The semi-weekly messenger., 1906-09-07
Grim Terrors of Ancient Castles.

tI u A January, OF st LOUIS, Is
grand olf place in Aberdecnshire. Sit
uated OH the left bank Of the Rive
Ythan. Il rises a noble Pile with its
mass Of towers and turrets- It's sharp
gables. pointed roofs, and cauopied
dormer windows frorl an extensive
natural plateau. :u.rounded by acal-
'ifui woodlands. uating from the
fourteenth century /. has been added
to and improved ty is respective
owners, during these 500 and odd years
and its outstanding ARCHITECTURAL fea-
lures are the five towers, 4 in h4r-
nonS With the orig nal des -dc that
marx n q differ o~nershics ii. ooa-
nfcticu with wkica they - na;aa'
! Thus tho oldest tSwe. s know as ia.
Preston. and was built by ST. Henry
| Presf~n, 10 whom k;rg Re % Ill
Scotland assigned Fyvie for the re
-.empt'',' Of Sir I,,L.rt Percy, bro,he,
Of Hotspur, and taken prisoner Dy
him at Otterburns The Seton tower.
| built by that member Of the house
Of Seton, who was the friends and chan
cellor Of King James VI is remarka-
bic for a wonderful stone stairc;se.
around a massive pillar, the ascent
being 50 easy that a horse can be
ridden up the steps to the top withol
stumble. The castle occupies rne
site and is built upon the foundation,
of an older one which Robert the Bruce
| used as a hunting seat, and which
Edward | visited
| THEME OF MANY LEGIONS.
| & II cHr.tc Of old Scotch Ing
ter round the place, and the touching
| tale of the trumDeter of Fyvie's love
for Tiftys Annie. has a more than
| national reputation. Indeed, behind
| the Preston tower is an ancient stone
| figure, representing Andrew Lammic,
the trumpeter, blowing his trumpet
| toward the home of his sweetheart
Annie whose parents the Tiftys deem
| ed the daughter Of rich millerS, like
| themselves, much too good for hum
| bic musician like Andrew. and ruth
! lessly withheld their consent TO The
marriage.
| Then, too, it is said that I pictur
| esque curse rsts upon castle imposed
| upon it by that master of magic and
| spells, Thomas the Rhvmer Accord
| ing to this curse. the ownership of
| Fyvie Castle will never pass from
| father to on until the third of three
| stones, known rs the weeping stones
| is recovered. One of the stones is
| built into the castle walls. AnOthe, is
one OF the most treasured possessions
Of Lord Leith, while he third. which
is missing is currently believed to be
lying al the bottom of Il deep lake
on the Fyvie estate. This superSti-
ton in connection with F'yvie Cas- le
was vividly recalled TO mind at the
time of the death. during the BOer war,
of Lord Leith's Amerlcan-born n,
Percy Not but what his parents
were prepared for their bereavem n.
for fully twenty-fOur hours before the
receipt of the dispatches from South
Africa containing the sad news, peO-
pie at F'yvie Castle had been troubl 4
by the appearance of the Green Lad
die" VINO for the past 500 years has
invariably shown himself whenever
any calamity was about to Oyertake
the owners OF the place.
AWFUL PERIL AT SKIBO.
The Importance Of this story con-
Meeting the death Of young Percy
Forbes Leith with the legend concern
ing the ''Weeping Stones Of FyVie
Castle, lies in the fact that it tends
to disprove the belief that the change
Of the ownership Of an ancient castle
of mansion, burdened with some old
time curse in any way diminishts
the baneful effects of the latter. Tn
der the circumstances. I would "om-
mend this warning to Andrew Carn
niegie whose castle at SlibO, in
Scotland. is likewise the object OF
AL ly,--
American mllionaires who have either
leased or purchased old castles or
county seats, either in the United
Kingdom or on the continent Of Europe
1t would be we'll for them before con-
Guiding any bargain 10 assure them
selves whether the place which they
intend TO acquire is not the subjec
of some superstition and curse If
which they may become possessed
along with the property. and suffer
tnerefom in the same manner as Lord
Leith.
The latter who was made a peer
last wear purchased the castle in 1889
with the money which he had acquir 1
here in America as president of The
Joliet. the Illinois, and the Federal
Steel companies. A son Of Admiral
John Leith r. n, he served for twelve
years in the royal navy before marry
ing Miss January in 1871, when he
settled down 70 a life Of buiness n
America. He is member of both %
the New York Yacht Club and Of the
Royal Yacht Squadron, being one Of
the very few men who belong 10 both
organizations, and wears on his breast
4 silver medal granted him in 1866 for
saving the life of q drowning man il
a storm, by plunging overheard into
a shark infested sea--Marquise Font |
ENJOY in Washin gton Post
Chinese Boycott of American Goods. |
A Honkong cable Of the Gath says
the American consul general here /
has sent a dispatch 70 the viceroy a
Ganton asEinr him 2l.a i'm ", ed cara ]