The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-06-23

lived nearly ninety years. Young John
was far from being recluse in his early
life. He was we'll known in fashionable
| society, and never was known to refuse
an invitation to dinner. He was fond of
gaming, and it is told of him that on one
occasion he played for two days and a
night without intermission, and the
whom was the Duke of Norfolk, were
nearly up to their knees in cards At this
sitting young ELVES lost several thousand
pounds sterling. After leaving the card
room he walked to Smithfeld to meet
some cattle which were expected from his
estate in Essex, and fumed and swore be-
cause the man was late. He would haggle
once, when he had to sacrifice few shil.
lings, he walked all the way home, sew
enteen miles, in order to make up his
possible loss by saving coach fare. An
| intimate friend wrote of him: He
would walk through London in the rain
rather than pay shilling for coach; sit
| in wet clothes to save the expense OF a
fire; eat his food in the last stage of pu
| trefaction and he once wore wig
| fortnight which he had picked up in a
| lane; in fact, he would do anything to
save six pence or much less coin"
The principal seat of ELVES was at
Marcham, Berkshire, and here his two
|
er. These natural children inherited by
will the bulk of his vast property. In his
younger days he kept pack of hounds,
an extravaganza which in his old age he
often regretted. But his huntsman was
also stableman, footmani cowkeeper and
man of all work, and was paid the poor
est wage of any man in the county. He
reckoned that the cost of his stable, his
hounds, food for horses, mans wages and
board did not cost him more tina 9300 a
year.
He did not believe in educating his
sons, though he almost worshipped them.
1t was favorite saying Of his that put
ting things in peoples heads was taking
money out of their pockets "Moncy
begets money was another favorite axiom,
and he proved its truth, for everything
he did turned out we'll. He built houses,
and they were always we'll rented; he
loaned money on usurious interest, and
always got principal and interest.
The County Of Suffolk invited him
to stand for Parliament. He consented
on condition that it did not cost him any
thing. In those days seats were prac-
tically purchased, and men paid many
thousands of pounds for the honor, :"
but ELVES was elected and the seat cost him
only eighteen pence, and even that he
grumbled about. He sat in Parliament
for twelve years. and was respected by his
|
bers of the House. He was always indie
pendent and the ministry could never
coerce him into voting as they wished
unless he thought the same way. He had
a suit Of clothes made when he entered
Parliament especially for the Speaker S
dinners" and similar dress occasions.
So well known was this enc suit that the
wits used to say that the ministry had
reason to be satisfied with ELVES, for be
never changed his coat.
Shortly after he left Parliament he lost,
by death, his one servant, a faithful man
of all work, who died as he was following
his master on a hard -trott1ng horse. The
he died the doctors said his flesh had all
withered away from lack Of proper food.
He had paid the princely wages of twenty
five dollars a year for his services. He
was valet, footman, stableman, cook at
times, and general servant, for E lives
used to say that ''if you keep but one SER
want, your work Is well done; If you keep
two, it is half done, but If you keep three,
you may do the work yourself"
To save the profit made by butcher,
he would have one of his own sheep
killed, and live on mutton. fresh, sailed
and often putrefying, until it was fin
ished. He would never allow his shoes
to be cleaned for fear the leather would
wear out too quickly. He would CLEAN
in the fields of his own tenants, and was
proud of every ear of wheat he picked up.
He would never have a fire unless he was
able to gather the wood himself, and he
went to bed at shutdown to save a candle.
In his seventy-ffth year he became
afraid that some one would steal his
clothes while he slept, so he insisted on
going to sleep in them. His man found
him one morning, fast asleep, but full
dressed, even to having his hat on his
head and his cane in his hand.
When he died he left property to his two
sons valued at four million dollars. an
estates which being entailed he could no
will away, worth a million more.