Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1872-06-19
GKEIAA'S GLORY GONE. :.
The Last of the Matrimonial Black
smiths of the Scottish BoTder.

The Last of the Matrimonial Black
smiths of tho Scottish BeEder.
IFrorn the Carlisle tEns!and) Ps<riet.l
The last Of the Grsina priests 10
Simon LaBg-who for
many years past has been the lone
survivor Of a long line of self-ap-
pointed dignitaries. lie died April
%, at KEELING, "a Newcastle-on-
lyme lat which place he vas staying
with his son over winter), and was
buried in Gretna churchyard. The
united careers OF the two Lahgs,
father aud son, as priests, extend
over fully eighty years. David, the
father, was born and brought up i'll
the parish OF Gretns. Early in life
he went into Lancashier as . draper
or pcddler, and soon aftcrward was
carried Oft by the press-gang. During
the time he was III the English service
the ship i'll which he sailed was
boarded and taken by Paul Jones, the
plrate-Paul being the first ma who
stepped on board. The captl'es We're
run into Il French port. and induce
mel. IS made for them TO join the
Ausrlcmu service, III which Paul then
served. David Lang, however, re-
tIflirl safe nome 10 i,rct:ia, dunnCd
the priests ccrclnonitls III the year
1872, and continued III the wedding
line till the time OF his death, nearly
forty Years alter. The greatest
achievement OF his reign was the
marriage of Thomas, Lord Erskine,
i'll his old agc, TO his MISTRESS, Miss
sarah Buck. Of Iorkbuildin9s,
: Marylcbone. For the event, it is
said. Le ncttcu the sun oi l6O guiiIeas.
Dayid succeeded in joining several
sclons of noble AID powerful houses,
including the Nilliers, the Bcaucleres,
the Cuvcntrys, and others Of almost
equal standing. lie was cut OFF rather
suddenly in 1877, i'll his I'D year, from
the effects OF l sever cold caught
while attending the great sensational
trial at ~Lauucaster, of Wakefield, for
the abduction Of Miss Turner, Il rich
helrcss, 10 years old. After this
event Simon Lang ut once entered
upon the duties of the priestly Office ;
and as his fathers fame vas full in
the land. he naturally fell into a lucra-
tive branch of business at once, Sim,
however, had his trials amongst ii
all. Some of his rivals, becoming
Jealous of his success, resUrtcd to al
sorts Of unprinciplcd dodgcs i'll order
to injure and annoy him. liza newly
arrived couple wanted to find ou1
Lang. the priest the invariablt
answer was '.Dcid an burict, Ian.
SEN But his s~on-surcly he lirc>:
ask the strangers. "Dcid an a
ueid's Il door nail:.' is again the re
Spouse. Yet i'll spite of such unfair
Opposition. Sim liouristcd abundant
ly, following closely lis Legitimate
occupations of marrying and weav
ing, and occasionally varying the tone
OF these by doing Il little smuggling
on the quiet. He long outlivcd al
his competitors, and saw the decline
of the golden days of old Gretna: bu,
still he continued IN harness to the
last. About twelve months since he
went through probably the last mar
riage ceremony he ever pcrformed,il
complete distabillc, having nothin:
OH but his shirt and drawers. Tn
reasons of this unwontcd cxhibitio.
, was that the parties reached Grctn
, from Dumfries by the midnight train
! and, like all fond lovers, could brool
no delay. So the old priest wa
aroused from his elumber< to do dut,
At q moments notice.