The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-15
III IrrExroR or MATCHES.
HAe Remarkable Career OF Sir rsaac Hoidcu,
whose Yearly pnce,se was On. 900. 900.

Tne r~e-srhabie Career or Sir rssnc HoIdeu.
whose Yearly nncetno was ~, 900.
Frop, ths PAdads,phto EVENING Telegraph.
Sir Isaac Holden, who died on Friday, at the
time Of his retirement from political life two
years ago was the oldest and probably the rich
est momber of the House Of Commons. and he
was certainly one OF the most remarkable mon
in the United Kingdom. He was born at Paisley
In Scotland, in 1907. His origin was worry hum
BILE, his father being a working miner, too poor
to keep him Mt school. So no was put at work to
earn his own living at Tho early age of 10, when
no was made an apprentice TO a shawl weaver.
But removal from school only stimulated
his ardor for knowledge, and he managed
to attend evening classes whom working as an
operative in n cotton mill some fourteen hours
q day. His studies enabled him TO accept IL posi-.
tion Us a teacher, and 1t was while serving in
that capacity that he bestowed upon the world
n great benefit, which was, however, sliRhb
benefit to him. THIS was the invention of the
lucifer match, which he came upon unexpected
ly while making some chemical experiments for
the instruction OF his pupils. Other mon took
up the discovery, and he made nothing out of it.
In time he gave up the forrulo and became .
bookkeeper with a Yorkshire manufacturing
firm. This was tho turning point OF his life, for,
while working at his ledgers and journals his
mind went back to his shawl.weavinR appren
ticeship, and he became interested In the manu-
facture Of woollen cloth, and sought to con-
struct a machine for oarding the wool. Fog
years be studied the problem, making many ap.
p%arontly ~fruiticss experiments. All his savinss
The friends 70 whom he conGded, his scheme
severance and. genius finally %triumphed, and
he coinpieted and perfected q cardins
dustry Of tho worii. Happily, he secured letters
patent upon the invocation, and a; q result hand.
some profits soon came to him. He established
mills In Yorkshire. literally creating large rrn.
tres of industry. He also built several mills in
was TGs" enorm nor "s snsr ssins pr t%iSy' 81 i 900. o 5GSn a
year yersi,I H M,,b Ft rene 3 mills Y Hs. were ,b founded 3a@1 in part:
Denis: Rheims, spd Groix, Is dissolved the
present firm OF Isaac Holden & Son was formed.
Mr.. Holden entered %politicsl life in 1862 when
represented until 1868. In that year. and again
IN lsf l. and n 1874, he vas defeated, He reen;
at a bye.election in the Northern Division OF tho
West Riding Of Yorkshire. after the assassina;
the seat, On the redistribution Of seats he
bee SsSa% nf the the % Wn,t R iGE the , RsSishhl sfs D iSh,
he withdrsW rom s'I RuS SiSS' life. ,H Is0 Was sn al,
described as "a monomaniacal Gladstonian.H
He was an advanced reformer. especially upon
down OF all barriers, both Of taxation and intor.
communication, between nations, and was
thcTcIore an Hrucll supporter OF Ine CnlmerlCal
scheme for constructing a tunnel under the
Straits OF Dover. On the Queens birthday in
1893 he was created a barouet.
Sir Isaac vas an ardent Methodist. lie be-
came a local preacher among the Wesleyans,
but, though prominent, was never popular. being
strongly .,PGritanic. often bitter, and always
stern" Like many millionaircs. his habits were
as simple as those of the poorest paid clerk in
his employ. Throughout his whole life no had
never missed n day $ exercise, unless. indeed, he
was confined to bed. Eight miles a day was his
constitutional" walk. rain or shine. hot or cold.
No matter how busy he may have been. or how
many hours he had to work. he always took time
for such a walk. and continued to do 30 even
after no had reached the age Of s5. To this
habit and his abstemiOusness at table he
attributed the excellent and vigorous health
which he enjoyed as an octogenarian. Never
could he be tempted to eat meat oftener than
once a day.at lunch. Breakfast and dinner
were made of fruit and some little farinaceous
food. The Honsc Of Commons hours havo
greatly improved in recent days. but In the
worst of times they had no terrors for Mr..
Holden. Often he was to be seen between I and
Q o'clock in the morning as fresh, as CAV. and as
ready for con versation as il it were u o'clock in
the day. Indeed, he never showed fatigue and
never complained OF work or worry, remaining
as buovan: and energetic in the eighties az .
man of IS,