Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-07-23
A Canadian Mechanic Claims an Earl.
dom and 100000, 900.

AIt6T NGiIS VI pttulClb oNUi - 'N'AAi
the difficulties whichpovertyehas raised
workman in the Great Western Rail
way car shops in london, Ont, has
traced ub WHAT seems to be an indisputa
BILE claim to one of the richest estates in
all Scotland. The greatest interest,ha
, been awakened by the romantic histor!
of the man who has THUS been elevated
into prominence, and there is eyeS
probability that he will soon be put il
possession of his sights. 1t may be re
membeRd that some years ago the Ear
ofo Mare died withoutsAsaving dirt
Their to bis immense estate, and ,bgyAlie,
RsaacessiQn, q. nephew, LORI of the
assumed the title agd prop0, 0OO, zoo.
dead nobfemah, valued Att discovered
Now, however, 1t has hid shat son is
that the Earl had soncis Erskine, of
: believed Co hs Johng up of the title
this city, TIE ten slow and unsatis-
base recsessailp fact thaE,Mr. Erskine
facsorys fror' hamp@ed by family,
. was poop. 20 could have helped him
!, ard mes story. The mcts Of the case
tdoubey these:
l age 1925, two. Years obeforeothe mar
j ofthe ESyj of Mar to the daughter
t Lord . Montech, q male child was
born to the lady, who afterward be4'
came its legitimAts mother by her mar
rage with its father When an infant,
however, the boy was secretly given
into the care of a poor Out respectable
family, whom the EaFl paid we'll for the
services rendered. Later on, when the
httle FELLOW had grown five orVsix years
of age, .ha, HHi placed u1ser the care of
a man nsHied Campbell, and sent to
Canada. His gImrdisn frequently told
him in later Years that heoWas The son
of one OF Eeo,saad's nobiest earls, and
that he should some day be placed in
possession of documents that would en-
able him TO 90 home sud livein luxury.
Fbe old, man seemed under q strong
pledge, however, not W reveal the par
entage OF his ward, sand, although he
broke his promise so far as TO intimate
on many occasion. that the young man
was the heir to the eartdon of Mar, he
never allowed the documentary proofs
to goaout Of his hands He said that all
woa'd be. left in proper shape at his
death. . A few years ago, however,
the old.man died very suddenly, without
leaving the needed DOCUMENTS for the
Establishment OF his wards claim 10 the
property Of the dead Earl: Later on,
while excavations were being made in
an outhouss on the Campbell home.
stead, a bottle was found with several
letters in il from tie Earl of Mar which
referred TO bis son.
This seemed Ia be- all Che proof necss-
safy'; bid, IN addHi0n to- that, Mr.. Ell
skine has just visited Scotland quietly
aud found the people who had taken
care of him when an infant and handed
him over to CalnpbelR Fhe papers held
by them, and also those found IN the
bottle, set forth certain marks by which
the he's could always obe known, and
these the claimant undoubtedly bears.
His resemblance. to Che late Earl is also
so striking, despite The changes which
ohard work has made, that friends of the
poHeman have no difficulty whatever in
identifying Mr.. Er6lipe as the son of the
Earl. Articles Of gold and silverware,
as well 81 ring, are in the presump-
Give heirs sOssesian, bearing the ini-
tails Of his mother and father, Leading
lawyers in this ocoSntry and Scotland
hold out the. strongest encouragement to
Mr.oErsllises and Slen of means are of.
feHingto unite inoa joint stock company
to establish the claim if 6ond is given
to pay a certaip percentage on their in
vestments. According to the outlook,
Mr.. Erskine's working days are over,
and bis installmeht as the Earl of Mar
remains only a matter of. time. He is
being visited by thousands, and his story,
as it is learned, awakens the deepest
interes .-Cos. Neao YORK. San.