The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-29

WAY TIRE Atterupt 20 Rescue Gordon Failed.
1t 10 principally IN uccount of the English
occupation OF Egypt from tho financial point OF
Wow, which Mr.. II. d. TRAIL has given us un.
dor tho form OF q biography OF Lord Crontcr
edward Arnold. The subject. who is better
known to us as Sir Evelyn Barring throughout
his public life, with tho exception OF the years
hen no was Finance Minister in lndia, has
ben associated with tho Nile country, first as
Commissioner OF tho Egyptian Debt, then MS
Eaglsnd's representative in the dual con
trollership. and. finally, as Consul.General Mt
Cairo. a post which he still occupies. The insur-
rcetion under Arab Pasha took place during
the absence of Sir Evelyn Barring in India, hut
no was Consul.Genera at Cairo when Gordon
was sent to Khartoum. and. accordintiy. the
b'ographer is constrained to discuss in detail
the circumstances under which Gordon was
sent to Khartoum on q forlorn hope and tho
causes of the failure to rescue him. It's what
Mr.. Trail has to toll us about this tragical cpl
sole In the modern history of Egypt to which
No shall confine ourselves. after n preliminary
glance at the early life OF the subject OF the
biography. concerning whom but little seems to
be known on this side OF the Atlantic.
4 word may DO appropriately said about the
family of Barring. which. originally OF German
eStra ction. but for nearly two centuries dom.
icIled In England. has for moro than half that
period been conspicuous in British commerce,
finance. and politics. Its founder. John.
son OF Franz Barring, q Lutheran minister Of
Bremen. went to England in tho year l717, and
established himself as a merchant and cloth
manufacturer In Devonshire. His son Francis,
born in 174O. was sent to London to study
under n leading firm of city mer.
chants. 1t is a surprising fact that. although
deaf from his youth, his indomitablc energy en-
allied him to overcome this obstacle and 70 es-
tablish his business upon u sure foundation. He
had risen to wealth and Importance by the time
be had reached middle aue. Toward the end Of
the last century, when the younger Pitt had de-
tcrmined to strengthen the titled orders with an
Infusion OF new blood from the middle classes,
Francis Barring was q person Of sufficient prom.
inence In the commercial world to have become
an object of the Minister'S selection. He was at
least as wealthy as tho founder of tho noble
house of Darlington, and, indeed, had higher
claims than any that Mr.. Robert Smith
is known to have possessed. He was. for
example. an authority on questions of currency
and finance and a contributor of weighty addi-
tions to the literature OF the subject. He had
been q director of the East India Company since
1779, ana in 1929 he acted as its Chairman.
In spite OF his varied claims to enrolment in the
pecrage, be received in the aforementioned year
only tho minor honor OF n baronetcy. This
proved. however, but the first OF a series Of dis
t~inctions attained by a family which during the
last sixty years has added no fewer than four
new titles to the roll of peers. Alexander. SEQ
ond son Of the first baronet, was created Lord
Ashburton in 1885; Thomas, grandson Of Sir
Francis, was raised to the peerage in 1866 as
Baron Northbrook, a dignity exchanged in 1876
for the earldom borne by the distinguished
statesman who, in the last mentioned year. con-
Cluded his term of office as Viceroy of India.
In 1885 another of Sir Francis's grandsons. Ed
ward Charles Barring. was created Lord Revel-
stoke, and in 1892 his younger brother, Evelyn,
The subject Of this memoir. completed the list of
The family honors by his elevation to the peer
go under the title of Lord Cromer.