The Indianapolis journal., 1903-03-22
MR.. BALFoUR's BIRTHPLACE.
The Scottish Seat OF the Prime Minis
ter of Great Britain.

The scottish Seat OF the Prime Minis
ter of Great Britain.
London Sketch.
That he is able to spend only few weeks
out of each year at his beautiful place in
East London, Whittingehame house, must
be one of the few regrets which add
slight flavor of bitterness to Mr.. Balfour's
great success in life Born at whittinge-
hame IN 1S4S. Mr.. Balfour succeeded to the
estate on the death of his father in 1856,
and spent all his earliest years there under
the care of his mother, Lady Blanche Bal
four, a sister of the present Marquis of
Salisbury. But since he went to Eaton he
has seen less and less of Whittingehame;
now that the weight of the first position
in the empire under the crown rests upon
his shoulders, he must find it difficult to
visit it at ALL Last autumn, however, he
managed to divide a few weeks between
Whittingehame and his favorite golf links
at North Berwick, which are some half
dozen miles apart
Whittingehame a fine and extensive es-
tate consisting of upwards of twenty farms,
lies in one OF the best and most fertile dis
tricts of Scotland-East Lothian, or Had
dingtonshire: 1t is about six miles from
Haddington, the county town, world famous
as the birthplace of John Knox, and about
tWenty-tnree miles from the scottish cap
ital. Mr.. Balfour's grandfather a cadet OF
the old Fifeshre family, the Balfours OF
Balbirnie, bought the property nearly
ninety years ago with part of great for.
tune he had acquired in India. At that
time there was no mansion house on the
estate, albeit there stood (and still stands)
in the grounds an ancient tower, in former
days castle of the Douglasses so promi-
nent in Scottish story-a tower associated
with at least one dark and tragic passage
in the life of Mary Queen of Scots.
OQ ha ma hntr hrrf1f In.
from designs by Smirke, the architect of
the London Royal Exchange. 1t is of a
light gray sandstone, which looks as fresh
years ago. The house is large, spacious,
solid looking; it's length runs north and
south, SO that its main fronts face east and
west The east front is the more regular,
being Grecian in style, but the west front.
which Mr.. Balfour. shortly after attaining
his majority. did much to improve by the
The public rooms in Whittingehame house
are, for the. most part, large. in shape
square or oblong; with lofty ceilings. and
windows. The large hall, usual in great
houses, is absent, but there is beautiful
piilared corridor which pretty well bisects
the building. The library is the largest
room in the house-a magnificent chamber
full of light and full of books-a splendid
place for lover Of reading. Its walls are
covered with many thousands of volumes.
novels not excepted.
Beyond the library is the music room; it
will be remembered that Mr.. Balfour is
fond of music; there is a grand piano in
his room in 10 Downing street, and another
in his study in Whittingehame house. The
drawing room is a fine room, but it calls for
no special remark. In addition to these
public rooms there are the dining room
newly paneled in oak; the smoking room,
with a marble bust of Mr.. Gerald Balfour
on the mantelpiece, and the billiard room.
The two most interesting rooms in the
house are Mr.. Balfour's study and his sis
ters, Miss Alice Balfour, boudoir. AS every
body knows, Mr.. Balfour is bachelor and
his sister keeps house for him, looking after
the comfort of her somewhat absent-mind-
ed brother with the utmost solicitude-to
the smaller matters of life he is constitu-
On entering Mr.. Balfour's study from the
great corridor, one Immediately notices
two stands filled with golf clubs-a clear
indication of the prime minister's we'll
known partiality for the ancient and royal
game. And just beyond the golf clubs is
the grand piano. already referred to. Near
the piano are boxes with drums, or
whatever they are called, used in that in
genious contrivance known as pianola.
And everywhere in the room-on the walls
on the tables, on the piano. on the chairs
are books. Above the mantelpiece is a
Madonna of Raphael, but everywhere else
there are on the walls only books.
On the right of the fireplace is Mr.. Bal
four's chair, long, low easy chair; above
1t is silk-shaded bracket. A glance at
Ssc,i Mr.; Balfour's h books 200 Sis is suggestive In
Rudyard Kipling 0hese are nearest his
hand as he sits in his chair, Robert Louis
Stevenson, Balzac, Satnte-Beuve; there are
volumes in plenty of the poets, but the
majority of the books are not of the class
known light literature. On a table near
Mr. Balfour's chair is a copy of the
view, Mind, which is not exactly light lit
erature either, but sufficiently indicates
the serious interest the prime minister
takes in philosophical subjects.
Adjoining his study is his bedroom, al
most plainly furnished monks cell.
A short distance beyond that, again, is
Miss Alice Balfour's bourdoir, a charming
and elegantly appointed room, on the walls
Of which are many delightful examples of
her skill as an artist. Besides being an
accomplished painter in water colors. Miss
Alice Balfour is an enthusiastic entomolo-
gist, and has many cabinets of specimens
most of which have been obtained from the
grounds Of Whiteenehame House.