The San Francisco call., 1905-05-07
Bears Remarkable Re-
senblance to the
NobIenan.
An Australian lCabnan
Wins an Irish
Baronetcy.
Special Dispatch to Tn. Call

which narrowly escaped having to ad-
NIT an orean-grinder to it's august
councils while ago, soon may have
to confer the honor of membership
upon a crossing Many people
think that the young man who claimed
the title of Viscount Poulett fairly
proved his right to seat in the upper
house. 1t remains to be seen how far
Charles Edwin Cooper Collins still
humber occupation will AFFECT his
chances of ousting the Earl Of Shaftes-
bury and, incidentally, acquiring pos
session of estates valued at $50. 1000, 900.
with an annual rental of something
like 1,000,000. History records more
than one case of a peer who died a
beggar. but none of a beggar being ele-
waited to the peerage. That sort Of
thing has been confined to fairy tales
heretofore.
For over tWenty-ope years Collins
has swept a crossing in aristocratic
Upper Brook street, one of the most
fashionable thoroughfares OF the West
End. That means that for that period
he has made his living by begging. for
crossing sweeping is merely tolerated
form of mendicancy. Especially In the
West End, where the official street
cleaning is well done, there is no need
of the voluntary broom-plier. who
makes a pretense of industry and by
obsequiously touching his hat to every
passer pleads for aims. But the cross
ings where sweepers are less needed
are those that pay best. and the gen.
erosity of swells has enabled Collins to
live in decent comfort at one of the
Rowton houses-the cheap hotels which
the practical philanthropy of Lord
Rowton has scattered through London.
MAY TURN THE EARL OUT.
Cooper is the family name of the
Earl of Shaftesbury. one of whom,
Richard Cooper. it is alleged. was the
great-grandfather of the crossing
sweeper. He had an only daughter,
Sarah, in whose favor. it is declared,
he made a will. leaving her all his
wealth. But after the Earls death
this will could not be found and IN
the settlement of the estate Sarah
came in for very small share. She
subsequently married William Collins
and thereby became the claimants s
grandmother. The crossing sweeper is
a fine looking old fellow with a face
of singularly benevolent aspect.
Seward Pearce, a former High
Sheriff of Southampton, chanced to
visit the particular Rowton House
where the crossing sweeper lives. He
was struck by his resa amblance to the
late Earl of Shaftesbury, who was re-
nowned for his good works and many
charities, and engaged the old chap in
conversation. In this way Pearce
learned his story and set himself to
work on the case with all the more
avidity because. as radical who has
no particular use for the aristocracy,
he thought he would greatly enjoy
turning an Earl out to make room
for beggar.
1t is now stated that the missing will
has been found and lots of other i'm
portant evidence and that the crossing
sweeper really stands an excellent
chance of some day being acknowi-
edged the lawful Earl of Shaftesbury.
There is no doubt that, In ermine robes
and with a coronet on his head. he
would present a much more dignif1ed
figure than the present Earl, who Is
only 35, and who goes in for a good
time more than anything else.
CAB DRIVER GAINS TITLE.
The possession of a baronetcy does
not give the possesor the right to sit In
the House of Lords. II it did the up
per house. already threatened with an
organ grinder and a crossing sweeper.
would have to welcome to It's meetings
one and perhaps two ex-cab drivers.
The first Of these is Sir George Angus
tus Jervis Meredyth, who up to a few
months ago was driving cab about
the streets of Hobart Town, Tasmania.
He has succeeded to the baronetcy as
the first cousin of Sir Edward Henry
John Meredyth, who died in October
last, leaving widow and two daugh-
tefs. Accompanied by youthful bride,
forty years his Junior. the ex-cab driver
has just arrived by steerage from the
L.
remnant of the ancestral estate, in the
County Kildare, Ireland. When the
tenants can be persuaded to pay their
rent 1t yields an income of about $4,000
a year.
II am 70 years of age" the old fell
low said the other day, and since /
was boy I have earned my living in
twenty different ways, but always by
hard work Now want to live for the
rest of my days without working. and I
think deserve 1t. 1t Is for that my
wife and 1 have come 10000 miles by
steerage AS the title is thrown in like
a chrome without any extra charge,
why, OF course, I take that. too, but II
nothing went with 1t I wouldn't cross
the street for it. Folk will Sir George
me. I suppose, and I'll have to stand
it, but I'm not going to sling on any
style and try to live up to 1t"
A TOILER FOR YEARS.
The democratic Baronets father was
q British major and gave his son a
good education as far as 1t went. It
would have gone further II he hadn't
tried to blow up his schoolnlaster with
gunpowder. Soon after that escapade
he was turned adrift to shift for him
self. For three years he worked as a
shoemaker and saved enough money
to take him to Australia In 1851. He
found that the cousin from whom he
had expected to obtain a position had
meanwhile emigrated to California.
Penniless and unable to pick up job,
he worked his passage back to London
in the ship that had brought him over.
Another year found him again In
Australia determined to try his luck In
the gold fields. He gained lot Of ex-
perience and other men got most OF
the nuggets, Then he went TO Hobart
Town and spent a dozen years In the
employ Of a woolpressing firm. The
wandering fever smote him then and
for four years he was q sailor before
the mast. On top of that he apent
six months in the stpkehold. where"
he says, "a fellow can get better idea
of hades than Dore or Dante combined
can teach him..
r~~~.- -