The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-26

CT of the house is the elder of the Hon. William Lowther's two sons, and is recognized as one of the most bril- liant and impartial men who ever pre- sided over the deliberations of the house. Both he and Lord Lonsdale are on the best of terms with their charm ing American kinswoman whose phil anthropic activities have, of course, made her renowned throughout Flu rope, and who, incidentally, is the au thor of two well written books.
 Lord Lonsdale has big double house filled with art treasures, in plutocratic Carlton House Terrace. castle in umberland,. the sumptuous hunting box already mentioned, Barley Thorpe at Oakham, and, as has been stated, his three big racing establishments. But it Is at stately old Lowther castle, near Penrith, that he and Lady Lonsdale consider themselves really at home and where they most delight in entertain ing their distinguished and other guests.
 This majestic pile" as Wordsworth called it in a sonnet, is treasure house in the true sense of that much abused word. of beautiful and costly things. The furniture is all old French and came from the palace at Versailles. The collection of pictures and statuary is rivalled by few in England and the state bedroom. which the Kaiser has occupied on each of his visits, is a truly gorgeous apartment. It has gi- gantic four-poster in ebony and ivory hung with Japanese curtains of untold value for they were manufactured es- pecially for the I.owthers who reigned at the castle when the trade first was opened with the then unknown Japan, and it's walls are hung with rich Gobe- lin tapestries. When the Kaiser last visited Lord Lonsdale he brought a retinue of over so pesons, yet the castle housed them all with the greatest ease.
 Wilhelm II then enjoyed one of the most extensive shooting drives in which he ever has taken part, and it was cur rently reported on the estate that it had cost the earl an enormous sum to rear the 200G00 cartridges and pheasants which provided sport for his imperial guest.
 In connection with this visit I have heard a rather amusing and quite charac- teristic tale. The august guest was all ways attended at shooting party by an escort of mounted police. one day Lord Lonsdale himself drove the Emperor to the doors with a particulrly footed so furieusly that the unfortunate police men could not keep up with the carriage, and the more the hobbies urged on their steeds, the faster did Lord Lonsdale drive. In a short time the men in blue were left far behind (some of them HciiictiesS dIiu dil III d Sldte Ol tTepiud- tion), to the huge delight of the imperial visitor
 It is at Lowther that the earPs private drive five miles in length exists Great state is maintained at the castle, mixed with curious, half-feudal simplicity. For example, the church is in the park quite near the house. and for many genera tions 1t has been a honored custom of the Lowthers to sit and sins with the choir. As consequence, Lord and Lady Lonsdale are to be seen, not in their private gallery. but seated on plain, hard higfi-hacked chairs, near the hand of choristers. When royalty, or other guests of gl eat importance are being entertained at the castle, the palaces of the ordinary choristers are taken by singers from some fashions ble London church, usually St Arne's, Soho, for in this respect. as IT every other. mo expense is spared.
 On easy terms with his sovereign and the other members of tile roypl family Lord Lonsdale has been described more than once as possessed of "a spark oi genius as Indeed he Wust have to be admitted to such close pallyness with the eclectic Kaiser. whose guest he gen. orally Ia during the German army napeuvrss Trde ha has his hasmlesz