The St. Louis Republic., 1900-07-01

JVlu " ifSou anu Istiit
claimants to an ancient earldom.
plain and honely man. a mixer of paints
in a New York establishment claim to be
heirs to an earldom. The man says the
woman is not the rightfui claimant and
that he is. though he would not accept the
title and the lands OF the Airlies were they
offered him. The Earl of Airlie was killed
this month In battle in South Africa.
Mrs. Belle Callaghan OF Flushing avenue,
Astoria. and John Wilson of No. 50 Beck
man street are the plain people who claim
to be descendants of Scottish mobiles. Mrs.
Callaghan was a daughter of John Wilson.
a hermit of the Adirondacks. a student of
theology and languages. a master of San
scrit. Hebrew, Greek. Latin. and his OWN
Gaelic tongue. He an ascetic. who
loved q pliin life and democratic simplicity
better than burdensome wealth and empty
titles. He was 4 Cariylian philosopher with
out the Feasibility of his master.
BY direct descent on the maternal side
Wilson claimed the ancestry Of King DON
aid. successor to Malcolm. the enemy of
NJ 7cbeth. He was OF the Oglvie family.
being creat-grandson to Janet Ogilvie, who.
IN ,hc troublesome times preceding 17i5.
placed for safekeepinS the dover estate
bequeathed to her In the hands OF her
brother the Earl of Airie.
This estate was eAtalled to pass from
eldest daughter to eldest daughter in direct
line Of succession. but through variety
of circumstance action to reclaim 1t was
Mrs. CaIlaghan began proceedings
Mrs. Caliaghan says: Before my father
died he called me TO him any said 10 me:
woman in Scotland. You are tho rightful
heiress to the Airlie estates And then he
told me che circumstances OF the claim.
We agreed to put the case In the hands OF
a lawyer, who is a cousin of ours. He went
to Scotland to make inquiries. but we are
poor people. and nothing has been done
John Wilson. the other claimant says: "I
am the real heir to the Airle estates in
Scotland: 1t Is nonsense of Mrs; Bell Cal
originally crown lands, and could not have
been be9ueatbed otherwise than from ia
ther to eldest son from generation TO gener-
alton.
7still. although / am the real heir. I
don't want these estates. They are big.
rich rich and md worth in a worldly way. great
them worth having. In fact. We're they Of
fered to me. l would unhes!tatingly decline
"Why should seek them? I am up
here, contented. perfectly satisfied with
my way Of nfe. finding all the pleasure I
library here contains all need there are
RELIGIOUS and scientific works from Rarnes's
notes on the Bible. to the Koran and Con-
fucus's philosophy 10 the bound volumes
Of the scientific magazines
My father did not make an effort until
a Few years before his death TO claim these.
ts.tes' alu why snoulo i! am glad my
father did not get possession of them:
mad he done so should not be here and
happy to-day. / should have been a rich
man and rich men seldom think and do
what Is best for them. The John Wilson
who has been mentioned as one Of the heirs
IS my soH. He IS not car conductor. but
IS n receiver In the Office Of the Broadway
cable car people. He is certainly next heir
TO myself. but ! do not think that he any
more than I. wishes to claim those estates
he IS getting along perfectly well in HIS
posltion, and think he shares my views on