The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-07
FROM Pillow TO FEgRAGE.
Former John e. Sinclair of North De
kota Becomes al Karl.
L. Va,


kota Becomes an Earl.
From the Ne,o York World.
GRAND FORKS, N. D., Sept. 27.-From
a small farm on the Dakota prairles to
fine old English estate and seat in the
House of Lords is long step. but John S.
Sinclair, of Lakota, Nelson county. hos
made the stride and became Earl of Cath
ness.
Sinclairs father was James Augustus
Sinclair, professional man who had not
made q success in life. His grandfather
was Lieut.. Col. John Sutherland Sinclair.
Col. Sinclair had a pension during his life,
but it ceased with his death, and his son and
the family had nothing to depend upon but
their own exertions. The Sinclairs were dis
family related to George Philips Alexander,
Earl of Caithness, but so slight was the tie
of kinship that no one in the family expected
TO profit by it. So John Sinclair decided to
try farming in the United States. He
bought tract of land about four miles from
Lakota, in this state, stocked il and bent
every energy toward improving his little
estate He called the plaza Berriedale, an
old family name and the title bestowed by
courtesy upon the eldest son of an Earl Of
Caithness. Sinclair worked industrously TO
win fortune in the west, cutting OFF to
an extent all communication with his own
home.
When Sinclair left England four years
ago George Phillips Sinclair, fifteenth Earl
of Caithness, was q or 2S years old. He
had health and strength, was married to a
daughter of the late j. McNeiie. ESQ. He
seemed likely to bold the title and estates
for half century TO come and then to pass
them over to son. In 1899, however, the
young earl died. He left no male her.
For nearly year thu title lay dormant,
and then John >. Sinclair's father was ad-
judged TO be the neareS. Of kin. He he
came Earl of Catthness, and John S. Sin
clair, the Dakota farmer, became Lord
Berriedale.
Sinclair's father died quite suddenly last
spring. Efforts were at once made to com
municate with the son in Dakota, who, by
his fathers death became Earl of Caithness,
but without success. Letter after letter
was forwarded. but, as they were simply
addressed to John s. Sinclair, Berriedale
Farm, near Dakota" one after another,
they found their way to the dead letter
Office at Washington. Five months were
spent by the department officials in discov-
ering the right address Of the mau for whom
the letters were intended. Tracers were
sent out to every city and village in Mime
sofa, Nebraska and Dakota, and finally the
lost heir was located. Sinclair learned that
he was Earl of Caithness, after having been
Lord Berriedale for year without mis-
Snclair's title dates from 1853. The fam
lily estate which descends to him includes,
besides parks and manors, 1000 acres of
land from which an annual rental of s., 900
| or 96, 900 is received. A house in town, on
Belgrave square, occupied by the Young
Earl and Countess of Caithness at tho time
of the death of the former, is nG5 included
| in the inheritance, but remains in the pos
session OF the countess. The larger but less
valuable portion of tho property is
in Caithness county, Scotland, where
is located the old family castle.
Here 1t was that Marie, Countess OF
| Caithness and Duchess de Pomar who has
succeeded Nine. Blavatsky as the head of tho
Theosophist Society in, Europe, had her ia
nous Interview with the spirit of Mary
| Stuart, Queen of Scots. She was the wife
of the fourteenth Earl OF Csithness. The
interior of the castle was reftted during the
reign there of the present high priestess OF
the theosophists and is in fairly good con-
dition.
| Sinclair has fine property at Lskota
/ and a large acreage Of wheat. To sell
would be to sacrifice the farm, and to leave
his crop in the hands Of others would mean
a great loss. That he will not abandon his
| property here is certain, but that the others
! in the House of lords Will knock elbows
with plain Dakota farmer in the near fut-
ure seems equally certain.