New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-08
FEATURES OF SCOTCH LIFE.
SIGHTS AND SOUNDS IN THE CAPITAL"

SCOTCH COSTUMES -AMUsEMENTs A DRAMATIC
DEARTH-sPoRTs AND CBARITY-MEANs OF
TRAyFIo-THE LIQUOR TRAFPIC-sIREEr CRIES.
IFRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENCE P THE iRiboNhI
EpINBURGH. May 2O-The day is well nigh past
for any one but q Cockney to come To Edinburgh
with the expectation of finding men attired In the
barbarc kilt as an everyday garb. And yet an
American might be forgiven If he looked mere ior
some warrant for the fantastic dress III WDcn, upon
their national high days and holidays, the Low
land Scotchmen of America are wont to array them
selves. He would. however, fail to ma H. anu
would be driven to seek some other explanation OF
transatlantic usage based neither upon the iactS
of history nor upon the customs of the American
Hiphlanders ancestors. Apart from the military,
have seen only one kilt in Edinburgh, and the
vearer contryed to make of himself guy OF 80 pro
nounced a type that there cannot be many bold
enough or foolish enough to follow an example SO
comicaI or to put the matter conversely to neglect
"a warning so impressive.
In regard 10 the more general costume, Whlie !,
cannot be said that Scotchmen dress badly III can
not be said that they dress well. There may ne
some subtle harmony between the climate, the
generally gaunt and bony figures and hard features
of the men, and their soveny, il-assorted, ungiace
ful attire but certain il Is that the male popuaoh
generally lacks STYLE The art OF dressing well is,
are emphasized by the tailor and shoemaker. There
is an utter lack of finish, inability to
comprehend the infinite capabilities OF cos
tumery, and the result is that, even where
EXPENSE is least considered, men have
the unfinished appearance of what country folk here
call a dry stlne dyke" which wants lime to give
il cohesion. The fact is all the more surprising
when one considers the beauty of the Scotch faD-
RIGS in which men contriye to make themselves LOOK
so uncomfortable and 50 emlnently unpictnresqne'
As 10 the ladies' they are satisfied with Keeping the
gentlemen in countenance, and they succeed won
derlully Rich dresses are worn as If IN designing
them the individuality and individual require
mens of the wearer had been entirely ignored Inc
only relation between the dress ana the dressed Is
that the one carries the other. Inc Dest-dfessed
women aim at simplicity, but they evidently know
nothing either of unity-by which the woman ana
her attire seem one and inseparabe-nor OF the
hapoy combination, which Horace praises, of sim
phcty and neatness. Of fashion there Is plenty put
as in the case of the gentlemen, of style there IS
none. Walk along Frinces-st any afternoon IN VIM
ter and you shall see gentlemen wearing
their ulsfers with not tIthe of the grace
with which an Indian wears his blanket, and ladies
whose nch robes Of silk fur velvet have the APP
pearance of being pitchforSed upon their shoulders
One is disappointed, on looking M Edinburgh for
taste 10 find the people all abroad upon the npOr-
taut subject of drapng, aud mauileaiing careless
ness sayoring of contempt for attractions that are
nevertheless in the hes! sense Womanly.
The means Of amusement are not very abuudants
but they are fully taken advantage Of 1t Is slngu-
lar that in a city of Ednburghs reputation for in
tellectuality the chief regular public amusements
for six or seven weeks after Christmas should have
consisted Of two pantomines and a circus And yet
the theatre-gOers of Edinburgh are said TO be so
critical that actor meets with their approDa-
ton he need have no felrOf not succeeding anywhere
else There were, by way Of compensation, several
excellent concerts; and ballads, OratoroS. operate
and instrumental music are received with almost
equal satisfaction although listened 10 by adj
mirers of widely different characters. At a ballad
concert, where the programme was restricted to
the songs of Burns and recitations Of few of his
poems, the Music Hall was packed with au audience
OF at least 9 900 people. and among them none was
more demOnstrative than tho venerable Professor
Biackie. Tho musical talent Of the performers was
not OF high order, but tneIr Done was iicu sud
bpoad, and compensated TO their Scotch auditors
tor any defects in voice OF STYLE This is part OF
that strong belief in and attachment to their own
country. and everything belonging to it, that IS
one of the most marked characteristics Of both the
Scotch and English.
In America travelling is luxury Of which the
Scotch have not the most remote idea The first
class cars will not bear comparison with those of
America and the third-cass have been designed with
view of applying a crucial test to the endurance
of the unfortunate traveller. 1t is to be noticed,
however, that as a rule the shareholders receive
good dividends, and the roads probably made to
pay by sacrificing the passengers comfort. Or, to
put the matter in a light more favorable and more
Just to the directors and management, by close
calculation of expenses, definite conclusion can
he arrived at both upon the rates for carrying
freight and upon the amount OF comfort that can be
given the passengers in return for their money. As
to the speed at which the run has been greatly
over-estimaed. An exaggerated idea has been formed
OF it by its having been very generally assumed that
the exceptions are the ruic. On the j" p rOnte-
that for example, between London and Edinburgh
the rate is certainly sometimes terrific but on the
shorter routes the rule is reversed he early tram
from Edinburgh To Carlisle runs the distance. lully
niDety-eght miles, III eleven minutes les thah I'VE
hours The day express reaches carlisle IN two
hours and thiTty-five minutes, and the afternoon
train five hours and fifteen minutes. The former
thus attalns an average speed OF oI93l miles per
hour. and the latter of 1873 miles per hour Be
tween Edinburgh and Glasgow the fast trans travel
at the rate of about 30 miles an hour and the slow
trains at fully IS have travelled III England and
Scotland both faster and slower than ever dld III
America but am not for that reason sure that any
of the - flying" English trains can beat the fastest
trains between New-IOrk and Philadelphia. 1t
need hardly ne added that neither IN London,
Paris nor Edinburgh is there street-car service in
any respect equal 10 that Of Newly Ork The Edln-
burgh system is particu well suited TO the cul
tiyation of a forced growth of patience, and there
are many irritable and impatient New-Yorkers
to whom trial of it might be recommended, that
Their ewes might be opened to the real value of the
facilities for transit afforded by their own city.
And, wonderful to relate, 1t Is said that Edinburgh
has changed very much for the better in this
spect within the past few years.
One thing that might be improved by change is
the hOuOr traffic Scotland keeps bOusn at the
nanny" under restrictions which have augmented
tine very evils they were designed TO lessen. The
Forbes-MackeDzie Act is am sorry to say, fail
ure | have before me report IN which 1t Is said
Ii In ~. -HLl