The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-09-20
Frederick Haskin's Letter
Must the Ghosts Go Too?

will be torn down to make way for
a modern hotel. Equally historic
town and country places have been
abandoned lat a high price, by the
dukes of Westminster. Rutland
Marlborough. Grafton and Buc-
cIeuth: Lords Leconfield, Isondes-
borough, Portman and Camden: the
earls of Denbigh and Harrington.
and many other noblemen. In 1920
I.one firm OF auctioneers alone sold
349, 695 acres of country property
and this year thousands of acres Of
old estates are being sold weekly.
The reason for this widespread
partition of the huge country es-
tates is best explained by a speech
made recently by the duke of Port
land to his tenants, in which he
said:
A Dske's Farewell.
1.-THE war has entirely altered the
outlook for myself, as it must have
done that of other large land own
ers in this country. For centuries
past landed estates have in many
instances been handed down from
generation 10 generation in one
family. and the landlords and ten
ants have grown up together and
terms Of mutual trust and affec-
ton
81 fear. however. that this state
of things is passing away. for, with
the present enormous weight of
taxation and the extremely oner-
Gus weight of death duties (inher-
itance taxes) the future has be-
come uncertain for all landed pro-
prietors.
with regard to my own case, it
NAV or it may not be possible for
me and my family to reside at We'll
beck. But l fear that there can be
but I do not think that l am-that
those who come after me will not
be able to do so.
"It is no use whatever blinking
the fact, however disagreeable it
may be. that there must. and
inevitably will be a wholesale clos
ing down of the larger country
houses; If not now, at all events
when the present generation has
passed away"
Welbeck Abbey is literally sup
piled with ghosts and is particular
ly famous for its underground pas
sages and secret apartments, on
which the fifth duke of Portland is
said to have spent 100000 pounds.
1t contains an underground riding
academy 400 feet long, log feet wide
and so feet high beyond that there
is an underground ballroom l5S feet
long, So feet wide and 81 feet high,
and still further on are subterra-
mean libraries. In fact, the under
ground part Of the estate is said to
extend for IS miles.
It is estimated that there are
very nearly 1000 huge country es-
tates in Great Gritain each requir-
ing so or more employees TO work
them. There are 20 big places,
each employing more than 200
while some Of the largest
estates have as many as 800 en-
oloyes each on their pay rolls. Be
lore the war. for instance. Welbeck
Abbey alone employed 20 garden
ers. The total operating expenses
IF the estate were 1900 pounds.
Today the abbey has fewer garden
srs. but its operating expenses are
nearly trebled.
The passing of the great English
estate means the last and final tri-
lmph of the new industrial age
,ver the preceding agricultural one.
England mourns it, on the whole,
)ut realizes that it is inevitable.
Some even feel that the change
will be beneficial
THE dukeries scarcely dovelan
nto the sentiment of a more demo-
ratio age" says the Pail Mall Ga
.ette, for instance. "and while tho
of the patriarchal
,egime will be missed, it is
healthier life that is beginning to
,verspread the shires with its more
EQUAL distribution of property and
None of this. however. sheds any
light on what is to become Of the
manor ghosts so dear to the heart
f the Psychical Research society,
s it possible that they will follow
he example of other disgruntled
Europeans and emigrate to Amer
ca?