Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-18
RULER OF AN EMPIRE.
The Personal characteristics Of the
Marquis of Salisbury.
HIS BODY GUARD OF DETECTIVES
An Indifference to the Enthusiasm ofPublic
Assemblies.
LUNCHING ALONE AT THE ATHENEUM

WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPArcH.1
One might easily imagine that the Prime
Minister would be the busiest man in En-
gland, but do not think ever saw man
who is so exactly typical of the Englishman
of leisure as the Marquis of Salisbury. 1t
is favorite subject of conversation with
him, and he gives all the credit for his ex-
traordinary ease of manner to his abject de-
votion to method. He has reduced his
duties and those of his subordinates, to a
condition of machine-like regularity.
The first time ever saw the Prime Min
lister was one morning in st. James Park,
when he was taking q constitutional. He is
tall, thick-set, heavy man, SO years of age,
with short neck and bushy beard. He
was twisting and swapping his fingers with
some nervousness as he walked along, and
have learned since that this is his invariable
habit 1t is the only outward sign of what
is said to be an exceedingly nervous temper
ment-a temperament kept in control by an
iron will.
Two detectives followed the Marquis as
he walked along. He detests their pres
ence, and has protested against them many
times, but the Home Secretary is response
BILE for the safety of the Prime Minister,
and has insisted that he shall be constantly
accompanied by two of the mutton-headed
members of the most dense and hopeless
police force in the world when he goes
abroad. The Irish agitators are the cause
of it.
AN AMIABLE HOST.
The political side of the MARQUIS charac-
ter is we'll enough known. Socially he is
an amiable host, and entertains lavishly,
both at Hatfield and in London. He is,
above all, serious man, and his quiet, re-
served and almost sullen demeanor i'm
presses one as being more or less affected at
times. For instance, a short time ago, there
was tremendous reception given by the
Constitutional Club in London. About
1000 guests were present. They were of
every conceivable rank, from ambassadors
to commercial travellers, and the crush was
so great that women's jewels and the orders
OF men were torn from them during their
struggles to get to the doors and windows
for air. 1t was night of sufocating heat.
At $50, exactly on scheduled time, q team
of bay horses drew big state coach up to
the main entrance of the club. A beefy
and highly impressive coachman sat on the
box, and two slim and well-shaped lackeys
stood on the rumble behind. The police
yelled: Make way for the Prime Min
isterP' with intense emotion. the lackeys
jumped to the ground. took off their hats,
threw open the door, and stood with their
barred heads, and the Marquis numbered
heavily out, and cumbersomely assisted a
middle-aged and old-fashioned lady to
alight.
Then the Prime Minister and his wife
entered the club amid terrific cheers Sails
bury wore court dress and the order of the
garter. He looked neither distinguished
nor important, but his reception was such
one as the Prince OF Wales has not re-
ceived for many years. What struck me
most forcibly about him was the very evil
dent manner in which he showed that he
was prodigiously bored by the attention he
attracted.
EXCEPTION TO THE RULE
As rule. when an eminent parsonage is
being cheered wildly by a thousand or two
people In Europe, a society smile and a
series of afable bows are forthcoming. It
Is part of the etiquette of greatness But
Salisbury neither smiled nor bowed. He
stumped methodicalIy into the building
with Lady Salisbury on his arm, passed up
the aisle, fought through the crowd of am
bassadors, ministers and others to the sup.
per room, made 20 minutes speech, bowed
profoundly, took Lady Salisbury on his
arm and strobe out of the building, taking
the state coach precisely on the minute, as
it had been ordered, and drove rapidly
away.
never saw but one other man receive the
plaudits of the crowd with such an apparent
lack of interest. That was General Grant
in washington, during big review. The
Emperor William of Germany never shows
the slightest emotion when the crowds are
cheering him, but he looks over the people /
with an air of some curiosity and interest
Salisbury being a nobleman and a man of
vast wealth. has all of the high caste preiu-
dices and mannerisms of the English swells
The same manner of utter and somewhat
wearied uneoncern which distinguishes the
Duke of Portland or the Duke of Beaufort
when horse lands winner of the Derby and
doubles or divides the dukes fortune, per-
vaded the Marquis of Salisbury.
From the highest to the lowest. it is al
ways the same among the nobility of En-
gland. 1t is not only that they wish to ap-
pear uninterested in what is going on around
them, but they try to go bit further than
this, and show that they are bored by anv
emotion whatever. It is the characteristic
of the caste. know no higher development
in this particular form of selfrepression
than that which Salisbury has attained.
A PUNCTUAL PREMIER.
At cabinet meeting he is invariably the
first to arrive and the first to depart. He
listens to his advisers with studied quiet
and entire courtesy, and then makes a little
speech, puts the responsibility where it be-
longs, delegates what action is to be pursued,
closes his brand new blotter. pushes his
fresh stick of sealing wax and newly-sharp-
ened pencils aside and rises and departs.
A hos so