The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-01-18
THE LATE DUKE or PORTLAND.
The Eccentric Ways and Enormous Fortune
of the Owner Of Welbeck.
London Truth

LONDON TdlH.l
TN late Duke OF POItland's real nnd per
s,nnl estate was froughlB rs follows HIS
Wtlbeck property WAS worth E55,0o Pc. an
,,u and he derived Gl0,000 per anhum from
the ~rOyaltles on a coal plt. MS pIop'Lty'
however, contains Cobl which, IL Wofkfa,
ynuia bring IN, on m estimate mace y l'W
vear RS ago. above 100000 per annum. Besides
thia. a portion OF it, which, Is now let 1or
agricultural purposes, IL close by NneeibR-
ham. and might be lot on building leases
His Northumberland property was WORTH
10 900 per anpnm. A great portion
ii This was derived from what are
locally called way leaves that Is
to say, tolls for the right OF hauling coai over
roads. In Caithness he rad property worm
cao0O per annutn. He had originally bought
an eatate there for G9O.0 900. and he had by sub
20 oneut purchases Ia the shtna county, eA-
neuded as much more. HIS had a lease OF ms
house in Cavendish Square, which mas sun
about nifty years to run. ~ London MS Tree
hold property was worth about Glo0 900 per
annuin, aud in Ayrshire te possessed estates
worth EGO. 900 per annurn. Besides THIS ne
had about 81 900. 900 invested In good secnrl-
ties. and there was Il10,000 at his banker d
when he died.
the London freehold property passes To- the
three sisters OF the ~DuKe-Lady O5sllton,
Lady Harriet Bentinck and Lady Howard ae
Walden. or these three ladies' the latter ohly
hps children. and, on their death, tho whole
will pass to Lord Howardde Walden. All the
rest Of the property, real and personal, with
| the exception OF the balance at the bankere,
| goes under n stringent entail and settlement.
The Benttneks Of the generation TO which
the Duke OF Portland belonged bad many pc
euiiaritie8; they were seldom on good terms
with each other. A good many years ago u
gentleman went on n visit to Weloeck. Al
the either guests were relations. AT Gunner
tine, on the day Of his arrival. each relation
talked to bin and to no one else. lie eoulu
| not understand the meaning or this until the
next dav, when he discovered that nOG one 0t
the relations was on speaking terms with any
other. i,
The late Duke was a fine, handsome old
man. and bis mania for the exist nee OF o re-
cluse was not due, rs used to be- asserted dur
Ing his lifetime. to any physical cause. FIX
cept that he occasionally suffered from Dolls,
he seems to have been In tho main healthy.
But this mania grew upon him. At Welbeck
he's was attended almost solely by n servant
who had long been In his employ. He died Of
general sinking OF the system, but even To
the last he would not allow bis doctor to enter
his room. In his way he WIS generous. A
llttls time ago he told a forester to meet him
on u certain day In a plantation. The forester
said that his daughter was TO be married on
that day, and asked him whether the next
day would do rs well2 No, he must come on
that day. On finding himself, according to
appointment, with the Duke in the planta-
ton, he received n check Of $1,000 as Il mar
rage present for his daughter. On another
occasion one OF his tenants, q WIDOW, VINO
held n farm rented at 1000 per annnm, wrote
to implore him to give her time to pay her
rent. No, she must pay 1t to the hour. This
she did, and the next day 1t was returned to
her.
of his subterranean borings many stories
are told. His subterranean chapel fell in a
year ago, but 1t appears that he had also bull:
himself q new house above ground In his park,
In the style OF d French chateau, On his
Caithness property he determined two years
ago to build q house. Workmen Were sent
from Welbeek. The house, which IL entirely
built OF concrete. was not completed on his
death, The Duke had u passion for precious
stones and for ancient bindings OF books. He
has left q very valuable collection OF both
jewels and books,
The present Dukep pleased every one ut the
funeral by his tact and good fe.llng. He is
n tall, manipulating youth, and Is very
popular with his brother officers. A few
years ago he wrote to tho Duke to ask him
what he was to do. The Duke replied by
making him an allowanceof $4,000 per annum
two-third3 of which he Ravet to his stepmother
A little time afterward he caused 1t to beCnm'
municated to the Duke that, rs he had never
seen him, he would be glad to pay his respect
10 MIN. TtIc Dixie replied TINT he need no
trouble himself.