The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-05-18
Humble Tharnes Waterman Wins
over ain Earl After Being in tho
Courts for Nearly Four
Years.
THE LITTLE BARONESS
Twelve Year Old. Girl Presented to
King csoroe Was Anxious to
see Her Dog and
Pony.
IBy Ed. L. Keen. London correspon-
dent az the United Press.]

TBy Ed. L. Keen, London correspon-
dent OF the United Press.]
LONDON, May lit isn't often
that the poor man in England is able
to triumph in the. courts over the.
wealthy nobleman, especially when
the latter brings to bear ancient
grants In support of his contentious.
Hence the whole country has been
deeply interested in the story OF how
Henry Hammerton, humble Thames
waterman, after legal fight OF near
" four years, busted the ferry trust"
at Twickenham, and got judgment
holding that the Right Honorable VIII
liam John Manners Tollemache,
eighth earl Of Dysart, Baron Hunting
toweran various other high-sound-
Ing appendages may not maintain a
monopoly of the business OF polling
passengers across the historic stream
at this point at two cents head.
Twickenham Ferry, famed In song
and story. and connecting Twicken.
ham town and Ham, is the most pic
turesaue river crossing In England.
and one of the most profitable, from
the waterman's standpoint. The earl
Of Dysart didn't really do the ferry
Ing himself, having let the rights to
w. J. Champion, boatbuilder. 1t ap.
parently never entered anyone's head
to try to break this monopoly until
1908 when Hammerion, who also ran
small bodybuilding business. con-
Guided that there was room for a sec
ond ferry, between East Twickenham
and Petersham, couple OF miles be-
low the Dysart crossing. The local
council and the river authorities APP
proved the scheme and granted him
license, whereupon Champion
sought the aid OF his lordly patron.
The earls high-priced lawyers forth
with got after Hammerton and order,
ed him to quit infringing the exclusive
rights of the lessee of the Twicken-
ham-Ham ferry. Hammerton knew
that fighting the earl would be an ex-
pensive business, so he said: "Show
me proof that you have the exclusive
right to ferry to Petersham as we'll
as to Ham and I'll withdraw, refund
Ing the amount of my receipts to
date
undertaking the militant qualities OF
the poor boatman, the lawyers con-
temptuously rejected this offer. and
began proceedings to GUST Hammer
ton. The latter wasn't at all awed by
his aristocratic antagonist He is a
Freeman of the Honorable Company
OF Watermen and Lightermen of the
River Thames" an organization that
considerably antedates the earl's title
and if his blood isn't as blue as Dy
sart's 1t Is quite as old. The first earl
OF Dysart only got his title In 1915
whereas the records OF the borough
Of Twickenham show that there were
Hammertons plying their craft as
watermen years before that.
He enlisted the sympathies Of sew
eral influential members Of the loca
council and the London county coun
Gil. and eventually the latter bod,
agreed to contribute $500 towards the
legal expenses Of the contest. Pro
ceedings In the chancery courts, how
ever, are lengthy and costly. and the
5000 didn't last long. But undismay
ed, Hammerton raked up more funds
among his friends, and by economic
Ing to the limit In his home life man
aged to keep the fight going.
The earl's lawyers made the utmos
use Of the laws delays. hoping t
starve out the defendant Hammer
ton finally had to sell his home ant
with his wife took up quarters In his
workshop on the foating-barge which
formed one end OF the ferry.
IT wasn't bit comfortable" hi
explained to your correspondent, "bu
felt ! was going to win. Ny wiz
ana cut down our household expen
sea toHthe barest necessities, ans
lived for two years on the river witt
our two dogs. We denied ourselves
holidays and all pleasures. and re
nuced our clothing bin down to tbs
absolute minimum The fight hal
cost US nearly $4,000, but that takes