The San Francisco call., 1898-12-25
ENGLAND'S GREATEST MEN. They Spring From the Middle Classes
 Rather Than the Nobility.


 Rather Than the Nobility. On locking into the antecedents of our eminent men many interesting dls- coYeries come to light, and ot these the clearest conclusions are that the intel lectual giants, of our day at any rate, come from the middle classes, and that a son rarely distinguishes himself in the same direction as his father.
 These rules have exceptions, ot course. Three of our English Judges Lord Justice Vaughan n-Williams, Sir Walter Phillimore and MT. Justice Channel - have all followed their fathers footsteps to the bench. Two of our bishops, Salisbury and Chichester, are sons of bishops, and Lord Roberts has only gone a step higher than his father, who was 8 dis tinguished general and a C.. C. B.
 The aristocracy, too, has made some useful contributions to our roll of great men. Our bench of bishops includes a baron's son in the Bishop of Peter borough, the son of an earl in his Lord ship of Lichfield and the son Of mar quis in Lord AlWyne Compton, Bishop of Ely.
 The navy has its distinguished sons of noble families in Earl Clanwilliam, the Hon. Sir Henry Keppel, Lord John Hay and Admiral Fremantle.
 
 most strata. owe little to the aristoc- racy, while it has no part at all in our leading men of letters.
 The bar has fair percentage of titled members, but the bench is chiefly recruited from the middle classes, and from nearly every representative grade of them.
 Of the two living men who have sat on the WoGlSack Lord Halsbury is the son of a doctor of laws and Lord Her schell of a dissenting minister.
 Sir Francis Jeune is a bishops son, and Sir Walter Phillimore's father was a baronet. Our remaining Judges come without exception from the professional and business classes or are sons of country gentlemen or courtesy es- quires.
 Sir Joseph Chitty is the son of a bar rister, Lord Russell of an Irish gentle man, the Master of the Rolls of a pro- lessor of botany, Mir. Justice Bigham of a Liverpool merchant, Sir Gainsford Bruce of a schoolmaster, MT. Justice Kennedy of an inspector of schools and MT. Justice Wright of a Somerset rector.
 In the army the story is the same. Lord Wolseley's father was a major, Sir Evelyn Woods a clergyman (and barCnet), General Harrison's also parson, Sir John Lintorn Simmons captain of artillery, while Generals Sir George White Markham, Sir Charles Wilson, Sir Redvers Butler and many others of our best-known soldiers are the sons of country gentlemen.
 Of cur archbishops pr. Temple of Canterbury is the son of a major and Dr. Maclagan of York of an army doc tor, both of our archbishops, strangely enough. having a military origin.
 pr. Kennion Of Bath and Wells is the son of a Harrogate physician, the Bishop of Ripon of a Liverpool incum- bent, Dr. Stubbs of Oxford of a York shire solicitor, the Bishop of Truro of a Yorkshire manufacturer and the Bishop of Carlisle is the son of a canon of ManchesteT, all these five bishops thus springing from two northern coun- ties.
 The father of Dr. Jayne of Chester was a magistrate, Dr. Ryle's of Liver pool a Macclesfeld member of Parlia- ment, the fathers of the Bishops of Worcester, Gloucester and Lincoln were all clergymen and the Bishop of Man like the quintet above, comes from the north and is the son of a Sheffield gentleman.
 Among our leading politicians we naturally find many wearers of titles, but many of our ablest statesmen spring from the middle social stratum.
 MT. Chaplin is a parsons son, Sir H. H. Fowler and Lord Herschell come from the "manse,' MT. Chamberlain from commerce, MT. John Morley from medicine and MT. Arnold Morley from a city warehouse.
 MT. Long and MT. Balfour spring from the squirearchy, Sir William Har- court from the church, MT. ,Asquith from business, MT. Bryce from the law and MT. Sidney Buxton from the House of Commons.
 It is in the world of writers, however, that we find the greatest diversity of origin. MT. Blackmore Is clergyman's son, as also are MT. Anthony Hope and MT. Cutcliffe Hyne, while Mr. John Davidson, the poet, is the son of mln- ister.
 Mir Marion Crawford is a sculptor's son, MT. Herbert Spencer the son of schoolmaster, Dr. Conan Doyle of an artist, MT, Rider Haggard of barrister and Norfolk squire Sir Edwin Arnold of a Sussex magistrate. MT. Tan Mac laren'' of civil servant, MT. Kipling of a gentleman in the Indian educational service, MT. Clark Russell of a singer and composer and MT. William Wat son, the poet, is farmers son.-Eon- don Mail.