The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1891-10-13
SCOTTISH THISTLE CLUB.

What with committee reports on
the Halloween ball and the passing
of amendments to the constitution, it
was approaching 10 O'Clock last night
when Chief Geo. Sandeman an
nounced to the Scottish Thistle Club
the order, Good of the Club"
Secretary w. Eadic came forward
and called on Mr. Murray, first Of
fcer OF the ship StratbbIane, to step
forth. That gentleman emerging
from the library room was presented
with a pair of gold sleeve buttons,
having the word "aoha" enameled
on god bar across an inlaid base
of kukui nut. Mr.. Eadie said it was
gift from several of the members,
as n slight return for the kind assist
ance Mr. Murray had given at club
meetings. Being taken by surprise
the recipient asked few moments
to collect his thoughts.
Mr.. Donald Mcdonald, honorary
piper of the club, was asked to play
a tune on his instrument in the mean
time. While he was getting out the
bagplpe member sprung the
"pibroch" question on the meeting,
causing an animated discussion as to
whether the word was Legitimate in
designating the bagpipe. Several
members held that the BULLETIN re-
porter'S use of "pibroch" for bag
pipe was justified by common usage
and the Gaelic language to which the
word belonged. Those who had con-
suited dictionaries stoutly maintained
that the word only signified specific
product of the bagpipe.
The piper on beng appealed TO as
an umpire, replied with strong
Gaelic accent: "Pibroch is a Gaelic
word for the bagpipes. 1t also signi,
fies lament. - A member inter-
jected that it also meant "march"
or gathering" This the piper
denied, saying there was no march
in the pibroch music. The member
noted an exception to the piper's
decision. Another member stated
that he had put the question under
discussion to Donald Weir, the
famous San Francisco piper, who
told him that 'pibroch' "as name
for the instrument as well as the
music. The BULLETIN representative
held that the word was legitimately
used on the strength of usage if moth
ing else, and that the division mani.
tested among native Scotch members
on the question was sufficient
answer to the insinuation that 1t must
have been ian honorary Scotchman"
who used the word in the sense
questioned.
Mr.. Mcdonald then by request
played "a pibroch" in the dictionary
sense, producing strangely weird
and fascinating torrent of harmonies.
The music seemed to be combina-
ton of the pastoral and the heroic,
plaintve melodies struggling for
ascendancy with stirring martial
strains. The player branched off
into national airs of Scotland, then
into popular songs, winding up
amidst loud laughter with "Annie
Rooney" and "McGinty,"
Mr.. Murray heartily thanked the
members for their gift, all the more
appreciated as he had lately broken
a pair of sleeve links. The men of
the Strathblane would always re-
member their pleasant intercourse
with the Scottish Thistle Club of
Honolulu. Their first question to
any sailor who said he had been to
Honolulu would be if he had met the
Thistle Club. He was glad they 50
well appreciated the bagpipe, an
instrument which was indigenous to
Scotland. Mr.. Murray by request
wound up with one of the songs for
which he had become famous in the
club meetings.
There were other songs, violin
duet by Messrs. Eadie, and more
pipe music, the last bringing out a
number of very lively heels and toes
in Caledoniah dances. The gather
ing broke up with Aud Sang Syne"
sung with locked hands, followed by