The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1913-04-18
Recollections of a Long Life
By Col D. A. Dickert
No. 4. Greatest Inposter of the Century
By Col. D. A. Dicker

It was the great Barnum who said,
Americans love to be humbugged.
That seems true but they are not the
only admirers of humbuggery, and I'M
posture. Some centuries ago, the
worlds greatest Charlaton and impos-
ter, appeared in France and set Eu-
rope by the ears. He, like the subject
of this sketch, did not intrude himself
, upon the common heart but it was
D with kings and queens, princes and
princesses and all the wealthy blue
bloods. No one knew whence he came,
he claimed to have lived always, or
at least, he talked of incidents and peo-
ple who lived hundreds Of years ago
with as much ease and accuracy as
of yesterday. He told fortunes and to
his devotees he explained mysteries
that the hearer thought forever lock-
ed in their breast. He could tell what
was happening in strange city nun
dreds of miles away, could unlock
every mystery century ago, could
turn base metals into gold, etc. HIS
name was Cogliostro, and was accord
ed the title of prince of imposter. we
would not think the cold phlegmatlc
czar of Russian, Nicholos the llth'
easy to be imposed upon, yet since
twenty-five years ago, Frencnman
duped him. He claimed to hold COM
munion with the secret powers, could
cure diseases, tell the future, could
scent danger and ward it off, could
even make ones wishes come to pass.
All this he imposed upon the czar for
nearly two decades living in his palace
,sas one of the family and forever
traipsing at the czar's heels, the lat
ter dscharging his two physicians to
make way for this baseless character.
But when he proposed to have brought
to the royal ruler male heir appar-
ent and instead another princess came,
Philip. for such was his name, fell
into i'll repute and sent away in dis
grace.
The subject of this sketch, Lord
eGordon-Gordon, of Scotland, made his
appearance IL Minneapolis in the late
seventies. when the Northern Pacific
railroad was struggling for existence,
and wanted money. Col. LOOMS, the
land agent of the railroad had millions
of acres of the finest lands to sell
, along the proposed road, but no buyer.
These lands were government grants
in aid of the trans-continental road.
Z Every inducement was offered for Eu-
ropean immigrants. Just at this
psychological crisis, Lord Gordon-Gor-
don. with a retinue Of secretaries, va
let's. BARRIERS and a score Of servants
appeared upon the scene, and almost
nonopolized the greatest hotel in the
city. By way of a starter he deposited
in a local bank $4,000 in hard casn.
In dav or two he had it nolsed
around, Che himself as becomes royal
bty, kept his apartments0 that ne was
Lord Gordon-Gordon, cousin OF the
great house of Cambells, and heir to
! the great earls of Gordon and near
Pur0n
He had it further noised abroad that
he was on the lookout for large bodies
or good land on which he might set
tie his congested tenants, on his es-
tate in Scotland and would take 5O0.-
600 acres of land or more from the
kailroad if they would spare so much.
When Col. Loomis heard this, It is
said he threw three consecutive hts,
and fell at the feet of the great th1er,
and said, "my benefactor, my savior"
Now much of this road had been
built by Dutch capital money the far
mers. dairymen and artisans had de-
posited in savings banks and had
Asought investments in this road. But
1t had run short so this is why the
Y railroad authorities hailed the new
Rcomer as their savior.
Col. Loomis called the directors to-
gether from the East and laid plans
Il before them by which they might an
gle for this rich lord. They bade him
20 ahead and spare no expense. He
gMas feted, banqueted and great but
alo hunts were given in his honor
nd the railroad world bowling down
Ito him in honor.
When his lordship gave it out that
he was ready to lay out the land and
town sites on which to settle MS
crowded tenants the fun began. would
1ovnoan fhink. "Why dill not these