, 1890-08-14

IL WIS hnOWn us tue lTOu Dtetple.
At that time, on the sale mt auction
of the customs and excise of Scot
land, the Dunfries town council
took u large share in the plunder;
In turn sold it to fellow burgher,
one Sharpe, so by name and fine in
dealing. The citizens revolted; and,
on compromise, Burgher Sharpe was
permitted to retain his stack" on
payment of 20, 900 merks, Scots, with
which the outlandish structure was
erected. In its upper uncouthness
IL contains the tOwn-clock and a
peal of bells, and complaining
weather-cock surmounts the spire.
Middle spire, clock and bells and all,
Is an unreliable old "tongue of the
town" to this day. But the ridicu-
lous relic of an ancient canny deal
would have been razed to the ground
100 years ago, were IL not the treas
ure-house OF stacks of rusty war
pixies ready for valiant service, when
the exciseman-p0et reused every
body In Great Britain with
"Does naughty Gaul invasion threat?
Then let the looms beware, sir;
And volunteers on shore, sir.
The NTH shall run 30 Corsincon,
The Crifioi sink in Solway,
Ere We permit foreign foe
On British ground TO rally!"
The "auld brig" built by the de-
vout Devorgilla over 700 years ago,
when London's population did not
exceed $4,000 souls, and which still
spans the NTH below the New
Bridge, the latter completed before
Burns death, does not possess
tithe the interest because of its hav-
ing sustained wondrous kingIy cav
alcades and been fought over by
countless border legions, that 1t does
for having innumerable times been
the haunt of this one man, and be-
cause, sin his suit of plain, dark
clothes with his sword-cane in
hand" and his children by his side,
he loved to loiter upon IL, or wander
about near II, upon the
White Sands, or near lis western
approach along Marvellous sunny
braes. Not a stones throw from
its last red old arch is the spot where
Burns, on his first appearance in
Dumfries, clad in the familiar blue
coat and yellow vest which Ma
smyth has made us unconsciously
associate with his sturdy figure, just
after the publication of the second
edition of his poems, was made an
honorary burgess; the burgess-ticket
to the already illustrious ploughman
reading: "rhe said day, 4th June,
1887, Mr.. Robert Burns, Ayrshire,
was admitted burgess of this Burgh,
with liberty to exercise and enjoy
the whole immunities and privileges
thereof as freely as any other does,
may, or can enjoy; who, being pres
ent, accepted the same, and gave his
oath of burgess.ship to his Majesty
and Burgh In common form" But
for Burns Dumfries would not to tn Is
day be 80 well known as Kalamazoo.
Still the marvellous condescension on
of these pompous old nobodies made
Burns IA freeman. He had been but
hind until this memorable "4th of
June, l7S7.n At the foot of George
Inn Close, Irish street, Is "a little
academy. IL was here at county
ball that the gentry were gathered
on an autumn evening of 1894,
when the now poverty
stricken poet passed and was
given the universal rejection" or
cut direct by all save the noble David
McCulloch, of Ardwell, which made
those concerned, as well as their de-
scendants, Infamous to this day.
Near this was the hall of st. An
drew's Masons' lodge to which
Burns belonged and which he
made famous. Its record for April
IA, l796, "Burns present." Is the last
minute containing the poets name.
AT the corner of Shakespeare street
and Queens Place still stands the
little old Theater Royal, which was
opened in 100, Burns being present
and of whose first weeks career he
wrote so enthusiastically to his
friend Nicol: Their (the perform
ers) merit and character are indeed
very great. both on the stage and in
private life, not worthless creature
among them There
have been repeated instances of
sending away six and eight and ten
pounds "a night for want of room"
Then aside from countless lesser
facts and places of association there
is the old "Globe Tavern" In which.
unhappy as Is the fact for contem-
plation, one seems now TO almost
hear his thrilling voice, mingled
with the laughter of Syme, Max
well, Landlord Hyslop and his wife,
Meg, and their siren barmaid,
"Anna Of the gowden locks" us the
poet recites some new rhyme that
the good-fellowshfp of the place has
prompted, or sings those songs of
old Scotland he had rescued from ill