New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-09-16
THE DECAY OF PIPING.
SCOTS DEPLORE THE LAPSE OF OLD
CCsToMs-sTORY or THE BAGPIPE.

Law aside their American habits and some
times their American clothes. and for a few
hours become cIansmen again This occasion
iy The annual outing OF the New York Gale
CONAN Club. The last outing was successful
like the foTty-three previous entertainments,
and the dancing, the games and the merry
making win be remembered and spoken of until
il is time to plan for the next picnic But there
are members Of the organization and also
Scotchmen who are not in the fold who think
that these outings are not what they used to
be; that they will never be quite as attractive
they were in their best days until the piping
competitions revived.
Until five years ago one of the features OF the
Californian Day was this contest The pipers
Ilayed their best. Their work was judged by
a committee, and the man who was pronounced
the winner because of his performance on the
pipes and his appearance carried away his
prize with all the pomp of a hero In the eyes
Of many of the spectators the prize piper was
higher in rank than the men who excelled in
the games and at dancing. The men who failed
to win a prize practised hard during the next
year, learned new tunes and invented
variations old ones in order TO win the Iaurels
at the next contest, and gave lessons to boys
who hoped some day to be recognized as
pipers
But now there's no incentive" said a Gale
piping is going down hill No one takes lessons,
and those who do know how to play do not
practise enough The only people who know
God pipe music when they hear it are those
who were raised in Scotland, where people
know what a pipe is. In this country fakirs
allowed to play, and their performances give
people a false idea OF the bagpiper. They are
responsible for the impression that all pipe
music is disagreeable and inharmonious"
There are only about twelve pipers in New
York. They all play the Scotch pipes, and
with few exceptions they play by note. The
instruments used by these men all come from
Scotland An the tunes also are imported
once in WHILE" said the piper you can
hear a piper do a popular tune. but it doesn't
SOUND right Nothing seems to come so well
from the pipes as the old Scotch tunes named
for people and places dear to the Scotchman.
The hagpipe has not declined in popularity
in Europe. The Scotch regiments stin have
their pipers and no great house would be com
plete without a piper He always goes with
the head Of the house, and when at home he
plays every morning and all occasions OF
ceremony. The piper greets the guest on his
arrival and the strains OF the pipe bid him
farewell"
An antiquarian and a student Of folklore who
has made the history of the bagpipe q study
when asked to tell what be knew about bag
pipes said:
THE HISTORY OF THE BAGPIPE
It's bagpipes you want to know about is iii
Well. If that's all the information you're after
this is the shop for it. Look at the pretty pIct-
ure Of some specimens in the collection of my
friend Eugene de BricquevilIe at Versailles and
didn't | see that same friend handling pretty
little instrument with carved ivory pipes in II
this summer in Paris and hear him try to per
Suade the ClaSSe that a man
Who could make so pretty a musical bag at the
tail end OF the nineteenth century ought TO get
a gold medal or grand prix a cross of the
Legion Of Honor, some such distinction? Yea
verify did. But that a French bag and
they called it a musette The pipes in the pict-
ure, too, are French, and relics OF the time when
kings and queens. ladies and mobiles. thought it
a graceful pastime to play at shepherds and
shepherdesses, and sing dainty pastorals TO the
drone of the pipes.
The history of the instrument? If ! were a
Highlander I'd bet my fIllbeg that it was in
vented in Scotland. for doesn't Arstides Quin-
tilianOs tell about It's prevalence in the Scottish
remember when it wasn't used to tune I'D the
Highlanders to fighting pitch? But if | were an
Irishman I'd by the piper that PLAYED
before Moses that it came into existence in the
Emerald Isle, and that the piper himself hailed
from the old sod. However, seeing as how I'm
only American with love for study and
antiquities, I'm bound to say that neither