Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-20
FAMOUS GRANITE CITY
Aberdeen, Scotland, Whose
People Resemble Its Stone.
MANY OWN THEIR HOMES
Inhabitants Are Strong in Pride and
Prejudice.
THEIR INDUSTRIES FLOURISH
Home of Hector ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Self-Advertising Tombstones.
Great Fish Market.
THEIR INDUSTRIES FLOURISH
BY WILLIAM F. CURTIS.
Special CORRESPONDENCE OF The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.


Special CORRESPONDENCE OF The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
ABERDEEN. September II. 1908.
Few names fit we'll rs that of
THE Granite City for Aberdeen. be-
cause every inanimate object here is
granite in impressive forms. 1t is a
city of long, broad streets. and both
sides of them are lined with mass
i've buildings of grayish blue granite,
which. the guide book says. gives light
and undepressing effect, even on a wet
day. and there are many wet days in
Aberdeen" In the business section of
the city are long stretches of granite
palaces built after what is termed the
Scotch baronia school," which means
casteIlated effect with heavy, frowning
towers In the residence sections are
many fine residences of similar design.
always of granite and some of them
have attractive grounds and gardens
There are few tenement houses. Most of
tie people live under their own roofs-at
least 30 per cent of them, compared
with IS per cent in Glasgow and AZ per
cent in Edinburgh. The mechanics and
laboring people occupy long rows of neat,
tWO-StOry houses
Inhabitants Resemble Its Granite.
All those who have written about Aber-
deem agree that its inhabitants resemble
their grayish blue granite In character,
in strength of body. mind and will, and
some of them mention their pride and
prejudices also. And there is a solidity
of abit and a steadfastness of purpose
about them that one must respect If he
cannot always appreciate its application
in his own case When it is opposed to
our wishes or interests we call it stub
borness When d Scotchman up in this
part of the kingdom decides that GER
tain thing must he done there is no use
in arguing the matter.
Did YOU ever know / Scotchman to
give in?'' ] asked the porter at the hotel
with whom / had been having an arSu-
ment.
''An' he wadna be a Scotchman if he
did" was the reply. which covers the en-
tire experience of mankind in this sec
ton of the world
But those who read the history of Aber-
deem will soon perceive that 1t was TINS
same characteristic which made the city
what it is. one of the richest, most In
fuential and stately in all Britain, in spite
of obstacles which would have disheart-
ened another race The climate is almost
intolerable: ii rains an average OF twenty
five days a month the year round: the
soil in the neighborhood is almost bar
rem: there is very little local market, and
beyond Aberdeen to the northward Is an
inhospitable country. But the city is
founded upon rock, and that same cool
granite is the greatest source OF wealth
now and in past generations. The supply
is unlimited There are more than sixty
firms engaged in quarrying and dressing
stone that is shipped TO London and all
other parts of the kingdom. The art of
polishing granite they claim here. was
lost from the days of the Pharaohs until
it was redscovered in the earlier part OF
the nineteenth century by Alexander Mac
donald an Aberdeenian, who gives en-
ployment now TO more than 1000 men.
Hundreds of thousands of tons of dressed
stone and shipped by rail and sea every
wear,