The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-07-29
LEPrON AND ROYALIY.
Eig Merchant wan Big Friends
Upton Limited and UnItmtted-The
AIeYnndrn ,Erust-A Good NenI for

u
Nine Cents-Some Real Philanthropy.
| To the Editor of the Journal and Courier;
London, July 1.-THE fact that a
sort OF comradeship exists between Sir
Thomas Upton and King Edward VIZ.
is perhaps as we'll known in the unitel
States as in the United Kingdom. But
is 1t 50 commonly known In America -
it is here that bonds Of comradeship of
Il GER ain kind also exist between this
Knight OF the Shamrock and the good
Queen Alexandra? Between Upton
and II e KIM the ties that bind ale
chisii2 though not entirely, those "
sph,s,ianetl Up. 1t was only natural
that Edward should feel some drawing
toward Thomas as phenomenally sue
cGssfui merchant. 1t isn't often in lAis
ccuul:y shat one having nothing but
sharp wits and q good constitution to
starr With. is found in middle live at
the Gao &C the procession with quit
millions to his credit and With ten
thousand employees on his pay 1nll.
Such II. stances are rarer here than in
the lifted States, and 1t Is not unntAt-
ural hat when they occur they snotld
attract he attention Of even royalty it.
self
Sir ThAnaas, too, has his name mora
conspicuously placarded in London
than that of perhaps any other trades
man, and in a city in which glazing adj
refreshments are the chief artistic Tea
ture, from the obtrusion Of which there
Is no escape anywhere one may go, this
mans q great deal or course King
Edward reads the advertisements. and
he could hardly be the smart, up-to-
date monarch he is If he hadn't been q
regular reader Of the newspapers.
Consequently he must long have known
that Sir Thomas Upton pays more to
the british government In custom du-
ties than any other British subject, and
that, IN the great central offices Of
Clinton, Limited" as the firm Is now
called, the fac-simile Of a check may be
seen which shows that on the single
commodity Of tea alone he once paid
duty TO the amount of two hundred and
seventy five thousand dollars at SIN
gle clip. Facts like these relating to q
narvclously successful business career
and to q mali in whom the moneyed IN
terests of the kingdom had so much
confidence, that when, a few years ago,
h., converted his private enterprise into
joint-stock company, subscriptions
were imme diately offered to the aggre-
gate of two hundred million dollars
such Facts as these must inevitably
have fascination for even the occu-
pants of palaces, and 1t was as natural,
in this practical age, that they should
commend Sir Thomas Upton to the
good g.aces of hard headed, whole
souled man like the Prince of Wales as
that the supposed achievements OF Earl
Roberts and Lord Miner should have
elected the royal favor.
That however, which chiefly binds
Sir Thomas and Kind Edward In chum-
ship, and that which, more than any
thing else, in the eyes Of the great
mass of Englishmen, justifles their in
timacy, is the keen and grateful recol-
lection by both ruler and people of how,
with his big pocket book and immense
tact, this unlimited embodiment of
Upton, Limited, stepped into the
breach or, rather, sailed into it, and
by the oil llepnnred on troubled waters,
made possible the good natured con-
tests that have been going on ever
since for the international yachting
cup. The English are quite as much
of sporting as trading people, and In
certain circles sport is considered much
more respectable than trade. King
Edwards intimacy with tea merchant
would only be tolerated; his comrades
ship with the owner of the Shamrock
is applauded. So much of the FRIEND
ship of these two chums as can be sus-
pected Of having it's basis In the count
ing room is still with certain class
of Englshmen a subject for Jest This
is shown by the story that got about
after the kings recent investiture, at
which so many orders Of various kinds
were conferred. Before long, Sir
Thomas, I hope to give you an order. =
Your Majesty may be sure" was the
reply, that any order you may be
pleased to give me will be promptly ex-
ecuted."
But here one is, gosslping on about
the kings intimacy with Sir Thomas,
when one might be sure that 1t would
be far more interesting to the reader to
be reminded what the bonds are which
hold this great provision merchant and
popular yachting challenger In such
friendly and happy relations with the
gracious and beautiful queen of this
realm Yet, before passing to that top
ic, / must be sure that none of those
who know how this wonderful Scotch.
Irishman hob-nobs with royalty and
how much good he is doing, are left in
ignorance as to how he got his start in
the world. The money which enabled
him, twenty-four years ago, to open his
little provision shop in Glasgow was
American money. 1t Is not disputed by
any one. and by himself 1t is gratefully
acknowledged, that when he went to
the United States as a boy of seventeen,
he was almost pennies and that When
he came back to Glasgow few years
later he had five hundred dollars in his
pocket. Here was the nucleus of his
present wealth; and that isn't all, for
Sir Thomas admits that the experience
gained thus early Of American business
life has been even more useful to him
than were the good American dollars
which In a business way first put him
on his feet.
Evidently. too. Sir Thomas has profit
ed, as many now are profiting through
him. by certain other of his early ex-
perlences. Like many boy who has
gone to America expecting to get mon
ey by merely picking it up, this Glas-
gov lad found that he had to work
hard for all he got and that accumula-