The San Francisco call., 1905-01-22

LONDON, Jan. 21.-So many MEM
bers Of the British aristocracy are now
engaged in trade solely for the purpose
of making money that society no longer
looks askance on the peer who enters
the realm of commerce. But in taking
over the business of the famous old
Wilton carpet factory, which is threat
ened with ruin by foreign competition,
the. Earl of Pembroke is actuated more
by public spirited motives than by de-
sire to add to the big income he derives
: from his ancestral acres. 1t was only
after he had failed to induce some of
the great London firms to come to the
rescue that, with the aid of Lord Rad
nor and some other friends, he pur-
chased the ancient factory-to the de-
light of the weavers, who have long re-
garded the family, which owns 10000
acres in Wiltshire, as hereditary
guardians of their industry. The noble
man, however, is only following historic
precedent Something like $50 years
ago another Earl of Pembroke, tenth
of the name, saved the business from
extinction in much the same fashion
when it was beset with financial diff
: culties.
At the same time the Earl intends
to run the factory on business lines,
and little doubt is felt of his ability to
make it pay. A younger brother, with
apparently scant prospects of succeed
ing to the earldom, he sat for many
years in the House of Commons and
familiarized himself with business mat
ters 1t was his talents in this direc-
ton which on his accession to the title
in 1895 led to his appointment as Lord
Steward of the Kings Household, with
the snug salary of $4,000 year. By
virtue of this office he dispenses most
of those interesting documents known
as royal warrants, which are so hlgnly
priced by tradesmen as proof that the
possessor has been honored by the
highest patronage in the land and can
henceforth claim to be ''purveyors by
appointment to his Majesty Time was
when royal warrant might land
suspect in the Tower or get truculent
nobleman's head chopped off, but in
these democratic days, when monarchy
retains only the shadow of its once
tremendous authority, they serve mere
ly as advertisements to bolster up
trade.
Their influence in that respect is con-
siderable. and with Lord Pembroke at
its head the transformation of the old
works into the Wilton Royal Carpet
Factory by means of royal warrant
ought to be a matter of small difficulty
All that the Earl will have to do Is to
send a formal application to himself as
Lord Steward for permission to use
that designation, and then after care
fully considering the matter formally
accord himself or rather the company
he has formed, the necessary consent.
ESTABLISHED IN 1900.
For more than three centuries the
Wilton folk have made carpets. Now
working in the factory are lineal de-
scendants of some of the men whose
names appear in a charter granted to
the factory in 400. Some of the pres
ent employees have been working there
for fifty years and it would go hard
with them if they We're turned adrift
in the world in their old age. The
products of the works have more than
a national reputation. The costly car
pets. into which ones feet sink luxuri-
ously, are all handmade, and the slight
machinery used has not been seriously
altered since the ancient Egyptians
compelled their daughters on marriage
to provide at least one carpet each for
their future hopes. Every knot of wool
is tied separately, and the finest car
pets, which cost about $S2 square