The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-02-08
IS more. Than A PRINCE
The kindly Qualities and Personal
Attractions. OF Of the Duke Of
J. Westminster. q.
His Family Dates Away Back of
William the conqueror's
4 s. Time.
Said to Be the Richest Man in the
World, Not Excepting
Rockefeller.

His grace, the duke Of Westminster
honest man, sleeps easily. Though his
children number some seven living, and
! he has grandchildren too many to be
reckoned readily, yet he has no fear for
the morrow. The duke is probably the
| richest man in the world. Ii Hung
Chang has been rated higher, and Amer
leans in their pride claim greater wealth
! for Mr. Rockefeller, but everything con-
sidered, the duke of Westminster hold
ings will doubtless top those of the Chi
uaman and the American. He is certain
| ly the heaviest owner Of real estate In the
world. There is considerable uncertain
ity as to the title of property in China
1t is the subjects today; it may be the
emperor's Sor it may be parcelled out
| among the citizens tomorrow. Mr.
Rockefeller's is largely in stocks and Sc
| curities The dukes is principally real
estate. Its value and earnings are little
| effected by outside causes. For century
| indeed the only variation has been an
| increase Of value and rentals. The duke
| l., interested in many commercial enter
prises and railway and other corpora
tions. but, as we said, the bulk OF his
| belongings is in the nature OF real es-
tate, business blocks, market places
| houses and farms. His income ranges
from 81, 900 900 to s5,000,000 annually. Il
| is not so great as that CT several Amer
| leans, whose aggregate wealth is much
less than that of Westminster, but ii
their returns are larger their risks are
greater The dukes belongings real and
personal, amount to about S175,OOO,OOO
says the Chicago Times Herald.
The dukes popularity is as great as his
wealth Ii his position were elective
and he we're to resign, he would be re-
turned again at the next election. He is
truly democratic peer-making the
true distinction between democracy and
the vulgarity and vfcieusness OF Ayles-
ford, Queensberry and other notorious
aristocrats dead and alive. He is beloved
of his tenentry and admired by people OF
all classes whether they are his depend
ants or otherwise. His popularity is not
gained in politics or diplomacy, but from
association. His hospitality is boundless
and his many ancestral seats are always
filed with guests The fire is ahght
the year round, 1t is in the hunting
field that his grace finds greatest JOY.
He lis, a true sportsman, and is careless
whether farmers or princes accompany
him in the chase. 1t is the game he e'seeks
not society. He is the best judge OF a
horse In the United Kingdom, and is not
wholly Theoretical in his information.
He can fit racing plate to- a horses foot
with the skill of a master smith. HIS
horses are the pride Of his life. Ills
stud farm is the estate on which his prin-
cipaI county seat, Eaton Hall, is sit
uated. This is in Chester, near Ha-
warden, the home OF Gladstone. The
lords of the stud are the great Bend Or
and Ormonde The Grosvenor stables
Grosvenor is the dukes family name
have a celebrity extending over a. long
century. In 1890 the colors were carried
by a Derby winner, Touchstone. whose
thirty years in the stud resulted in a
long line of prize winners. Rhadaman-
thus was another Derby winner. So was
Bend dor. and Shotover, each of whom
also landed the 1000 guinea stake.
Ormonde took the 1000 guineas and the
Oaks stakes have been taken by horses
Of the dukeof Westminster's stable no
less than nine times. He has been sue
cessful in perfecting the trotting. ten
dency, too.
/. The duke, who describes himself as
being in the prime if life, was born Oct,
Is. 1926, and is now in his list year. He
has been married twice, the first time in
1852. His first wife was Lady Constance
Gertrude Leweson Cover. daughter of
George Granville, duke of Sutherland.
They had eleven children, OF whom six
are now living. The first duchess died in
1880, and in 1883 the duke married Kath-
crime Caroline Cavendish, daughter Of
Lord Chesham, They have three chill
dren
Hugh Lupus Grosvenor began life as
the second son of the second marquis
of Grosvenor and lord lieutenant of Ches-
hire. Sir Hugh, by reason OF the death OF
an elder brother in infancy and the dying
of his father in 1869 succeeded to the title
and the family possessions. He was Earl
Grosvenor for but little more than four
wears. His elevation to the dukedom
took place early in 1874 He has many
military and other honorary titles. and
was Master of the Horse from 1880 to
1885. The Grosvenor family finds it's Or
iein $50 years prior to the Norman con-
quest. The first of the name in England.
Gilbert LIE Gros Veneur, came in the
train of William the Conqueror. AS is
indicated by the name, Gilbert was head
huntSnQEl. HE JTdUSIilLtSu Lle lUFG VI
sports along with his name to the present
generation.
The Grosvenors have ever been a thrift
ty folk. and not a marriage has been
made in the entire line that has not ad-
.ded to the family wealth. The vast bust
ness properties and market places the
duke owns in London are built UP on all
immense farm which one of his ancestors
bought in the sixteenth century. It has
been part of the city for $50 years Eaton
Hail, the country seat, to which refer
ience has already been made, became
family possession in the time of Henry
VI. by the marriagesof Sir Ralph Gros-
venor and Joan, only daughter OF Sir
John Eton de Elton. The hall was com
plete1y remodeled as to the interior by
the father of the duke. The work was
begun in 1903 and was not completed
until 1915. The collection of paintings
and sculpture at Eaton are priceless.
The library has 10000 volumes. The
heir to all this wealt b and magnifcence
is Hugh Richard Arthur, Earl GTosvenor.
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