Recollections Of A Busy Life - free ebook by William Bower Forwood

RECOLLECTIONSOF A BUSY LIFE

BEING THE REMINISCENCES OF A LIVERPOOL MERCHANT 1840-1910. BY SIR WILLIAM B. FORWOOD D.L. J.P. ILLUSTRATED WITH SEVENTEEN PLATES LIVERPOOL: HENRY YOUNG &amp; SONS 1910. To my Children and Grandchildren....

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PREFACE.

Many of the following pages were written for private circulation. Influential friends have, however, urged me to publish them, as they may appeal to a wider circle of readers. I have consented, with diffidence, but have availed myself of the opportunity to add some chapters upon local affairs, which I trust may be of public interest, and recall pleasing memories of bygone times. W. B. F. Bromborough Hall , December 1st, 1910 ....

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A FOREWORD.

There are but few men whose lives are worthy to be written for general publication, but there are many who have accumulated recollections and experiences which must be interesting and instructive to those of their own kith and kin, and it is for these I am about to jot down a few reminiscences of a life which has been largely spent in public work—in helping to build up the fortunes of a great seaport, in the local government of an important Municipality, and in the administration of Justice. Sho

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CHAPTER I. EARLY YEARS.

A Great City—its people and its institutions, as seen by a contemporary presents incidents that do not specially appeal to the historian, who is more concerned with the larger features and events which mark its growth; but those incidents may serve as sidelights upon the movements and the spirit of the times, and woven round the outlines of a life which has been threaded in the weft of its activities, may afford a background to bring into more prominent relief and give juster proportion to the c

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CHAPTER II. VOYAGE ROUND THE WORLD.

Leaving school I entered the office of Salisbury, Turner and Earle, one of the oldest and leading brokerage houses in the town. The partners were Mr. Alderman John H. Turner (remarkable for the smallness of his stature), Mr. Horace Turner, and Mr. Henry Grey. My senior apprentice was the late Colonel Morrison. I had not been very long in this office when I contracted a very severe cold, the result of being out all night on Ben Lomond. I had gone up with my father and a party of friends to see th

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Liverpool in 1860-1870.

My story must, however, begin with the 'sixties, when I commenced my business career. The growth of the city and its commerce has since been fully commensurate with the growth of the country. In the fifty years which have intervened the Empire has doubled its area and population, and the United Kingdom has trebled its trade. The population of Liverpool, including the newly added areas, has during the same period increased from 433,000 to 750,000, and the tonnage of our shipping from 4,977,272 to

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The Dock Board.

There is no branch of the public service of which Liverpool people are more proud than the administration of the Mersey Docks and Harbour Board. The members of the Board have always been recruited from our leading merchants, shipowners, and brokers, and they have been fortunate in selecting as their chairmen men of exceptional ability. I can recollect Charles Turner, M.P., Robert Rankin, William Langton, Ralph Brocklebank, T. D. Hornby, Alfred Holt, John Brancker; and the Board is to-day preside

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The Liverpool Exchange.

A great change has taken place in the Liverpool Exchange. In the early 'sixties the old Exchange buildings were still in existence. The building which surrounded Nelson's monument was classic in design, with high columns surmounted by Ionic capitals and a heavy cornice. The newsroom was in the east wing, with windows overlooking on the one side Exchange Street East, and on the other the "flags." The room had two rows of lofty pillars supporting the ceiling; and there was ample room in the variou

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Commerce.

In the 'sixties, sailing-ships filled the Liverpool docks, and fully one-half of them flew the American flag. The great trades of Liverpool were those carried on with America, Australia, Calcutta, and the West Coast. The clipper ships belonging to James Baines and Co., and H. T. Wilson and Co., were renowned for their fast passages to Melbourne, while the East India and West Coast ships of James Beazley and Co., Imrie and Tomlinson, McDiarmid and Greenshields, and the Brocklebanks were justly ce

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The American War.

The great war between the Northern and Southern States of America, which was waged from 1861 to 1865, had a far-reaching influence upon Liverpool. Prior to this date American shipping filled our docks, and 82 per cent. of our cotton imports were derived from the Southern States. The election of Lincoln as President of the United States, and the rejection of the democratic candidate precipitated a crisis which had been long pending. Slavery was a southern institution, and although it was conducte

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The Southern Bazaar.

Near the close of the war a huge bazaar was held in St. George's Hall, in aid of the southern prisoners of war. It was designated the Southern Bazaar, and the stalls were called after the various states, and were presided over by the leading ladies of the town, assisted by many of the nobility and society people. It was a brilliant success, money was plentiful, and men and women vied with each other in scattering it about. Upwards of £30,000 was realised in the three days....

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The Volunteer Movement.

No account of the doings in Liverpool in the 'sixties would be complete that did not describe the beginnings of the great volunteer movement, which was destined to occupy so much public attention, and to form such an important portion of our national defence. Liverpool can certainly claim to have initiated the movement. Mr. Bousfield endeavoured to revive this branch of the service in 1853. A few years later he formed a drill club, a very modest beginning, consisting of only 100 men, wearing as

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Intellectual Life.

Liverpool has been always too much absorbed in her commerce to take any prominent position in the world of literature and education, until recent years, when we have atoned in some degree for our remissness in the past, by the founding of our University. Professor Ramsay Muir, in a recent speech, however, claims that we had a Renaissance in Liverpool in the early years of the 19th century, when a group of thinkers, scholars, and writers, finding its centre in William Roscoe, gave to Liverpool a

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Society in Liverpool.

Society was much more exclusive forty or fifty years ago than it is to-day. The old Liverpool families were looked up to with much respect. The American war considerably disturbed Liverpool society, and brought to the front many new people. Liverpool became more cosmopolitan and democratic, but there was no serious departure from the old-world courtesy of manner and decorum in dress until the 'eighties, when it gradually became fashionable to be less exacting in dress, and the customs of society

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Voyage in the "Great Eastern."

On the 7th September, 1861, we embarked on board the steamer "Great Eastern," for New York, the Liverpool dock walls being lined with people to see the great ship start. She was far and away the largest vessel built up to that time, being 679 feet long, 83 feet beam, 48 feet deep, with a tonnage of 18,915; she was propelled by two sets of engines, paddle and screw. It was a memorable voyage. Three days out we encountered a heavy gale, which carried away our boats, then our paddle wheels. Finally

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Arrested in New York in 1861.

On my arrival in New York I was arrested, searched, and confined in the Metropolitan Police Station while communications passed with Washington. On my demanding to be informed of the reason of my detention, the Chief of Police told me that an Englishman had been hanged by President Jackson for less than I had done; this was not very cheerful, and he added he expected orders to send me to Fort Lafayette—the place where political prisoners were detained—but he declined to give any reason. I was ho

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Leech, Harrison and Forwood.

The business of the firm of Leech, Harrison and Forwood was mainly that of commission merchants, and receiving cotton and other produce for sale on consignment. It was an old firm with the best of credit, and a good reputation. The business was large but very safe, and we never speculated. I was very proud of the old concern. The business was founded in 1785 by Mr. Leech, who took into partnership Mr. James Harrison, whom I remember as a cadaverous looking old gentleman with a wooden leg, and as

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Chamber of Commerce.

In 1870 I was elected Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce, becoming the President in 1871, and was also made a Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society of London. My work at the chamber was very pleasant and congenial, and together with the late Mr. Lamport, Mr. Philip Rathbone, and Mr. John Patterson, we did a good deal in moulding the commercial legislation of that time, the Merchant Shipping Bill and the Bankruptcy Bill being drafted by our Commercial Law Committee. In 1878 the Liverpool

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American Chamber of Commerce.

The American Chamber of Commerce existed for the purpose of safeguarding the interests of the American trade, and was supported by dues levied on every bale of cotton imported into Liverpool. In its day it did great and useful work, and accumulated quite a large capital, which it spent in giving very gorgeous banquets to the American Ministers and distinguished strangers. I became president of this chamber in 1872, and during my term of office we entertained General Skenk, the new American Minis

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Joint Committee on Railway Rates.

In 1873 an attempt was made by the London and North-Western Railway to amalgamate with the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway. This aroused great indignation. Liverpool was already suffering severely from the high railway charges levied upon her commerce, and it was feared that the proposed amalgamation would increase these charges. Meetings were held, and in the end all the towns in Lancashire and Yorkshire were invited to join with Liverpool in opposing the scheme in Parliament. I was elected th

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The United Cotton Association.

In 1877 there was some friction between the various cotton interests, brokers, and merchants, and an association—entitled "The United Cotton Association"—was formed to endeavour to bring all the branches of the trade together and to remodel the rules, and I was elected chairman. Up to this time the Brokers' Association ruled the market, and as many brokers had become also merchants it was felt that some re-arrangement of the relative positions of brokers and merchants was necessary. The position

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International Cotton Convention.

An International Cotton Convention was held in Liverpool, also in 1877; it was composed of delegates from all the cotton exchanges of America and those on the Continent. I was appointed the president; our meetings extended over ten days and were interspersed with excursions and entertainments. The convention was productive of much advantage to the trade, in ensuring a better supervision of the packing, weighing and shipment of cotton from America, and I think the measures taken practically put a

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Mayor of Liverpool.

In 1880 I was elected Mayor of Liverpool, an honour which I very greatly esteemed. It was an eventful year, for many distinguished strangers visited Liverpool. General Sir Frederick Roberts came as the hero of the hour after his wonderful march from Cabul to Candahar. He was entertained at a banquet, and an At Home at the Town Hall, and he with Lady Roberts stayed with us for three days at Blundellsands. Among other visitors we entertained were Lord Lytton, then Governor-General of India; and Ki

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Visit of the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Our heaviest function at the Town Hall was the reception and entertainment of the Prince and Princess of Wales on the occasion of the opening of the new north docks. The Prince and Princess stayed with Lord Sefton at Croxteth, and their children, the three Princesses, stayed at Knowsley, Lord Sefton's children having the measles. The day of the Royal Visit was lovely. We met the Prince and Princess at the city boundary, Newsham Park, proceeding thither in the mayor's carriage, drawn by four hors

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Lord Mayor.

For six weeks in 1903 I again occupied the civic chair. In January of that year the Lord Mayor, Mr. Watson Rutherford, was anxious to become a candidate for Parliament, a vacancy having arisen in the West Derby Ward. As Lord Mayor he could not act as his own returning officer, and it became necessary that he should resign his office for a time. Both political parties in the Council were good enough to invite me to accept the position, and thus I became Lord Mayor for the brief period I have ment

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CHAPTER VI. THE FENIAN TROUBLES.

My year of office as Mayor was made very anxious by the aggressive tactics of the Fenian agitators. A bomb was placed at the side door of the Town Hall, and exploded, breaking in the door, destroying the ceiling and window of the mayor's dressing-room and doing considerable damage to the furniture. The bomb consisted of a piece of iron gas piping about 3 inches in diameter and 18 inches long, filled with explosives and iron nails. The miscreants, after lighting the fuse, ran away; but the Town H

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The Town Hall—Its Hospitality.

The hospitalities of the Town Hall were in my early years limited to dinners, and most of these took place in the small dining room, which will only accommodate about forty guests. When the fleet visited Liverpool the Mayor gave a ball, but these occasions were rare. To Dowager Lady Forwood, who was Mayoress in 1877, the credit belongs of introducing the afternoon receptions, which have proved so great an attraction. The Town Hall and its suite of reception rooms are unique, and although built o

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Work in the City Council.

On entering the Council in 1868 I was placed upon the Watch Committee, and remained on that committee for fifteen years. The work was of a very routine character; we had, however, an excellent chairman in Mr. F. A. Clint, and I have never forgotten the lessons I received from him in the management of a committee, and how to get the proceedings of a committee passed by the Council. "Never start a hare" was his motto, "you never know how it will run, and the amount of discussion it may provoke." A

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The Burning of the Landing Stage.

The original George's Landing Stage was replaced by a new one in 1874, and this was connected with the floating bridge and the Prince's stage, the whole forming one floating stage, 2,200 feet in length. On the 28th July, a few days after the completion of this work, I was attending the Watch Committee when word reached us that the landing stage was on fire. We could scarcely believe the report, as it was about the last thing we thought likely to be burnt. We hurried down to find the report only

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The Water Committee.

In the 'seventies I joined the Water Committee, at a time when further supplies of water for Liverpool had become a pressing necessity. We had opened the Beloe "dry dock" at Rivington (so called because many people believed when this reservoir was being made it would never be filled), and it was felt that no further supply could be obtained from this source; nor could we rely upon any further local supply from the red sandstone, although Mr. Alderman Bennett made long speeches in his endeavour t

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Parliamentary Committee.

For twelve years I was chairman of this committee, and had much interesting work to carry through Parliament. The widening of St. Nicholas' Place and the throwing of part of St. Nicholas' churchyard into the street was a great improvement, relieving the congestion of traffic at this point. We also endeavoured, during my term of office, to extend the boundaries of the city. We had a fierce fight in the House of Commons. The local boards of the districts we intended to absorb assailed us with a pe

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Manchester Ship Canal.

With the attitude of Liverpool in regard to the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal I was very prominently identified. I had to conduct the opposition to the Canal Bill through three sessions of Parliament, six enquiries in all. The Dock Board took the labouring oar, but it fell to me to work up the commercial case, to prove from a commercial point of view that the canal was not wanted, and would never pay. I prepared a great mass of figures, and was under examination during the six enquir

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Corporation Leaseholds.

One of the most important enquiries in which I engaged was into our system of fines on renewals of the leases of the property belonging to the Corporation. The Corporation owns a very large estate within the city. The first important purchase was made by the Corporation in 1674, when a lease for 1,000 years was obtained from Sir Caryl Molyneux, of the Liverpool Heath, which bounded the then town of Liverpool on its eastern side. This land had been sold on seventy-five years' leases, and as the l

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The Walker Art Gallery.

The work in connection with the Walker Art Gallery has always been to me one of absorbing interest, and the annual visit in the spring to the London studios a very great treat. It is not merely that one has the opportunity of seeing the pictures of the year, but also to hear the views of the artists; men who lead lives of their own, in their art, and for their art, and whose views upon art matters open up new avenues for thought, and continually suggest new methods of action. Mr. Philip Rathbone

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Among the Studios.

We had some interesting experiences during our visits to the studios, and were often asked to criticise and suggest a name for a picture. On one occasion when visiting Lord Leighton's studio, he was painting a charming picture entitled "Persephone," the coming of spring. He had painted some brown figs in the foreground. Mr. Rathbone remarked that in spring the figs should be green. Lord Leighton replied, "You are right," and dabbing his thumb into some green paint on his palette he smeared the f

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Honorary Freedom of Liverpool.

Much as I valued the honour of knighthood, I still more greatly esteemed the distinction conferred upon me by my fellow-citizens when they bestowed upon me the freedom of the city—the greatest honour any man can receive. Other honours are conferred for political and other services, all more or less meritorious; but to be singled out by those among whom you have lived all your life in order to receive the greatest distinction it is in their power to offer is an honour worth living for, and partic

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CHAPTER X. POLITICAL WORK.

Party politics have always been very prominent in Liverpool, partly no doubt due to the old Conservative associations, and partly to the presence in the city of so many Orangemen. Liverpool in my time has been mainly Conservative, and indeed, except for a brief period, this party has held the Town Hall and ruled over the municipal destinies of the town. It is, however, pleasant to recognise the good work done by the Liberals, who have always taken their share of committee work and most loyally h

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Walton Jail.

In connection with my duties as chairman of the County Bench, I also acted as chairman of the Visiting Justices of the Jail at Walton. We visited every month, inspected the prison, heard any complaints which the prisoners had to make, sanctioned any extraordinary punishments, and distributed the funds subscribed to assist prisoners upon their discharge. During the ten years of my chairmanship, great reforms were introduced by the Prison Commissioners. The "treadmill" was abolished; the "cat o' n

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High Sheriff of Lancashire.

The shrievalty of the County Palatine has always been esteemed the blue riband of shrievalties. Unlike his compeers elsewhere, the Lancashire sheriff is specially nominated by the King, whilst the office has always been maintained in circumstances of considerable splendour, and entails upon the sheriff the arduous duty of attending eleven assizes in the year, occupying on an average 130 days. The hospitalities attached to the office are also considerable, for the sheriff has to give a dinner to

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Crosby Grammar School.

We had in Crosby an old school, endowed some three hundred years ago by a Crosby boy who made his fortune in London, a part of which he handed to the Merchant Taylors' Company for educational purposes in the village in which he was born. The school was established, the old schoolhouse erected, and it was carried on with varying, but no great success, for over two hundred years. At one time when the Merchant Taylors came down to inspect it, they found it had been closed for some years, whilst the

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Bromborough.

Bromborough Hall became our residence in 1898. It is a very old house built in 1617, but enlarged several times since, with the result that the exterior, though quaint, is not pleasing—partly Georgian and partly an old English homestead; it cannot be said to have been built in any style of architecture. Fortunately, the entire south front is wreathed with wisteria, jasmine and clematis, and this makes it harmonise with the charming old Dutch garden which stretches out before it. The interior is

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The Overhead Railway.

The Liverpool dock estate margins the Lancashire shore of the Mersey for six miles, and the offices of the shipowners and merchants, who have their business with the docks, are about the centre. In old days the difficulty of getting to and from the various docks was greatly increased by the crowded state of the adjacent streets. 'Buses ran along the dock lines of rails, but having frequently to pull up for traffic they proved a very slow mode of conveyance, but notwithstanding this they carried

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Opening by the Marquis of Salisbury.

Early in 1893 the railway was completed and ready for opening, and the Marquis of Salisbury, then Prime Minister, kindly undertook to perform the opening ceremony. The opening was fixed for the 3rd February. Lord Salisbury arrived from London the night before, and came direct to my house at Blundellsands. We had a large house party to meet him, including the first Earl of Lathom, Sir William Cooper, Mr. Walter Long, Lord Kelvin, and a number of electrical experts. The National Telephone Company

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The Bank of Liverpool.

I was elected a director of the Bank of Liverpool in 1888, and became the chairman in 1898. It was during my chairmanship that the old bank in Water Street was pulled down and the new bank built, which I had the privilege of opening. I also initiated and conducted the negotiation for the purchase of Wakefield Crewdsons Bank in Kendal....

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The Cunard Company.

I was elected a member of the board of directors of the Cunard Company in 1888, and found the work of looking after a great and progressive steamship company to be extremely interesting. For two years I was the deputy-chairman. I resigned this position as it required almost continual attendance at the Cunard offices, which I could not, with all my other engagements, possibly give. To have been identified with the most forward policy in the shipping world has always been a source of great pride a

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Vibration.

An amusing incident occurred in connection with the building of the "Campania." On her engine trial she vibrated excessively, even dangerously, breaking some stanchions and deck plating. It was decided to ask Lord Kelvin, then Sir William Thomson, to investigate the cause of the vibration, and I was deputed to attend him upon the necessary trials on the Clyde. After several days' trials Sir William announced that the vibration would all disappear if the ship was loaded down. Three thousand tons

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Castle Wemyss.

In connection with the building of the "Campania," I have a pleasing recollection of a visit to Castle Wemyss, on the Clyde, the residence of the then chairman of the Cunard Company, Mr. John Burns. Mr. Burns took me to call upon his father, Sir George Burns, who resided at Wemyss House. He was then a very old man, over 90 years of age, and as he lay upon his bed he looked very picturesque, with his handsome aquiline features and his snow-white locks resting upon the pillow. He told me with evid

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The Liverpool and Mediterranean Trade.

Sir George Burns' reference to the making of the Cunard Company brings to my mind the story told by my father-in-law, William Miles Moss, of the beginnings of the Mediterranean steamship trade, which has made for Liverpool people so many great fortunes. He said that his firm, James Moss and Co., Vianna Chapple and Co., and John Bibby and Sons, were engaged in the Mediterranean trade, which they conducted with sailing schooners and brigs. In 1848 he thought the time had arrived to replace these b

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The White Star Line.

The "making" of the White Star Line must always remain an interesting incident in the history of our commerce. In the 'sixties the Atlantic trade was in the hands of the Cunard, the Inman, the National, and the Guion Companies. At this time the Bibby line of Mediterranean steamers had been most successful. One of the principal owners in these steamers was Mr. Schwabe, whose nephew, Mr. Wolff, had just started in business as a shipbuilder in Belfast, in partnership with Mr. Harland. Mr. T. H. Ism

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Mr. T. H. Ismay.

Mr. Ismay was a remarkable man. He was of a very retiring disposition, but had great strength of character, with an aptitude for organisation, he was able to select good men to assist him, and to obtain from them the best of their work. Mr. Ismay was one of the ablest men of my time. He declined all honours, and found his pleasure in surrounding himself with beautiful pictures and objets d'art in his home at Dawpool, and he was not unmindful of others, for he founded the Seamen's Pension Fund, t

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Sir Alfred Jones, K.C.M.G.

The late Sir Alfred Jones is another of our great shipowners whose career conveys many striking lessons. Enthusiastic about everything he put his hand to, intense in his application to work, and resourceful in finding out the ways and means to success, he had one fault not uncommon in forceful men—he had not the power of delegation. He would do everything himself, and the strain was more than even his robust nature could stand. On my asking him a few weeks before he died why he did not take a pa

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The Building of a Cathedral.

The see of Liverpool was founded in 1880. There was little difficulty in raising the endowment fund, thanks to the personal exertions of Mr. Torr, M.P., and Mr. Arthur Forwood, but the selection of a bishop was a matter for grave thought. Liverpool contained many low churchmen and many Orangemen, and it was also recognised that the high churchmen had done most excellent work. The views of the evangelical party, however, prevailed, and Lord Sandon and Mr. Whitley were instructed to use every infl

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Foundation-Stone Laid by the King.

It was decided to invite the King and Queen to lay the foundation-stone, as it was the only cathedral likely to be built in this century. The King graciously consented, and fixed the afternoon of July 19th, 1904, for the ceremony, the arrangement being that he was to come down from London in the morning, lunch with the Lord Mayor at the Town Hall, and afterwards lay the foundation-stone; and on the conclusion of the ceremony embark upon the royal yacht in the river to proceed to Cardiff, en rout

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Consecration of the Lady Chapel.

The consecration of the Lady Chapel took place on Wednesday, 29th June, 1910, St. Peter's Day, and was a most imposing and impressive ceremony. The Lord Bishop conducted the service, the Archbishop of York preached the sermon, and they were supported by the Archbishop of Dublin and twenty-four other bishops, all wearing their convocation robes. There was a large assembly, the difficulty being to accommodate all who wished for seats. The Bishops' procession was formed in the vestries, and was com

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York House of Convocation.

In 1902 the Lord Bishop was good enough to nominate me as a member of Convocation. We met at York once each year, when the clergy held their meetings within the precincts of the cathedral, and the laymen in a temperance hall. Our debates were purely academical and bore no fruit, and no notice was taken of us by the Archbishop or the cathedral authorities. If the clergy and laity were to meet together, Convocation would have a reality and a value, for if nothing should come of their public discus

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Church Congress.

The opportunity was afforded me to take part in several meetings of the Church Congress. At some I read papers and at others I was a special speaker. The most interesting congress was the one held in Exeter in 1894, when I was the guest of Bishop Bickersteth, at the Palace. The other guests at the Palace were Dr. Temple, then Bishop of London; Dr. Wordsworth, Bishop of Salisbury; Dr. Gott, Bishop of Truro; and Lord Cross. We were all much interested with the rugged intellectual power of the Bish

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New York Cathedral.

When in New York I had the opportunity of visiting their cathedral, the construction of which had been recently commenced. The clerk of the works took me into a room to show me the model of the cathedral, and he also showed me a list of cathedrals with their principal dimensions. At the foot of the list came the New York cathedral, the largest of all. I said to him, "You have forgotten one cathedral, the Liverpool cathedral." He replied, "So I have; where will it come?" I told him to put it at t

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CHAPTER XV. PHILANTHROPY, CHARITABLE AND SOCIAL WORK.

In no department of Liverpool life has more distinct progress been made than in its social regeneration. Liverpool was always liberal and generous in her charities, but there was an absence of enlightenment in her municipal administration, and an utter failure to realise the social degradation in which so many of her people lived; her streets in the 'sixties were not fit places for respectable people after dark, while the neighbourhood of the Sailors' Home at all times of the day was a place to

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The Royal Commission on Motors.

The advent of the motor vehicle, driven by an internal combustion engine, was remarkable for its suddenness and its rapid development. The motor was only in the experimental stage in 1896, yet four years later several thousand were on the roads, and this number increased in another five years to 60,000. That vehicles should be driven along the public highways at thirty and forty, and even fifty miles an hour, was subversive of all ideas of what was prudent and safe, and when these vehicles set u

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Appointments to the County Bench.

I was brought into such frequent contact with the late Lord Derby, in connection with my duties as chairman of Quarter Sessions, that I should like to add a few words of appreciation of his lordship's great kindness and consideration. I must, however, in order to make my story quite clear, preface my remarks by a reference to the late Earl of Sefton, who was the Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire for so many years. Lord Sefton in his appointments to the bench, took an infinite amount of trouble to se

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Prince Fushimi of Japan.

In June, 1907, I received a letter from Sir Edward Grey, the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, asking me if I could entertain at Bromborough Hall the Prince Fushimi of Japan, a royal prince, who was visiting England on a special mission from the Emperor. I replied that, while I should be delighted to do all I could to extend hospitality to the Prince, I could only place ten bedrooms at his disposal. Sir Edward Grey replied that as the suite comprised twenty-two he had asked Lord Derby to i

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The Franco-German Battlefields.

The most interesting journey I ever made was in 1871, when with my father and the late Dr. Grimsdale and Mr. Ryley I visited the Franco-Prussian battlefields. The war was not ended and the German army was still surrounding Paris, which made travelling difficult, but we met with great civility from the Prussian officers, and visited the battlefields of Saarbrück, where the Prince Imperial received his baptism of fire, Wörth, Hagenau, Weissenburg, Gravelotte, where we found men still burying the h

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Costa Rica.

The year after I retired from business, in 1891, I visited Costa Rica with my eldest daughter, to inspect the railway in which we were much interested. The country from Port Limon, which lies on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, bathed in a tropical sun, to San José, the capital, is most picturesque and remarkable for its deep ravines, its rapid rivers, and its wealth of vegetation. On leaving Port Limon we passed through long and deep valleys filled with palms and every species of tropical plan

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Jamaica.

I made a voyage to Jamaica in 1864, the year of the rebellion, and had the pleasure of staying with Governor Eyre. The rebellion at one time assumed a very grave aspect, and the governor got into serious trouble, because, to save the situation, he shot several of the rebel ringleaders, after a trial by drumhead court-martial. I fully believed from what I knew of the circumstances that he was justified in doing so, and his action prevented a serious outbreak, but he was made the scapegoat. I have

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Mexico.

In 1892, when on a visit to America with my daughter, I was asked to proceed to Mexico, to endeavour to induce the Mexican Government to give their National Bonds in exchange for the bonds of the Mexican Southern Railway. These had been guaranteed by the several Mexican States through which the railway passed, but there had been default in the interest payments, and the bonds were in consequence greatly depreciated in value, the $100 bond selling in London for $25. I thought it was a hopeless mi

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America in 1905.

In company with Lord Claud Hamilton I again visited America in 1905. We sailed from Liverpool in the "Ivernia." When we arrived at Boston Lord Claud received a letter from the president of the New York Central Railway placing at his disposal a private car which would be attached to any train we required, and in which we were free to go to any part of the United States. This was a personal compliment to Lord Claud as chairman of the Great Eastern Railway. We found the car contained a dining saloo

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Miscellaneous Tours.

Of our winter travels in the Mediterranean, our visits to Egypt, Greece, Algiers, Norway, etc., I need not say much, the ground is now so familiar to most people....

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The Desert of Sahara.

We had one little experience, to which I look back with much interest. Staying at Biskra, on the borders of the Sahara, we formed a camp and went four or five days' sojourn into the desert, quite a unique and pleasant tour. We were joined by two American ladies, and our camp consisted of eleven men and about a dozen mules, and four or five camels. We had an excellent native dragoman, who turned out to be a very good cook. The camels carried the tents and bedding, and the kitchen utensils, while

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The Count's Garden, Biskra.

All lovers of a garden will take great delight in the Count's garden at Biskra, rendered famous by the beautiful poetic description given of it by Mr. Hichens in his novel the Garden of Allah . The garden is situated just outside Biskra, on the banks of the river Benevent. It was laid out fifty years ago by the Count Landon, who lavished his money upon it to make this the most perfect tropical garden in the world. Every species of palm tree, every plant known in the tropics, finds here a home. O

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Egypt.

There is probably no country so fascinating to the traveller as Egypt. It is not merely that it is Oriental and picturesque, but it is a Bible land and the seat of the early dawn of civilisation. Its explorers have made discoveries out of which they have been enabled to build up the history of an ancient and most remarkable people; and while the traveller beholds in wonder the gigantic proportions of pyramid, pylon and temple, he is fascinated by the story which recent discoveries have woven aro

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Impressions of India.

India awakens within us such a sense of vastness and distance, and so strongly appeals to our imagination, that one is much tempted to write at length that others may enter into our enjoyment of a country and a people so great, so picturesque, and so remarkable. It was this feeling which prompted me, while in India, to write a series of letters to the Liverpool Daily Post . These letters are too long to be reproduced here, and I must, therefore, confine myself to a brief résumé of our impression

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Lord Clive.

In the summer of 1906, when motoring through Shropshire, I turned aside to visit the little village church of Morton Saye, of which my great-grandfather, Samuel Peploe, was vicar in 1770. I had not visited the church for nearly fifty years. Then it was a very quaint, old-fashioned place, with black oak pews and a black oak minstrel gallery at one end close to the pulpit. This was the singing gallery, the choir of three voices being led by a violin and cornet. I found all had been changed. The ch

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Yacht Racing Association.

In my early days of sea racing, being much impressed by the want of a central authority to regulate all matters connected with yacht racing, I brought the question under the notice of Mr. Dixon Kemp, the yachting editor of the Field . He consulted Colonel Leach, a very leading and influential yachtsman, with the result that we formed the Yacht Racing Association. We secured the Prince of Wales as our president, and the Marquis of Exeter as our chairman, and very speedily recruited a large number

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Royal Canoe Club.

This club was founded in the 'sixties by "Rob Roy" Macgregor, who had built a small decked canoe, in which he had navigated the principal rivers in Europe and the Holy Land. Macgregor was not only an enthusiastic boating man, but he was a good Christian worker and philanthropist, well known in the East End of London. "Rob Roy" appealed to me and others to form a Northern branch of the Canoe Club on the Mersey. We did so in 1868, establishing our headquarters at Tranmere. The club was very flouri

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Gardening.

There can be no more delightful pastime than gardening. I may claim this to be my pet "hobby." Other pastimes are evanescent and leave behind them no lasting results or afford no more than a passing pleasure; but in gardening we have seedtime and harvest, all the pleasures of sowing and planting, watching the gradual growth, training, and nurturing the young plant, and in due time gathering in the flowers or fruit, and in these days when so much is done in "hybridising" we have the added charm o

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Success in Life.

There are various kinds of success in life: business success, social success, and success in public affairs. Perhaps to the ordinary individual business success is the most important; it is a source of happiness, promotes social success, and opens up avenues of public usefulness. If we look back and endeavour to trace the careers of those with whom we have been associated when young, I think we shall observe that those who have been most successful in their business careers have, with few except

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Observation.

The number of men who go through life with their eyes closed is astonishing. These men regret their want of luck, they say they have had no chances; alas! they have had their chances but either failed to see them, or lacked the courage or capacity to take advantage of them. The world is so constituted that changes are ever taking place, and every change is fruitful of opportunities. We hear it said of some that everything they touch turns into gold. It is only another way of saying that they are

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Imagination.

The want of imagination prevents many men from making use of their opportunities. Upon a dull day, when the clouds hang in the valleys, and obscure from view the tops of the mountains, imagination fills up the picture, and probably paints the crests of the mountains much higher than they really are. Too many men travel only in the valleys of life, content with what they see; and imagine nothing above or beyond. Suppose, for instance, a serious disaster overtakes the harvest. The man endowed with

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