The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-12-14
Scots Held in Bond of Love for Native Land
sessss great variety OF which beautiful along west

II seems an inherent part of human (
nature that there should be for each
one of us a spot on which comes .irst
I'm our affections and regard. With
some nations II has been a city on |
which the pride of a strong race has |
conferred. but with Britons in general |
Il is the country parts of their native |
land rather than the cities which hold
the first place in the heart.
Perhaps this Is especially true of
the Scot. This small country. so far
TO the NORTH that It's northern parts
DOR set amid stormy seas, oftener
yelled in mist than cheered by the sun,
is loved with a love that has been Law
ished on few lands. The inhabitants
of Scotland, Celt. Saxon, Norman or
scandinavian by descent, widely diff
fering In nature and characteristics
and separated by class distinctions, by
religious convictions and political
sympathies. are held together by a
bond of enduring strength-their
common love for their native land.
This strong sense of nationality is no
doubt largely due to the struggle for
national existence carried on through
long, fierce centuries. Men prize most
the things which have cost them most
for which they have made the great
est sacrifices. The presence of a
common foe welded togeter as nothing
else in those days could have done. the
various tribes and races who had
made a home in the country north of
the Tweed.
Scotland possesses great variety of
scenery and climate in very small
compass. 1t rs customary with us to
speak of the different parts of the
country as the Highlands, the Low
lands, the Border, the North and Fife.
"the kingdom of Fife" Each of these
districts has its own peculiarities Of
custom and even OF speech. There are
outlying parts of the country where
Gaelic alone Is spoken by the people,
but as general English is under
stood and spoken even by those who
shave the Gaelic as the expression
goes.
The most beautiful part of Scotland
is perhaps it's west coast, indented by
long sea-iocks sending the salt water
of the Atlantic deep into the land.
These sealocks are edged with golden
seaweed and fringed with feathery
birch almost dropping their branches
I'm the water; on all sides rise rocky
hills covered with heather; the air
is fragrant with aromatic scents, and
over all lies the indescribable spell of
the west, woven OF purple mist and
Celtic legend. through which appears
and anon vanishes some one of the
innumeraible rocky islands which
guard the coast. rising like enchanted
castles from a faery sea.
1t would be difficult to find any place
in the world more beautiful, but the
moisture which produces these mar
velous atmospheric effects. the light
soil, and rocky nature, of. the country
are unfavoralble to agriculture. The
land i'm the western highlands and ISL
ands is mainly held under the crofter
system, a system of ducal ownership.
The crofts are very small farms; the
rent paid by the crofter or cultivation
OF the soil to the laird and landowner
is very low, but on the other hand II
is the crofter who builds and keeps In
repair the house in which he lives, and
who is supposed to make all the I'M
provements on his tiny farm. The fac
that he is part owner of the land in
duces him to remain: as long as III
pays his small rent the laird canno
remove him; the crofter has no none,
with which to make improvements
and the system is therefore a perma
nent inducement to stagnation. Wher'
the crofter is also a fisherman, o.
in places where some other occupa
ton can be combined with the cult
walton of the croft, man may do wei
enough; but without other resource
a crofter can hardly bring up famil.
on the humblest lines of civilized HE
We believe that the crofter would d
still worse off IL he were the sol
owner of his land, as then there woui
DC no men OF means III the Heibhpoi
hood to provide money for schools
roads, and the other necessities Q
civilization. Most of the large land
owners have the welfare of the croft
ers at heart, and a great deal has bee
done for them, but the fact remain
that there are more people than TN
land can support. and that as ruiz
the crofters are unwilling to get thei
holdings enlarged at the expense OF IN
big sheep farms which bring In goo
return.
Most people who know the needs Q
Scotland would be glad to see NOR
small proprietors in the country, pu
these small holdings must oe In III
more fertile parts OF Scotland an
within reasonable distance OF a rail-
way station, in order to pay. We DE
lieve that without any act oil Fai
Lament to force unwilling landowner
to sell their property, there would ,
no difficulty i'm finding land suita'p
for small holdings NJ the treasur
would advance the money require
receiving payment by installment
Several large Scottish estates hay
been in the market this summer III
plfblic money would he better G,