Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-10-26
Letter from Scotland.
EDINRrgaH. Sept. Is. 1885

he lanu OF W alter scott and Bern5 and
Livingston and John Knox and the unfor-
tunate Queen Mary has much of interest to
the American traveller. The old castles of
the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries are
mostly ruins. The clans who once inhabit-
ell the highlands and did the bidding Of the
teudal chiefs have but small representation
in their descendants. The population Of
Scotland hardly equal. that Of the city OF
London, but her sons are occupying the
principal places of trust throughout the
United Kingdom. John Knox, the great
retOrmer of the seventeenth century, SO i'm
pressed himself upon the people VI Scotland
that today no land 10 marked for greater
Intelligence, more integrity or pgrer NOR
ality. This city Is noted for one Of the
first universities in the world, and such q
regard for the Sabbath that neither rail-
ways, street cars nor omnibuses are running
No newspaper is published or cried Oh the
streets; saloons, restaurants and all places
Ot business are scrupulOusly closed, and even
the hours OF meals at the hotels are ar
ranged for the accommodation of the church
goer. This in city OF . quarter of a mil
lion inhabitants. Few cities of its size are
more beautiful for situation, more cleanly
kept or possess greater historical Interest.
To those who do not believe that the world
is making progress, or that its peoples are
growing better, let them study the portraits
of the kings of England and Scotland in
the thirteenth and sixteenth centuries in
llOlyrOOd palace and those of the states
men of the eighteenth century in the par
Lament buildings at Edinburgh The COM
mon people are intelligent, and it was a
witty and truthful response to the English
man who twitted the Scotchman on his
oatmeal diet, food that Englishmen fed to
their horses. And where" replied the
ScOtchman, do you find such men as are
raised inScotland or horses such as are raised
England?" Chalmers, Knox, Black, Burns,
Livingstone statesman of the age
Stephenson, the inventor of the railway sys-
, TEN, HayelOck, the Christian soldier, and
hundreds of others, the people of Scotland
delight to honor.
A description of Edinburgh-her castles,
her cathedrals, her monuments. her gar
dens, her university would be of little in
terest, 50 often has it been portrayed by
correspondents in newspapers, in illustrated
magazines, and in hand-boOks. The de
ScendantS of the land of Burns, and all
over the world. keep green in their memory
their native hills by annual annivers-
| Sary OF st. Andrews day. Springfield has a
| gOodly representation OF ScOtchmen, and il
was my good pleasure to meet in the home
of the MOwattS, in the vicinity OF Castle
Douglass, many of their old friends and
neighbors. 1t is in the Galloway district,
| and has been made memorable in enc OF
the Wayerly Novels. II was the home OF
the Black Douglass, who, in the sixteenth
century, lived in supposed impregnabIe
castle with granite walls eight feet in thick
ness. From this castle his clan made their
| fOrays, making reprisals on the helpless In
habitants of butter, cheese, mutton, beef,
and whatever my lady wife or mistress
OF the Black Douglass, demanded. A pro-
! jecting stone from the wall. OF the castle
served as gallOws, from which were
suspended those who offended tile
| feudal chief, and tradition says, "Seldonl
was this stone without its suspended tassel. y
These depredatiOns, after a time became
unbearable, and the inhabitants OF the vi
cinity furnished heavy bars Of iron to .
! brawny blacksmith. who fashioned then
into cannon by binding them with hoops
of iron. On given day, the cannon was
hauled to the top of hill (afterward called
| KncckcannOn), three miles from Castle
| Threave, the home OF the Black Douglass
/ and granite halla hatuT, G.
| secure did the inmates of the castle feel,
that tradition says they hung out a target
on the wall for the gunner to take his aim.
One shot was fired to get the range, and the
second one pierced both walls OF the
castle and relieved my lady" o!
an arm which VA. raising .
glass Of wine to her lips. Our party stood
on the summit Of the hill from which the
cannon was fired, and could see the sper.
ture made by the granite ball fired from the
muZZle of Mons Meg" This cannon was
afterwards removed to the Castle Of Edin-
burgh. and was bursted in firing salute in
honor Of some member of royalty few
years since This broke up the power oi
the DOuglasses in the Galloway district. II
was the birthplace of James and Mathew
| Mowatt so well known in Springfield.
| The death of the latter, swallowed up witt
nearly the entire passengers and crew in al
Inflated steamer, almost in sight of hi.
early home, was mOurned by many Spring
field friends, who remembered his graphi,
contributions of Scottish life in the Repub
Tic.
Free trade in the United Kingdom is help
ing TO depOpulate Scotland. Her farmer
compete with American beef and grain
Rents have been reduced from twenty-fiv,
to thirty-three per cent, and still the tenan
cannot live. Beef aud grain are brought t,
the English coast from America at less cos
for transportation than the charges to NOV,
it to the interior. English farmers cannot
pay S5 to $40 an acrs rent, fertilize with
costly manures, and raise grain and beef Il
compete with the American trade even witt
harvest hands at IS cents per dav. Hence
discomfort and suffering in many place:
among the rural population and less anC
less land cultivated every year, and depop
ulatiOn nearly of large districts. "Amsrics
has got them all" said a Scotchman to me-
while he was deplOring the absence OF com
munities that existed in his boyhosd.
The Scotch Highlanders, with kilt and
plads and bare knees. marching to the mu
sic of the bagpipe, are the finest body Of
soldiers | ever saw. Their bare legs, six
inches above and below the knee, At first
strike the beholder as little ludicrous,
but he soon becomes accustomed to it and
admires the perfect health and soldierly
bearing and groteSque uniform OF the High
land soldier as he marches and counter
marches on the parade ground at the castle
We reluctantly leave Scotland. The
Trassachs, the Highlands, Loeb LOmond
Loeb Katrine, Ben Lomond, and Aben
Croe are indelibly impressed upon our mem.
Ory. Sixty miles on the outside of 8
coach, around and over mountains, through
lnverary, the castle of the Duke of Argyle,
a glance at his castle and into his deer park,
reaching nearly half the way across Scot
land, Inyerspaid and Tarbet. gems resting
peacefully on Loeb Lohmond and Katrine,
Ellen's isle, StrOnachlacher, Calendar and
| through the rich and beautiful farmiDy