Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-14


the Order of the Garter This was Fitzroy
Somerset, Duke of Beaufort, the most rep
resentative sporting man in the three king
doms
He is not only a famous racing man, but
he is the foremost hunting man in England,
one of the best shots, President of the Four
in-Hand Club and himself model whip,
and hearty and liberal patron Of every de-
scription of healthy outdoor recreation. The
Marquis of Queensberry, very respectable
and honorable, though somewhat eccentric,
nobleman, has made speciality Of the box
ing ring, and all over the world now men
fight "under the Marquis of Queensberry's g
rules" The Duke of Beaufort willingly
leaves the ring in such good hands; but. he
has not the smallest objection to fair and
square mill, and like many Others Of the
British aristocracy, he took an active inter
est in pugilism, and was a good friend to its
professors until the betting element got the
upper hand and made it too blaekguardly
for real sportsmen to find satisfaction in.
Began by Killing Rats.
/ He began his sporting career, as tens Of
thousands of English boys do, by killing
rats with terrier in his fathers stable
yard; and he has gone through every grade
of every branch of the sport, until he has
reached the highest place in each: For
more than 80 years he has hunted the same
county; and anything he does not know
about horses and hounds and foxes is not
worth learning.
In his youth he went through the regular
course at Eton. Then he went into the
army and rose to the rank of Lieutenant
Colonel. He did not take kindly to parlia-
mentary life, and had not time to make anv
figure in the House of Commons before his
fathers death in 1858 removed him to the
more congenial atmosphere of the House Of
Lords. But he has always been strong
and active politician.
It has been noticed that in the great ma
jority of instances where the Gladstonians
have defeated Conservatives in rural con-
stituencies, it has been where there was no
hunting, as in Cambridgeshire, or else
where the master of hounds happened to be
Liberal If all masters of hounds were
like the Duke of Beaufort, the Conserva-
tive ministry would have perpetual lease
of power. The late Earl Derby, himself a
winner of the Derby and the Oaks, and a
thoroughgoing sportsman, had q great opinion
of masters of hounds as politicians and on
two occasions he gave a seat in his ministry
to the Duke of Beaufort. he assigned to
him the most appropriate of all offices, that
of Master of the Horse, now occupied by
the Duke of Portland. On the last occa-
sion when he appeared in public in attend
ance upon the Queen, he revived the full state
equipags of his Office and drove to the
House of Lords in court coach drawn by
eight black stations with their tails and
names plated with blue satin ribbon.
Not Free From Scandal.
OF late years the Duke of Beaufort has
rather surprised and pleased his friends by
coming out in the character of literary
man. He is one of the editors of the 'tBad-
minton Library" an admirable series OF
handbooks of sports; and is himself the
author of the book on driving. His son, the
Marquis of Worcester, really wrote the
book, but the Dukes unrivalled knowledge
and experience are everywhere apparent in
it; and there is no better guide in existence
for those who wish to handle the reins as
they ought to be handled.
The Duke of Beaufort married grand
daughter of the celebrated Admiral, Lord
Howe, and has numerous family, to whom
he is devoutly attached But he has not by
any means escaped the breath of scandal
The society papers made free with his
name at one time in connection with that of
very youthful actress; and there have
been other such episodes in his career. But
in truth, the Dukes firtations, like all of
his doings, are perfectly open and above
board If at times he has displayed q.
somewhat too keen appreciation of pretty
face, dainty figure and q quick wit, he
has invariably done it like high-bred gem
tleman, and the chances are that the worst
there was in it was on the surface and was
known to everybody.
EDWARD WAKEFIELD.