Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-08-29
The Whistle.

Associated with Robert Burns'S bal.
lad of 1.-THE Whistle" preferred to on
page 126 in connection with Annie
Laurie) there Is an interesting history.
The ancient Vikings, we know, were
immoderate drinkers, Quahng their
beer and mead from the skulls OF their
conquered enemies. Even in their
Valhalla their chief Joy consisted in
imbibing these liquors as they flowed
from the udder of the goat, Heidrun.
The passion was hereditary, and drink
ing matches were the national pastimes
or games of later Scandinavia, the
victor being hailed with as much honor
as an Olympic conqueror. at the
drinking matches at the northern
courts, where, of course, wine took the
place of the coarser beverages, an ebony
whistle was laid on the table at the
commencement OF the contest, which
became the temporary property OF the
knight who was last able to blow 1t
i. E., il was his till he succumbed to a
stronger champion.
On the marriage of James vi of
Scotland with Anne of Denmark, there
came. in the train of the latter, Dan
ish noble Of gigantic stature and un-
conquered prowess at the bottle. He
brought the whistle with him, produc-
ing credentials from the courts OF
Copenhagen, Stockholm, Moscow, War
saw and of several of the petty princi-
palities of Germany, and challenged
the Scottish bacchanalians to trial,
who fell before him one after another.
at length, Greek met Greek. Worsaae,
in his Memorials of the Danes and
Norwegians in Britain" tells us that
Nithsdale was largely colonized by
nWfh a a nj
days and three nights with Sir Robert
Laurie, of Maxwelltown, a Nithsdale
descendent of the Berserkers, and an
cestor of the beauteous Annie OF lyric
fame, the Dane succumbed. The
whistle was subsequently lost to the
Laurie direct family by the degeneracy
of Sir Roberts son, Sir William, who
was vanquished by his brother-in-law,
Walter Riddell, of GlenriddelL
On October 10th, 1879, Burns was,
by invitation, present at a trial between
Sir Robert Laurie, a lineal descendant
! of the first winner; Robert Riddell, a
descendant of Walter Riddell, and hol-
| der of the whistle, and Alexander Fer
guson, Laird OF Craigdarroch, a de-
| scendant Of the great Sir Robert,
through his mother, the famed Annie.
The last named carried of the honors,
as narrated in the ballad. Burns sat,
we are told, by William Hunter, who,
as butler to Mr.. Riddell, waited on the
| contestants, at a window apart from
the dining table. engaged in writing.
and In nearly emptying two bottles of
spirits-one of brandy and the other OF
rum-nixing them with hot water.
| About sunrise the two conquered gen.
tlemen were carried to bed. Cralgdar-
4 cd a hia lana
Burns himself, after assisting the gen.
tlemen to bed, proceeded on foot home
ward to Ellisland, "a little the worse
for liquor, but quite able to walk. u
| This, in reference to Burns's own
| drinking, stands on the testimony OF
William Hunter, the butler. The
present writer knew VIII In MS later
years, and if his earlier habits were
similar to those OF his latter days. 1t is
quite easy to understand how the two
bottles disappeared, leaving the poe.
able to walk home.
A COPY of the ''bett" between SiI
Robert and Ferguson of Cralgdarroch,
lies before us, with names of the Judge
and witnesses of the contest. From
the attestation of the judge it appear:
that Craigdarroch drank only "upds ol
. bottles of claret," not seven, as ap
pears in the ballad. The contest, we
may add, was limited to the heirs Of
Sir Robert Laurie, who vanquished the
Dane. The house in which it tool
place was the mansion house OF Carse
or Frlar's Carse, some seven mile:
north of Dumfries, and then occupied
by Walter Riddell, of Glenriddell, the
holder of the whistle. Burns mistakes
in giving the date of the struggle a!
October 10th, 1890; it was In 1889.