The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1921-09-01
NO TITLE FOR HIM.
Would Rather Be a Plain Ordinary
American.

Suppose you got cablegram from
England saying an uncle had died,
leaving you heir to s2,OO0,O00 and a
dukedom?
Wouldn't you grab the first boat?
'Not on your life!' says Squire
Philips.
Here's man who turned down a
rosy bequest just like that! Because
he'd rather be an American citizen
and a country squire.
His full name is Thierry Van Cas-
tie Phillips, of Weston, Pa.
What do want to be duke for?"
demanded Squire Phillips. I'D have
to give up my American citizenship.
And I'd have to resign as justice of
the peace. And I'd have to give up
my old home and my elm trees and
my fivver. No sir, no flunkies call
ing me Your Grace!'
"Why, my gosh, only just achiev-
ed my ambition to be elected justice
of the peace! Oh, no, don't work at
the job. Haven't held court yet. Hav-
en't even performed any marriages" "
"Heavens, how could you?" put in
the ducal 'squire's wife. There isn't
even a Bible in the house. And the
maiden ladies down the road prabably
wouldn't lend you one because you've
got a reputation for swearing too
nuch."
How do you figure 'squire's job
better than a duke's?" I asked.
"Not for the fees; 1 don't need
them," said Phillips. "1've been
pinched so often and hailed before a
]. P. for violating some pesky village
ordinance that 1 yearned to be a, ].
P. myself. And, believe me, I'm
waitin' for the first squire that comes
fiivvering down this road. I'll plast-
er fine on him-just to get even."
So the title and the estate Of the re-
Gently deceased Duke de Moro 90 beg
ging while the hereditary duke sits,
unshaven and vestless, on his old
fashioned front porch, and waits for
his prey.
Duke" Phillips is the Oldest
nephew of the deceased Duke de
Moro. His grandfather was the
Grand Duke Sharvaloski Phillip de
Moro, a Polish nobleman, who fled
Warsaw in 1S4S, later making a
botch of an attempt to kill the car
of Russia, and changing his name to
S. Moro Phillips, became an Ameri-
can citizen, married a Philadelphia
belle and became the fertilizer
king" leaving fortune of SIS, 5,O0O,-
900.
"Grandfather was against titles,
said Squire Phillips, "but when he
died in 1885, Uncle Moro went to
England with his share of the estate
and assumed the title as grandfath-
er's eldest son. He played the duke,
all right, and he looked just like a
butler"
The squire boasts of another title.
He says his mothers father was
Abraham Thierry Van CASTLE, made
a baron by former king of Holland,
but who also didiked titles and called
himself A. T. Van CASTLE.
"You see adherence Of pomp runs
in the family, except for Uncle Moro" "
said the squire.
Even down to me- says Alexand-
er, the 'squire's youngest son.
The squire is forty-six, married
and has two sons. He likes to wear
old clothes and collect antiques. The
house he lives in used to be a school
house and he bought it because he
liked the six big elm trees in the front
yard. It's 80 miles west of Philadel-
phia. He only has an acre Of ground
because he thinks farming is too hard
work.
His sister, Mrs. Julie Van CASTLE
Thompson, who lives in Europe, has
just become engaged to Viscount Fur
ness, wealthy British shipping mag
nate