The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-01-21
MusGRAvE's MEDlTATIoNs.

In the northw western part OF Scot
land there Is a small town by the
name Of Greenock that will be for.
ever famous for two principal rea,
sons. One reason should Interest the
commercial world and the other
should appeal to those who possess
sentiment. In saying this we do not
intend to 7insinuatel that all business
men are devoid Of sentiment and
Fave no admiration for the sublime
and beautiful. However. it is GER
tainly true. that. generally speaking.
the two classes have a distinct line
Of separation. But, TO return to tnc
subject, Grecnock is famous to the
commercial world because 1t is the
birthplace OF James Watts. the in,
rentor OF the steam engine. or tile
many Interesting things connected
with the life Of this frail and famous
man, let us notice few Of the more
prominent ones which his biography
affords. His mother, who had the
beautiful name Agnes. taught him
reading before lie was sent to school.
and to amuse him. encouraged him to
draw with a pencil upon paper. or
with chalk upon the floor. On one
occasion, when he was bending over
marble hearth. with piece of
chalk In his hand. friend of his
father said, "You ought 10 send that
boy to public school, and not al
low him to trifle away his time at
,home.s Look how my child Is oc-
cupied before you condemn liim,"tre-
piled the father. Thoughs.onlys six
years ofiage, 'hegSas trying totsolyc
u problem in geomctryi'oHei rcad!sali
the'books !wllichafell in3llis Maryland
to AZ friend who advised him. to, he
less, oindiscrimiaatc, cllo replied, 81
have never:yets read ~ book, or eoii-
tSersedl with companion. without
gaining information, instruction, or
amusement" When he was eighteen
cars old he went to Glasgow, which
was as different from the Glasgow Of
today as It is possible to Imagine.
Little did he dream, when lie entered
Il poor prentice lad. what it was
afterwards to become, through the
.esult of his individual labors. After
years OF work and thought the solu-
tion OF the problem Of applied steam
flashed upon his mind. The idea
camerto him as he was taking walk
me, Sunday afternoon, in the spring
II, 1895. This was his method of rea-
roning, as given by his biographer:
Steam is!an elastic tvapor. 1t will ex-
pand and rush into previously OK
hausted space. He had only to. pro-
1 'iu>e a vacuum in separate vessel,
and. sopensa communication between
The. vessel and the cylinder of the
steam engine at the moment. Wien
3|ahcSpiston was required to descend
and the steam would disseminate It.
elf and become divided between thu
4 cylinder. and the adjoining. vessel
! These few incidents confirmNthe dec
iaration that one Of the reasons VIII,
Greenock will be forever famous is
flames Watts was born there one hun
ircd and seventy-eight years ago
The other reason is, that the world'
:oost popular heroine slumbers there
As all students of literature know
Wary Campbell, the Highland Mary
Z 4 Burns most pathetic lines, repose
IN the churchyard there. Whel
Mary Campbell was quite young sh
became servant in the house o
turns landlord. Gavin Hamilton,
II awycr' of ,AIa,ichlinc. Hamilton wa
iSsteifsceuted 81 tie church for neglec
( tts ordtaSa,aaicsess,, aud natnfs, pasti
\ through sympathy wrote tie bril-
I iiamt and blistcring satfres, "Hol
Wtllics's Prayer" 'iThc Two Herds
!, nd THE Holy Fair" As a result
Burns came often to Hamilton
house where Mary was an inmate
'uring few brief weeks they spen
heir evenings and sabbaths togctll
r., lettering amid the Banks an
RAGS and streams around the castl
{ Montgomery. Mary returned I
irecnock in the autumn Of 1856. Sill
i 'ound her brother sick of malig
{ nant fever. She devoted herself t
nursing him. and brought him to
afe convalescencc only to be hersel
tricken by his malady and to rapid
I, link and die. sacrifice to her SIS
: terly affection. It is not strang
hat when death had left him notl,
!, ing of her except her poor little Bi
die. tress of her golden hair, and
lender memory Of her love, the recol
lection of their farewell remained 4
Ills soul forever. Mary Is laid In, tn