The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-05-22
ST, JOHN PAULET LIVES
PLAINLY, BUT KEEPS HIS
HORSES IN QUEER LUXURY
FROM PAGE /, PART p

HURStS IN QUttR lUAUkl
CONCLUDED FROM PAGE /, PART %
was said to drive his curricle to Bath to
the admiration of all the ladies'
In order TO prepare for the London sea-
son the Paulet horses are taken 10 their
country home for two months and When
the rush and turmoil OF the season Is over
they are allowed another two months non-
day TO recuperate before returning to Lon
don again for the autumn.
This country home is situated in the
Quarry Woods up the Thames. at NARROW.
where Mr.. Paulet has an estate. While a
small six-roomed cottage by the riverside
hitherto has sufficed for his own wants. the
woods are dotted here and there with loose
horse boxes. all fitted up with electricity
for his favorites. Now, however. Mr.. Paulet
has made up a weird and novel residence
for himself. Two little brick cottages on
his estate. standing side by side. have been
united by a large hail. entered by a large
oak door studded with great iron nails;
above which rises a tower circulated all
round like medieval fortified castle.
At night he lights up the woods with cleo
tricity, not only round about his residence
and the boxes where his favoTites are IN
stalled, but right up into the back OF the
woods. where being the most out-of-the-
way spot imaginable, Mr.. Paulet has built
himself a portable iron ballroom. Outside,
this building Is ugly to a degree. but INSIDE,
on the occasion of the last dance the walls
were crowded with wonderful pictures, old
Paulet armor. etc. while there were be-
sides two grand pianos and a glorious IN
stallation Of electric light.
TO BUY GLOVES FOR GROOMS.
Only once a year is this fond horseman
separated long from his family, and this is
when he rushes over to Paris to buy gloves
for himself and his grooms, making both
Journeys at night time and spending the
one intervening day shopping in Paris.
Twice a week in the winter he runs down
to NARROW for the day for the purpose of
lighting fires, so as TO keep his pianos in
tune, though besides others he keeps a man
always on the premises TO look after the
Even When he invites friends 10 lunch
with him MIR. Paulet does all the work him
SELF including the cooking, serving his
guests with salmon mayonnaise, roast duck
with stuffing. and other difficult dishes. that
betray no amateur hand though his kitchen
arrangements are certainly or the queereSt
At one time or another Mr. Paulet has
possessed every imaginable sort of craft,
and he puts them to strange uses when
| their day on the river is done. Drawn up
| high and dry on the bank not far from his
dwelling is the hulk of a once beautiful
| houseboat, and resting on the top OF this,
| side by side, are the shells of two old steam
| launches An awning was stretched above
! these last summer, and one of them, fitted
| up by this notable amateur carpenter, was
used S dining room for visitors. After
lunch they used to be invited TO step into
! the old launch to sit down and have coffee.
While Mr. Paulet does the washing up and
gets the tea ready his guests go out on the
| river and later they have another water trip
| in his steam launch
In London also Mr.. Paulet does almost
| everything for himself. If his house in
Mayfair wants painting IL is he himself that
| does il. and he confeSses TO some of his
! best friends that he is thankful when bank
| holidays come around and folk go out Of
town, that he can have a general turn
| OUT less bothered by the interruption of
social callers. He does not always care to
| house so he tips his grooms to paint the
paling of his house while he is busy inside
One hour of every day in the year is sacred
| to the busting of his drawing room, and not
| the most important event is ever allowed
| to interfere with the hot bran mash which
| he gives his horses every Saturday at 2
o'clock.
When fashionable society chaffs Mr. Pau
| let for his eccentricities he laughs and de-
clares that he cannot see any difference be-
| tween cooking his own food in the midst Of
fashionable London and doing the same
when camped out in the Rocky mountains.
GENEROUS AND KIND.
OF his generosity and unfailing kindness
| all society talks. For two summers he
| loaned his cottage to a widow with a large
| family, reserving for himself only one room
with French windows, through which he
might go in and out without disturbing the
other inmates of the house. He has now
| disposed of this NARROW property to a
| friend, reserving only a part of the place
for himself At present. too, he is keeping
| only three horses, having killed off a num-
| Der of his old favOrites and buried them in
state, to relieve them of the miseries of old
! age. 1t is taking some time tor the Sor-
/ rowing owner TO pull his shattered affec-
| tons together sufficiently to permit of re-
| placing his departed friends. In order tha {
| the remaining three shall be nearer TO him
he is having box stalls built for them ad-
! Joining his rooms in NARROW, and will soon
| take them down for the summer.
This cousin of the Marquis of Winchester
| takes his growing resemblance to a groom
| as a good joke and himself tells the story
| OF how, when driving tandem one day
through a riverside town. he sent his groom
into an inn. and was standing in person at
/ the horses head, whereupon a stranger
came up to him and said:
| 81 say, you've got pretty good job ere.
Not bad" was the answer.
Now. I've been wanting to get into Mr..
the man. e'' wonder md fn yerd s Say sn good
word for me next time there's vacancy.
| will yer?'
| Receiving the promise he wanted Mr..
| Paulets would-be companion gave him a
| scrap of paper with his name and address
/ where he could write to when he scented
| change"
| IT was only when the tandem had driven
| off again and the stranger was recounting
| to the lanU.ady how Paulet's man had
| promised to put in a good word for him
that he learned he had been speaking TO
| St. John Paulet
| Incidents of this order are treated as
| good fun but when a story once went
| round in society that Mr. Paulet disguised
| as a coachman, drove a lady friend who
| didn't discover his identity till she was
| giving him tip this remarkable aristocrat
| was furious, saying:
! IF / had done so / should not have
| made a secret of it, for l often do drive
| my friends In my hanson"
| No man is better known about town or
| better liked than st. John Pauet. He is a
| member of the Naval and Military Club,
| and many others, and is, besides, persist
| ent theatergoer. Yet, though his face is so
| we'll known, he has a mighty objection to
| having his picture taken, and will not let
/ even his intimate friends take a snapshot
of him If he can help il.
MARIAN n. HORTON.
Copyright 1904, by Curtis Brown.1