The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-05-07
Court Gossip of Interesting
Events on THO Continents

Drexel, Morgan & Co., did a large but
quiet business, mainly in the letter of
credit line. for American tourists But
! Mr.. Morgan personally got his "Hft" in
the financial world of France through the
preliminaries to the per cent loan
which he negotiated with Clement Lau-
rier for the Tours government for
Morgan-Peabody syndicate. This gave
him his first real international promi-
hence in the banking world.
Since the per cent Baring-Labou-
chere loan, negotiated by the Due de
Richelieu soon after Waterloo, no great
French loan had ever been so advanta-
geous to the lenders. Yet Laurier was
singularly adroit, penetrating. and able
man of business. broken into financial
affairs under Cremieux, whose secretary
he was a few years, with Gambetta as
his junior, and was the instrument Baron
Hirsch used in obtaining railway and
other concessions from the Porte that
made the Baron a Croesus. Laurier
predicted a great future to Morgan. then
only 50.
Mr. Morgan WINGED under the attacks
of certain journals on his nose. But his
eyes were so singular and indicative of
great force Of nature behind them and
mcrvelously expressive of mental energy.
They could blaze, CLEAN, or search re-
lentlessly into the character of a
stranger whom he meant to read. The
massive frame, shoulders, neck. and
igh-arched head accorded with tho i'm
preston of vital and cerebral force the
eyes gave. As age crept on they became
sad. Outside Of the power money save
him as an art and rare-books collector.
it was of very little use to him He must
have learned that in heaping it up he
had done only a little good. He had a
passion for paintings done before the
machine became the tyrant of To civil
| liked world. 1t may be asked whether in
buying out Carnegie and becoming a
mining and an iron king he had not made
| Impossible any return of mankind 10 the
state of which his most priced paintings
were the fruits.
His extreme simplicity. his avoidance
of ostentation, his good sense in all
things (but without lie sens philosophical
| were admirable. Americans called MIN a
Yes-or-No man. He never talked at
length. Pauca verba was his rule.
Sir Alan Henry Seton Steuart, of
| Touch, who is dead at MS place. near
Stirling. was the head of very an
! cient family. and as the representative
of the Setons he held the office of he
| reditary armour bearer and esquire of
| the Royal Body Guard of Scotland.
, Seton in Ass. He made Touch his prin-
| cipal residence. The baronetcy was con-
| ferred in 1915 upon Sir Henry Steuart,
| an accomplished scientist, who became
! widely known by his success in trans
/ planting large trees. He traced his de-
scent from Alexander Steuart, Lord High
Steward of Scotland. The baronetcy was
| granted with special remainder to Sir
/ Henry's son-in-law, Mr.. Reginald Mac
| donald, who assumed his name.
| Rotherwas House, the picturesque seat
| of the Bohemian family. on the banks of
| the Wye. near Hereford. has been sold.
| and is to be dismantled for the sake of
| the superb old paneling which it con-
| tains. This panellng is of the Eliza
bethan. Jacobean, and Queen Anne peri
| DDS, and it is considered to be about
| the finest in England. The paneling is
/ to. be removed from the walls which it
| has so long covered, and it is to be sent
| to New York to adorn the residence of
| an American millionaire.
Rotherwas, which is a quaint red brick
| house, was considered to be a master
piece of old interior decorations. This
| place came to the Bodenhams by mar
| riage during the reign of Edward III.
The late Count Lubienski one of the
Polish magnates. was the last represen-
tative of the family. FLANEUR.