The Alaska daily empire., 1919-10-25
BOB LEESON OF
 DAWSON MAY BE
 ENGLISH EARL
Dawson Pioneer Mining Man Learns He is Earl of MiI|toWn, an Irish Title
 and Goes to England
(Dawson News.)

Sailing on the steamer Dawson this afternoon for the great big chee- chaco world way out wonder, full of it's mysteries and wonders, was Lord Robert Leeson or the Earl of Mill town, their of the title and estate of the House of the De Merveilleux of France. A stranger looking over the crowd at the whaff as the boat pulled out and looking for one bear ing such a title might have expected to find highly dignificd and ex- elusive parsonage attired in silk hat, Prince Albert coat, and wearing a monocle and carrying gold headed cane. Had there been any such they would have been disappointed, for the Earl of Milltown, as he stepped across the gangplank, went IS plain Bob Lesson. as he is and K1ondike tho last 21 yoars. The Earl took his departure from Daw. son as modestly attired and as unas suming as he has lived here these many years unbeknown to the world with which he mingled. Bob came in from the creeks this week, He came. in brown woolcn shirt and heavy hob-nailed boots, and he left Dawson the same way, plain, genuine snd modest in his claims.
 Bob Leeson came to Klondike in the great rush of '9S and entered the country by way of the famous )ld Skagway trail, over which he ,arried his pack and toiled with oth- 1T men in the great rush. Making his way to Dawson after many hard hips, Bob took to prospecting and mining. and for many years went
 gainst the hardest graft the man be hind the pick can boast. He punched loles scores of feet through the 'rozer muck and gravel of Donin- on. Gold Bottom and Hunker creeks, md Minto gulch, and other places in
 he country. Only modest luck ,warded his efforts, but he never lespaired, and occasionally fortune ymiled on Bob He shared the social
 fife of Dawson, and participated in many of the local fraternal and other phases of life, and won many good md lasting friends here. On leaving Dawson today he said
 "Yes, it may be I am the Earl of Milltown. I shall not say so posi- lively, but from all data now ob
 ainable and from adviccs l have
 eceived it appears that I am the ,nly one of whom the title and the ,state, whatever it may be, must now all. I had an elder brother. but he las not been heard from for years, and possibly may not be found alive Search has been made for him with out avail for the last ten years.
 ''How do I appear in, line to be the Earl of Milltown? Well, it is this way: A member of the ancient house of De Merveilleux of France married my aunt, that is, sister to my father. He had son who died, and only two daughters survived According to the law or custom, the title and estate would descend to the nearest surviving made heir, and, as it turns out, apparently now hap pen to be that person..
 "De Merveilleux obtained Nthe title throueh his ancestors who were con nected with the House of MilNown, The original earldom, it seems, was conferred for distinguished service tc the crown of one living in Milltown, Ulster, Ireland, opposite and mot far from the Isle of Man There. is good deal I do not know about the matter. and it is as hay to me in way just now as the paystreak which ! fellow is trying to block out on a new creek. However, the prospects are sufficient to encourage me fol- lowing up the proposition, and, be. iieve me. if there is anything to the strike, I'll stampede for Ireland right away, and if my brother cannot be located. I'll stake the claim.
 My father for 22 years represent cd the British government in consular and other important service in Ger many, and through the>f fact the fam fly was called upon to live most Of the time in Germany, was born in Hamburg. My fathers name was Bowman Stevens Leeson.