New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-10-10
NEW LAIRD OF ULBSTER
AnaIo-American Baronet Owns
Bio Slice of Scotland.

cir Archibald Sinclair, twenty-five years
., oge a lieutenant of the I'd Lie GUARDS
"a ,vho is half American, has just sue
aaodod 10 the title and the immense es-
800 of his nonagenarian grandfather
tbe late Sir John Tollemache sinclair
Tba landed property is very great eA-
,ordins over an area OF hundred square
.,i,os In Scotland, comprising some OF the
Get shooting in the northern Kinsuoih
ord the wonderfully. picturesque casue
80 Thurso, which looks over the stormy
.idos nj the Pentland Firth, and is so
o,ose 10 the sea that one can literary
&c, from the spray hecked windows just
ooet ~ the castle, which Is exceedingly
enacious, is Harold's Tower containing
the tomb of Earl Harold, VINO was the
nossessor at one time OF half OF orkney
80 shetland and of Caithness. and VINO
so,l On hattie against his namesake, Earl
Harold the Wicked. IN n9o.
Sir Archibald's mother was Mabel. the
beautiful daughter Of Mahlon Sands OF
New York, and through her he Is con-
,,octed nv ties of kinmanship with num-
her Of New York families, including the
RutherfuTdS anu lhe
Archibald will be known from hencetorth
north Of the Tweed as the Laird OF uIo-
ster. and has now become cheftain OF
one Of the branches Of that great Can
NJ Sinclair Of which the seventeenth Earl
Of Caithness is the head.
tIis Grandfather the late Sir John, was
very eccentric character. He rarely IL
ever dined at restaurant in vogue, never
,,sed n 60 10 a theatre or TO the opera, or
even 20 a music hall, rarely dined out
and was never seen at ball or party.
In spite Of his great wealth. ne nao
no carriages, horses or autonoolle'
walked by preference, and when rioihs
was imperative made use OF the demo-
cratic omnibus. He would live on her
rings and hominy, cooked IN his lodgings
inst off ST. James's street by himself over
a shirt lamp, and then on the following
day would fuss over The merits or demer-
its Of the world-famed chef Of the Trav-
oilers. the most exclusive club In London
OF which this wonderful old LAIRD with
his odd-looking wig and his beard MS
erect and spare, tall figure and his ex-
traordinary flow OF conversation, was one
OF the oldest members.
In spite Of his numerous castles, coun-
try seats and houses, In England, scot
land and on the Continent, no lived en-
t,relv during the last thirty years Of his
life in his lodgings Off ST. James's street.
the walls Of which were hung with the
not particularly attractive Sinclair tar
tan. Its hues. however, were moro or
less concealed by the most heterogene-
Gus collection of pictures, some or them
priceless gems, others the most worthless
daubs Even the ceilings were covered
Herewith, so that in order to do justice
10 them one had to lie on ones back. In
one word, his rooms. like. his castles and
country seats, were filled with q mixture
of art treasures and art rubbish.
To record Sir Johns eccentricities would
I'LL q volume Some years ago he en-
deavored to relieve the monotony of the
poorhouses all over England and Scotland
by presenting them with gramophones'
the records consisting, however, not Oh
popular tunes, but of speeches which he
had delivered and OF recitations which he
had given either OF his own works or Oh
his favorite authors.
Among the latter, first and foremost
vas Byron, and among the most extraor-
binary memorials that have ever been
devised to perpetuate the name OF TINS
or OF any other bard is that which Sir
John conceived and put into execution
Instead OF taking the form of statue IL
assumed the altogether unitarian shape
Of an Office building occupying the site
of the old offices of the London comic
weekly Punch" on the south side OF
Fleet street. near st. Brides Church.
Every stone OF the hall pavement OF this
great office building (Which will bring IN
a large income to his grandson shd HEIR
the new baronet. young Sir Archibald, IN
the way of rental is inscribed Byron
the Pilgrim Of Eternity" and the dates
of his birth and death. Each title Is
adorned with the words "Crede Byron
while on every block Of marble lining the
walls are verses from his poems, particu-
larly stanzas from "Chtlde Harold" and
"DOn Juan"
And as II Byron's verses were not sum
Gent. other inscriptions on the Walls
record the opinions expressed concerning
him by such men as Schiller, Goethe, VIC
tor Hugo. I.amartine, Tennyson, Chateau
BRAND. Sir Walter Scott and Matthew
Arnold. Yet another inscription on the
wall states that the British Museum
library catalogue devotes twenty-eight
pages to Byron and only ten TO Tennyson'
On still another Sir John Sinclair recalls
the fact that one edition for the blind has
been published Of Byron's works ana none
OF Tennyson's. Over the entrance 10
beautiful medallion portrait OF Byron In
white marble. with shelley's splendid cpl
taph. THE Pilgrim of Eternity" and
need scarcely say that the Office building
bears the name of Byron House.
One would be likely to imagine that the
Overwhelming quantity Of Byronic quota
tons. adjoining as they do every vacant
place, every stone and tile and all the
walls. floors and ceilings, would be likely
to get on the nerves Of the occupants.
But apparently this is not the case. The
building Is full OF tenants. Sir John, who
was a prolific poet on his own account
was modest enough. however. to put only
one single one Of his own verses on the
walls of Byron House. II is as follows:
Ear Ger all bards thy fame. dear Byron ever
my glory wanted not. though wanting vert to
ours.
And beneath there Is an intimation tnat
this BIT OF rhyme, such as II Is, Is from
the pen OF "Sir John Toilemache Sinclair
Bart. who has erected the building 70 the