Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-18

has three personal secretaries, and their
work is so thoroughly graded that only a
very small proportion of the communica-
tions addressed to the Prime Minister are
actually laid before him for consideration.
Lady Salisbury attends 10 all the social de-
tails of his life, and all the work that he
does in the way of seeing people and attend
ing to the actual business of his Office is
transacted in the course of two or three
hours in the afternoon. As rule, in Lon
don, he lunches out, and his favorite place is
the Atheneum Club. 1t is one Of the most
conservative and the least conspicuous
places in London, and the house rules are
SO thoroughly enforced that it is impossible
for an outsider, even of the utmost distinction,
to get within the club portals.
A foreigner who is well introduced may
get as far as the reception room, but that is
all. The Prime Minister almost invariably
lunches alone.
WHY HE EATS ALONE.
This was told once by one of the COVER
ners of the Atheneum, is part of the
etiquette of the club, since the mere fact of
man eating luncheon with the Prime
Minister during exciting times may lead
to unpleasant consequences. In the club,
as well as in Downing street and at home,
the Marquis invariably addresses the serv-
ants with the utmost courtesy. 1t is always:
PLEASE hand me this" "I'll thank you
for that" 1t may strike an American that
such characteristic as this is not worth
noting. He may, indeed, think 1t is mat
ter of course among Englishmen of title,
but it is not, by very large majority.
The aversion of the Marquis to being
gazed at or noticed in the streets is so ex-
treme that he very often emulates the
Prince of Wales and takes a public ham
som instead of the snowy private carriage
in which he is expected to drive. He di-
vides his patronage in the most careful and
exact manner. For instance, if four or five
tradesmen compete for his custom, he will
purchase from each one of them for q week
at time. He insists upon paying his
bills upon the first of the month, exacts the
usual discount for cash, and 1t is said that
the fact that an account has run over for a
month or so before being presented will 60
farther toward upsetting him than the i'm
mlnent probability of an outbreak upon the
Russian frontier or a fresh twist in the
Eastern snarl.
The Prime Minister'S valet is not kept
very busy as a rule, for Salisbury is one of
the most methodically dressed men in
England. He invariably wears silk hat,
a black frock suit, and, even in summer, he
carries what is known as a Chesterfield
ONCICoab. AOOuJ ClOck-QalI an nOur
or so before luncheon-the Minister'S
private secretary calls at Arlington street
and starts the business of the day.
AN ELECTRICAL STUDENT.
After an hour with him, Lord. Salisbury
goes off to his luncheon, driving to Down.
ing street Immediately afterward. He is
keen and enthusiastic student of cleo
tricity and does a great deal of reading
at night. His family is happy and united
one and whenever Lady Salisbury goes to
the theater without the premier he is sure
to go and fetch her personally after the play
is over. He is regular church-goer and
great crony of the bishops at his club, but
the Salisbury of the church and of the
home is a very different person from the
Salisbury of the cabinet. 1t is said that that
which his, confreres dread most is the
moment when the Prime Minister makes
up his mind; for having once reached a
conviction on any one subject, it is almost
impossible to move him, no matter how
plausible the arguments or how much
evidence they may be able to lay before
him. BLAKELY HALL.