Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1906-10-21

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 presides, and the conference always closes with dinner at the Holborn restaurant, which is attended by the greatest men in the country.
 The Earl of Edgemont, who has a long string of other titles, being also Viscount Percival Baron Percival, Baron Arden, Baron Loyel and Baron Holland, all at one and the same time was for several years a paid member of the London fire department, and the father of the Countess of Edge London. The earl, whose baptismal name is Augustus Arthur Perceval, is the son of an uncle of his predecessor, who Chat is, the uncle) became too disreputable for the comfort of the 1 family, was shipped off to New Zea- land and compelled to remain there on small allowance under fictitious name, until he drank himself to death. l His son, the present earl, was born at a little town called Papanni, in 1856, and, without any knowledge of 1 his noble connections, when 16 or r years old, shipped as sailor before the mast. Becoming tired of the sea, and having married a girl in a bake shop, who has made him an excellent wife, he applied for an appointment in the metropolitan fire brigade, and after examination received it. He served at various stations in London ] from 1881 to 1881, when he resigned 1 to become doorkeeper and porter l at the new town hall in Chelsea, one l of the parishes of London Sir Eyre Massey Shaw, then chief of the fire l department, gave him letter of rec | ommenadtion reading:
 During the period of his service ceval has been entirely satisfactory" l But the same could not be said of l his career in his new position. He went to Chelsea at the very height of one of the most exciting political cam- paigns ever remembered in London when Sir Charles Dilke was defeated for parliament by Mir. Whittemore. Sir Charles was addressing crowded meeting one evening when the sup porters of his adversary, who had packed the town hall, interrupted him and would not allow him to proceed. Nor were the police strong enough to put them out. Perceval, however, was equal to the situation, and attaching the fire hose to a plug turned stream of cod water upon the disturbers l of the meeting and drove them from the hall The enemies of Sir Charles DilEe attempted to have Perceval dis i charged from his position. but they failed and he became the hero of the campaign.
 X few months later however, his penchant for mischief caused his dis charge and disgrace. The town hall had been engaged for a dance, and in the midst of the festivities he cut off the gas to punish the managers for not admitting himself and few of his cronies, who were anxious to join the party. After that escapade i he went to the Cape of Good Hope, where he remained until the death f 1 his cousin, the late Earl of Edgemont without heirs. The family solicitors hunted hM up. proved his identity 1 drought him and his wife back to England and placed them in CoWdrey park, one of the most beautiful coun- try mansions in the kingdom, while the ex-lireman took his seat in the house of lords.
 A large number of peers are now engaged in business, although few years ago it was not considered con sistent with their dignity to earn mon ey Now that sentiment seems to l have become obsolete It is consid- cred honorable for an earl to engage in any occupation that becomes a gen
  pie, is editor of the Car-the organ of the automobile fraternity. One of the magazines is edited by an earl, and several peers are doing literary work, like Bulwer-Lytton, who l be- lieve, was the first member of the no bility to write for pay. The son of 1 duke is in the coal business; fruit and vegetable shop near Charing Cross is owned by an earl; several brewers, bankers and merchants have been elevated to the peerage, and oth CTS who have long pedigrees and strings of titles have gone into busi ness. It must not be forgotten that 1 Queen Victoria sold milk and butter from her estate at Osborne in the city of Cowes on the Isle of Wight, and if iS OOW u,Iifa tha nrOnprth hing fO1,