Salt Lake Herald | 1901-02-13 | Page 13 | Life Story Reads Just like a Novel

LIFE STORY BEADS LIKE A NOVEL Chicago Record The story of Of 01 the thi laird of who died the other day is an as curious eurious a could be found In any modern novel His name was re tee ohn ton and although his rent roll roil was 70 OW a year and he hev wd v s Asides reputed to be enormously wealthy he lived the life of a recluse and was hardly ever known to cross the door of his mansion hou house e for the last thirty years There was a bit of romance asso associated elated with both his father and Ta trad d father the latter of whom is said iid to have the foundation oT of The family fortune by methods which brought him blip into con conflict filet with the excise officers of the coun country country try The father who was also eccentric married when well advanced In Ip years a ayoung ayoung young girl the daughter of one of his cotters Tt It was the story over again of Auld Robin Gray but after the wed wedding wedding ding the pair did not agree and there were lively times at Of that union three sons were Born one of whom was the laird of who lute lias Just died When quite a young v man ursa he had a violent quarrel with his rather father and went to India and lived there and afterward on the continent of Europe until his fathers death On his return to Lath risk as he front from that time on behaved In th the most moat extraordinary manner He shut himself up in his mansion and lived practically the life of u a hermit He seems to have taken an aversion to seeing the face of his fellowmen He lie is said id to have slept most 01 ox the day to avoid the prying eyes of the public and at night white while ordinary mortals slumbered he wandered about the tho house or ventured occasionally Into his hiM grounds When alone he did great deal of reading rading Ills His tenantry never saw him an communications regarding their land or houses had to be made to his corn com commissioner missioner the town of the old boy bor ough of Falkland who was wai the only onI per person son SOIL Johnston ever saw tIters there were servants in th thu house it was only by accident that they ever came caine across their master His meals of the most moat fru fm ral description were laid for him In a particular room a at certain arranged hour When Then the took In hi the th food she sounded a bell left the room a short interval elapsed ad then the lair hor mil mU made his appearance and had his meal In solitary state When he had Iid fin he in turn rang the bell and disappeared One of the delusions which Johnston cherished was waa that everybody was tyIng 1 I Ito to make money out ot of hIm and not fbI a penny was spent either upon the or oron on the estate unless It ft AUKS ts absolutely necessary It Is said that Johnston got over the difficulty of seeing a i taller In order to purchase clothes by getting the commissioner to send a farmer who closely resembled him in figure to set get measured for him and the stories that are current In the district about the misers meanness would fill a goodly column He died at the ago age of 78 and so far no will has been found It was of course out of th question for him to pay paya a 1 law r t I mak a 1 will but It was wart ex cx at a mont h in I II h SSi ilund III it It 1 legal will would be di discovered It 11 ia is oali lb by the vi wh h nw i ix t h harg rg he sl t that tin ati atI i mn able abie property of this eccentric ild 1111 man mani i i amount munt tp to over owr Clr r r Fried he failed the which art are en ena a young lieutenant in il I 1 S i forth h high i i 5 ii 1 no t joy this thee oil of luck The l et tf Roes gna another u I n MJ ii i i j O j ears of and has hai no family n t the eople that tnt tO lk r of the exchequer will come in for A good of i fn l ditty futy both off Johnston Johnstons K sod n l also from the heir of movable mova property who in ordinary circumstances cannot be expected to live very ery long