The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-01-23


stored. a vigorous Republican news
paper in Central state says: If for
this one act of his useful public life,
crowded full of acts of large service to
tie people, the Republicans Of the
country were to make Senator Davis
president, they will not reward him be-
yond his deserts. He is one of the
Americans, loyal, sensible, courageous
and reverently patriotic, who peculiar.
" honor America
FOUND IN cA1THSEss CASTLE.
a Rare Lot of Letters From English
and Scotch Writers.
There has recently been brought to
light in an ancient Caithness castle a
most remarkable and priceless collec-
ton Of old letters, which, though the
holograph productions Of many Of the
most eminent persons Of the century,
have, curiously enough, without e1cep-
ton, hitherto escaped publication. The
letters, which date from the year 1900
to 1850, number several hundreds
They are all addressed to George
Thomson, the distinguished musical
amateur who, at the end Of the last
century, projected and carried to a sue
cessful issue a new classical s'Miscel-
lany Of Scottish Song,'' to which Burns
was a contributor, along with several
of the writer's and musicians named.
The majority Of the letters treat at
some length, with much interest, and
often with great humor, upon various
phases Of Scottish minstrelsy, deal in
many cases with contemporary literary
affairs, and in several instances throw
new light upon that rich period of
Scotch lyrical renasence in which
Burns took so exalted and influential a
part. This section Of the letters does
not, however, in it's Importance, excel
those written more recently, and the
confidential epistles of men like Byron,
Scott, Moore and Dickens (whose wife
was Thomson's granddaughter contain
matter which no sympathetic student
Of English literature could read with
out the most intense interest.
The existence Of these letters-care-
fully preserved by the relatives and de-
scendants Of George Thomson-was
only a few days ago made known to
such eminent literateurs as Mason and
Henley, and it is understood that some
of those more closely related to Burns
will find publication in a permanent
1OlI1 III 11Cl1lCy 0ulLlOu VI buTuS
Life and Letters to be issued some
time next year. The publication Of the
letters as whole-or at all events such
of them and extracts of others as are
considered Of the greatest public inter-
est-by the present custodian of the
collection, and the first, though by no
means the most interesting, INSTALL
nent, will include letters from Mrs
Robert Burns Jean Armour), Gilbert
Burns, the brother Of the poet, and
James Glencairn Burns, the son of the
poet. These letters seem to us indirect
ly to settle at once and for all, if that
were necessary, the old Thomson con-
troversy as to the poets remuneration. u"
They give-what is perhaps more i'm
portant-a singularly fresh and vivid
idea Of the character and intellect of
not only Gilbert Burns (whose ac-
quaintance with letters was, as is we'll
known, far ahead Of that possessed by
most men in his position to-day, but Of
Jean Armour, who was, without doubt,
a much more fitting helpmate for her
gifted husband than our day Of the has
bleu and the new woman gives her
credit for..-Glasgow News.