The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-09-08

the Scottish lakes with water clear
as crystal rejecting the mountains and
forests that rise straight from its
shores.
and the green grass like a carpet of
brilliant hues. And then, with brake
set and wheels locked, our coach went
sliding and humping down the thou
sand feet Of mountain side to the ho-
tel which stands at the upper end Of
the Ioch.
It was a sample of the Highlands of
Scotland and I can readily see how
the elansmen Of the ben and .sloch"
country honestly believed that it was
their right to live off the lowlands.
In the good old times there was of
course. game and fish, and L suppose
in pinch little cat meal and a few
cabbages could be raised and sheep
will live anywhere, but the Highlands
would hardly support a large popula-
ton and, therefore, it became neces-
sary to fight so that the number OF
the hungry would be reduced or the
supply of food increased-perhap
both
The town and castle Of Stirling
stand at the foot of the mountains
and for centuries Stirling was more
or less capital OF Scotland. It was
the custom of those days not only to
have a king, but to have somebody
claiming and fighting to be king. or
one faction Of mobiles would get hold
OIL the royal person. keep nm DTaC-
tically a prisoner and make him do
their will. Sometimes the king held
his court in Edinburgh, sometimes the
other fellows had Edinburgh and the
king lived In Stirling. and often Meth
er Edinburgh nor Stirling was safe
for his royal nibs, so he and his fol-
lowers took to the Highlands and the
government was wherever the king
could find hotel or the shade of
tree. The country is all full of sto-
ries of Robert Bruce and William Wal
lace, the two great Scotch heroes 1t
was Bruce that learned from the
spider to "try, try again." He was
king of Scotland, but the English had
army and had him hiding In the
mountains. Bruce was lying in
howell, about ready to give up the job
of king and trying to decide whether
he had better join the Crusaders or
go to France. He began to watch
spider spinning its web and got in
terested in the vain attempts to throw
the thread from one rafter to another
pared 1t to himself IF he makes it
the next time I will try again. he
thought, and at the seventh attempt the
spider succeeded. So Bruce started an
other campaign and finally drove the
English out of Scotland.
Bruce was about the only scotch
hero who died natural death. He
was what might be called a "canny
Scot" He defeated a great English
army by simply burning the towns,
farm houses and grain fields, maxi
ing the country desolate before
them. Five hundred years later the
Russians overcame Napoleon with the
same tactics. Bruce always demoi-
ished castles and forts and told the
Scots that the mountains and forests
were the fortiications for them 10
use Bruce was the first Scotch king
! to formally invite representatives Of
the cities to the Scotch parliament,
which had before that time been only
/ as assembly of mobiles and church men
representatives of the common people
of the country were afterwards sent III
by mobiles who did not like to attend
parliament There never was any di-
vision into two houses, lords and COM
mons, in Scotland, but up to the time of
the union with England both
lords and commons met in the same
body The power was in the great
mobiles, and the king was only supreme
when he was strong enough to over
come his lords The daughter of Bruce
married a Stuart and they were the
ancestors Of the Stuart family who be-
gan to rule in England after the death
Of Eliza beth, and whose descendant
King Edward, is now king of the Unit
ed Kingdom.
For several days we have been liv-
Knox, Bruce and that sort of people.
Everybody does around here. The
driver of the coach talked as familiar
ly about Mary and wallace and the
NcGregors as If they were still living
in the country, and the people we
meet point out Rob Roy's cave and
Ellen's Isle and all that sort of thing
as If the old Scotch chieftains were
still doing business. The children
know all the legends that hang around
the lochs and "bens" and can tell har-
rowing tales of blood and nnassa Gre
when warning cans met in battle ar
ray. These romantic stories and the
beautiful cantos Of Walter Scott are
the most productive capital the people
Of the country around the Trossachs
have to live upon Hundreds of tour
ists wander in and out Of dale and
glen leaving more money behind them
iii q season than the farm products of
the region for three years would bring
in any market. In fact I doubt very
much If it were not for the travellers
IL any real money would be found on
the persons Of the sturdy highlanders
who now find driving coaches more
profitable than herding cheep. But il
is good to be out CT the smoke and
dust Of the cities and away from the
smell Of the motor car. Mountains
and lakes are good companions. better
than lots OF people Perhaps it Is be-