Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-05-05

the illustrated papers had pictures of the
three. but not of the fourth-Lord Ash
ton was too much for them all. He Is
just the same in London. He has a fine
house in Prince s-gate, and his second
wife was charming hostess and gave
charming parties, but Lord Ashton was
rarely there. When the papers say he
is in London for the season he Is very
| often at Ryelands. all the time, the fact
being known to nobody but his estab-
! lishment and the heads of the firm.
/ Politically speaking, Lord Ashton has
| made no particular mark. He is pas
| sionate liberal. and it is always believed
| that he is an immense subscriber to
the party funds. He was member for
| Lancaster for nine years-1sS6 to 1896
but took little part in the practical
working of politics. He has the ear
, of the liberal chiefs. and he spends
enormously in assisting them to win
elections.
His offer in the eighties to find the
constituency in Lancashire was said to
be worth 100000 to the party funds.
In 1894, at the close of the Rosebery
regime, he was made peer-frankly
admitted to be the reward for party
services. He himself didn't care a rap
for the honor.
Mr. Gladstone had promised It, Lord
Rosebery performed 1t and the recipient
frankly declared that he took 1t mainly
on private grounds. He has no sen, and
his elder daughter was then engaged TO
William Peel. NJ. p, eldest son of Wis
count Peel, former speaker of the house
OF commons. In anticipation OF this mar
rage Lord Ashton purchased Ashton
Hall, an ancient baronial residence near
Lancaster, once seat of the Dukes Of
Hamilton, and it was from this estate
that he took his title when the Rosebery
peerage came to hand.
Poor Are Cared For.
Lord Ashton's chief claim to fame.
SO far as his public life is concerned,
| rests on his princely generosity. In
that respect few towns have been so
| fortunate az Lancaster. Nobody need
starve in Lancaster if the case is only
brought to Lord Ashton's notice He
has band of almoners who hunt out
deserving cases and supply them with
necessaries. When employment is bad
and other towns have their relief COM
mittees, Lord Ashton takes most of
this in hand himself SO far as Lam
caster is concerned. Some public off,
cial, say the chief constable, is select
ed, and out of special fund he has
to SEE that nobody goes hungry or is
turned out of doors for lack of means
to pay the rent.
The full extent of this private gen.
crosby will never be known-for Lord
Ashton does not know it himself. But
the public knows a great deal. Thus
when he was high sheriff, in 1855, his
grounds were open to everybody. The
and beef and ham and fruit was spread
for every conner and as for drinks-there
was no need for anybody to drink COM
mon beer, for champagne flowed like
water. 1t was feast the memory of
which will live this generation out in
Lancaster. Every year. on New Year
eve. his birthday. he gives similar feast
saving the champagne-to all the old
roc in, rt Of 10 II "a
keeps a Sunday mission going in the
mean streets of the borough; he SUBJ
scribes to every philanthropic object; he
entertained Gen. Booth when the veteran
visited Lancaster in 1904, and on his de-
parture pressed cheque for a thousand
pounds into his hand.
Public Benefactions.