Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-02-14
CHAPTER III.
Al LONG MORNING IN THE crTY.


lege Of their own, and on occasions of cere-
mony wear the most beautiful coats in the
world, and consequently are tempted to wish
that there WAS a coronation every week.
They also enjoy much finer titles than the
members Of the upper house, being called
king alarms, herald or pursuivsnt, rouge
dragon, rouge croix, bluemantle and port
cullis Mr. Murridge possessed no other title
than that of plain Mister, which We are not
expected to enjoy 1t was reported Of him
by those who regarded him as an interloper
and an unqualified practitioner, that he
had originally been apprenticed to q die
sinker, and was afterwards employed in
engraving ccats-of-arms for one who
kept a heraldic shop, ornamented out
side by the gilded effigies of loathly worm
like unto the dragon of Spindleston Heugh.
This enterprising trades:nan not only en-
graved shields aud furnished family seals,
but aiso found their coats-of arms for people
who had lost them so long that all memory
and trace Of them had vanished. Nothing
proves family 20 be old so much as to have
lost the memory of their arms. There are
many such; they have withered in obscurity
and neglect for generations; then one of
them makes money, and such gentlemen as
this heraldic shopkeeper recover the long-lost
connections and land them proudly among
the barons in the wars Of the Roses In this
way. therefore, old Murridge found himself
impelled in the direction OF genealogical stud
les, and in this way he gradually neglected
the practice of his art, and transformed
himself into a seareher and grubber iuto
fax..ly history.
Although there are not many in the trade,
% q. For fhar,a
always the new rich, who continually desire
TO prove that they have always, though their
friends little suspected it, really belonged to
the class which rules by right divine, and by
the same right po, sesses hereditary brains;
and there are, besides these, The rich dou-
tremer. who bears names of English origin
and would fain prove their connection with
great English houses and are willing to pay
Handsomely for such q connection There
fore, old Murridge generally found his hands
fully occupied in tracing pedigreeS finding
out missing links, proving marriages, estab-
fishing American connections, following up
lines of descent, converting plain country
gentlemen into descendants of royalty-this
Is q very lucrative branch Of the profession
and in this way bringing vaingiory, de
light, honor. distinction, and solace to all
NnO couiu dnOIu 70 pd1 lVf IL 90 sioat
indeed. was his skill that he never failed to
prove his client a cadet, at least Of some
ancient house, and when there was no estate
involved and the family was supposed
10 be extinct, he not infrequently made
his client the head of that house. Nothing
could be conceived more pleasing to ladies
and gentlemen who had been brought up to
believe that for them there was no family
history-no more than at the beginning of
the world-previous 10 the family shop
where the money was made-whether shop
with counter, an 4 till and an apron; or a
shop with an Office and a clerk; or o shop
with a box of pills; or q shop with wig
and gown; or a shop with a sword and red
coat; or a shop with steel pen and a few
pages Of blank paper; or shop with
bundle Of scrip and shares So that Mr.
Murridge was really philanthropist Of the
first water-an eighteen carat philanthro.
pist. II, from time TO time, in his grubbing
among genealogies, old wills and family his
tories, he came upon curious discoveries.
which he was able to turn to his own advnn-
tage. he is not to be blamed Notably, there
was the succession TO the Cionsilla titls, in
which, as you will presently see, he did
very good stroke Of business.
His Office was in Finsbury Circus, where
he had two rooms on second floor; the
front room large and light, looking. out on
the open place; the back room small and
lingy, looking upon the Limbo Of chimneys
workshops, back buildings out-houses and
grimy yards which one finds in that part of
London On the door rosts below his name
was painted: Second Floor, JOHN MUIR
RIDGE his own room was furnished with
enc very large tabie-genealogists, like
avil engineers, require great tables-and
another very small one; he had great
book case full OF books OF reference. such as
Dugdale. Douglas, Tonge, Beltram, Wotton,
Coliins and Lysons, a really valuable col
lection; as for the country histories, one
needs the resources OF Rothschiid to pos
sess tnein Inere was also iarge-sized saie
IN eoi nei, anu 'nefe "eie .in ooAes Piieu
one aoofe lne o'ner, as IN sohc,lors once nc
ano tnere were tnree or iour cnaiS ihe
room ae tne oack was nov, properly SPEAK
'ns' iui nisneu AZ aL ihat Is W saJ, tnere
Was laoie at tns WINDOW WIN oiotting
pa pad' and an hkslano anu cnau oeiere II
inefe was ano'uer 'aoie pesioe 'ne hrepiae'
WIN nsavy copy ing pres upon u tne
kiho WIN nanoie anu a scrsW. inis was
ior tne coy cierk, VINO Pos1eo tne ieosers,
eop'eo 'nein anu ran erranoS ine oCner
.aoie "as ior nE Murrioge' 1t-M..
nicnaru Murrloge. ms son ana tne Clerk,
Uoge'ner WIN tne private secretary, com
p'eeeo mr. Mufrloges ssan anu FORMED ms
estaonshment
as regards Master Dlck IL might ne said
OF MIN as OF great many others that he
would donotless have been different had his
framing been otner tnan what IL was Yet
his education was not neglected At school
he learned only the things most useful In
commercial life, as good hand, accounts and