie had come from What IS
cnliad here in the east a good family.
He had n taste for the study Of lineage.
and by way Of occupying his leisure
and tickling his own vanity he
undertook to find out who and what
his people wcro. Without very much
trouble he discovered, to his W salts
faction. that he was closely rotated 10
some Of the modest families in Europe
and was entitled to bear a coat OF
arms. lie rightly eoniectured that
there were lots Of his compatriots who
would be- delighted to have n similar
discovery made for them, and would he
willing to pay literally for tho work.
He Immediately set about establishing a
business rs hunter-up of buried family
treos, and no has succeeded beyond his
hopes. He has gono abroad every sum
mer since that day In the interest OF
some representative OF the nouveau
richie yearning for a knowledge Of their
lineage.
The other day l babe him goodbye rs
he sailed away with the commissions
and the good money Of i've PHILADELPHIA
ans in his pocket. II he succeeds in
finding any glory for them he surely
will deserve the $500 fec that each gave
him in advance. Two of his clients
made their thousands in the respectable
business Of selling coal, a third was a
dentist, another manufactured brown
paper bags, and the fifth founded his
fortune on J-cent whisky. Still, now
that they are all wealthy, they are
struggling to force their way into what
IS called society. Tho most effective
means Of doing It is to clear a road with
a good coat of arms-none genuine m
less stamped.
asked my friend how he proceeded
in his researches. He explained that 1t
was simple enough. He had studied
the matter so thoroughly that he vas
pretty well acquainted with the ramin-
cations OF lineage of the 800 or 600 great
English families. A client was ex-
pected to furnish him with all the data
possible, timo of the arrival of his
family in this country, nter-marriages,
and so on back as far as memory would
serve. He then would hunt up all the
old records pertinent to any name in
hand that no could find at Somerset
house and would, besides, look up old
Looks in parish churches. 1t was very
seldom, indeed, that he was not re.
warded by the discovery Of an esquire
or a baronet. Still he was conscientious,
as be said, and in n few instances he
had been Obliged to inform clients that
they came of a race of peasants. / do
not personally know OF any generous
client who was so Inundated. | rather
suspect that they always got what they
paid for.
Tho yehrning for a noble lineage,
whether true or counterfeit, has grown
TO 10 q passion in this town. Family is
much moro discussed than art, litera-
ture or science at n Philadelphia recep.
tion or tea. A woman who has a grand
father who will bear talking about never
ceases TO turn him over and over In his
tomb for the edifcation of her social
compeers. The many women who have
had g~randfuthers who would not cut a
swell cure In a drawing of to-day
find their venerated progen tors ridi-
tuled and jahbe with words Of con-
tempt to their own shame and humilia-
ton. Indeed, society at this blessed
moment is intensely interested in
the inquiry, "was Evans rogers,
the father Of Fairman Rogers,
the grent Newport swell, a mer-
chant always, or was he in his youth
really a t%ailor!' Besides, society is
al ions to know whether 1t is true that
the mother of another great swell was
really a milliner before she married the
swell S father. Back of that comes tho
grave question. Did the swell's father
before he struck fortune in a vein Of
coal, really drive a cart at 81 n dayf'