The San Francisco call., 1899-10-25

when last encountered him, and Travelled
in the same Pullman coach with him from
Ell Paso, Texas, to the city Of Washington
I should think this was about i've years
ago.
1t has been asserted time and again. and
frequently on the alleged authority of Sir
Thomas, that he was born in Glasgow
Scotland. though of Irish parentage. Sir
Thomas told me that he was born in the
town Of Dungannon, county OF Tyrone,
ireland, and that his people lived in Ire
land. He was taken to Scotland by his
parents in his infancy and they settled in
Glasgow He was given five years at the
public schools, and then was apprenuced
in big mercantile establishment. His
duties here for the first few years were
various. He was kicked and cuffed, of
course He attended TO the windows, he
swept up the floors, and polished up the
handles OF the big front doors.
At the end of his first years service he
found himself with half a crown anead.
A half-crown is a British silver coin,
sometimes called "two-and-six," and ap-
proximates closely TO our 50-cent piece.
He was happy. The coin did not get an
opportunity TO burn his poeket-he salted
Ii away. The second year he had little
more money; the third year more still,
and finally at the end of five years and his
apprenticeship he was the absolute owner
of SO, roughly speaking $50. But he had
accumulated whole lot or worldly eX-
perience, wisdom, and the craft OF COM
Let it be understood that I am reciting
this history as he told it TO me himself in
the long Journey between FL Paso and
Washington. When he found himself a
free man with SO Ito boot an irresistible
desire to visit his birthplace at DUNCAN
non, Ireland, possessed him. He ascer-
tanned that it would take nearly one-fifth
of his capital to make the Journey. He
knew right well that the cost of his sus-
7 II 1.Y1rz not 10
taken into account. He left for his native
place, being then II years old. He told
me at length the delights Of his visit.
How simple and Industrious and prudent
and patriotic his relatives and their neigh
bors were; about his visits TO the old
church in Dungannon, where the historic
convention of the Irish volunteers of 1852
was held that demanded and won-for a
time-the legislative independence of Ire
land.
of him was the Irish bacon. 1t goes with
out saying that cooked pig is best when
he is Irish. This is not only maxim in
trade but of the palate. Making inquiries
young Upton discovered that the rafters
Of every Irish farmhouse for miles around
were laden with bacon. that there was no
market for it, and consequently no com,
mercial value. Upton, who had concluded
10 splurge a few shillings of his pile" to
make an impression on his old neighbors,
changed his mind and invested every PEN
ny he had in Irish bacon. be carried It
back to Glasgow with him in a good
sized box as luggage. He knew wei the
tastes and character of the principal pa
irons of the establishment where he
served his apprenticeship, and to these he
displayed and sold his Irish bacon. He
cleared SO in this, his first speculation.
He lost no time IN returning to Ireland
and securing an option on all the bacon in
the vicinity of Dungannon. Thus he laid
the foundation of his fortune.
Sir Thomas was given the handle to his
name soon after the Queens Diamond
Jubilee. There are two kinds of sirs in
Great Britain. One kind is of the baronet
class, hereditary and regarded as semi
aristocratic. The other, called knights,
nearly anybody can attain who does any
thing successful. The usual route TO this
latter honor is to make contribution 10
some charity in which royalty is inter-
ested, or to the campaign chest of the
party in mower.
On the occasion of the Queens Jubilee
the Princess of Wales parented the idea
| of giving q big feed including pie and un-
usual incidentals to the poor of Lon
6on She appealed for funds and the re-
sponss was not gratifying nor spontane-
GUS. The scheme was on the verge of col
lapse when Upton went forward with a
contribution of s125,000. Soon afterward