The San Francisco call., 1905-01-30
Special Dispatch to The Can.

LONDON, Jan. 29.-In the House OF
Lords the unique legal contest for a
long dormant Scotch earldom will soon
be started between man who regards
a peerage as the greatest honor on
earth to which a commoner can aspire,
and another man who cares not a but
ton for it and is only anxious tC keep
the other fellow from getting it. r.
Barclay ay-Allardice, who heretofore had
done nothing to call attention to him
self beyond filing the role of a small
country squire and getting himself sew
eral times elected Mayor of the little
Cornish town of Lostwithiel is the man
who wants the title of Lord so badly.
BY virtue of his Office he is entitled to
wear gorgeous scarlet robe, and sport
big gold chain around his neck, and
nave man with mace strut before
him at local civic functions. All this
makes him parsonage of great i'm
portance in Lostwithiel, but it confers
no dignity upon him beyond the con-
lines of the town and has not even suf-
need to gain him a mention In Who's
VINO. Wherefore he yearns exceed
pgly for the far reaching distinctions
which coronet would bring him.
Robert Cunninghame- Graham, who
mas made his mark as a brilliant writ
er, modern knight-errant, world wan
derer and adventurer, is the claimant
who is Indifferent to the title. 1t could
confer no distinction on him, although
he would be decided acquisition to
that prosaic body of hereditary legis-
lators who sit in the upper house. 1t
was only after the Cornish Squire had
put forward his claim that Cunning
hame-G Graham entered the lists against
him. Some other claimants have since
appeared, one of whom, George Mar
shall, lives somewhere in America. but
they don't count.
The history of the earldom in dis
pute, that of Menteith. is a romantic
one, and dates back several hundred
years. King Robert II of Scotland was
twice married and made David, the
eldest son by his second wife, Earl of
Strathearn. David's eldest son duly
inherited the title and with it much
of the fiery spirit of his grandfather
He had the temerity to boast openly
that his blood was redder than the
Kings. The King was James / of
Scotland, and it touched him on a raw
spot, owing to the fact that the legi-
timacy of his own line, the issue of
King Rupert lis first marriage, was
open to dispute. In those strenuous
days monarchs could take away as well
as confer titles and he declared the
earldcm of Strathearn forfeited. By
way Of compensation he created his
truculent and impolite kinsman Earl Of
Menteith.
LOANED KING MONEY.
This earldom went on to the seventh
of the name who, unfortunate like his
,forerunners in arousing the hostility Of
the crown, was forbidden by Charles I,
without any legal formality, to use the
title of Menteith and ordered to use
that Of Earl Of Airth. Perhaps the roy
al displeasure may be accounted for by
the fact that this seventh Earl of
Menteith was SO unwise as to lend his
Majesty several thousand pounds and
showed still greater imprudence by re-
minding him of the debt and express
ing surprise that 1T had not been re-
paid.
The ground on which Barclay-Al
lardice bases his claim TO the title is
the contention that the eldest sister
or the last Earl OF Menteith carried 1t
with her and that she married into the
Barclay-Allardice family. 1t is alleged
by the other side that it was the
younger sister who made this marriage.
AL that Is established beyond dispute