An International Romance

During the colonization of Kern County, English nobility sent some of their offspring to till the land and gain moral redemption. This story is about one such soul who fell in love with a dancing girl in downtown Bakersfield.

Lord Sholto Douglas was the third son of the Marquis of Queensbury. He became captivated by the charms of Miss Maggie Mooney who performed with the stage name of Loretta Addis. It is said Lord Sholto “proposed on every appropriate and inappropriate opportunity he could find or manufacture."

 The problem was Miss Mooney was told by others Lord Sholto’s family would renounce the marriage and cast her off. This information did not sit well with the “spunky little Irish girl” and she turned down Lord Sholto’s pleas for matrimony.  Friends of Lord Sholto’s were also against the possibility of marriage and had him arrested on charges of insanity. Then, they went to work trying to get Miss Mooney out of Bakersfield.

 The wildcards in the romance between Lord Sholto Douglas and Miss Maggie Mooney were two newspaperreporters who were selling stories about the couple to the San Francisco Chronicle and Examiner.  The reporters, C.P. Fox and W.D. Young, were getting $5.00 per column with full rates for pictures.

When Lord Douglas was jailed, the reporters saw an end to their cash cow and sprang into action.  They went to Miss Mooney’s residence and pleaded with her to accept the proposal of Lord Douglas.  They said he should not have to deal with the double despair of having his heart broken and being jailed at the same time.

But, it was no use. Maggie knew the pair was feeding her a line.  One of the reporters then spoke bluntly saying, “Let them renounce you, if they dare, and you go on stage as Lady Sholto Douglas, daughter-in-law of the Marquis of Queensbury.” With that, Maggie Mooney said she would accept the proposal. Thus, the reporters had another big story and yet another when the wedded union took place. The couple lived happily ever after on a ranch in Canada.

historicphoto64: <div style="text-align: left;">10.1900-1920.4<br> 19th Street and Chester Avenue with Fish Building and Southern Hotel, 1907<br> </div>


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