Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-19
GUESTS RISE TO MUSIC
of Scotch Pipers, Who March Thrice
Round the Castle Walls.
BRITON'S BRIGHTEST INTELLECTS
Gather There and Glow Under the Stimulus
of American Wit.
LIBERALITY OF THE HOST AND HOSTESS
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE prsrArcH1


have Andrew Carnegie at his best when you
eeshim in his Highland home in Scotland,
surrounded by his chosen friends, and find
| ing his chief happiness in making others
| happy. There all the best qualities Of the
man come out in strong relief, his geniality,
his humor, his strong common sense and his
boundIess hospitality. His guests are made
to feel themselves thoroughly at home.
Though plans are made for the common
good, the carrying out of these plans does
not interfere with individual liberty, and
that is a very near approach to real hos
pitality.
1t need hardly be said that Mr.. Carnegie
is most efficiently aided in his kindly efforts
by his charming wife. That is scarcely
fair way to put it. Without her it would
be impossible for him to do what he does, so
fully has she realized, and so admirably does
she discharge, the duties of hostess. A few
words must be said about the location Of
this highland home OF the Carnegies. For
the last two or three years they have occu-
pied during the summer season Cluny
Castle, the ancestral seat of the Cluny Nc
Phersons, in the famous district of In
vernessshire called Badenoch.
HOW HE IS LOCATED.
The castle stands on the left bank of the
| Spey on the side of broad and rich valley
north of the Grampian Mountains. 1t is
eight miles from Kingussie, a favorite sum-
mer resort on the Highland Railway, and
six from Dalwhinnie on the same line, the
highest railway in the British Isles. Cluny
itself stands high, being upward of 900 feet
above sea level, and enjoying therefore very
strong, pure air. The scenery around it ID
magnificent. The house is embedded in
woods which would not suffer from being
trimmed; and mountains upward of 8, 900
feet high look down on it from all sides.
Through the valley flows the Spey, fed by
numerous brooks which brawl and bicker
down the hillsides. The present house is
modern. 1t is a solid square block, built
throughout with gray granite, ana with the
turrets of the same material at the corners.
The old castle was burned down by the roy
alists after Colloder in 1746. The MePher-
sons have been long-lived race. The
grand old Cluny-last of the chieftains-
who died four years ago, after having held
the property for 20 wears, was only second
in descent from the Jacobite exile.
HIGHLAND PIPERs GALORE.
1t is here that Andrew Carnegie, the un-
compromising Republican, hold his state
and plays the part OF highland chieftain
in the midst OF f-udal traditions and Jaco-
bite relics. He does not wear the kilt him.
self, but he takes care that some of his re-
tainers do. He does not yet speak Galic,
but his gamekeepers and gillies are more
familiar with that tongue than witbsthe
English. He has also his pipers, and he
thoroughly enjoys the music they discourse.
The sound of the pipes is the first thing you
hear in the morning, and you may hear it
if you like all day long, more or less.
The household is awakened every morn
ing BY a piper marching three times round
the castle and playing reels and strath-
speys, varied with Hey, Johnny Cope"
and "Jennie's Bawbee." You are startled
by the first blast under your window. but
the sound is pleasant, and even soothing, as
it dies away in the distance. You have just
dropped off into delightful snooze when
the growing swell of the pipes rudely re-
calls you to consciousness. By the time
that this process has been repeated thrice
you are pretty wide awake. At dinner time
also the pipes play an important part. A
piper in full canonicals marches from the
drawing room to the dining room, and, as
the distance is short, the company marches
three times round the entrance hall to the
enlivening strains of 'Tullochgorum" be-
fore entering the dining room.
DINNER AT CLUNY.
At dinner, as at other meals, you are
waited on bya butler in swallowtails and
by footmen in kits, combination of the
Saxon and Celtic civilizations which is in
genious and admirable. Though the dinner
hour is o'clock, Mrs. Carnegie dispenses
with evening dress on ordinary occasions.
She does not approve of bringing city FASH
ions into the country, but prefers a homely
style. OF course there are some men who
cannot dine except in evening dress, and
they are excused. The style OF living par
takes of the same pleasant and sensible
homeliness. 1t is simple and elegant and
entirely unpretentious in the matter both Of
meats and drinks.
Costly delicacies are conspicuous BY theiR
absence. In proof OF this / may mention
that the fish course one day consisted Of
trout caught in a neighboring brook, and
the next of herrings, which Andrew thinks
the finest of all fsn. Only a millionaire can
venture on such boldpess. Similarly, the
dessert consisted almost entirely OF the fruits
OF the castle gardens, such as gooseberries
and strawberries. The breakfast table also
is plain and served in the good old Scottish
fashion. The only foreign element 10 the
course of fruit, with which it begins in the
American manner, but the fruit is again
gooseberries and strawberries, not melons,
bananas or grapes. Then follows a course
of oatmeal porridge, supped with dainty
black horn spoons, each of which bears the
name "Clunv' on a tiny silver plate. As
each guest leaves the castle Mrs. Carnegie
presents him with the spoon he has used %
q memento of his visit.
THE COMPANY IS BRILLIANT
At these meals there is no lack Of the
feast Of reason and the flow Of soul. At
least If there be, it Is not the fault either Of
the host or the hostess. Mr.. Carnegie is
then in the highest spirits, and he keeps the
table alive with anecdote and banter and
with talk. He takes care to surround him
self with very good company. so that neither
his wit nor theirs is likely to tall fiat for
lack OF due appreciation. There you meet
members oil Parliament, literary men, artists,
musicians, and pretty and brilliant women.
When be has as his guests men like John
Morley, and Prof. Blackie, and Henry
Fowler, and Sir Walter Foster, and Colin
Hunter, be is perfectly happy.
When you have two or three NJ. P.'s the
talk often degenerates into the House Of
Commons gossip. Now there Is onthing that
Andrew Carnegie dislikes 30 much, or sets
himself so determinedly against. as talk
ing shop, and when he sees matters going
too far in that direction he very adroitly