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Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmis d des taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul ciichi, ii est fiimd d partir de i'angle sup6rieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nicessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 / THE SeOT IM AMERICA. THR Scot in America. BY PETER ROSS, LL D., AUTHOR C>V The Book oj Scotia ledger F.ditorof- The Song, o Scotland Chronologically Arranged." '^ Life and Wrksof ' S,r William Alexander, /iarl of Stirling,' etc .y/:U' VOA^A'.- THK RAKIUJRN BOOK COMPANY. 1S96. t \'f>H 274419 » INTED AT THE OFFICE OP COPYRIGHT, 1806, BY PETER ROSS, TO THE PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENTS, OFFICE BEARERS, AND MEMBERS OF THE ST. ANDREWS SOCIETY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK THIS EFFORT TO PRESENT A HISTORY OF THE SCOTTISH RACE IN AMERICA, A HISTORY TO WHICH IN THE PAST SO MANY MEMBERS OF THE SOCIETY HAVE SO EXTENSIVELY CONTRIBUTED, AND TO WHICH THOSE OF THE PRESENT DAY ARE 80 HONORABLY AODINQ, IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED BY THE AUTHOR, WHO COUNTS IT NOT THE LEAST OF HIS HONORS THAT H'3 NAME IS INSCRIBED ON THEIR ROLL OF MEMBERSHIP, o o isr a: E IT T s - CHAP. I. INTUOUUCTOUY 1 CHAP. H. PKINKKRS '" CHAP. HI. lOAULY COLONIAL (JOVKHNOUS 73 CHAP. IV. IlKVOLlTIONAia' HKHOKS Wi CHAP. V. MINMSTKHS OP THi: OOSl'KL HI CHAP. VI. ARTISTS AND ARCHITECTS 17-i CHAP. VIL SCIENTISTS AND INVENTORS ISH CHAP. VIII. MER(^HANTS AND MUNICIPAL UENE- FACTORS 221 CHAP. IX. EDUCATORS 2S2 CHAP. X. STATESMEN AND POLITICIANS 301 CHAP. XL AMONG THE WOMEN 310 CHAP. XII. PUBLIC ENTERTAINERS 3o4 CHAP. XIII. MEN OK LETTERS ;!47 CHAP. XIV. AMONG THE POETS 370 CHAP. XV. SCOTTISH-AMERICAN SOCIETIES 411 P REFA C H. THE nialcrials for tlie present volume have been gath- ered from many and varied sources, and their collection has provided for the author a pleasant relaxation from other studies during several years. A wide accjuaintance among Scots resident in this country and in Canada has not only directed him to original sources of information, but has, in various ways and for many reasons, shown him the desirability of the compilation of such a work. Even as now presented, the theme cannot be said to be exhausted. What is printed has been mainly selected from a mass of material, for it was found that the sub- ject was too extensive to be fully covered in a single volume, while every day brings to the front some fresh incidents in this history-making age which deserve a place in such a record. Still, enough has been written, it is thought, to bring out into clear relief the main pur- pose the author had in entering upon its compilation, the demonstration of the fact that in the building up of this great Republic in all that has contributed to its true greatness and perfect civil and religious liberty, Scots- men have, at least, done their share. . It is a pity that a work like this was not attempted a century ago, for much of the early history of the Scot in America has now been lost or has become so mingled with the general trend of events that it has become un- distinguishable from the mass. Most of the early Scotch colonists crossed the sea in search of fortune, but a large number found a domicile in America under circumstances which, though sad, reflected honor upon themselves. De- votion to principle is a wonderful factor in the greatness of any country, and such prisoners as those landed in 11. r R E F .1 f K Boston from the John and Sara in 1652 (as related at Pap^e 48) must have done much to supplement and strengthen the stern uprightness inculcated upon New England by the Pilgrim Fathers. These exn'''riated Scots fought for a principle at Dunbar, and the principle that makes men take up their arms in its defense on the field of battle is one that is not likely to be abandoned merely on account of worldly reverses or a backward tide in the fortunes of war. So, too, in the time of the Covenant, we find many traces of men and women who, after suffering imprisonment at home for their religious sentiments, were shipped to America as the easiest way to further punish an(l silence them. Tiius the student of Scottish history comes across many items like the fol- lowing, which is quoted from the statistical account of the Parish of Glassford, Lanarkshire, written in 1835 by the Rev. Gavin Lang, whose son, bearing the same name, afterward became a minister in Montreal and one of the best-known clergymen in Canada. It is an extract from the records of the Kirk Session of (jlassford. " Item — In 1685 Michael Marsliall and John Kay were both taken prisoners for their nonconformity, and banished and sent over sea to New Jersey in America. The said Michael stayed several years in America. After the late happy revolution, [1688,] designing to come home, he was taken prisoner at sea and was carried to France, where he was kept a year and a half in prison and endured great hard- ships before he was delivered." It may be supposed from the above that the Covenant- er, Kay, remained in New Jersey, or, at all events, in America, and it seems a pity that, if he left any descend- ants, their pedigree should not be known, as next to de- scent from a Mayflower Pilgrim, no more honorable start for an American genealogical tree than the name of this Presbyterian martyr could be imagined. It is, in fact, an interesting study to follow the fortunes of Scotch fam- ilies in America, and while sometimes they drop out of sight among what John Knox pleasantly called the " ras- call multitude," the majority remains in the van in what- ever sphere of life they have attained. /' /•• /; /I r /; in. The flcsccnd.nnts of Principal VVitlicrsppon of Prince- ton can be traced in honorable positions in the ministry and the professions to the present day. Andrew Wodrow, the eldest son of Roben Wodrow, the famous Scotch Church historian, emigrated to X'irginia in 1768, and when the Revolutionary War broke out he entered the ranks of the Colonists and did his part in consolidating the Colonies into a nation, rising in tlie service to the grade of Lieutenant Colonel of Cavalry. Many of the descendants of the old historian are yet to be found in America, mainly in \'irginia, principal among whom may be mentioned the President of South Carolina College, tile Rev. Dr. J. Woodrow, the j Mitional vowel having been introduced in the name to pre rve its sound, a cus- tom which is widely prevalent, and which has helped more than aught else to oblitr te niany t' dces of the do- ings of the early American Scots. This fashion of alter- • ig the spelling of names is unfortunately much more conmion than is generiUv supj)oscd. Thus Douglas be- comes "Douglass": Watt, ''Watts'*; Urquhart, *' Urk- art": Patrick, *' Partrick''; Napier. " Xappti "; Mackin- tosh " Mackentash "; Gibson * Gipson "; Semple " Sarm- ple," and so on. A case in point is that of the Gilmor family of Baltimore, whose original patronymic in Scotland was Gilmour. As the history of this family in America is an interesting one, not only for showing how^ each successive generation has kept in the front ranks of professional and business so- ciety, but for illustrating how the Scot by intermarriage soon becomes a member of the most aristocratic local families, the following notice, from " Harper's Magazine " for June, 1882, may not inappropriately be introduced here, especially as, further on, it will be found that the early New York Scots, the Livingstones, Barclays, Watts, and others equally strengthened their social position in the community by marrying into the old Dutch families — the salt of the New Amsterdam community : " Four generations of the Gilmor family have been prominent in the business and social circles of Baltimore. Robert Gilmor, the founder of the family in this country, tv. PRE FA (' i: R! III! "li was born at Piiislcy on the loth of November, 1748, and christened the same day by the Rev. Dr. John Wither- spoon, afterward of Princeton College. John Gilmor, the father of Robert, was a wealthy manufacturer. At the early age of seventeen his son displayed so great an ap- titude for business that his father took him into partner- ship. Within a year, however, from this time, Robert, who had previously made several successful business trips to London, now determined to further extend his commercial enterprises, and with an assortment of goods suitable for the American market, he embarked in 1767 for this country, and landed at Oxford, Maryland, toward the end of September. This little place was then much resorted to by the P)ritish vessels to obtain the products of the country. The young man realized $1,500 from his venture, and being pleased with the country, determined to settle there. While on a visit to Dorchester County he made the acquaintance of his future wife. Miss Louisa Airey, daughter of tlie Rev. Thomas Airey, with whose brother he formed a partnership before he had been in the country one year. On the 25th of Septcniber, 1771, he married, and after being engaged in business on the Eastern Shore of Maryland for over ten years, he re- moved to Baltimore, believing it offered a wider field for his business. ^Ir. Gilmor soon developed a character of great prudence and industry, and showed a decided talent for making money. " Among Mr. Gilmor's business correspondents at this date were Messrs. Thomas W^illing and Robert Morris of Philadelphia, both of whom were members of the Con- tinental Congress, and the latter one of the Signers of thj Declaration of Independence. They traded under the firm of Willing & Morris. These gentlemen, together with Mr. William Bingham, Mr. Wilhng's son-in-law, anticipating a treaty of peace after the surrender of Corn- wallis, were desirous of forming an establishment at Am- sterdam for the purpose of exporting more largely the staple products of Maryland and Virginia, and deeming Mr. Gilmor a suitable person to represent the concern in Holland, they offered him a copartnership, which was P R K F A C K V. accepted. In accordance with this arrangement, Mr. Ciilmor sailed with his family on the 27tli of November, 1782, and arrived safely on the 12th of January, 1783, at his destination, where they met Captain Joshua Barney, on his way to America with the i)reliminary treaty of peace between Great Britain, France, and the United States. At Paris Mr. Gilmor met John Adams, one of the negotiators of the treaty of peace, who gave him a letter addressed to Messrs. Wilhelm & Jan Willink, the bank- ers of the United States in Holland, and one of the rich- est houses in Europe. This was the beginning of a com- mercial connection between the Gilmors and the Wil- links which continued from father to son for upward of fifty years, during which transactions took place to the amount of many millions of dollars, " The house in Amsterdam, under the management of Mr. Gilmor, soon commanded :!n extensive business, ex- tending all over Europe, and to the West Indies and the United States. Eventually the firm thus constituted was broken up by the death of Mr. Samuel Inglis, one of the Philadelphia partners. Mr. Bingham, who was at that time living in London, wrote to Mr. Gilmor to come there, with a view of arranging a partnership with him. He did so, and the result was the establishment of the fin ">f Robert Gilmor & Co. of Baltimore, in which Mr. Bingnam was the other member. By his successful en- terprises to all parts of the world, Mr. Gilmor, in the course of fifteen years, became one of the merchant princes of Baltimore. " In 1799 the business connection with Mr. Bingham was dissolved, and Mr. Gilmor associated his two sons, Robert and William, with him, under the firm name of Robert Gilmor & Sons. The correspondents of the old firm were continued to the new, and many years of com- mercial prosperity followed. Robert Gilmor, Jr., did most of the traveling for the firm, and was thus enabled to combine pleasure with profit. He continued to take the deepest interest in the prosperity of Baltimore to the last, and died in 1849, universally lamented. " His younger brother, William, was married at an :•/. P Tf K V ACE. early age to Mrs. Marianne Drysdale, a young widow of nineteen. She was a daughter of Isaac Smith of North- ampton County, Virginia. Mr. and Mrs. Gilmor had twelve children. Their eldest son, Robert, was graduated at Harvard in 1828, and afterward went to Europe as at- tache to the legation with Mr. Rives, our Minister to France. After remaining abroad, visiting places of inter- est, and meeting with a great deal of attention, he re- turned in the Autumn of 1829. It was his good fortune during this trip to spend several days at Abbotsford with Sir Walter Scott, and often referred to it with pleasure. Mr. Gilmor's country seat was Glen-Ellen, in Baltimore County. He married Ellen Ward, daughter of Judge Ward, of Baltimore, whose memory is cherished as one of the most admired ladies that ever graced Baltimore society. The Hon. Robert Gilmor, who has been for more than twelve years one of the Judges of the Supreme bench of Baltimore, is a son of this lady. He possesses the love of art which is hereditary in his family, and owns a number of fine paintings and engravings formerly pos- sessed by his relative. Mt. William Gilmor, who mar- ried Miss Key, a descendant of Francis S. Key, and Col. Harry Gilmor, who won distinction as a dashing cavalry officer in the Confederate service during the late war, are brothers of Judge Gilmor." We might find similar accounts of the Scotch families in the local histories of all the States, but the subject is really limitless, and it presents itself to us in all sorts of biographical reading, both in the old land and the new. For instance, we read that Thomas Carlyle's favorite sis- ter still resides in Canada, which has been her home for many years, and a brother of Dr. Livingstone long car- ried on business at Listowell, in Ontario. A brother of Mungo Park, an earlier African traveler, left three daugh- ters, all of whom crossed the Atlantic, but every trace of them has been lost. In the course of this work many instances are given of the descendants of famous Scots taking up their residence in the Western Hemisphere, and in several cases the fortunes of entire families have been followed from their transatlantic beginning to the pres- /' u i: F A r E . 'II. eiit (lay. There is no more delightfiil or interesting feature in connection with the Scot in America than this branch of the subject. In many portions of this work the author might be criticised for having permitted the pcrhrvidiim ingcnium Scotonim to carry him apparently to extreme lengths in speaking in terms of praise of his native land. If in this respect the bounds of decorum have been exceeded, it has arisen from no want of appreciation of or devotion to the magnificent Republic of which he is proud to be a citi- zen, and in which for many years he has found a happy home. But there is nothing out of place in a heart beat- ing as strongly at the sight of the Stars and Stripes as at a blink of the blue banner of old St. Andrew. The two countries represented by these emblems have so much in common that love for the one necessarily implies love for the other. But if some ultra American critic should con- demn the writer on this score, he submits that he has gone no further in his admiration than Americans them- selves. In a letter to the writer a Roman Catholic prel- ate, well known for his literary ability and for his devo- tion to America, his native land, says: " While Scotsmen and their descendants all over the world do not make as clamorous and sometimes offensive show of their love for the Old Country as does the Celt of Ireland, their devotion to the beauty, honor, success, and grandeur of the dear old land is, in my opinion, far deep- er and far more justified. It is wonderful, especially in view of the sea '•city of population, of the comparative poverty of the seal, and from the unfavorable situation of Scotland as regards the rest of Europe, what a noble worldwide history she has, and how many great men she has produced. While Scotland was ultimately benefited by the Union, in the sense of material prosperity, the smaller and poorer country exerted far more influence on the politics, literature, and commerce of the wealthier one. It is no idle boast that Scotsmen reduced Canada, conquered India, suppressed the Sepoy mutiny, and have furnished the United States with an immense mvmber of the most intelligent and loyal citizens." mimmm z'tit. PREFACE. Equally laudatory was the following tribute by another American citizen, Consul Jenkinson of Glasgow, when he said: "The great body of the American people not only entertain a feeling of friendship for the people of Scotland, but also a sense of obligation, for much of what they are they owe to the teaching and example of Scot- land. If they believed in Hberty and independence, it was mainly due to what the Scots had taught them. If they tried to elevate mankind morally and socially by a thorough system of popular education, they but follow the example of Scotland. If they refused to put on and wear the shackles which bound the consciences of men and prevented a full and free religious worship, they but accepted the results of the long and severe contest waged by the people of Scotland. They had not only drawn upon the teaching and the example of the Scotch, but they had to some extent appropriated their wisdom and their genius in putting these into practice. At all times since the history of their people began they had had among them many distinguished statesmen who were Scotsmen." After such tributes — and they might be multiplied by the hundred — from men not to the manner born, the author may be forgiven any apparent excess of enthusi- asm to which he has been beguiled in the course of in- diting the following pages. At the same time, no effort has been made to cover up the backsliding of any par- ticular individual, and now and again the author has felt it necessary to expose the shortcomings of some com- patriot who, to put it in the least offensive way, did not come up to the national standard. There are not many such, although it must be confessed the author has not exerted himself very exhaustively in trying to discover them. Still, even with the most diligent search, the num- ber of black sheep in the Scottish flock would be found comparatively few. The national record in America is, on the whole, a grand one. An instance is not on record of a Scotsman being tried by Lynch law, or, with a single exception, of one being tarred and feathered. But that solitary, disagreeable event happened so long ago that it 7' u K r A r /•; 7.r. is (liflficiilt to understand the true inwardness of the case, and for all we really do know the victim might have been a martyr instead of an evildoer. He seems to have been rather a dubious character, however, judging by the fol- lowing account of him written by the late Benson J. Los- sing, the American historian. '* John Malcolm was a Scotsman who settled in North Carolina after the famous rebellion of 1745. He was aide to Gov. Tryon in 1771, when he went against the Regulators. He afterward became a Custom House offi- cer at Falmouth, (now Portland,) in Maine, and early in 1774 he was in a similar position in Boston. He was an insolent man. One day he struck a tradesman for an al- leged insult, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. The constable pretended he could not find him. A mob gathered about his house, when he thrust a sword through a broken window and wounded one of them. They broke in, found him in a chamber, lowered him by a rope from a window to a cart, took off his clothes, tarred and feathered him, and dragged him through sev- eral of the streets with a rope around his neck to Liberty Tree. From there he was taken to a gallows on Boston Neck, beaten, and threatened with death. In the course of an hour he was conveyed to the extreme north end of the town, and then, after being bruised, and benumbed with cold for four hours, they took him back to his house. What became of him afterward is not on record. He was despised by both parties, and became equally malevolent toward Whigs and Tories." Considerable space might have been devoted tO' the humor of the Scot in America, but it was felt that such a theme might more properly be left as the subject of a monograph by some other investigator. Such a compila- tion would not only be interesting in itself, but would show that the race had lost none of its native pawkiness b> being transplanted, nay, would demonstrate rather that it was broadened, that it was less dry, that it did not require so much '* thawing out " under the influence of a few years' alternate baking and freezing beneath an American sky. Still, in these stories the Scot would X. PREFACE. be there with all his noted characteristics. Here is an illustration in a story concerning clour Scotch obstinacy, which was once told to a group in a New York hotel by a middle-aged man of alert appearance and rapid, nervous movements : " My father," he began " came over about seventy-five years ago and settled in Michigan, which, in that part, at any rate, was a semi-wilderness. As the country grew more settled my father, from the mere fact of his having been a pioneer, became very prom- inent in civic affairs in the community. He was very conscientious, but extremely impatient of contradiction, never understanding why a person could disagree with him, when he was so plainly correct in his position. " Well, one night, contrary to his usual custom, he did not come home to supper. Eight o'clock came and the whole family was in bed and still he had not arrived. It was after i o'clock in the morning that his heavy step was heard on the stairs. My mother, who had been anx- ious, met him with a light in her hand. " * Where have you been? " she asked, looking at him seriously. " ' Been on a jury,' he growled. " * Why did you stay so late ? ' " ' Stay so late? Tliere were eleven obstinate devils on that jury and it took me all night to convince them.' '^ But such vain frivolities must not occupy us further, and, besides, as this preface is already too long, we must acknowledge several obligations, and so bring it to a close. In a volume like this many sources have been culled to contribute in some way to its completeness, to fur- nish information of more or less importance. It has been difficult to determine in every case the printed authority for much of the work, but where it has been possible the authority has been pointed out. In a more general way the author has been indebted to many of the publications of Gen. James Grant Wilson, son of the sweet Scottish poet of Poughkeepsie. To the volume on " Scottish Poets in America," by John D. Ross, LL. D., is due much of the information concerning living bards contained in PREFACE. Xt. Chapter XIV. Much useful information has also been rccfived from Mr. Robert Whittet of Ricimiond,Va.; Mr. John Johnston, Alilwaukee, and several others. Some of the data contained in the chapter on Scottish societies has been condensed from an earlier work by the author, " St. Andrew : the Disciple, the Missionary, and the Pa- tron Saint," now nearly out of print. It may be noticed that the references to the Scot in Canada have not been by any means as full as they might be. In fact, the writer has wandered across the St. Law- rence only at intervals. To do otherwise would have simply flooded these pages with sketches of a great ma- jority of the very men who have made Canada a nation, and, besides, the work has already been done in a thor- oughly appropriate and lovable manner by W. J. Rattray of Toronto. It may be mentioned, too, for reasons that will be apparent and easily understood by any one who has had any acquaintance with bookmaking in the United States during the past thirty years, that only in a comparatively few instances, and then merely to empha- size some paricular point, have references been made to living personages. The writer now commends the volume to his country- men and to all lovers of Scotland, with the fervent hope that it may be the means of increasing, even in a little de- gree, the reverence which has in the past been freely ren- dered to the dear old land in the Great Republic of the West. iSsmKk %ir^it tif' '^'^^^ "Sil. Xl^^ 'T^P"'- ^ ^:fjM^ f * THE SCOT IN AMERICA. CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY. THE Scots in America, with truth, claim to be equally loyal to the land they left and to the land of their adop- tion. Were it at all necessary to prove how perfectly just is this claim an abundance of evidence could readily be presented. But the claim is generally allowed even by the most rabid believers in " Know Nothingism." From time to time movements have spnmg up in America directed against a particular race or nationality, but no such attack has ever been made directly or indi- rectly upon those hailing from Scotland. They have generally been acknowledged as good exemplary citi- zens, people who had, as a people, no axe to grind, and who in all matters pertaining to America acted as citi- zens, and from the standpoint of citizenship unswayed by any claims of nationality. No politician, so far as is known, ever figured on " the Scotch vote," nor did any Scotch aspirant for political oflfice ever count on the " solid support " of his countrymen. In all matters per- taining to the country the citizen of Scottish birth com- pletely sinks his own original nationality and takes his o THK SCOT TN AMKHTCA. place simply and individually with the other citizens in whatever matter is at issue. The Scots at home somehow do not understand this. They do not see how it is possible for a Scotsman to remain loyal in heart to his own land and yet fight against its government, as in the time of the Revolu- tionary War, nor even how a feeling of regard for the old nationality can remain in the breast of one who will- ingly takes an oath which absolves him from all fealty to the land of his birth. But the Americans fully understand and appreciate it all, and, as a result, no new citizens are more cordially welcomed to the great republic than those who hail from the Land o' Cakes. All over the country the Scot is looked up to with respect. He is regarded as an embod- iment of common sense, a natural lover of civil and re- ligious liberty, a firm believer in. free institutions, in the rights of man, in fair play, and exemplary in his loyalty to whatever cause he may have adopted. They laugh at his reputed want of wit, at his little idiosyncrasies, at his dourness, at his dogged determination, at his want of artificiahty, and several other peculiarities, but admire intensely the effectiveness of his work, the habit he has of " getting there " in whatever he sets out to do, the quiet way in which he so often climbs to the top, whether in banking or professional or military circles, the public- spiritedness he shows in all walks of life and his truly democratic spirit. The fact is, from the beginning of their history the Scots have been model colonizers and have had the happy faculty of making themselves perfectly at home in all climes and in all circumstances. If we like to be- lieve the earliest traditions, the Scots were originally a tribe^ of Greece. The tribe went to Egypt and their leader, as might be expected, became commander in chief of the forces in that country and married Scota, the daughter of the Pharaoh who flourished at that time, as was eminentlv fitting and characteristic. This Scotch warrior and his followers, or some of them, had sense enough not to be caught in the Red Sea when it swal- I I IS 1" this, m to fight vohi- »r the > will- iealty iate it rdially \ from 5COt is mbod- md re- in the loyaUy r laugh isies, at is want admire he has do, the ;hether pubhc- lis truly [ory the lad the It home to be- finally a id their [nder in :ota, the J time, as Is Scotch id sense it swal- .i INTRODUCTORY. 8 lowed up so manv Egyptians, and when that catastrophe occurred they left Hgypt. Poverty stricken and deso- late, the original Scottish chiefs had no further use for the country, and so sought for other fields of usefulness. Making their way to Portugal they settled there, and naturally enough their leading chief, (lalethus by name, became King. One of bis descendants went to Ireland with a host of followers and became monarch of that un- happy country. They journeyed afterward to Scotland, but where they will go next the believers in this legend do not inform us, although some people assert that the migratory movement has already set in, with America as its objective point. There arc other legends of the early wandering habits of the primitive Scots, some of which make them travel from Iceland, from Central Europe, and from Asia, without ever touching i.t Ireland at all. In fact, by the believers in these last theories the Irish idea is regarded as a national slander. Then if we credit the legend that Gaelic was the language spoken by Adam and Eve while they resided in the Garden of Eden and that Welsh was what they conversed in after their ignominious expulsion from that earthly paradise, we get an idea not only of the high antiquity but of the lost estate of the early Scots. However we may regard these legends, they all point in an indefinite way to one fact — and some fact can al- ways be evolved out of the wildest and most incoherent mass of legends — that the pioneers of the Scottish peo- ple of to-day were wanderers. This characteristic is borne out by their later and better authenticated history. We find them early noted in the military services of the continent of Europe, fighting with courage and fidelity, true soldiers of fortune, under whatever flag they hap- pened to be enrolled, sometimes indeed, as in the case of the famous Scots Guard of France, trusted with interests deemed too sacred for the subjects of the realm they served to protect. We find them, also, occupying lead- ing positions at the various seats of learning, and the history of such institutions as the Scots Colleges at Paris and Rome yet testify to the high regard in which the in- THIO SCOT IX AMKRICA. tcllectual qualities of the natitJii were held even at a time when the general standard of education in Scotland itself was by no means high. There was hardly a position of importance in Europe in which the influence of the Scot- tish race was not at one time or other more or less di- rectly felt, and what has been called the " ubi(|uitousness of the Scotch " has given rise to many curious yet amus- ing stories, which, however, all have more or less truth for their foundation. It is often asserted that when the north pole shall be discovered a Scotchman will be found astride of it, and we have read stories of Chinese man- darins, Turkish pashas, and South Sea Island chiefs who turned out on occasion to be natives of Scotland and proud of their nationality. A story which illustrates this is given in Peter Ru- chan's " Historic and Authentic Account of the Ancient and Noble Family of Keith." It refers to an incident in the life of the greatest of the Earls Marischal — Fred- erick the Great's most honored Field Marshal. It was copied by Buchan from Dr. James Anderson's ** Tjee," a forgotten weekly publication issued for three years, be- tween 1790 and 1793. " The Russians and the Turks, in their war, having diverted themselves long enough in murdering one another, for the sake of variety they thought proper to treat of a peace. The commissioners for this purpose were Marshal General Keith (born at Inverugie) and the Turkish Grand Vizier. These two personages met, with the interpreters of the Russ and Turkish betwixt them. When all was concluded they arose to separate; the Marshal made his bow with his hat in his hand, and the Vizier his salaam with turban on his head. But when these ceremonies of taking leave were over, the Vizier turned suddenly, and, coming up to Keith, took him freely by the hand and, in the broad- est Scotch dialect, spoken by the lowest and most illit- erate of our countrymen, declared warmly that * it made him very happy, now that he was sae far frae hame, to meet a countryman in his exalted station.' Keith stared with all his eves, but at last the explanation came and the Grand Vizier told him : * My father was bellman of INTRODUCTORY 5 Kirkcaldy, iti I'ifc, and i remember to have seen you, sir, and your jjrother occasionally passing.' " The Scot abroad, however, does not always occupy high places. Sometimes he misses the tide which leads to fortune, but even then his national philosophical spirit does not leave him, and he makes the best of his circum- stances, wliatever they may be. An instance of liiis, and beyond (|uestion a true one, is given in the Rev. Dr. William Wright's very interesting work on *' The 1 {routes in Ireland." He says: ' On the coast of Syria I once arranged uith a ragged rascally looking Arab for a row in his boat. My companion was a Scotch Hebrew Professor. It was a balmy afternoon and we enjoyed ai / protracted our outing. We talked a little to our Arab in Arabic and much about him of a not very com- plimentary character in our own tongue. I happened to drop some sympathetic words regarding the poor wretch, and suddenly his tongue became loosened in broad Scotch and he told us his story. It was very sim- ple. Twenty years before, the English ship on which he served as a lad had been wrecked at Alexandretta, on the northern coast of Syria. He swam ashore, lived aiiong the people of the coast till he became one of themselves, and at the time we met him he was the hus- band of an Arab woman and the father of a dusky prog- eny. He was content with his squalid existence and never again wished to see his native heather." The correctness of the last sentence is open to very grave doubt; in fact, it could only have been written by one who did not understand the Scottish character. Doubtless it is true that the Arab boatman did not want to revisit his native land in that character, and with its attendant poverty. But could he have managed to gather a few shekels together, the hope which every Scotsman abroad has in his heart of hearts of returning once more to his native land, even for a brief glimpse, would have been ever present, and ever increasing in in- tensity, as time passed on. In spite, however, of their successes abroad, the Scots at home, especially in these later days, do not seem to 6 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. value the services which their wandering countrymen have rendered to the glory of the old land, and have in fact made its name be honored and respected all over the world. Possibly this arises from a popular misconcep- tion of one of Sir Walter Scott's most carefully delin- eated creations — Sir Dugald Dalgetty. He has been held up to ridicule as a timeservcr, a cut-throat, a man without principle, and an embodiment of self. But there was nothing in his character as portrayed by Sir Wal- ter's matchless pen to indicate that he was anything but the honorable cavalier he invariablv described himself as being. His sword was his fortune, and he sold it to the highest bidder, but he never broke an agreement or be- trayed a trust. He served the flag under which he was enrolled with the best of his ability, and his crowning hope was to gather enough money to enable him to spend his later years where his life began. His only fault was his poverty, and his life was devoted to the re- moval of that fault. After all, poverty at home has really been the cause which has always inspired the Scot to roam away from his native land. Said a well-known Scotch banker in New York once to the writer: " is poor, but then we w^ere all poor when we came here. If we had not been poor there is not a Scotsman in the banking brsiness in New York who would ever have dreamed of leaving Scotland. Why should we?" To the Scot in America, the New World is a practical reality and Scotland a reminiscence, a sentiment. He throws himself with ardor into all things American, gives to it his best endeavors, takes up all the duties of citizen- ship, and does everything that lies in his power to pro- mote the general wealth of the country by building up its commerce, by developing its resources, and by adding to its higher aspirations by widening and popularizing its educational, artistic, and literary aspirations and oppor- tunities. He becomes an integral part by active citizen- ship in a commonwealth where the mere knowledge of his nationality secures him at the outset a warm wel- come, and IS a factor in the individual or general favor which enables him to mount ever higher without elic- tit; INTRODUCTORY iting jealousy or ill-feeling or iil-nature on tlic part of the native element. But he never forgets Scotland even though it becomes simply a sentiment, although even when the chance comes he does not forsake the interests and friendships which have grown around him and return to his own land, spend his gear, and enjoy a blink of affluent sunset before the darkness of the long night comes on. All over Scotland we find traces of the practical love which the Scot in America entertains for the " Land o' Cakes." In the parish records of Kirkcudbright is an entry of the sum of £^i being left in 1803 by James R. Smyth of New York, the interest of which was to be devoted to the purchase of Bibles for the poor, and Robert Lenox of the famous New York family of that name was mu- nificent in his gifts to the poor in the Stewartry. Miss Harriet Douglas, afterward Mrs. Congar of New York, gave during her lifetime £100 to the service of the poor in Castle Douglas and Gelston. Mr. John S. Kennedy gave a beautiful piece of statuary to adorn the West End Park of Glasgow, in which city he first learned the ele- ments of business. Mr. Thomas Hope, merchant. New York, bequeathed a considerable sum for the erection and endowment of a hospital in his native place, Lang- holm, Dumfrieshire, and that charitable foundation, after considerable legal bickering, is now in successful opera- tion. John iMcNider, once a noted merchant in Quebec, left at his decease £40 to the poor of his native town of Kilmarnock, and another Quebec merchant, John Muir, left £jO to be distributed among the needy in the beauti- ful Lanarksiiire parish of Dalserf, where he started out on the journey of life. Such evidences of kindly remem- brance of the old land might be multiplied almost indefi- nitely, and instances arc constantly being added, from the muniticent donations of Andrew Carnegie, to the smaller sums sent by less affluent but not less kindly wanderers " furth " of Scotland. A noted Scottish-American benefactor of his native parish was Robert Shedden of Reith, who was born there in 1741 and was the repre"?ntative of an ancient M::; ds possible, and he was probably the only man who ev^i lived who at one and the same time was a British Colonel, a Spanish General, and a General in the forces of the United States. With all his brilliant qualities, however, he had few admirers, and one of his adversa- ries, Gen. Robertson, summed up his character in these unmistakable words: '* The Spaniards are devils, but the biggest devil among them is the half Spaniard, half Frenchman, half Scotsman, and altogether Creek scoun- drel, McGillivray." This redoubted warrior died in Flori- da in 1793. Quite a similar case in many ways was that of William Mcintosh, another Creek chief, who was born in Georgia in 1775. His father was a Highland officer and his mother a Creek princess. He cast in his lot with his mother's tribe and became its chief. During the war of 1812 he fought against the British and held the dignity of Major in the United States Army. He was one of the first Indians to perceive that the white man had taken possession of the country for good, and the policy of his life seems to have been to conciliate the whiteskins and to live with them on the best terms attainable. This pol- icy, undoubtedly the most far-sighted and prudent that could have been adopted, led to his death, for be was assassinated in his native State in 1825 by some Indians who were opposed to an agreement he had enter-jd into INTRODUCTORY. 23 1 K'tithu- D be sat- the dis- Diiey lib- f vhe In- the cap- a brave possessed eptioii in I what +^ j loni.7 c}.- kvho ev'^i a Britisli he forces quahties, adversa- r in these s, but the [iard, half k scoiin- in Flori- f WiUiam 1 Georgia and his with his ne war of e dignity ne of the lad taken icy of his iskins and This pol- Ident that Ir be was |e Indians tcr od into which involved the sclHng of some of the latids hekl by the Creeks to the United States Government. Many weird tales are yet told along the eastern coast of the wild doings of Capt. Kidd, many romances have been evolved out of his career, romances which have terrified the nursery and aroused the sympathetic ardor of lovers of fiction in the parlor. Thousands of dollars, too, have been spent in the search after Capt. Kidd's treasiues, and hardly a Summer passes without bringing us a story or two of expeditions being organized. Will- iam Kidd was born at Greenock about 1650, and was, it is said, the son of a clergyman. Of his early training and career nothing is known. The first authentic glimpse we get of him is from the records of the New York Colonial Assembly for 1691, when on one occasion he was thanked for services rendered the commerce of the col- ony, and on another when £150 \vas voted him for simi- lar services. What these were is not exactly clear, but it has been surmised, and the surmise is plausible, that he acted as a sort of protector tc^ the coast commerce from pirates and unlawful depredators. In 1696, Capt. Kidd was placed by Gov. Rellamont in command of a esscl, "vith the view of sweeping the coast of pirates, ..'r." he did his work so well that after his first cruise he ^v:.3 awarded a fresh grant of money, this time of £2^0. TWm he started on another cruise, and leaving the coast, /u.rted out as a pirate on his own account. He sailed to ihe Indian Ocean, made Madagascar his headquarters, and committed such depredations, scuttling, stealing, and robbing ships, that his name became famous and feared throughout the maritime world. After a time he returned to America, and, it is said, had any number of hiding places along the seaboard. His head(|uarters were, however, mainly on Long Island, and for safe keeping he is reported to have buried liis treasures in aii'^rent localities, but where has been the puzzle to suc- vTceding generations of those acquainted by reading or tradition with his career. The stories in connection with this section of Capt. Kidd's life story are of the most •ir" MAid» 24 thf: scot in America. vague and unintelligible order, but the following from the pen of Mr. D. W. Stone of the New York " Commer- cial Advertiser " is as moderately written and as reliable as anything that has appeared: '* It is beyond doubt true that Long Island contained several of his hiding places. ' Kidd's Rock ' is well known at Manhasset, up on Long Island, to this day. Here Kidd is supposed to have buried some of his treasures, and many have been the attempts of the credulous in that section to L I the hidden go]f\ There is also no doubt that he was * to hide himself and his vessel among those curious V'^jks in Sachem's Head Harbor, called the * Thimble Islands.' In addition to the ' Pirates' Cav- ern,' in this vicinity, there is upon one of these rocks, sheltered from the view of the Sound, a beautiful artifi- cial excavation in an oval form, holding, perhaps, the measure of a barrel still called ' Kidd's Punch Bowl.' It was here, according to the traditions of the neighbor- hood, that he used to carouse with his crew. It is also a fact beyond controversy that he was accustomed to an- chor his vessel in Gardner's Bay. L'^pon an occasion in the night he landed upon Gardner's Island and requested Mrs. Gardner to provide a supper for himself and his attendants. Knowing his desperate character, she dared not refuse, and, fearing his displeasure, she took great pains, especially in roasting a pig. The pirate chief was so pleased with her c joking that on going away he pre- sented her with a cradle blanket of gold cloth. It was of velvet inwrought with gold and very rich. A piece of it yet remains in the possession of the Gardner family, and a still smaller piece is in my possession, it having been given to my father, the late Col. William L. Stone, by one of the descendants of that family. On another occasion, when he landed upon the island, he buried a small casket of gold containing articles of silver and ])recious stones in the presence of Mr. Gardner, but un- der the most solemn injunctions of secrecy. " Repairing, soon after this -occurrence, to Boston, where Lord Bellamont chanced to be at the time, he was INTRODUCTORY 25 summoned before His Lordship and ordered to give a report of his proceedings since he had sailed on his sec- ond voyage. Refusing, however, to comply with this demand, he was arrested on the 3d of July, 1699, on the charge of piracy. He appears to have disclosed the fact of having buried treasure on Gardner's Island, for it was demanded by the Earl of Bellamont and surrendered by Mr, Gardner. I have seen the original receipts for th*? amount, with the dififerent items of the deposits. They were by no means large, and afford no evidence of such mighty ' sweepings of the sea ' as have been told of by tradition. Of gold, in coins, gold dust and bars, there were 750 ounces; of silver, 506 ounces, and of precious stones, 16 ounces," lUit there are hundreds of places along the Hudson and the New England and New Jersey coasts where search has been made for more treasure, and at Asbury Park may still be seen steel divining rods which were once used by experts who located one or more of the pirate's chests where Ocean Grove and Bradley Beach are now located, Kidd was sent to Britain in 1701, tried for piracy on the high seas, and also for murder, and, with six of his crew, was hanged in chains at Execution Dock, London, in the same year. The news of his fate recalled atten- tion to his exploits, the notoriety of his name increased, and rumor magnified his daring, his crimes, his depreda- tions and everything connected with him a thousandfold, and even formed themes for a score or so of ballads. So far as we know, he was the only Scottish-American v/ho ever was celebrated by the rhymes of the sheet vocalist and wandering minstrels of the curb and kitchen. Of course, nothing can be said in defense of piracy, and even though Kidd was guiltless of the crime of mur- der or of any of the acts of cruelty and barbarism attril)- uted to him, his course as an adventurer on the high seas would still leave his memory badly tarnished. Robbery is plain, vulgar robbery, whether committed on land or sea. It is a pity, however, that more of the history o( I 20 THE SCOT IN AMKRICA. this redoubtable pirate was not known, for \vc are con- vinced that his character would appear in a more amiable light under the microscope of truth than it seems in the misty haze of tradition. Indeed, we fancy it would then be seen that the services for which the New York Legis- lature granted him gifts of money were really little short of acts of piracy in whose proceeds they shared and which they negatively authorized. ** Connivance at piracy," writes Mr. Ellis H. Roberts, in his interesting volumes on the history of the State of New York, " was a charge not infrequent against prominent persons in the Colonies at this time (around 1700). Privateering was encouraged by the Government, and reputable persons became partners in vessels sent out under daring sailors to secure prizes. The sailors did not always observe nice distinctions when such captures were possible, and privatecii* g .01 infrequently fell more and more into audacious piracy. * * * j^e (Capt. Kidd) cannot have deemed himself a criminal in any great degree, if at all, for, after selling his ship, he appeared openly in Boston, where the Earl of Bellamont recognized him and put him under arrest." The trouble with Kidd was that the stories of his having hidden treasure withdrew from him the support of his confederates among the authori- ties. As modern Americans would say, he lost his '' pull," and so his power. In considering the case of Capt. Kidd we should remember that among his partners in his pri- vateering expeditions were such men as King William, the Earl of Bellamont, and Robert Livingston, and while this does not justify Kidd's conduct in any way, it makes him simply a spoke in a wheel of corruption evolved by others and sanctioned and protected in high places, in- stead of the hub of a wheel which he had cut out and fashioned for himself. We cannot close this chapter with such a dubious character as a representative of the nationality, and there- fore, as a sort of redeeming offset, turn to the long list of heroes for an example or two, and this we do with the more readiness, as the chapter which will deal with heroes iNTRODtfCfOR. ^7 will treat mainly of those who fought on the popular side (luring the War of the Revolution. In the early history of the United States and Canada, Highlanders, as we have seen and will frecjuently be re- minded in the course of this volume, were welcomed as settlers, and in many places, as in Nova Scotia, Cape Breton, Glengarry, North Carolina, and around Cale- donia, N. Y., as well as in other localities, the direct de- scendants of these pioneer immigrants from Albyn may yet be found. In many places they yet speak the lan- guage of their ancestors; in others they are still distin- guished by their manners, their ways, their industry, thrift, and godliness. Several bands of Highlanders came over here in military service, and their prowess, endur- ance, skill, and intrepidity are freely acknowledged in the ordinary histories. Such was notably the case in Canada with Eraser's Highlanders, and in the other col- onies, as well as in America, with the Black Watch. lUit there were other Highland soldiers whose deeds were equally worthy of record with those generally men- tioned; but they are simply spoken of as Highlanders without any more definite designation. Such was the case with as gallant a band as ever main- tained the name of the Scottish soldier in foreign lands — Montgomerie's Highlanders. Famous as they were in their day, they are now practically forgotten; but there are few commands which earned a better record as sol- diers and as men. They were formally enrolled as the Seventy-seventh Regiment, and were only in existence some si.x years when they were disbanded. Thus in glanc- ing over their career we can start out with them on their campaign and remain with them until their flags were finally furled without undertaking a very considerable task. Their history is a brief one ; but, brief as it is, th'^re is no lack of incident in the story. It is full of interest from beginning to end for Highlanders everywhere, and particularly for all who love to read about the early doings of the Scot in America. In 1756, after considerable wirepulling, Major Archi- 10* tin ill iiii Hi: ill w 28 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. bald Montgomerie got permission to raise a regiment of Highlanders for service in North America. So success- ful was he that he soon was at the head of a body of about 1,400 officers and niv'^n, and in January, 1757, he received his commission as Colonel. Col. Montgomerie was a military man of great promise and was very popu- lar among all classes. He was a son of the ninth Earl of Eglinton, and ultimately succeeded to that title him- self. His father, of course, was a nobleman, but he was one of those aristocrats who believed the country was made expressly for their benefit. He was a shrewd busi- ness man, it is said, made three fortunate marriages, turned everything into cash, and even sold his vote to England for £200, at the time the Treaty of Union was being considered. Col. Montgomerie's mother, the Coun- tess Susannah, was one of the most beautiful women of her time, and was noted for her wit and her love of liter- ature. It was to her that Allan Ramsay dedicated his " Gentle Shepherd." Col. Montgomerie appears to have inherited the qualities which made his mother so popular and so generally beloved, without any of the sordid spirit which was his father's main characteristic. The regiment embarked at Greenock in 1758. Its officers, with two exceptions, all bore good old Highland names — as Grant, Campbell, Mackenzie, Macdonald, and the like. The two exceptions were the Colonel and his young kinsman, Capt. Hugh Montgomerie, who in turn succeeded to the earldom. The regiment landed at Halifax and was at once sent en route to Fort Du- quesne (Pittsburgh) as part of a force which was to capt- ure that stronghold from the French or their Indian allies. It was a terrible journey at that time, but the Highlanders stood its fatigues and dangers nobly, although there is no doubt they were glad when they reached Philadelphia and enjoyed a brief season of rest in its new and comparatively comfortable barracks be- fore starting out again for their destination. The Philadelohia bnrracks extended between Second and Third Streets, from St. Tamany to Green Street, 1 [i iP INTRODUCTORY. 29 an'* INTRODUCTORY. Sd "An old Hip^liland soldier — Scrgl. Donald Maclcod, of the Fcjrty-socond I lif^^ldanders — was in 1791 an out- j)cnsionc'r of Chelsea Hospital, in the one hundred and third year of his age. This veteran was a native of Skye, born at Ulinisli on the 20th of June, 1O88, as appears from the parisli register of Uraeadale. He enlisted in the Roval Scots, and his first campaign was under Marl- borough in 1704-13, wiiere he served with his regiment in the l)attles of I'lenheim, Ramillies, &c.; he was in the Hanoverian Army in 171 5, and greatly distinguished himself against his own countrymen at Shcriffmuir; he then saw foreign service agam at the battle of Fontenoy; after this we find that he was in America under Gen. Wolfe. At the battle of Quebec Sergt. Macleod had his shin bone shattered by grape shot, and received a mus- ket ball in his arm; but when Gen. Wolfe was seriously wounded the old soldier oflfered his plaid, in which his beloved connnander was borne to the rear by four Gren- adiers. Owing to his wounds Maclcod was invalided, and returned to England in November, 1759, in tlie frigate that bore the body of Gen. Wolfe. On arriving in England he was admitted an out-pensioner of Chelsea Hospital on the 4th of December, 1759. His wounds soon healed, and he went on a recruiting expedition to the Highlands, where he married his third wife. Although now seventy-two years of age, he again took to the wars on the outbreak of hostilities, and served as a volunteer under Col. Campbell on the Continent, and in the course of dififerent engagements during the campaign of 1760-61 he was wounded several times. Even these hard knocks were not sufficient to end the old man's military career, as we find him again in America under Sir Henry Clin- ton." Passing over the kittle times of the Revolution and the War of 181 2, we find many instances of the continui- ty of the heroic side of the story of Scotland's sons in Arnerica. Take the career of Col. John Munroe as one which is an example of a thousand others, too soon, alas, forgotten. Munroe was born in Ross-shire in 1796 m\p II M ill I 34 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. and settled in America with his parents when a boy. In 1 814 he graduated at West Point and was appointed to the United States Army as a Third Lieutenant. Promo- tion in Uncle Sam's Army, except at fortunately rare intervals, is rather slow, and it was not till 1825 that Munroe received his commission as Captain. In 1838, for brilliant services against the Florida Indians, he was brevetted Major, and in 1846 was appointed Major in the Second Artillery. That same year he was Gen.Zachary Taylor's Chief of Artillery, and was brevetted Lieutenant Colonel for gallantry at Monterey, and Colonel for his services at Buena Vista. For over a year (1849-50) he was military and civil Governor of New Mexico, and made an admirable Executive. After retiring from the army he took up his residence in New Brunswick and died there in 1861. This warrior's death brings us down to the opening of the great civil war — a conflict in which, on both sides, Scotsmen exhibited the native valor of their country. We cannot even estimate the number of Scotsmen who took part in that political convulsion — possibly 50,000 would be under the mark — as the volunteer records at Washing- ton do not define nationality. But it is acknowledged on all sides that Scotsmen did their full duty according to their consciences, whether they wore blue or gray. One of the earliest commands to answer the call of President Lincoln was the Highland Guard of Chicago, which was originally formed in 1855. It commenced its term of active service in 1861, under Capt. J. T. RafTen, and made a brilliant record. Its first commander was John iNIcArthur, \»^ho was born at Erskine in 1826, and was originally a boilermaker. In the civil war he bore himself witli great gallantry and rose step by step until he was brevetted Major General at the battle of Nashville for conspicuous bravery. After the war he returned to Chicago and entered into business, which was inter- rupted by his four-year term of service as Postmaster of Chicpgo, an office he administered with great tact and executive ability. INTRODUCTORY. 35 oy. In nted to Promo- i\y rare 125 that n 1838, he was lajor in Zachary ^utenani 1 for his 9-50) he ico, and trom the vick and veiling of )th sides, ntry. We who took 00 would bashing- edged on ording to ray. le call ot Chicago, lenced its Raffen, nder was 1826, and r he bore step until Nashville turned to Another Scotsman who rose to the rank ot General in the civil war was Gen. James Lorraine Cieddcs, who died at Ames, Iowa, in 1887. lliere were many, very many, Scotch field oiBcers in the war, so many that it seems somewhat invidious to single out any one, but (ien. Geddes had such a varied career and, on the whole, was so typically representative of the Scot abroad that we cannot refrain from relating its most salient points. It is very few nationalities that can point to a son who begins life as a private soldier and ends as tSic President of a college. Geddes was born at Edinburgh in 1829, and in 1837 was taken by his father to Canada. As soon as he was old enough, after he had received his school- ing, he went to sea. But he soon got tired of that life, and, while in Calcutta, enlisted in the Royal Artillery. He fought under Sir Charles Napier and Sir Colin Camp- pell in the Crimea, and received the regulation silver medal and clasp. When he was discharged he made his way back to Canada, where after a time, he was elected Colonel in a local cavalry organization. In 1857 he left the Dominion and settled at Vinton, Iowa, wiiere he got employment as a teacher. When the civil war broke out he enlisted (Aug. 8, 1861,) as a private in the Eighth Iowa Volunteers, and went to the front His promotion, as might be expected from his past experience, was rapid, and by 1865 he had passed upward through all the intermediary grades and was brevetted a Brigadier Gen- eral. He was wounded at Shiloh, and was once taken prisoner, but soon exchanged, and he served under Grant at Vicksburg and under Sherman at Jackson, Miss. While acting as Provost Marshal at Memphis, he saved that city from being taken by the Confederate forces under Gen. Forrest, and during the Mobile cam- paign his capture of Spanish Fort was regarded as the most brilliant feat of that chapter in the history of the great interstate struggle. When the war was over Gen. Geddes returned to Vinton, and for some time had charge of the blind asylum there, but his later years were i(kMUified with the Iowa College, at Ames, in which, m T m I i;ii 'III 3G THE SCOT IN AMERICA. besides directing in an executive capacity, he was Treas- urer and Professor of Military Tactics. He was a poet as well as a soldier and teacher, and wrote several popu- lar war songs, among which " The Soldiers' Battle Prayer " and '* The Stars and Stripes " are still remem- bered and have won a place among the national songs of America. This record of men of war may fi.iiigly terminate with a reference to the Seventy-ninth Highland • of New York, which made a record worthy of auld . :otia in the civil war. The nucleus of this command was a company called the Highland Guard, which, with uniforms pat- terned after those of the 1 Hack Watch, used to delight the eyes of the Scotch residents of New York in the fifties. The regiment was practically organized in 1861 and promptly offered its services to the national Government. It was accepted, and it fought through the entire strug- gle, " fighting more battles and marching more miles than any other New York regiment," as the State record sums up its story. Its first Colonel, Cameron, was killed at the first battle of Bull Run, and it was afterward com- manded by several noted officers. On the conclusion of peace the regiment returned to New York, was mustered out of service and at once enrolled as a State regiment of militia. It was finally mustered out in 1875, when under the command of Col. Joseph Laing, a native of Edinburgh, and a good soldier. The deeds of this gallant regiment have been fully told in a portly volume, and thus a knowledge of the details of its campaigns is fairly on record and can be read by all Scots who desire addi- tional topics for illustration of Scottish heroism on American soil. Probably the central figure of the Seventy-ninth High- landers — tlie fighting Seventy-ninth — during the war was Col. David Morrison, who died in New York m February, 1896. Plis career is an illustration of that of hundreds of good men who took up arms in response tc the call from Washington at the outbreak of the civil war. David Morrison was bom r.t Glasgow in 1823, and W INTRODUCTORY. 37 learned the trade of a brassfouiider. After a sliort i erni in the I'ritish Army, Morrison settled in New York and soon started in business. When the war broke out he went with the Seventy-ninth to the front as one of its Captains, and steadily rose until he was made Colonel, and connnanded the regiment. He proved a brilliant leader and his personal bravery was beyond question. His men loved him, trusted him, and executed whatever order he gave uncjuestioningly, and he was the personal friend of every man who marched under the Seventy- ninth's banners. He, with the regiment, and while acting as commander of a brigade, took part in many battles and skirmishes, and the story of their campaigns is one of the most wonderful in the history of the conflict. When the struggle was over, Col. Morrison returned to New York with the brevet rank of Brig^adier General, and again resumed his business, prospering day after day — as he deserved. Except to attend a meeting of the Seventy- ninth veterans, or a St. Andrew's Society dinner, he de- voted his spare time to his home and family, and was rarely seen at public gatherings. But he gave away liberally in charity, and many a war veteran was helped over an emergency by his thoughtful generosity. " A brave soldier, a good man, and a Christian gentle- man " was what one of his comrades said in speaking of his merits when the news of his death became public, and a whole volume of anecdote could not more fittingly or truthfully describe the man. We give one anecdote, as it occurred long after the tie between Gen. Morrison and the Seventy-ninth had be- come merely one of sentiment, and shows that his heart continued warm to his old conu'adcs until the end, for the incident occurred only a few years before his death. " A year or two ago," says our informant, writing in 1896, "■ the members of old St. Andrew's Division in the course of their temperance work, learned of the case of an old member of the Seventy-ninth Regiment who was steadily ' going down into the depths ' from a love for liquor. The man held a fair social position, had a lux- r 38 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. i!! .1 uriously furnished home, a good business, and but for * the drink ' would have had a happy hfe all round. The St. Andrew's men who were interested in the case plead- ed with the man, but to no avail. Then it was suggested that Gen. Morrison should be told of the matter and his aid invoked. The trouble was laid before him and he at once willingly volunteered to accompany the division folk on a night that was designated. When the night arrived, however, it was feared that the General would not turn up. It was one of those Winter evenings when it was raining one minute, freezing the next, and with an interval of sleet between. The streets were slippery, the rain was drenching, and those who knew how fond Gen. Morrison was of his home did not believe it possible that he would venture out. But, exact to the moment agreed upon, he turned up at the home of the then head of the division, Mr. Thomas Cochrane, plumber, a native of Glasgow, and when wonder was expressed at his pres- ence under the circumstances he said he felt that a duty had been assigned to him and it would take queer weather to make him fail. It was not long before wc were in the home of the man we were trying to aid, and without any preliminary fencing, the General quietly opened fire. He did not say much, but what he did say was so sincere, so evidently from the heart, that in a very short time the man was in tears and promised not only to abstain, but to join the division. We do not wish to repeat what was said, for the proceedings were private, but we never heard a shorter or better temperance lect- ure than the General gave. It was practical, kindly, and touching, After the promise was given we spent a very happy night, and when we were escorting the General to the cars he expressed the pleasure he would feel if he thought he had been of service, and said St. Andrew's Division had a right to call on him or any one else to help in its work. Perhaps had New- York contained more Scotsmen of his stamp the division might have been alive to-day. The strange thing was that none of us ever questioned whether Gen. Morrison was himself a teeto- INTRODUCTORY. 39 taller or not. We had implicit faith that he would help us to do what was right and that such a faith existed is as green a wreath as can be placed on the grave where now, alas! rest his honored remains." It is interesting to know how widely scattered become the members of a connnand like the Seventy-ninth after fighting together for nearly four years in defense of the Union. The veterans' organization of the old soldiers of the regiment numbers i68 members at present. The number is decreasing yearly, but that, in the nature of things, is to be expected. The following notes of the present whereabouts and standing of several of the best known of the veterans is taken from the ** New York Scottish-American," the information being called forth in connection with the death of Gen. Morrison, " Col. Joseph Laing was Captain of G Company when the regiment first went to the front. He was wounded on several occasions — once severely — and his comrades are unanimous in bearing testimony to the pluck and soldierly qualities he shewed on the field. His place of l3usiness, at the corner of Fulton and Water Streets, this city, where he is an engraver and print-seller, has long been a house of call, both for old members of the regiment and soldiers belonging to other corps. Col. A. D. Baird is a prosperous citizen of Brooklyn. A few years ago he was the Re- publican candidate for Mayor, and at present he is a Commissionei for the new East River bridge Along with his son, he carries on extensive stone works in the Eastern District. He is, now that Gen. Morrison has gone, the association's best friend. Capt. Robert Armour, again, is at the head of an important bureau in the Quar- termaster's Department of the War Ofilice at Washing- ton. Mr. Crammond Kennedy, the Chaplain of the regi- ment, who was once known as the " boy preacher," now practices law with success at the national capital. Major Hugh Young, who is a resident of this city, has acquired a competency from a patent of his invention which is used in all stone yards. Dr. David McKay has a good 40 THE SCOT IN AMF:RICA. ft !S practice as a physician in Dallas, Texas, and Dr. Charles E. Locke is the owner of silver mines in Colorado, and a member of the State Senate. Lieut. D. G. P'alconer, who lost a leg in the war, is a prominent lawyer in Lex- ington, Ky. Mr. Thomas Moore, who was President of the association when it visited Louisville, is a manu- facturer of horse collars in Pearl Street, this city. He is prominent in the Masonic fraternity, and has been hon- ored with some high offices in the brotherhood, being at present Trustee of its hall and asylum. William Webster, who was a private in the regiment, went after the war to the Old Country, and became a Captain in the Cold- stream Guards, a position which he only recently re- signed. Mr. John Spence, who was also a private, has a large and profitable plumbing business in the upper part of this city. Sergt. James McLean is a manufacturer of ice-boxes and butchers' fixtures, his works being in Elev- enth Avenue. Private John H. Grant was for more than twenty-five years a police Sergeant, and is now Acting Captain at One Hundred and Twenty-fifth Street. Sergt. Major Joseph Stewart, having faithfully served the city for more than twenty years in the Police Department, is now a retired Sergeant, and a respected and trusted em- ploye of the Nassau Trust Company of Brooklyn. A good number of the other members also reside in this city and neighborhood, among them Adjt. Gilmour, is connected with the business of his father-in-law, the late Gen. Morrison; Capt. John Glendinning is employed by the Board of Works, Capts. Thomas Barclay, F. W. Judge, and Robert Gair live in Brooklyn; Capt. William Clark is employed in the Post Ofifice here, Lieut. John S. Dingwall resides up town, and Mr. J. S. Martin, popu- larly known as ' Crackers,' keeps his comrades in a state of merriment at all their social gatherings. Mr. Malcolm Sinclair, who was well known here, is now at Cumberland, Md. The rest of the veterans are scattered far and wide over the countrv. There are a good number in Staten Island, several in Chicago, some in the Soldiers' Homes at Hampton, Va., Kearny, N. J., or elsewhere. INTRODUCTORY. 41 Some are living" happily with their friends the enemy down in Dixie, while Middletown, Conn.. Syraeuse, X. Y., Auburn, Neb., Denver, Col., Davenport, Iowa, Pitts- burg-li, Penn., Sterling, Kan,, and various other places are among the addresses found on tlie roster. Wherever they are they are all animated by one feeling — that of pride in the record of their old regiment. ' The names mentioned in this rambling introductory chapter will give an idea of the ramifications and ways through which the history of the Scottish race in Amer- ica is to be traced. The men we have already spoken of are mainly random instances, but all, even the Scoto- Indian chiefs, did something toward making the country what it is to-day. As we proceed we will find much more direct and important examples of the influence of the nationality and of the good work that influence accom- plished. It is a knowledge that Scotsmen have done their sliare in building up the great Republic that makes them proud of its progress and inspires them to add to its glories and advantages in every way. Scotsmen, as a nationality, are everywhere spoken of as good and loyal citizens, while Americans who can trace a family residence of a century in the country are proud if they can count among their ancestors some one who hailed from the land of Burns, and it is a knowledge of all this, in turn, that makes the American Scot of to-day proud of his country's record and his citizenship and impels him to be as devoted to the new land as it was possible for him to have been to the old had he remained in it. In A.merica, the ol I traditions, the old blue flag with its white cross, the oUl Doric, are not forgotten, but are nourished, and preser/ed, and honored, and spoken by Scotsmen on every side with the kindliest sentiments on the part of those to whom they are alien, Americans know and ac- knowledge that the traditions and flag and homel;. speech have long been conserved to the development of that civil and religious liberty on wdiich the great con- federation of sovereign republican States has been found- ed. In the United States, Sir Walter Scott has more read- t'Vt-i 'J ru m m IF 42 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. trs and quite as enthusiastic admirers as in Scotland, and if Americans were asked which of the world's poets came rearest to their hearts, the answer would undoubt- edly b( — Robert Burns. CHAPTER IT. PIONEERS. AS might be expected of a race which began, so far as we know to the contrary, in Greece, sojourned in Egypt, Portugal, and other places, and at present has its headquarters in the northern portion of the island of Great Britain, the Scots early began to turn their at- tention to America. Indeed, it has been gravely argued that America was really discovered long before Colum- bus was heard of by a band of Scotch mariners who were driven by stress of weather on the coast of New- foundland, and a full account of the discovery now re- poses in the '* transactions " of some learned society. It is alleged that the mariners' boat was too much battered by the waves to be of any more practical service out at sea, and as the Scots got a hearty welcome from the natives they concluded there was no use of struggling with wind and weather any longer and they settled down, were adopted by the aborigines, and married among them. The Captain, as was natural, married a princess. Most all Europeans of whom we have record who mar- ried into Indian families got princesses for their brides, and from that we infer that princesses were more plenti- ful than were young women of ordinary degree. Had the Captain only written home an account of the ad- ventures of himself and his crew, what priceless docu- ments the epistles would have been to-day! His name would have been revered as the discoverer of America, while we would have been erecting statues in his honor and celebrating his anniversary! But he missed his op- portunity, and, as Scotsmen, Scotsmen abroad especially, 43 II iiii i; 44 THR SCOT IN AMERTCA. I I very seldom do tliat, \vc are rather inclined to doubt the whole story. ]\lr. J. M. Le Moine, in his interesting paper on '* The Scot in New France," suggests that among Cartier's crew, when that discoverer made his first acquaintance with Canada, were several Scots seamen. *' Heme, Henrv," he savs, " seems to us an easv transmutation of Henr}^ Ilerue, or Hervey." Again, in reference to an- other, he remarks that *' Michel Heme sounds mightily in our ears like Michael Harvey, one of the Murray P>ay Harveys of Major Nairn." With reference to the facility with which names may be changed or adapted to cir- cumstances, ]\Tr. Le Moine gives an illustration which came under his own observation. " We once knew, at Cap Rouge, near Quebec, a worthy Greenock pilot whose name was Tom Everell. In the next generation a singular change took place in his patronymic ; it stood transformed thus: Everell Tom. Everell Tom in the course of time became the respected sire of a numerous progeny of sons and daughters — Jean Baptiste Tom, Norbert Tom, Henriette Tom, and a variety of Cther Toms." In the same interesting monograph, Mr. Le Moine brings to our notice a veritable Scotch pioneer in the following words : " Who has not heard of the King's St. Lawrence pilot, Abraham Martin dit TEcossais — Abraham Martin alias the Scot. Can there be any room for uncertainty about the nationality of this old salt — styled in the Jesuits' ' Journal ' ' Maitre Abraham,' and who has bequeathed his name to our world-renowned battlefield (the Plains of Abraham). * * * The ex- haustless research, of our antiquarians has unearthed cu- rious particulars about this Scotch seafaring man — the number, sex, and age of his children; his speculations in real estate; his fishing ventures in the Lower St. Law- rence. Sometimes we light on tid-bits of historical lore anent Master Abraham not very creditable to his mo- rality. Once he gets into chancery; as there is no ac- count of his being brought to trial, let us hope the PIONEERS. 45 ^y Moine in the King's ossais — room salt— m,' and nowned The ex- iled cu- an — the tions in t. Law- al lore liis mo- no ac- )pe the charge was imfoundcd — a case «>i l)lackniail originated l)y sonic ' loose and disorderly ' character of that period or bv a spiteful pc^licenian. On September 8, 1664. the King's pilot closed his career at the ripe age of seventy- five." There is, however, something mythical and unsatis- factory in all we know of this industrious and enterpris- ing personage, and we turn with satisfaction to consider a greater man in every respect, although by a curi- ous freak of fortune his name has not been immortalized l)y any world-renowned landmark like the Plains of Al)rahani. This was the Earl of Stirling, in many ways one of the most extraordinary men of his time, a man who was restless in his activity, who won fame in many walks of life, who was one of the most extensive land- owners of which the world has any knowledge, yet wIk^ died poor — a bankrupt. William Alexander was born at Menstrie, Stirlingshire, in 1580. Throngh the intiu- ence of the Argyll family he obtained a position at Court, and became tutor to Prince Henry, eldest son of James \T. He soon won the good graces of the sovereign by his learning, his shrewdness, and his poetical abilities, and when the crowns of Scotland and England were unit- ed Alexander followed the King to London. That Alex- ander enjoyed much poj)ular favor and high reputation (hiring his lifetime as a poet is undoubted, although few except students of literature venture to read his produc- tions now. They are heavy, discursive, and, with the exception of a few of his sonnets and his " Paraenesis to Prince Henry," rather monotonous. But the evidence tliat he W'as a slave to the mannerisms and affectations of the age cannot blind us to the fact that he was really possessed of a rich share of poetic ability. With his poet- ical writings or his merits as a poet, however, we have nothing to do in this place, nor do we need to discuss the question as to whether or not he wrote King James's " Psalms," or even the nature of his statesmanship as exemplified in his official relations wath his native coun- try. We have to deal with him simply as a colonizer — fl;,it i| 40 THE SCOT IN AMERTOA. one of tlic first to colonize America. His career at Court may he summed up by mentioning; that lie vas knighted in 1609, created Lord Alexander of Tullibody and Vis- count Stirling;- in 1630, J'Larl of Stirling and Viscount Canada in 1633 and Earl of Dovan in 1639. A year later he died. Lord Stirling found that the English were striving to establish colonies on the American seaboard, and thought, like the patriot which he undoubtedly was, that his own countrymen should have a share in the rich lands across the sea. Early in 1621 he sent a petition to King James for a grant of territory in America on which he hoped to induce Scotsmen to settle. " A great number of Scotch families," he told his sovereign, ** had lately emi- grated to Poland, Sweden, and Russia," and he pointed out that '' it would be ecjually beneficial to the interests of the kingdom, and to the individuals themselves, if they were permitted to settle this valuable and fertile portion of His Majesty's dominions." The petition was granted by the King — probably that was satisfactorily arranged be'"^re it had been committed to paper — and indorsed by the Privy Council. When these formalities had been gone through, Lord Stirling entered on formal possession of what is now mainly in- cluded in Nova Scotia, I^'ew r>runswick. Prince Edward Island, a goodly portion of the State of Maine and of the Province of Quebec. This territory was to be known as New Scotland — Nova Scotia the charter dignifiedly called it — and over it the new owner and those acting for him were supreme even to the establishment of churches and of courts of law. For some reason, not now exa* lly known, Lord Stirling at once handed over a pa o his new dominion to Sir Robert Gordon of Lochi That part is known as Cape Breton, but it was theii iven the more national name of New Galloway. Sir William Alexander, to give Lord Stirling the name by which he is probably best remembered, sent out his first expedition to colonize New Scotland in March, 1622. These pioneers, with the exception of an adventur- Ii!| PTONKERi^. 47 ous clcrj^vman. were of the liunihlest class of apfriciiltural laborers, and only a sinsj^le artisan — a blacksniith^ — was atnon^ them. Tlie vo\ai,'e was a rou^h one, and after si^htinj^ the coast of Cape i'.reton the enii^^rants were ;^dad to shai)e their course back to Newfoundland, where rhey spent the Winter. Next Spriuij^ Sir William, wht) had been advised of the failure of the first expediton, sent out another ship with colonists and provisions. The early reports of the land on which the new^ colony was to settle were conuuunicated to him by some of his peo- ple soon after they manajj^ed to get landed — which they (lid in the guise of an exploring party. These reports were submitted by him to the world, with all the attract- iveness of a modern advertising ex])ert, in his work enti- tled " An Encouragement to Colonies." The explorers described the* country they visited (mainly the coast of Cape lireton) as presenting '* very delecate meadowes, having roses white and red growing thereon, with a kit;d of wild Lilly, which hath a daintie smell." The ground " was without wood, and very good, fat earth, liaving several sort of berries growing thereon, as goose- berries, strawberries, hindberries, raspberries, and a kind of wine berrie; as also some sorts of grain as pease, some cares of wheat, barly, and rie growing there wilde. * * * They likewise found in every river abundance of lob- sters, cockles, and all other shel-fishes, and also, not only in the rivers, but all the coasts alongst, numbers of several sorts of wilde-fowle, as wild-goose, black Ducke, woodcock, crane, heron, pidgeon, and many other sorts of Foule which they knew not. They did kill as they sayled alongst the coast, great store of cod, with severall other sorts of great fishes. The countrie is full of woods, not very thick, and the most part Oake; the rest Firre, Spruce, Birch and some Sicamores and Ashes and many other sorts of Wood which they had not sene before." All this information so cunningly and attract- ely set forth by Sir William in his book of encourage- ment — which, by the way, had a map of the territory in which Scottish names are given to every point and sec- ^\i i < •IS rWl] WrUT IN AMi'MiU'A. linn ami rivor- failcMl lo nUracl svMKms. an< 1 tl 10 pi (1- I' ,1 jcv'or intiiul liMiisrll sniiu' ^().;mm) out of pocket by liis patriotism. To roinihutso him. ami at \\\c samo timr lo ,u\'\ a littlo to tlio royal trt asiiry. tlic ( )r(lor «»f I'aroiu'ts of X(na vScotia was fotimlrd. on tlu> pattern of the ( )r- «lo«- of lister. I'.ven this move was not snhstantially suecessful. althonmh the terms were leasonahie and the lands aeei>mpanyinL; the honor were " three mvles IntiK vpon the eoast and t(Mi mde vp int<» the eonntrie." We need not iollow the details i<\ Sir William's eolo- nizini; sehenie ariy futt'ner. They Ixdonj; reallv to the history oi Canada, h.aeh tailnre seeined to he eompen- satod for hv a fresh mtant of territory, and if we may believe a map issned lonj; after by one of the manv claim- ants for his hereditary titles and " land rii^hts " the Alex- ander family held " !\v ris;ht of charters." the sort of doenments winch the Duke of Argyll believes to be the most saored on earth, not only about the whole of Can- ada, but the States of Maine, Xew Hampshire, X'ermont, New N'ork, Massaehusetts. Khode Island, ( 'omiecticut, rennsylvania, ( )hio, Maryland, and an undef'meost(Mi Harbor in 1652. That there were Scots- men settled and tloin^- business — perhaps makin.q; sillar and meditatiui;: speeches about St. Andrew — before th.at time there is no doubt. Of the fact, indeed, there is plenty of evitlence, but these arrivals came in a body and un- der such sad circumstances that the earlv Scottisli-Amer- i ,« TMONIOFJIM. 40 iian history <»i llic tiiiir, csixri.-illy in New I'.tij^dand, ( lysialli/.'s alMMtl llicin. 'I'licy were prisMticrs nf war, (apltirrd by ('romwrH's forct's after the battle of l)uii bar. ami sinteneed to be trans)iorte(l to tlie Atneriean platitatioiis and sold as slaves. Ibis was done. Some ;i|)|>ear to have been traded off in New l''nj.;land for ;i term of years; others were sent t(» the West Indies. The ( nlire " iMij^o" was soon disposed of in one way *>r an- other, and for varions terms of servitude, and there were other eonsi^nntents of miforlunates about the same j)e- riod and for many years after sent to the New World. The John and Sara prisoners, however, stand ont in bold nnd ereditable relief from the re; t, as it was due tf) their pli^^ht that the Seots' Charitable Soeiety of I'.oston was estal)lishe«l in i^>57. The same class of prisoners, staunch, stern rresbvterianis were the foundirs of colonies capture by the French. On being released he was taken to Plymouth, England, and, being there found unfit for further service, was graciously discharged from His Majesty's service with six shillings in his pocket. His after career in his native land was full of startling inci- dents, but they do not concern us here. He died at Edin- burgh, in poor circumstances, in 1709. Some people might deny that Williamson was exactly a pioneer, as he did not betake himself to open up new fields, or of his own volition went into sections of the PIONEERS. 60 country whicli. prior to his tinu", had not l)ccn under the observation or tlie sway of white men. But he was there, nevertlieless, and his experiences and observations were of value in the struj^'j^le for possession then jj;'oinj; on. If we turn, liowever, to the careers of such men as l)onalil Mackenzie or Robert Stuart, we will meet with ])ioneers whose claim to the title not even the most fastidious in the choice of words and terms will affect to deny. A great deal of the adventures of these two men and of several other Scotch ])ioneers, is to be found in Washing- ton Irving's delightful work. " Astoria," which possibly presents a more grapliic and truthful description of old American frontier life than any otlier volume. Donald Mackenzie was born in Scotland in 1783, spent his early manhood in the service of the Northwest Company, and became one of the partners in Astor's American Fur Company, mainly because promotion in the other con- cern was slow, and under new conditions and auspices he saw a chance of bettering his prospects. Like most of the other Scots who joined Mr. Astor as partners in the new company, he apprehended that he might be called upon to talse part in opposition to his o\\ n coun- trymen, but the fact that the l^ritish Minister to the United States, to whom the wdiole matter had been pri- vately submitted by two of the Scotch partners, saw no reason why men owning allegiance to the British flag should not take part in an American expedition to trade in a territory which was at that time no-man's land, quieted his scruples, as it did that of the others. Irving tells us that prior to joining the Astor Company, Mac- kenzie " had been ten years in the interior in the service of the Northwest Company and valued himself on his knowledge of ' woodcraft ' and the strategy of Indian trade and Indian warfare. He had a frame seasoned to toils and hardships, a spirit not to be intimidated, and was reputed to be a remarkable shot, which of itself was sufficient to give him renown on the frontier." His ad- ventures are fully related in the pages of " Astoria," and, indeed, if the doings of Stuart, Mackenzie, Mackay, and i \r\i\ fl aii I'H T 60 THE SCOT IN AMEniCA. other Scots were taken out of that book, its subject mat- ter would occupy ouly a few pa^es. Mackenzie seems to hare been intended by nature for a pioneer. Mis soul rev- elled in the trackless woods; lie knew no sense of fatij^ue or fear, was perfectly hapi)y with each day's work, had no care for the future, took a delight in getting the best of the Indians in any transaction, warlike or peaceful; was always ready for any expedition, no matter how hopeless it seemed, and had tliat degree of chivalrous daring which was most likely to inspire admiration in the hearts of friend'; and foes alike. An instance is given so graphically in Irving's narrative that we cannot for- bear cjuoting it here, although that volume is happily still widely read. A ritle belonging to one of Macken- zie's associates was held as a trophy in an Indian village after its owner had fallen into the hands of the redskins. Being near that same village with a small party, Mac- kenzie determined to make an attempt to recover the rifle, and along with two of his men, who volunteered to accompany him, started on his dangerous mission. '* The trio," wrote Irving, '* soon reached the opposite side of the river. On landing, they freshly primed their rifles and pistols. A path, winding for about a hundred yards among rocks and crags, led to the village. No notice seemed to be taken of their approach. Not a soli- tary being — man, woman, or child — greeted them. The very dogs, those noisy pests of an Indian town, kept silence. On entering the village, a boy made his appear- ance and pointed to a house of larger dimensions than the rest. They had to stoop to enter it. As soon as they had passed the threshold, the narrow passage behind them was filled up by a sudden rush of Indians, who had before kept out of sight. Mackenzie and his compan- ions found themselves in a rude chamber of about twenty-five feet in length and twenty in width. A bright fire was blazing at one end, near which sat the chief, about sixty years old. A large number of Indians, wrapped in buffalo robes, were squatted in rows, three deep, forming a semi-circle round three sides of the IMONKKRS. Gl room. A siiipj-lc p^lancc sufficed to show tlicni the Rrim and danpfcrous assembly into wliicli llicy had intruded, and that all retreat was cut off by the niass which blocked up the entrance. The chief pointed to the vacant side of 'Jic room, opposite the door, and motioned for them to take their seats. They complied. A dead pause ensued. The grim warriors around sat like statues, each muffled in his robe, with his fierce eyes l)ent on the intruders. The latter felt they were in a perilous predicament. ' Keep your eyes on the chief while 1 am addressing- him,' .said IMackenzie to his comi)anions. ' Should he give any sign to his band, shoot him and make for the door.' ]\Tackenzie advanced and offered the pipe of peace to the chief, but it was refused. He then made a regular speech, explaining the object of their visit and proposing to give in exchange for the rifle two blankets, an axe, some beads, and tobacco. When he had done the chief arose, began to address him in a low tone, but soon be- came loud and violent, and ended by working himself up into a furious passion. He upbraided the white men for their sordid conduct in passing and repassing through their neighborhood without giving them a blan- ket or any other article of goods merely because they had no furs to barter in exchange, and he alluded with menaces of vengeance to the death of the Indian killed by the whites in the skirmish at the falls. Matters were now verging to a crisis. It was evident the surrounding savages were only waiting a signal from the chief to rush on their prey, Mackenzie and his companions had grad- ually risen to their feet during the speech, and had brought their rifles to a horizontal position, the barrels resting in their left hands; the muzzle of Mackenzie's piece was within three feet of the speaker's heart. They cocked their rifles; the click of the locks for a moment suffused the dark cheek of tlic savage, and there was a pause. They coolly but promptly advanced to the door; the Indians fell back in awe and suffered them to pass. The sun was just setting as they emerged from the dangerous den. They took the precaution to keep along '11 '■>■ 62 THE PCOT TN AMERICA. the tops of the rocks as niiicli as possible on their way back to the canoe and readied the cani]) in safety, con- gratukitinij;' tlicniselvcs on their escape and feeHn^i; no desire to make a second visit to the j^l'rini warriors of Wish-ram." After a hfe of sucli adventure it is wonderful to record that Mackenzie sjjent a short season of repose before lie died a.i >.laysville, N. Y., in 1851. Stuart was a man much superior, intellectually, to Mackenzie, althou£;h he had all his qualities of hardi- hood, daring-, and an ecpial experience of frontier life. He was born at Callander in 1785, a scion of one of the recognized septs of tlie Stuarts, and the jj^randson of Alex- ander Stuart, Rob Roy's most bitter enemy. He crossed the Atlantic in 1806. Irving' describes him as " an easy soul and of a social disposition. He had seen life in Canada and on the coast of Labrador; had been a fur trader in the former and a fisheinian on the latter, and in the course of his experiences had made various ex- peditions with voyageurs. ]ie was accustomed, there- fore, to the familiarity Vvhich prevails l)etween that class and their superiors, and the gossipings which take place among- them when seated round a fire at their encamp- ments. Stuart was never so happy as when he could seat himself on the deck with a number of these men around him in camping style, smoke together, passing the pipe from mouth to mouth, after the manner of the Indians; sing old Canadian boat songs, and tell stories about their hardships and adventures, in the course of which he rivalled Sinbad in iiis long tales of the sea, about his fishing' e:q)loits ofif Labrador." This personage occupies a very prominent position throughout the vol- ume on Astoria, and, indeed, he was one of Mr. Astor's most trusted partners in that expedition. Particular care is devoted to relate his memorable journey across the con- tinent — he was the third to attempt such a task — which lasted from June, 181 2, until the middle of tlie following- year. I'\)r the details of tiiis journey the in(iuirer cannot do better than study the pages of Irving's book, and ^.%i tfti^ PIONEERS. ca ?a, [re In- ot there he will find much additional information about Scottish and other pioneers connected with early Ore- gon. In 1 819, Stuart left Oregon and settled at Mackinaw, Mich., where he continued to act as a fur trader and was appointed by the Federal Ciovernment Commissioner for the Indian tribes of the Northwest. In 1834 he settled in Detroit, and amonj^ other important of^ces, served as Treasurer of Michigan. His honesty was of the most scrupulous order, and when hi: died, at Chicago, in 1848, his loss was regretted by the Indian tri1)es over whom he had exercised authority, for they recognized in him a true friend, one whose word was his bond, and a man who was ever ready to further their welfare. Such a man deserves to be held in kindly remembrance. He was faithful to every trust imposed upon him. Whatever duty was intrusted to him was well done. His whole life had all the elements of romance, but its entire series of events were always controlled by some useful, practical purpose and of direct benefit lo the country of wliich he became a citizen. His devotion to the land of Ins adoption was re- produced in the career of his son, David, who was born at Brooklyn in 1816. Educated as a lawyer, he became very popular in public life and served in Congress, as one of the Representatives of Michigan, from December, 1853, to M^r'di; 1855. Then he reuioved to Chicago to become aiton.ey for the Illinois Central Railroad. In 1 861, v:hiv the war broke out, he vvent to the front as Colonel ){ the Fifty-fifth Illinois Infantry, and com- manded a brigade under Sherman. After l)eing wounded at vShiloh, he was laid aside from military service for a while, but soon leturned to active duty, and, being ap- pointed a Brigadier General of Volunteers performed brilliant service at CoriiUli and other places. At that time, however, political feeling ran higli, and, being a Democrat, Congress failed to confirm his appointment, so he retired from the urnw nnd resumed the practice of law at Detroit. He died there in 1868. The Scotch pioneers may be divided into three classes 04 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. — those whose efforts were cHrected to wholesale coloniz- \ng, those wlio braved the dangers and discomforts of the new land as individual settlers, and those who were simply explorers. In the first of these classes, a most noted figure is that of Thomas, fifth Earl of Selkirk — the l)rother of that Lord Uaer whose only title to remem- brance, or immortality, as some would say, lies in the fact that he invited Robert Burns to dinner, and that the latter wrote a poem about it. Lord Selkirk was born in ly/J, and in 1799 succeeded to his ancestral title and estates. Like nearly all the rest of his family, lie was possessed of much public spirit. He visited America in 1802-3, and was so strr.ck by the benefits which were likely to accrue to his countrymen tlirough organized im- migration that throughout his career he never ceased to advocate all measures tending to promote the settlement in Canada of Scotch colonies. His appearance while traveling in America is thus described in a letter written by Mrs. Thomas Morris; " I recollect a short visit from Prince Ruspoli, Grand Master 0( the Knights of Malta and in a few days from Lord Selkirk on his journey to visit a settlement he was forming in Canada — far to the north. He struck me as a reserved, diffident young man, almost austere in his dress, with heavy, dusty shoes tied with leather thongs; but then, to support his aristocratic pretcn«!es, he had a dandy servant, v/ho laid out his toilet like a lady's." His first experience as a colonizer, in Prince Edward Island, was very encouraging. In the history of that island by the late Duncan Campbell, we read: "The Earl of Selkirk brought out to his property about 800 souls. They v.cre located on land north and south of Point Prim, whicli had been previously occupied by French settlers, but a large portion of which was now again covered with wood and thus rendered difficult of cultivation. Many of His Lordship*s tenants became suc- cessful settlers." He also settled a colony in Kent, Onta- rio, which proved very pros]:)erous. Put the settlement by which Lord Selkirk is best re- membered in the annals of Catiada is that of the Red PIONEERS. 65 .1 ! I River colony, in what is now the Province of Manitoba. While residinjj in Montreal he heaid many stories of the wonderful fertility of the Northwest, and saw in that sec- tion an unlimited field for settlement. He bought largely of the stock of the Hudson Bay Company, and through the influence he thus acc|uired, he was enabled to induce that corporation to sell him a vast tract of land in the Red River Valley in 1811. The lands were fertile and eminently suited for an agricultural community. Nature had done everything possible to aid man to reap a rich harvest from the soil, and even the severity of the Win- ters had their advantages. The settlers, mainly from Kildonan, Sutherlandshire, arrived in the Fall of 1812, and vvere given holdings around Fort Garry — the site of which is now included in the thriving City of Winni- peg. It was a wild time. The rivalries of the different fur-trading companies often culminated in a fight in the settlement, and the Indians harassed the colonists' lives and destroyed their crops. The first Winter's experience disheartened many, and a memorable march was made by the faint-hearted ones back to civilization. Those who remained encountered many misfortunes and dis- asters, and we read that in a battle in June, 1819 — the battle of Seven Oaks — twenty of the colonists lost their lives. Then they had to abandon their holdings and were reduced to terrible straits. The Earl returned to America in 1817 and, learning of the troubles in the Red River Valley, started there with a small but sufificient force to re-establish his authority. This was successful, life and property were rendered safe, and the last vestige of the Indian claims on the lands was removed by a solemn treaty with the chiefs of the Salteaux and Cree tribes. Lord Selkirk died at Paris in 1821, and in 1836 the Hud- son P>ay Company repurchased the lands from his heirs for i84,ooo. From 181 7, however, Manitoba gradually advanced in population and importance, not by any " boom," but slowly and surely, and to-day it is one of the most progressive of the provinces in the Canadian federation. In its entire history Scotsmen crop out in GO THE SCOT IN AMERICA. every page and predominate in all the commercial, financial, nianufactnring, mining, educational, legisla- tive, and other interests over those of all other nationali- ties. The Mackenzie River, one of the great waterways of Northwestern (Canada — a navigable stream for over 800 miles from the Great Slave Lake to the Arctic Ocean — takes its name along with the name of the bay at its mouth from its discoverer. Sir Alexander Mackenzie. This indefatigable traveler was a native of Inverness, where he was born in 1755. He was a merchant in Cana- da, and after he became connected with the Northwest Fur Company, was able to indulge in his desire for ex- ploration. He traveled through the entire Northwest, penetrating over the Rockies to the Pacific, and told the story of his adventures and discoveries, notably that of the Mackenzie River, in 1789, in a modest sort of way in a work he published in 1801. In the following year he was knighted. Another Canadian merchant who be- came an explorer was Duncan McTavish, a native of Strathherrick, Inverness-shlrc. For twenty-four years he traveled through the Northwest in furtherance of the interests of the Northwest Company. He managed to win the entire confidence of the Indians, among whom his business transactions chiefly lay. While engaged in this service he anticipated one of the purposes of the Canadian Pacific Railway by conceiving the idea that the natural course of trade between the Orient and Europe was through Canada, and it was while making explorations with a view to mapping out a route for this trade that he was drowned, with six companions, near Cape Disappointment, on the Northern Pacific Ocean, in 181 5. The name of McTavish has been a prominent one in the history of the far Western Provinces of Cana- da. John George McTavish, one of the partners of the Northwest Company, was the conqueror at Astoria when that port had to be abandoned, and dictated the terms of surrender, although he did it on a liberal and honorable basis. Another of the same sept, William McTavish, who li i; PIONEERS. 67 left Scotland in 1833 and entered the Hudson Bay Com- pany as a clerk, became its cliief factor in 1852. After- ward, as Governor of Assiniboia and of Rupert's Land, he did much good work by tlic introduction of law and order into those then wild territories. He died in Liver- pool, while on a European trip in search of health, in 1872. Among the tliousands of Scotsmen whose labors and enterprise made the Hudson Bay Company as impor- tant as it was to the early discovery and development of Canada, and its dividends so satisfactory to tlie pockets of its stockholders, none held a higher place or did more good work than George Simpson. He was a native of Lochbroom, Ross-shire, and commenced his business career as a clerk in a merchant's of^ce in London. He there attracted the attention of Lord Selkirk, and through that nobleman's interest got an appointment in the serv- ice of the Hudson Bay Company. Early in 1820 Simpson sailed for Canada, and almost as soon as he reached Montreal started ofif to his post of duty in the then un- known lands around Lake Athabasca. His first Winter there was one of great privation, but he liked the work and saw in it an opportunity for a prosperous future. At that time the rivalry between the Hudson I'ay Com- pany and tlie Northwest Company was at its height, but Simpson acted with such energy that when, in 1821, the rivals pooled their issues, he was a])pointcd (jovernor of one of the departments. Lideed, it is asserted on good grounds that it was at his suggestion and through his diplomacy that the coalition of the rival companies was effected. Subsequently he was appointed Governor of Rupert's Land and General Superintendent of the Hud- son Bay Company's affairs. It was while holding tlic^ responsible positions that he promoted those schemes of discovery by which his name is most generally re- called. Lender his direction most of the Arctic coast was surveyed, and his lil)erality, liis aj)parcntly intuitive esti- mate of the capabilities of tlu> men he emplf»yo(l, or was associated with, or called to his assistance, and his good i: ' n , ! , .", : 3 i'l llli 68 THE SCOT IN AMKRICA. f \ judgment in planning the various expeditions he fitted out were rewarded with knighthood in 1841. In that year he made a tour round the world, an account of which he afterward published in two handsome volumes. Sir George's closing years were spent at Lachine, near Montreal, and he took a leading part in financial affairs in that city. His hospitality was unbounded, and only a few days before his death, in i860, he entertained the Prince of Wales in a manner befitting the heir to the British throne. This representative Scot had a brother, Alexander Simpson, who was a trusted official of the Hudson Bay Company, was for a long time afterward British Consul at Hawaii, and enriched the literature of travel by the compilation of several volumes descriptive of places he had seen. The intellectual genius, of the family, how- ever, was Thomas Simpson, a cousin of the two already mentioned. He was born at Ding vail in 1808, and had a brilliant career at Aberdeen University, where he won, among other honors, the Huttonian Prize. On complet- ing his studies, he went to Canada and entered the serv- ice of the Hudson Company. His immediate work seems to have been more scientific than commercial, however, and in 1836 he was placed in command of an expedition which succeeded in tracing the coast line from the mouth of the Mackenzie River to Point Barrow, and from the mouth of Coppermine River to the Gulf of Boothia. This expedition occupied over three years, and it was while returning from it. In 1840, that he was murdered by some Indians near Turtle River, He claimed in some of his memoranda and letters to have discovered a clear water passage between the Atlantic and the Pacific, and his claim was well founded, although the passage has been of no service to commerce. The dream of most of these Scotch explorers was to find a way for opening up a direct trade with India and China, either through Canada or by water. At that time railroads were still in the stages of early experiment, and a practical waterway would have settled the question, while a route across the i PIONEERS. 69 continent would have been more difficult, and as tedious and costly as the long voyage aroui.d the Cape, which it was hoped to avoid. Nowadays the Suez Canal and the transcontinental railroad systems have brought tiie East very much nearer to the commercial centres of Europe and taken all tlie practical interest out of the once burn- ing question of a Northwest passage. Another name connected with the New Canada is tliat of Sir James Douglas, who passed away at Victoria, British Columbia, in 1877. He was born in Demerara, British Guiana, of Scotch parents. His father died when James was a lad, and he went with an elder brother to Canada. There he entered the service of the Northwest Company and was soon recognized as one of its most adventurous and indomitable agents. When that com- pany consolidated with its great rival he was advanced to the dignity of chief factor. In that capacity he visited even the most distant and outlying posts of the company and became as well acquainted with the " primeval for- ests and everlasting hills " as the Indians themselves. His adventures were many and dangerous. Once, for instance, he was kept a close prisoner for six weeks by some Indians, and was so long prevented from reporting his whereabouts that he was supposed to have been killed by the red men, or to have died in the bush. In 1833 he became chief agent of the region west of the Rocky Mountains, and in 1851 was made Governor of the infant colony of Vancouver. In 1859, when Van- couver was made a Crown colony, he was appointed its Chief Executive by the Government, and made a Com- panion of the Bath. In 1863 he received the honor of knighthood, and a year later retired to private life to enjoy a few years of well-earned rest before answering to the last great call — the call that summons all men. We have said that one of Sir George Simpson's quali- fications as a successful administrator lay in his ability to judge of the capacity of the men over whom he had control. An instance of this is given in the career of one of his most trusted associates, that of Robert Campbell, 111 ! ! i i: f> V '.III V ml 70 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. who died at Winnipeg in 1890, at tiic ripe old age of eighty-six. Few adventurers attain such wealth of years, but it is noticeable of the Scotch pioneers in the Cana- dian Northwest that they vere a long-lived race, in spite of the hardships and privations and dangers through which they passed. Campbell was born in Perthshire and worked on his father's farm until his twenty-second year, when he entered the Hudson Bay Company's service. One of his first duties was to take part in an expedition to Kentucky to purchase a lot of sheep and convey them into the company's territory. The journey from Kentucky to Canada with the animals w^as a long and tedious one, and most of them died on the way. It was the result of his experiences on this trip that induced Campbell, long afterward, to import to Manitoba West Highland cattle, a breed which is better adapted for standing the climate than any other. In 1834 he became attached to the agency at Fort Simpson, and showed his mettle by volunteering to establish a post on Dease's Lake, a position of great danger, as the Indians there were in the service of Russian traders and bitterly op- posed to the incursions of the British adventurers. He held his position there in spite of jealousies and dangers, and made it fairly remunerative. Enough has been said to show the pioneer services of the Scottish race, and we leave that branch of our subject here, although it might be extended almost in- definitely. Such names as those we have dwelt upon, and hundreds of others that miarht be mentioned, are really part and parcel of the history of the Northwestern provinces, and when that history comes to be fittingly written, the names of these Scotch pioneers, traders, and merchants will certainly, if the history be an honest one, receive due and deserved prominence. Nor is the race extinct even yet. The pioneers are no longer fur traders, but Government surveyors, and year after year the im-s mense territory to the north of the settled strip along th^ great lakes is being made known to the world by a num- ber of hardy scientists, and such names among- them as PIONEERS. 7^ Gordon, Ogilvie, Ross, Robertson, and AlcLatchie are. sufficiently indicative that Scotland is still to the front in bringing a knowledge of the resources of Canada to the civilized world. It was one of these pioneers, Andrew R. Gordon, a native of Aberdeen, who first demonstrated the advisability of a railroad connection between Winni- peg and Hudson's Bay, and when his plans are carried out, as they are certain sooner or later to be, Manitoba will be in direct, cheap, and comparatively easy com- munication with Europe for at least six months in each year, while Winnipeg will rival Glasgow as a commer- cial centre. Nor is the spirit of colonizing yet dead. It is still help- ing to people Manitoba and other new Canadian prov- inces, and every now and again we hear of fresh colonies arriving from the old land and settling down on the far West in this country as well as in Canada, and even in some of the Southern States. Sometimes such colonies turn out disastrously, as did one or two that settled a few years ago in North Carolina, mainly because they were badly managed and because the ground selected was unfitted for cultivation. In short, the colonies failed because the colonists were the victims of land sharks, and had not taken the precaution of fully acquainting themselves with all the facts in the case. But such failures are exceptions, and these colonies are generally successful, even when they cast their lot in some of the older settled portions of the continent. In 1873 a colony was settled in Victoria County, New Brunswick, certain- ly not a part of Canada which is very extensively " boomed " for its fertility or its future. A recent visitor to the settlement writes: " The colony was organized by a Capt. Brown, belonging to Kincardineshire, who brought the people over in the Castilia, a steamer of which he was commander. A large proportion of these; colonists were from the Mearns, some from Aberdeen, Montrose, Forfar, Kirriemuir, and Glasgow. One man, I found, was from Inverarity, and his wife from Dundee. This lady told mc she had 1)een born and brought up in i if > ! V v. I;;; w , 1 1 ' ' ■1 H i I fit 'i; !,i 5 ■< 'I - :: ^ !, Ilj m\ ^E ' fl f: ■;(■■ i 7*^ THK SCOT IN AMERICA. Dundee, but had never been down the lcnp:th of the [Broughty] Ferry. Tliose who have been most success- ful and are the most contented are those who have been at farm service in the Old Country. Here, they say, they enjoy a degree of independence, comfort, and style of living which they never could have attained at home." Thus, among the pioneers of the American Continent, in all classes, dignified and humble, we find the Scot holding a position which is everywhere honorable to his nationality and helpful to the continent itself. His efforts have ever been on the side of law and order, have ever been on conservative lines, and have been accomplished with a disregard of personal danger worthy of the repre- sentative of a nation whose struggle for civil and re- ligious freedom has made personal heroism to be ac- cepted by the world as one of the most noted character- istics of the race. CHAPTER III. COLONIAL, GOVERNORS. ONE of the most interesting^ figures in tlie military service of King William III. and of Queen Anne was Lord George Hamilton Douglas, son of Duchess Anne of Hamilton and her husband, William, Earl of Selkirk, who was created Duke of Hamilton at her re([uest. Lord George was born in 1666 and was bred a soldier. In 1690 he was made a Colonel and two years later was in com- mand of the Royal Scots Regiment. His skill and bravery in the field, in Ireland and Elanders, commended him to King William, who awarded him the rank of Rrigadicr General, and in 1696 conferred on him the old Scotch title of Earl of Orkney. To complete his happiness, the King gave the wife of the new^ peer a grant of most of the private estates hi Ireland of King James II. Queen Anne was profuse in her favors to the Earl of Orkney, who served with distinction in her wars, under Marl- borough, and helped very materially to win such victo- ries as Blenheim, Ramillies, and Oudenarde. She com- missioned him a Lieutenant General, made him a Privy Councillor, a Knight of the Thistle, and he was one of the peers of Scotland who were returned to Parliament after the Union. King George I. continued the series of royal favors which marked the career of this favorite of fortune. He appointed him a " Gentleman Extraordi- nary " of the P»edchamber, an honorary of^ce which gave the Earl a position at Court; Governor of Edinburgh Castle, Lord Lieutenant of Lanarkshire, a Field Mar- shal, and he died at London in 1737, in possession of all his faculties and honors. 73 I I {'■{ '■' t. I. ..^... IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I ? ""^ 1 2.2 ■ 40 2.0 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 ^ 6" — ► Fliote)graphii Sciences Corporation €: #> 4C-^ V d >' A \\ .v*. 6^ <^ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14SS0 (716) 873-4503 74 THK SCOT IN AMERICA. Anotlier of the honorary offices held l)y this much favored inchvichial was that of Governor of X'irginia. The Earl of Orkney never saw America and knew nothing- of Virginia except its name, and probably cared little 'about it except for the emoluments his office as its Gov- ernor brought him. Such titular honors were very nu- merous in the history of the royal families of Europe, and America since its discovery has furnished a goodly share of them. If Lord Orkney did Virginia no good, he certainly did it no harm, and that, at all events, is more than can be said of many of those who tried their hands at serious statesmanship by muddling and marring its affairs. His possession of the office gives him a sort of left-handed claim to recognition in a work like this, although he more properly belongs to the story of the Scot in Europe, in which, indeed, his achievements and honors make him a striking figure. Hardly as much can be said of a later Governor of Vir- ginia, whose connection with the province was also merely titular, and who never saw it, although he served with the army in America. That was John Campbell, fourth Earl of Loudoun, whose rather inglorious mili- tary career in America, as commander in chief of the forces, lasted a little over a year, and was terminated by his sudden recall. He was appointed Governor in 1756, but his time in America was devoted entirely to his mili- tary duties. His transatlantic failure did not appaiently affect his standing at home, and he continued the recipi- ent of many honors until his death, in 1782. William Drummond, who was Governor of ** Albe- marle County Colony," was as active and aggressive in American affairs as the two personages just named were not. Drummond, who was a native of Perthshire, justly ranks as one of the earliest of American patriots. He took a prominent part in Nathaniel Bacon's insurrec- tion in 1676, an insurrection that was brought about by the insolence and pig-headedncss of Sir William Berke- ley, then Governor of Virginia, to which Albemarle County (North Carolina) was subject. Drummond, who COLONIAL GOVERNORS. 75 is described by Bancroft as a ** former Governor of North Carolina," did good work in that uprising in sup- porting the rights of tlie people, and, though he has been blamed for the part he took in the burning of James- town, it might bo pleaded that that act was, in the opinion of himself and his comrades, a grim necessity of war. When the insurrection was crushed by circum- stances which could not be foreseen, and Drummond was led a prisoner to the presence of Berkeley, that cow- ardly braggadocio said, exultingly: " You are very wel- come. I am more glad to see you than any man in \'irginia. You shall be hanged in half an hour." Glorifying in the part he had taken in the movement for individual liberty, Drummond met his fate like the brave man that he was, his only concern being about the future of his wife and children. So many lives were sacrificed in furtherance of the Governor's desire for revenge that even Charles II., who really valued no life but his own, exclaimed when the news was brought to him : " The old fool has taken away more lives in that naked country than I for the murder of my father! " Drummond's wife and little ones were thrust from their home and re- duced to actual want, their necessities being relieved only by the charitable kindness of the neighboring planters. The most notable of the Scottish Colonial rulers of Virginia in many ways was Alexander Spottiswood, who served as Lieutenant Governor from 1710 to 1722. He was a scion of a noted family — the Spottiswoods of Spottiswood in Berwickshire, the descent of which could be traced back to the time of Alexander III. One of his ancestors fell at Flodden, and another at the time of the Reformation adopted the new tenets, became one of the leaders of the Kirk, was Superintendent (a title that did not exactly mean Bishop, but rather something like fore- man minister,) of Lothian, and was very prominent in national and church affairs until a few years before his death, in 1581. The Superintendent's son became Arch- bishop of St. Andrews. The Archbishop's second son. ) ii I \ 76 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. Sir Robert Spottiswood, President of the Court of Ses- sions and Secretary of State for Scotland, was beheaded for his devotion to the cause of the royal family of Stu- art. One of the sons of this unfortunate statesman left Scotland to seek his fortune, and became physician to the garrison at Tangiers. Governor Spottiswood was the only son of this wanderer. Spottiswood entered the army in early life, and served in Flanders under Marlborough, with the utmost credit. He was severely wounded at Blenheim. Among his friends in the army was the Earl of Orkney, with whose name we opened this chapter, and when that nobleman was appointed Gov- ernor of Virginia he secured the selection of Spottis- wood as Lieutenant. He proved a wise ruler in his ex- ecutive relations, and probably was the most popular of all the representatives of the crown who ever adminis- tered the affairs of the province. His first act, that of promulgating the habeas corpus law, was in itself an opening wedge to a term of popularity, and he availed himself of it to the utmost. He conciliated the red men and tried to improve their condition. He promoted education, and was enthusiastic over the fortunes of the recently established William and Mary College. He gave considerable thought to agricultural improvement » and was especially anxious and helpful in improving the cultivation of tobacco, at that time Virginia's great ex- port and principal source of wealth. He also introduced the manufacture of iron into the province, and sought by the aid of exploring parties to give to the world a correct conception of its resources and extent. Under him Virginia enjoyed a period of great prosperity, and its importance in every way was gieatly augmented. Had all the Colonial Governors been men of his stamp and brains there would have been no Revolution, for the need would never have arisen. Perhaps the secret of Governor Spottiswood's success lay in the fact that he seems to have made up his mind to settle permanently in the country. He was not a car- pet-bagger in the modern sense, or a gentleman advent- i: COLONIAL GOVERNORS. 77 urcr, as that term was employed in the reign of good Queen Anne. He aimed to promote the best interests of the country, to preserve the peace within its bounds by conciHating all classes, by encouraging trade, and by protecting to the extent of his ability life, property, and personal liberty. He was a true patriot, and a true American citizen, and as his home was with the people he ruled, he had no temptation to grow rich at their ex- pense, that he might go elsewhere and have no further interest in the colony beyond the agreeable fancies of pleasant reminiscences. In many respects a Lieutenant Governor of a very different stamp was Robert Dinwiddie, who ruled over the destinies of Virginia from 1752 to 1758. He was born near Glasgow in 1690, his father being a me - chant in that city, and his mother the daughter of one of its magistrates. Dinwiddie has often been spoken of as the discoverer of George Washington, as he was the first to call the " Father of His Country " into the pub- lic service, but if he ever entertained any regard for Washington it did not last very long. The time during which Dinwiddie stood at the helm in Virginia was one that required the exhibition of the most statesmanlike qualities, and these Dinwiddie does not seem to have possessed. His mind was not of the comprehensive or- der; he could not look beyond the exigencies of the hour; he was fretful and spiteful, and more fond of ex- hibiting the powers than the graces of his office. Wash- ington Irving sums up his character in these stinging words, which seem to be a logical arraignment of his shortcomings if we may judge by the known facts in his career: " He set sail for England in 1758, very Httle re- gretted, excepting by his immediate hangers-on, and leaving a character overshadowed by the imputation of avarice and extortion in the exaction of illegal fees and of downright delmquency in regard to large sums trans- mitted to him by Government to be paid over to the province in indemnification of its extra expenses, for the disposition of which he failed to render an account. He 78 THK SCOT IN AMERICA. • ; was evidently a sordid, narrow-minded, and somewhat arrogant man; bustling rather than active; prone to meddle with matters of which he was profoundly igno- rant, and absurdly unwilling to have his ignorance en- lightened." It seems a pity for the sake of Dinwiddie's good name that he had not remained in Glasgow and ijecome a merchant, possibly a deacon, like his father and a bailie like his maternal grandfather. One of the titled (Governors of Virginia who was much more than a mere nonentity was John, fourth Earl of J^unmore. His family was an offshoot of the ducal one of Athol. He was destined for a military career, but was poor and unable to add much to his wealth by the chance of war, while his wife, though a daughter of the ancient house of Galloway, did not bring him any very tangible accession to his worldly goods. When, there- fore, he received the appointment, in 1770, of Governor of New York, he gladly accepted it, because he saw in the appointment a chance of increasing his personal re- sources. In short, he crossed over to America simply to make as much money as he could out of it, and without much concern as to whether or not the country was to be benefited by his services. It was, however, a period demanding the utmost tact and diplomacy, qualities Lord Dunmore either did not possess, or did not deem it worth his while, when he had the chance, to exhibit; and in these facts lie the causes for his ignoble American career, and the poltroonery, t'lie crime, the silliness by which it was most distinguished. The Revolutionary movement at the time of Lord Dunmore's arrival in America was approaching a crisis. Discontent was in the air, uneasiness was prevalent everywhere. But the Virsfinians were then loval to the crown, and a wise Governor should have strengthened that loyalty by every means in his power, instead of acting in a manner, as Lord Dunmore did, to deepen the discontent, to fan the flames of sedition and to drive the people into open revolt. Had his Lordship really been a statesman he had the opportunity while in America of doing yeoman serv- \ 1 I COLONIAL GOVERNORS. 79 ice for his sovereign, but his actions while in the coun- try failed to exhibit any signs of his possession of that (juality. He was for self first, last, and all the time, and when Virginia was too hot to hold him — he ran away. While in New York Lord Dunmore was very popu- lar, for his term of service did not last long enough to bring any of his ignoble (jualities to the front, but he seems to have attended strictly to his ** ain " business and acquired some 50,000 acres of land in the State. He was transferred to the much more valuable post of \'irginia in less tlian a year, and was heartily welcomed on liis arrival in his new sphere of usefulness. His first act bound liim closely to the hearts of the Virginians, for he indorsed cordially their remonstrances to the Home Government against the continuation of the slave trade. This popularity continued for two or three years, during which time he waxed rich in land and fees and concealed his personal schemes with the utmost craft. In 1774, when he was joined by liis Countess, the Assembly pre- sented her with an address of welcome, and got up a grand ball in her honor. When her daughter was born she named it V^irginia in honor of a province which had so warmly welcomed her. A year later the poor woman was glad to take refuge on a British vessel, as she con- sidered her life in danger at the hands of these same \^irginians. Lord Dunmore's troubles came on him all in a heap. He had had a little war with the red men, and had conducted it so successfully and had brought about such a favorable peace that the Legi.^lature gave him a sort of vote of confidence, in which his managenient of affairs was spoken of as " truly noble, wise, and spirited." His agents, however, were out trying to annex lands, and win fees, as far West as Cincinnati, and some even operated on the soil of Pennsylvania, inviting trouble and complaint from that quarter. Then, when the troubles with the home country were elsewhere ap- proaching a crisis, he precipitated the outbreak in Vir- ginia by seizing the powder stored in Williamsburg, by his arrogant manner, by his threatening to arm the ne- : i II ! I' i I ': SO THE SCOT IN AMERICA. groes and the Indians against the white residents, and by several other unwise sayings and doings. It is not to be wondered at that Lady Dunmore was soon joined on the vessel in which she had taken refuge by her hus- band, himself a fugitive, and that Virginia quickly threw oflf her allegiance and ranged herself on the side of the Revolutionists. The rest of Dunmore's American story is equally contemptible. His wanton destruction of Norfolk cannot be defended on grounds either of mili- tary necessity or the demands of statesmanship, and when he finally returned to Britain, it was with anything but the record of a hero. But his prestige does not ap- pear to have suffered, although it might truly be said that his foo'jhness and personal greed had lost Britain a province. He continued to be elected to Parliament by his brother peers of Scotland, and in 1787 he was sent to the Bahamas as Captain General and Governor, and there resided, an inoffensive figurehead, for several years before he returned home again to adorn society until his death, in 1806. It is refreshing to turn from such a personage to recall the nobler career of George Johnstone, who was nom- inated in 1763 Governor of Florida, when that colony was ceded by Spain to Great Britain. Johnstone, who belonged to the family of Johnstone of Westerhall, was a Captain in the Royal Navy, a hero in every sense of the word, and a capable man of affairs, as was abund- antly proved by his course in Florida, and his career in Parliament. In 1778 he was one of the Commission- ers sent out by the British Government to try and re- store peace in America, and was noted as being out' spoken in his sympathy with the American people, and in his condemnation of the wrongs which had driven them into revolt. But events had by that time pro- gressed so far that peace could only be procured through independence or annihilation, and so the commission ac- complished no practical result, but Johnstone, by a cu- rious turn in his thoughts and sympathies, then changed his ideas of the American people and thenceforth was COLONIAL GOVERNORS. 81 among their bitterest detractors. Ciov. Johnstone'.s term of oftice is additionally interesting in that it was the means of bringing James Macpherson, the translator of Ossian, to the country, although only for a short time. In Mr. llailey Saunders's interesting monograph on that literary hero, we read: '* In October (1763) one Ckorge John.stonc was gazetted Clovernor of the Western Prov- inces and ordered to Pensacola. Like most of the other American (iovernors, Jolmstone was a Scotchman. Mac- pherson was offered an appointment as his secretary, and, in addition, the posts of President of the Council and Surveyor (leneral. It was a strange shift in the breeze of his fortune, and of the reasons which led him to yield to it we have no knowledge. He may have resented the treatment which he was receiving from men of letters in London, or he may have found himself in pecuniary or other difficulties. Certain it is, that in the early part of the following year, he set his sails for America. He was absent about two years, but only a portion of that time was spent at Pensacola, for he soon cjuarrelled with his chief and departed on a visit to some of the other prov- inces. After a tour in the West Indies he returned in 1766. As Surveyor General, he had received a salary of i200 a year. In a day when pensions formed a larger part of the machinery of the State than at present, Mac- pherson was allowed to retain it for life on the condition, so far as can be gathered, that he should devote himself henceforth to political writing." America seems, however, to have made little impression on the hero of the Ossianic controver.sy, if we may estimate the extent of that im- pression by his silence. A notable and lovable, and, in every way commend- able, career was that of Gabriel Johnston, who was Gov- ernor of North Carolina from 1734 till his death, in Chowan County, in that State, in 1752. Little is known of his early career in Scotland except that he was bom there in 1699 ^^^^ that he studied medicine at St. Andrews Uni- versity, but he had a predilection for the study of lan- guages and never practiced. Instead, he became Professor I ''' Hi ■I li 1 ) ■I , ■I »• 83 THK SCOT IN AMKHICA. ■« ii :l i of Oriental Lang^uagcs at St. Andrews, and taught for several years. Tlien he removed to London and became a literary hack, his most notable employment being un- der Lord liolingbroke on the latter's periodical, '* The Craftsman." Johnston crossed the Atlantic in 1730, in- tending to settle in America, and three years later, through the influence of the Karl of Wilmington, he was appointed Lieutenant (lovernor of Xorth Carolina, and showed his gratitude, among other ways, by naming the town of Wilmington after his benefactor. Johnston's life here was one of peacefulness. His administration was in every way wise and beneficent, and, although even in his time there were murmurs against the Home ( iovernment, he kept his charge well in hand and thorougiily loyal to the Crown. (3ne of his first acts as Governor was to urge upon the Colonial Assembly the need of making pro- vision for a thorough school system, and in educational matters he took a deep personal interest to the end. It was during his administration, too, that the great influx of Scotch Highlanders took place into North Carolina. Thousands of these people settled in the Counties of Bladen, Cumberland, Robeson, Moore, Richmond, and Hamet, among others, and their descendants predomi- nate in these sections till the present day. At Gov. Gabriel's suggestion, his brother, John Johnston, crossed to America from Dundee in 1736, and settled in North Carolina. Among the rest of this man's family was a child who had been born in Dundee three years before. J'his was Samuel Johnston, afterward a noted figure in the history of the State. At the Governor's suggestion, Sam- uel studied for the bar, and in a short time after he had passed was in possession of a large practice. When he grew to manhood he knew no other country except that in which he had been raised, and was one of the earliest to earn the title of patriot. When the troubles with the mother country began to lake practical shape, Samuel Johnston was one of the trusted leaders of the Americans in the State. In 1775 he was elected Chairman of the Provincial Council, and as such, by force of circum- COLONIAL (lOVKUNORS. 88 stances, whicli need not be enlarged upon here, virtually ( lovernor of the State. IWmeroft says ol him at this junct- ure : " On the waters of Albemarle Sound * * * the movement I for freedom, or at least a renujval of oppres- sion) was assisted by tlie writings of young James Ire- dell, from ICngland, by the letters and counsels of young Joseph Ilewes, and l)y the calm wisdom of Samuel John- ston, a native of Dundee, in Scotland, a man revered for his integrity, thoroughly opposed to disorder and revolu- tion, if revolution could be avoided without yielding to oppression." When the die was finally cast and absolute separation from the mother country was demanded. John- ston did not Hindi, but cast in his lot with those who de- manded independence. He was a member of the Conti- nental Congress in 1781 and 1782, was elected Governor of his State in 1788, served four years in the Senate of the United States, and from 1800 to 1803 was a Justice of the Supreme Court of the Cnited States. He closed his long, useful, and patriotic career at Edenton, North Carolina, in 1 81 6, and his memory is yet one of the greenest in that beautiful State. liesides furnishing ir these later days a popular Gov- ernor General to the Dominion of Canada, in the person of the Marquis of Lome, the house of Argyll has given at least two Governors to territories south of the St. Law- rence. One of these was Lord William Campbell, youngest son of the fourth Duke of Argyll. He served in the Royal Navy and held the rank of Captain when, in 1766, he was appointed Governor of Nova Scotia. He arrived at Hali- fax on Nov. 27 of that year, and at once assumed control of affairs. He proved a satisfactory, if not a brilliant administrator and enjoyed the confidence of the people. He faithfully carried their representations to the Home Government and preserved the relations of the colony to the mother country unimpaired. He was watchful over the morals of the people, too, and in one of his orders he peremptorily forbade public horse racing at Halifax on account of its tending to " gambling, idleness, and im- morality." In 1763 he married Sarah Izard, belonging to . 84 THE SCOT IN AMKKICA. f ' a wealthy South CaroHna family, and sister of ihat Ralph Izard who became distinguished as ai; /imencan patriot, as a warm friend and unwavering: supporter of Washing- ton, and as the first representative of South Carolina in the United States Senate. It was his union with this lady that led, in one way or another, to his receiving the appointment, in 1775, of (lovernor of South Caro- lina, and thither he removed in that year. Before he left Xova Scotia he was presented with an address of thanks from the Legislature, extolling his career as Clovernor and regretting that circumstances should sever their pleasant relations. Lord William was probably not very long at his new sphere of duty ere he joined in that re- gret. The Commonwealth was really in a state of re- bellion when Lord William arrived, and the address which the Provincial Council addressed to him on that occasion must have sounded strange in his ears. *' No lust of independence," it said, ** has the least influence upon our councils; no subjects more sincerely desire to testify their loyalty and affection. We deplore the measures which, if persisted in, must rend the British Empire. Trusting the event to Providence, we prefer death to slavery." What was wanted in such a crisis was a policy of conciliation, an exhibition of statesmanship. Lord William tried an opposite policy and appears to have been utterly destitute of the necessary qualities to guide a statesman in a storm. His supercilious contempt for the claims and opinions of the Carolinians helped only to embitter them still more. He held out no hope of relief or remedy in connection with the wrongs which had driven them to take the stand they did. In place of trying to adjust these wrongs, to soften the people's thoughts, to induce them to reason with him, he contented himself with indulging in threats. " I warn you," he foolishly said to the Legislature, " of the danger you are in; the violent measures adopted cannot fail of drawing down inevitable ruin on this flourishing colony." His value as a statesman in a crisis may be judged from the fact that he was unable to grasp the meaning of the American Tn COLONIAL QOVERNOUS. 85 troubles or the extent of llie feelinjj^ in the hearts of tlie people. " Three rej^iir.e'its, a proper detachinent of artil- lery, with a couple of good frigates, some small craft, and a bombketch would do the whole business here and go a great way to reduce Cleorgia and North Carolina to a sense of their duty. Charlestfjn is the fountain head from whence all violence flows; stop that, and the rebellion in this part of the continent will soon be at an end." It was not long after writing this rigmarole that Lord William had to take refuge on a small l>ritish warship, ** The Tamer," and to leave the affairs of his province to be managed by its people. After .» vain attempt to overawe the Colonists by a show of resistance from the water, h<' passed from American vi< \ , to reapp^'T again about a year later in .;'i unsucces;,iUl naval ^aiack on Charleston Harbor, and in that engagement he was mortally wound- ed. Like most of his race. !»e was a brave man, but he really had little administrative ability. In the loyal (|uiet- ness of Nova Scotia he did well enough, but when he became a prominent figure in *' the time that iried men'e*. souls," he was a distressing failure. At the moment he assumed its government, South Carolina, says J Bancroft, " needed more than ever a man of prudence at the head of the administration, and its new Governor owed his place only to his birth." New Jersey in the Colonial days was a favorite settling place for Scotch refugees, and, naturally, for Scotch (jov- ernors. Many of the Presbyterian exiles sought the liberty of conscience which was denied them at home in its then wild but fruitful territories, and among the early ** proprietors " we find the names of many Scotch noble- men and official dignitaries, and it was after one of them, an Earl of Perth, that the once great rival of New York, Perth Amboy, was named. The Quakers, too, began tc see in it a place where their doctrines could be lived up to without molestation, and one of the most famous of their number, Robert P)arclay of Ury, was appointe*! Governor of East Jersey in 1682. P)arclay, author of the still classic '* Apology for thQ Quakers," never visited :i , 86 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. his territory; but, nevertheless, his influence in it was great, and while Quaker influence predominated — a period of about twenty years — the colony enjoyed won- derful prosperity. Barclay appointed as his deputy Gavin Laurie, a native of Edinburgh, a man of peace, who de- voted himself to developing the resources of his charge, and the comfort and well-being of its people. He was a good ruler, and as nmch may be said of Alexander Skene, another Quaker Governor, a native of Aberdeen. Lord Neil Campbell, son of the ninth Earl of Argyll, visited New Jersey as its Governor in 1687, having pre- viously bought, or secured in some way, the lands of Sir George Mackenzie — the ** IMuidy Mackenzie " of the Covenanters. Lord Neil, however, stayed little longer than to see some of the land over which he was thus nominally ruler, and does not appear to have meddled with its affairs in any way. His deputy, Andrew Hamil- ton, made up in practical work for his lordship's quali- ties of nonentity. Hamilton was born at Edinburgh about 1627, and for a time was a merchant in that city. He was sent to New Jersey as agent for the Scotch " proprietors," and on Lord Neil Campbell's departure became acting Governor. He was an aggressive sort of personage, and his official career was rather a stormy one, but he did good service to the young country. He was the first to organize a postal service in the Colonics, having obtained a patent for a postal scheme from the Crown in 1694. Gov. Andrew Hamilton died at Burlington, New Jersey, in 1703. His son John, who died at Perth Amboy in 1746, was also for a time acting Governor of New Jersey, and his grandson, James, was the first native-born Governor of Pennsylvania. Another Governor of Pennsylvania of Scotch descent was Thomas McKean, who entered public life as a Deputy Attorney General in 1756, and retired in 1808, having in the intervening years held almost every office in the gift of the people, in State Legislature, in Con- gress, in the field as a soldier, on the bench as Chief Jus- tice of Pennsylvania for twenty years, and as Governor of COLONIAL GOVERNORS. 87 the State for nine years. He enjoyed a rare record for a career of usefulness, in the course of which he exhib- ited the highest qualities of an orator, a jurist, and an executive. lie was proud of his descent from Scotcii for- bears, and showed his pride publicly in 1792, when he joined the ranks of the Philadelphia St. Andrew's Society. The most notable of the Scotch Governors of Penn- sylvania, however, was Sir William Keitii, who was born at Peterhead in 1680, and was the son of Sir William Keith. He was (lovernor from 17 17 till 1726. but left be- hind him a record for vanity, intrigue and misgovernment, all of which, however, occupies so large a space in the early history of Pennsylvania as not to need recital here. Keith was a man of the world. He lived for self and his life was a failure, for he died in London in 1749, while a prisoner for debt, in the Old Pailey. New York had its full quota of Scottish Governors. The first of them in point of time, and in many ways the most distinguished, was Major (len. Robert Hunter, grandson of Patrick Hunter, of Hunterston, Ayrshire, the head of an ancient family. Robert Hunter was born at Hunterston and commenced life as a soldier. In 1707 was commissioned (Governor of Virginia and started out to take possession of his political prize, but on the voyage the ship in which he was a passenger was capt- ured by a French vessel, and the budding Governor was carried to Paris, a prisoner of war. He never saw Vir- ginia, and his appointment to the high office of its chief Executive has been doubted, but his commission is still extant and carefully preserved among the curiosities of the Historical Society of Virginia Gen. Hunter's real American experience commenced m June, 17 10, when he entered upon his duties as Gover- nor of New York. He accepted the appointment w^th the primal view of adding to his fortune, but he had a conscience that prevented him from seeking to increase his wealth by means which were in direct variance to the welfare of the community among whom his lot was cast. After being about a year in his office he saw ihat. the de- 11 IM mt ■Hi 88 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. velopment of the colony could only be hastened by add- ing to its population by means of immigration, and, hav- ing conceived a scheme about the manufacture of naval stores by which he might enrich himself, he proceeded to develop the resources of the country and increase his own wealth by the introduction of some 3,000 German laborers from the Palatinate. These people were settled on the banks of the Hudson River, mainly on lands be- longing to the Livingstons, and were to produce tar and turpentine. Their passage money was to be repaid out of their earnings, and on the same terms they were to be supplied at first with the necessaries of life. As might be expected, the scheme was a failure. The immigrants were virtually contract slaves and were soon so dissatisfied with their lot that they refused to work, and, when he washed his hands of the affair and left the immigrants to shift for themselves, the Governor was crippled finan- cially very seriously. His greatest claim to remembrance is his establishing of a complete Court of Chancery in the colony, and, although he doubtless saw in such a court a rich harvest of fees and opportunities for patron- age, the good accomplished by a tribunal of that descrip- tion, especially in a developing colony, where new and intricate questions were daily demanding decisions — de- cisions which were for all time to rank as precedents — should not be ignored. In many ways Gov. Hunter was a model ruler. In questions of religion he was extremely tolerant, and he believed in every man being permitted to worship as he thought best. He indulged in no wildcat schemes and encouraged no extravagant outlay of public money. He understood the art of managing men and was on equally good terms with all the parties in the col- ony. Very popular he was not, and never could be, for he represented a sovereign power in the person of the King, while all round him in New York was developing the theory that the source of all power, even the power to name Governors and Judges, should be the people con- cerned. Still he preserved intact the supremacy of his royal master and maintained peace or harmony in the COLONIAL. GOVERNORS. 89 colony, although he foresaw very clearly that a struggle between the two was certain sooner or later. ** The Colo- nies are infants at their mother's breast," he wrote to Lord Bolingbroke, then British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, " but such as will wean themselves when they become of age." When Gov. Hunter retired from the Colony, in 1719, the Assembly gave him an address in which they lauded his administration of affairs and expressed the opinion that he had ** governed well and wisely, like a prudent magistrate; like an affectionate parent." This praise seems to have been thoroughly well deserved, and even Amer- ican writers acknowledge that his official record was not only an able, but a clean one. He was possessed of more than ordinary talent, was a warm friend of such men as Addison, St. John, Steele, Shaftesbury, and especially of Dean Swift, who appears to have entertained for him as undoubted sentiments of respect and friendship as he en- tertained for any man. " Hunter," wrote John Forster, in his unfinished life of the great Dean of St. Patrick's, " was among the most scholarly and entertaining of his (Swift's) correspondents ; some of Swift's own best letters were written to this friend, and the judgment he had formed of him may be taken from the fact that when all the world was giving to himself the authorship of Shaftes- bury's anonymously printed * Letter on Enthusiasm,* Swift believed Hunter to have written it." Gov. Hu iter married the widow of an old companion in arms in the Marlborough campaigns. Lord John Hay, son of the second Marquis of Tweeddale, and Colonel of the Scots Greys. She was the daughter and heiress of Sir Thomas Orby, a Lincolnshire Baronet, and brought him considerable wealth. He, however, continued in ofBcial harness to the last and died at Jam.aica in 1734, while holding the post of Governor of that island, one of the plums of the then colonial service. Gov. Hunter's successor in New York was also a Scotsman — William Burnet. This amiable man was the son of the famous Bishop Burnet, and grandson of Rob- it •:» 90 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. i ert Burnet of Crimond, one of the Scotch Lords of Ses- sion. William Burnet was educated at Cambridge and admitted to the practice of the law. He appears to have been fairly successful, but lost all his means in the South Sea bubble, and, finding himself ruined, looked around so that he might use his great family influence to secure for him a colonial appointment. His success was quick, and in September, 1720, he found himself in New York as its Governor. His administration was as able and as honest as that of his predecessor, and he made himself immensely popular by his prohibition of trade between the Indians of New York and the merchants in Canada, and he even built a fort at his personal expense to help in protecting the trade of the colony over which he ruled. The Home Government, however, refused to indorse Burnet's course in this instance, but that only added to his personal popularity. He lost it all, however, by the policy he adopted toward the Court of Chancery. Briefly stated, he wanted to make that body independent of pub- lic sentiment and above public interference, while Colonial sentiment was that all Judges and all courts should be subject to the control of the people, either directly or through their elected representatives. Things reached such a pass that the Assembly threatened to declare all acts and decrees of the Court of Chancery as null and void, and reduced all its fees as a preliminary step in that direction. The crisis between the Governor and the peo- ple was ended, greatly to the former's relief, in 1728, when he was transferred to the Governorship of Massa- chusetts. He had not much time to make a name for him- self there, for he died at Boston in 1729. Another Scotsman, John Montgomerie, was sworn in as Burnet's successor in the New York Governorship on April 15, 1728. He was a scion of the noble house of Eglinton, being the son of Francis Montgomerie of GilTen, who was a son of Alexander, sixth Earl of Eglin- ton. John Montgomerie was an officer in the Guards and was a member of Parlirment from 1710 to 1722. He occu- pied a high position in society and married a daughter of COLONIAL GOVERNORS. gj the Earl of Hyndford; but his habits were erratic, his tastes extravagant, and he became inextricably involved in debt. His ancestral estate had to be sold and he was glad to accept a minor post at the Court of George I. — the * wee, wee, German lairdie." It was in the hope of benefiting his fortunes that he secured the appointment as the royal representative in New York, but his useful- ness was gone. His service as Governor was not marked by any matter of importance. He seemed to be in weak health from the day he landed, and he died July 31, 1731. If, however, Gov. Montgomerie occupies but a small share in the historical annals of the colony. Gov. Golden, the last of the Scottish Governors, or British Governors, whose executive rights were recognized by the people, had a very important position in public affairs for the fifteen years preceding the Revolution. Cadwallader Col- den was born at Dunse in 1688. His father, the Rev. Al- exander Golden, was minister of Dunse, and Cadwallader v/as educated at Edinburgh University, with the view of entering the ministry. His own inclination, however, led him to study medicine, and he appears to have practiced that profession in London. In 17 10 he crossed the sea to Philadelphia. His stay there was comparatively short, for we find him again in London in 171 5, when he moved in the highest intellectual and literarv circles. In 17 16 he returned to Scotland and rrtarried a Kelso girl, the daugh- ter of a minister, and soon after left his native land again for America. After practicing medicine for a time in Philadelphia, he visited New York and won the friend- ship of Gov. Hunter, who invited him to settle in the ter- ritory under his jurisdiction. This he agreed to, mainly because Hunter backed up his professions of friendship by the more tangible offer of the position of Surveyor General of the Colony. Two years later Golden had so fortified his position with the ruling powers that he ob- tained a grant of 2,000 acres of land in Orange County and there built a country home for himself and founded a village, to which he gave the name of Coldenham, which it still retains. His influence was increased after he ;■■ i 1 ; il 92 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. was appointed, in 1722, a member of His Majesty's ProH vincial Council, when Gov. Burnet had commenced hi§. rule, and he became tliat personage's most trusted coun-i sellor. After Burnet went to Boston, Golden retired to' Coldenham, and there interested himself in those literary and scientific pursuits which gave him a prominent posi- tion in contemporary learned circles. He had a wide correspondence witli scientists on both sides of the Atlan- tic, and to a suggestion in one of his letters was due the formation of the American Philosophical Society of Phil- adelphia. As a member of Gouncil, however, Golden still continued to be active in the politics of the province, and, as usual, came in for a full share of popular and official criticism and abuse. In 1760, as senior member of Gouncil, he was called upon to administer the Govern- ment on the sudden death of Gov. De Lancey. There- after, with a few interruptions, he served as Lieutenant Governor until June 25, 1775, when the progress of the Revolution laid him on the shelf by wiping out the royal office. Had Golden thrown in his tot with the Revolu- tionists, he might have attained a high place in the affec- tions of the leaders of the successful side, but he remained steadfast in his loyalty and to the official oaths he had taken to be faithful to the Home Government, and while his sympathies were always with the people and his views were decidedly against unwarranted State interference and against taxatjon without representation, he was too old to renounce his allegiance, too near the end of his pil- grimage to change his flag. Besides, he was of the opin- ion that all the evils which led to the Revolution could be amended by united and firm representation to the sov- ereign and his immediate advisers, and that, therefore, open rebellion was needless. So w4ien the crash finally came, and his proclamations, promises, explanations, diplomacy, and entreaties proved unavailing, the old Governor retired to a farm near Flushing, L. I., and died of a broken heart a few months later, in September, 1776, when in the eighty-eighth year of his age. After the bit- terness of the contemporary struggle had passed away. COLONIAL GOVERNORS. 93 the public services and brilliant talents of this most ac- complished of all New York's royal Governors was more apparent than at the time when he was an actor in the drama of history, and his loyal devotion to the duties of his high office became fully acknowledged on all sides. " Posterity," wrote Dr. O'Callaghan in his " Document- ary History of the State of New York," in summing up the life work of Golden, *' will not fail to accord justice to the character and memory of a man to whom this country is most deeply indebted for much of its science and for many of its most important institutions, and of whom the State of New York may well be proud." And H. G. Ver- planck said: "For the great variety and extent of his learning, his unwearied research, his talents, and the public sphere in which he lived, Gadwallader Golden may justly be placed in a high rank among the most dis- tinguished men of his time." The grandson of Governor Golden was Mayor of New York from 1818 to 1821, and in that office had an enviable record. For a brief period, in 1780, James Robertson was the nominal Governor of New York. He was born in Scot- land in 1710, and was a soldier by profession. His record in America, while he held office under his commission as Governor, is not, it must be confessed, a creditable one, and we may dismiss him with the statement that his office as Governor was merely a titular one, and he never as- sumed legislative functions. He was a soldier pure and simple, and, had the Revolutionists been defeated, might have swayed executive power. But the crisis was virtually passed when he came upon the scene, and we need not follow his doings further than to say that he returned to Britain in safety from the conflict and died in England in 1788. After the Revolution, the history of the United States presents us with several instances of Scotsmen holding the office of Governor in one of the confederated Gom- monwealths. Among the earliest of these was Edward Telfair, who was for several years (1786, 1790-3) Gov- ernor of Georgia. He was born in the Stewartry of i a 94 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. Kirkcudbright, in 1735, and educated at the Kirkcud- bright Grammar School. He left Scotland in 1758, to become agent in America for a commercial house, and, after residing in Virginia and North Carolina, removed, in 1766, to Savannah, Ga., where he engaged in busi- ness. When the Revolutionary troubles commenced, he heartily espoused the American side, and became known locally as an ardent advocate of liberty. He was elected in 1778 a delegate to the Continental Congress, and served in that capacity also from 1780 to 1783. In the latter year he was appointed a Commissioner to treat with the Cherokees, then, as before, and long after, a troublesome problem in Georgia. Telfair was regarded as the foremost citizen of his adopted State, and his death, at Savannah, in 1807, was deeply mourned, not only in that Commonwealth, but by all throughout the country who had taken any part in the struggle which gave the Sta'rs and Stripes a place among the flags of the nations. His son, Thomas, who graduated at Princeton in 1805, gave promise of a brilliant career. He was a member of the House of Representatives from 181 3 to 1817, and but for his untimely death, in 1818, would doubtless have attained higher honors in his State and in the nation. A good example of the later Governors is found in W. E. Smith, who in 1877 and in 1879 was elected to the Executive Chair of Wisconsin by large popular votes. Mr. Smith was taken to America when a boy, and his earlier years were spent in the States of New York and Michigan. Finally, he settled at Fox Lake, Wis., where he engaged in business and acquired considerable means. In 185 1 he served his first term as a member of the State Legislature, and was Speaker of that body in 1871. On retiring from public life, Governor Smith devoted him- self to religious and philanthropic enterprises. He was a member of the Baptist Church, and took a keen in- terest in its progress, and in all movements for the relief of misery or for improving the moral tone of the com- munity in which he was recognized as a leader. Governor COLONIAL GOVERNORS. f Beveridgc of Illinois, Governor Moonlight of ICansa and Governor Ross of New Mexico, are among- the other Governors the Scottish race has furnished to American Commonwealths. Turning to the history of Canada, \vc find that one of its earliest rulers was Samuel V'eitch, who was Governor of Nova Scotia, and had in many respects the career of a typical Scot abroad. He was born at Edinburgh in 1668, and was the son of a noted Presbyterian minister. After studying at the University of Edinburgh, he passed over to Holland and entered the College of L'trecht. Al- though a clerical career had been proposed for him, his inchnations were for the army, and he attached himself to the Court of William of Orange, and accompanied that Prince to England in 1688. Veitch afterward served with much distinction with the army in Zanders, rose to the rank of Colonel, and returned to England after the peace of Ryswick, in 1697. He next attempted to become a money-maker, and took a deep interest in the Darien scheme, one of the causes of much ill-feeling against the administration of King William in Scotland. He was one of the Councillors of the Darien Colony of Cale- donia. He proceeded to Darien in 1698, and when the colony was wiped out by the Spaniards he made his way to the North, and settled at Albany, where he engaged in trading with the Indians, and seems to have been fairly successful, for in 1700 he married Margaret, daughter of Robert Livingston. For several years his most notable employment was connected with schemes to forcibly wrest Canada from the hands of the French. In 1710, in the course of hostilities, he was appointed Governor of Nova Scotia, and held the office for three years. His duties, however, were military rather than civil, and it seems a pity, for the sake of his personal comfort and fortunes, that he ever saw the province. In 1713 he was removed from his office, was soon after reappointed to it, and again was removed without ceremony. Then he went to Boston and petitioned the crown for a place or a pension, but without meeting with any success; nor were m ■» 96 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. : . h his petitions to the Department of State any more fortu- nate. He went to England to push his claims in person, but failed to receive either recognition or recompense for his services and losses, and he died in London in 1732, a sadly disappointed and broken man. He pos- sessed great ability, was active and conscientious in all the duties which fell to him, but he was of a stern and unyielding disposition, strong in his prejudices and ut- terly unfitted by a want of suavity in his manner for making himself popular either with the people or the Court. James Murray, fifth son of the fourth Lord Elibank, who from 1763 to 1767 was Governor General of Canada, occupies a prominent place in the military and political history of the Dominion. Beginning life as a soldier, he early saw service on the Continent of Europe. He took part in Wolfe's expedition to Quebec. He com- manded a brigade at the battle on the Plains of Abraham, and after Quebec had fallen and Wolfe had " died victori- ous " the command of the city and its forces devolved upon him. He at once put the place in order to meet any attack which might be made upon it. All through the Winter of 1759-60 he continued his preparations, and early in Spring found his charge invested by a French force of 12,000 men, under De Levis, one of the most brilliant of French Generals, while his own available force was barely 3,000. He offered De Levis battle, and in the " second engagement of Quebec," as it has been called, although he lost his guns and did not break the investing lines, he only suffered a loss of 300 men, while the enemy owned up to 1,800. This sally, brilliant as it was, severely crippled his resources, and he had a hard, ceaseless, and ever-perplexing struggle to keep the en- emy out of Quebec. In spite of the great odds against him, he maintained his position with brilliant success. But the struggle was a terrible one until the strain was relieved when the news came that aid had landed in Can- ada from Great Britain, and the French forces retreated from before the city. Had Quebec fallen into the hands ^ COLONIAL GOVERNORS. 97 m lie it ^st las |n- of the French that Winter tlic l>ritish would have lost Canada, for the time at least. When all danger was past, Murray went to Montreal and there joined Lord Am- herst, and with the capitulation soon after of that city the French struggle for the retention of Canada ceased, and it became " one of the fairest gems in the British crown," as some one has truthfully described it. As Governor General, to which post he was almost immediately appointed, General Murray made a brilliant record. Mr. Henry J. Morgan, in his *' Sketches of Cel- ebrated Canadians," says: " During his administration the form of government and the laws to be observed in the new colony were promulgated; the many evils that arose therefrom caused much dissatisfaction among the French people, and Governor Murray did all in his power to alleviate the discontented feeling, but with only partial success. Nevertheless, he won the good will and esteem of the whole French race in Canada, and lost that of a part of his countrymen because he would not conform to their prejudices against the poor natives and those of French origin." On leaving Canada, he served in the army with his accustomed brilliancy in other parts of the world, and refused on one occasion a bribe of one million pounds sterling to surrender Minorca. He died in 1794 and was buried in Westminster Abbey, where rest the remains of so many brilliant Scotsmen whose abilities made them famous in all walks of life. Another military Governor of Canada who won a brill- iant record for his administrative qualities was General Peter Hunter, a brother of the celebrated founder of the Hunterian Museum at Glasgow. He was descended from the same family as Governor Hunter of New York, and was born at Long Calderwood, Lanarkshire, in 1746. Choosing the military profession, he soon rose steadily and acquitted himself with credit in many hard fought campaigns. When appointed Governor of Upper Canada and Commander in Chief of the Forces, in 1799, he had attained the rank of Lieutenant General, and his appoint- ment is an evidence of the confidence felt in his military ifll m 98 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. and administrative qualities by the liritish authorities, for the time was one of the most critical in the history of Canada, and the services of a diplomat were needed as nnich as those of a soldier, (iovernor Hunter's course in Canada fully justified the confidence of the appointinj^ power. He ruled wisely and well, instituted many im- provements in all branches of the (iovernment, and was equally watchful over the contemporary prosperity and the opportunities for future development of the country. But, while constantly reforming the details of government and fornnilating laws and orders which were designed to benefit the country then and thereafter, and which seem to have been understood and appreciated by the people, Governor Hunter kept a close watch on the defenses and the military resources of his province, and it was while on a tour of inspection of the outposts of Canada that he died, at Quebec, in 1805. His career was in every way an honorable one to himself and his country, and the words on the memorial erected in the English Cathedral at Quebec by his brother, Dr. John Hunter, the famous anatomist, are as truthful as they are fitting: '* His life was spent in the service of his King and country. Of the various stations, both civil and military, which he filled, he discharged the duties with spotless integrity, un- wearied zeal, and successful abilities." A volume might be written about the incidents in the career of Sir James H. Craig, the last of the family of Craig of Dalnair, near Edinburgh, who became Gov- ernor of Canada in 1807. He was bom in 1750 at Gib- raltar, where his father held an appointment as Judge. Entering the army in 1763, he received his military train- ing in Gibraltar. He was present at the battle of Bunker Hill, and thereafter took part in most of the American campaigns. In 1794, with the rank of Major General, he went to the Cape of Good Hope, was instrumental in bringing that settlement under British rule, and was ap- pointed its Governor. Thereafter he served for several years with distinction in India, and, as Lieutenant Gen- eral, had command of the troops in the Mediterranean in :i^li COLONIAL OOVKHNORS. 1)9 in in m 1805. Illness compelled liim to retire from active service, but a short interval of rest seemed to recuperate him so much that he accepted the (lovernorship of Canada. His life there was not an enviable one. His constitution was broken and he suffered terribly from dropsy and a com- l)lication of diseases. The country was unsettled, the I'Vench and I'.ritish did not jj^et alon^ iiarmoniously to- gether, and Craig" made a few serious errors — errors which brought ui)on him much savage abuse. lUit he meant well, his honesty and patriotism were unimpeach- able, and he strove earnestly to benefit the country over which he ruled. Probably had he been in perfect health, had sedition been less ripe, had party spirit less blindei. the people to his purpose, he might have succeeded bet- ter than he dixl. They called him an oppressor, and in connection with that charge, directly made, he issued the following pathetic statement: ** I'^or what should I op- press you? Is it from ambition? What can you give me? Is it for power? Alas, my good friends, with life ebb- ing not slowly to its period under the pressure of diseases acquired in the service of my country, I look only to pass what it may please God to suffer to remain of it in the comfort of retirement among my friends. I remain among you only in obedience to the commands of my King. What power can I wish for? Is it then for wealth I would oppress you? hujuire of those who know me whether I regard wealth. I never did when I could enjoy it; it is now of no use to me. To the value of your coun- try laid at my feet I would prefer the consciousness of having, in a single instance, contributed to your happi- ness and prosperity." Such a man could not remain long misunderstood, and though in some quarters the wrang- ling and criticism prevailed while he continued at the head of affairs, (and indeed long after,) the true senti- ments of the people forced themselves to the front when it was announced that he was about to relinquish his post and leave the country. Addresses of regret were sent to him from all quarters, and on the way to the vessel that was to carry him across the Atlantic a throng took the ;l Uf s 100 THB: scot in AMERICA. horses from his carriage nnd pulled it to the wharf. In the " History of Canada," )jy Robert Christie, is the follow- ing mention of Governor Craig, which, so far as it goes, seems a truthful tribute to some of the excellencies of his character: " Although hasty in temper, he was, like most men who arc so, far from implacable, and as we have seen, easily reconciled to those who may have incurred his displeasure. Hospitable and princely in his style of living, he was also munificent in his donations to public institutions, and to charitable purposes a generous pa- tron; and, lastly, we shall mention, though not the least of his virtues, a friend to the poor and destitute, none of whom applying at his door ever went av/ay unrelieved." In one respect. Governor Craig was far ahead of his contemporaries. That was in connection with the land question. He had no faith in the policy which handed over thousands of the most fruitful acres in Canada to ad- venturers who applied for them, to favorites who believed themselves entitled to such gifts, or to land speculators who grasped what they could, and then made fortunes by selling their gifts of territory. In 1808, as we learn from one report, 179,786 acres were " granted " in Upper Canada; in 1809, ^^$,624; in i8iO, 104,537; a"<^l in 1811, 115,586; while in Lower Canada the liberality of the Government was equally marked. Governor Craig pro- tested on every opportunity against this purposeless prod- igality, and gave the home authorities at least one very good object lesson illustrative of its result. A new bar- racks and a military hospital were needed in 181 1 for Quebec, but no site was available for their construction. The Government had by that time actually granted away every vacant piece of ground within the walls, and the Governor could only reconnnend the purchase of a site. In doing so, however, he did not refrain from pointing out the folly of the whole principle of miscellaneous and indiscriminate awarding of the public lands. To actual settlers he did not begrudge an acre, but to no others would he have given a single foot. Governor Craig died in England, in 181 2, a year after he left Canada. l>.-i COLONIAI^ GOVERNOPS. 101 Sir James Kempt, a native of Edinburgh, was another noted soldier-Governor of Canada. He fought under Sir Ralph Abercrombie in Egypt, under Sir James H. Craig in the Mediterranean, under Wellington in the Peninsula and at Waterloo, and received many royal honors from his own and the allied sovereigns. In 1820 he succeeded Lord Dalhousie as Governor of Nova Scotia, and eight years later followed the same nobleman in the Governor- ship of Canada. His administration was an admirable one, and has been commended on all sides. He found the country on the verge of rebellion, and he quelled, gently and without force, all traces of discontent, so that when he retired he left it enjoying the blessings of as- sured peace and carried with him affectionate addresses from all sorts of public bodies. His death took place at London in 1855. A very different type of Canadian Governor may be studied in the comparatively quiet, but none the less use- ful careers of such men as Miles Macdonnel — a native of Inverness, who was born there in 1767, was Lord Sel- kirk's right-hand man in the Red River Valley Settle- ment, became Governor of Assiniboia, and died at Port Fortune, on the Ottawa River, in 1828 — and of the bulk, in fact, of the Lieutenant Governors of the diflferent Provinces and territories, before and after Confederation. Such names, too, as Lord Dalhousie, Lord Elgin, and Lord Lome, are indissolubly associated with Canadian history, and that sturdy Scotch soldier. Sir Colin Camp- bell, a native of Kilninver, tried his hand at the mysteries of civil administration as Governor of Nova Scotia be- fore becoming Governor of Ceylon. Taken as a whole, the Scotch Governors, royal or otherwise, on this side of the Atlantic, were fairly cred- itable to, and representative of, the Scot abroad. One or two of the royal appointees were more mercenary in their disposition than anything else — sort of executive Andrew Fairservices ; but onlyc^ne — Robertson — can be classed as a rascal. The faults w lich most of them committed were due, in a great measur?. to the system under which they if 'il i I 'if 102 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. were appointed, or to the measures they were to bring about and the policy they were to enforce, all of which were completely at variance with the conditions under which the continent was progressing. This is illustrated in a very significant manner, even in the brief summary contained in this chapter. It will be observed that those Chief Magistrates who came to the United States — to the American Colonies rather — to stay, to make their homes in the new land, to become part and parcel of its citizen- ship, to throw in their entire future with it, made good executive officers, and have left records which are equally creditable to America and Scotland. Such men as Spot- tiswood, Johnston, Hamilton, and Colden, for example, still command the admiration of American historical writers, and now that the bitterness of the Revolution has long been buried — let us hope forever — the fact that they were at one and the same time loyal to the people over whom they ruled and to the sovereign they served is freely admitted. Those who came after the Revolution were invariably noted for their honesty, their superiority to mere party spirit, and for their moderation, their wis- dom and their sturdy adherence to the principles of the Constitution and of law and order. Carpet-bag rulers have never been much in favor in America at any part of its history, not even in the South after the war, in the reconstruction period, and they arc now unknown in the States, and, with the exception of the direct representa- tive of the sovereign, in the Dominion of Canada. CHAPTER IV. REVOLUTIONARY HEROES. THERE was much in the Revokitionary movement which resulted in the formation and independence of the United States to attract Scotsmen to the cause. In Scot- land the people were by no means intense in their loyalty to the Orange King or the Hanoverian dynasty, and in the Highlands especially, the fact that " a stranger filled the Stuarts' throne " rankled in the hearts of every one. Even in the Lowlands, where the majority of the people were not in favor of the restoration of the " Auld Stu- arts," movements looking to greater freedom under the prevailing Government were rife. Such movements were termed seditious and were repressed with all the severity and cruelty possible. Many of those concerned in these movements were glad to fly to America, and we can easily imagine that their views anent human freedom and the right of all citizens to a voice in the affairs of State did not change after they had crossed the sea. The close of the seventeenth century and the whole of the eight- eenth was a period of unrest in Scotland as well as in Continental Europe, and would probably have found vent in the end in rebellion there, if not in revolution, as in France and America, had not Robert Burns crystallized the sentiments of the people into many of his matchless lyrics and inspired them with hope for the future in such reassuring prophetic-like words as those of " A man's a man for a' that." The Scotch soldiers who were settled on grants of land in the States, as a reward for their military services, were steadfast in their loyalty to Britain at the outbreak of hostilities. They still regarded themselves as soldiers of 103 104 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. It- J' King George, and considered, in view of their land hold- ings, that they were under obligation to continue to fight his battles when occasion demanded, without any consid- eration as to the merits of the question which was to be settled by a resort to arms. The well-known loyalty of these men and their military reputation drew upon them — and, to a certain extent, upon their countrymen — the ill-will of many, and caused some of the patriots to de- scribe the Scots as being generally anti-revolutionary in their ideas, although, had they chosen to look around a little, exactly the opposite truth might become apparent to them. It was on this erroneous idea that John Trum- bull of Connecticut wrote the doggerel lines of " McFin- gal." Describing that fictitious hero. Trumbull says: ** His high descent our heralds trace, To Ossian's famed Fingalian race; For tho' their name some part may lack Old Fingal spelt it with a Mac ; Which great McPherson, with submission We hope will add, the next edition. His fathers flourished in the Highlands Of Scotia's fog-benighted islands." In commenting on this passage, the late Benson J. Lossing, the latest and best editor of the poem, wrote: " The Scotch were noted for their loyalty, in this coun- try, and were generally found among the Tories, espe- cially in the Carolinas. This fact and the odium that rested upon the Jacobites in the Mother Country made the Americans, during the Revolution, look with suspi- cion upon all Scotsmen, Jefiferson manifested this feeling when he drew up the Declaration of Independence. In tlie original draft he alluded to ' Scotch and foreign mer- cenaries. This was omitted on motion of Dr. Wither- spoon, who was a Scotsman by birth. In most minds the word Jacobite was synonymous with Popery. Trum- bull showed his dislike of the Scotch by his choice of a hero in this poem. Frenau, another eminent poet of the REVOLUTIONARY HEROES. 105 Revolution, also evinced the same hatred. In one of his poems, in which he gives Burgoyne many hard rubs, he consigns the Tories, with Burgoyne at tlieir head, to an ice-bound, fog-covered island off the north coast of Scot- land, thus: ' There, Loyals, there, with loyal hearts retire ; There pitch your tents and kindle tiiere your fire, There desert nature will her strings display, And fiercest hunger on your vitals prey.' " The bulk of the Scots who crossed the Atlantic, other than those in the military service, from 1700 till the out- break of the Revolution, and long after, were discontent- ed with the prevailing condition of things at home. Some wonder, knowing the intense loyalty of the Scots of the present day, that settlers of that country should have taken such an active part in the pre- Revolutionary move- ments in America, and been so ready to throw off their allegiance; but no one who has studied the history of the people, particularly in the period named, will be in the least surprised. The exiles of Dunbar and of Cromwell's regime may have had some sentimental regard for the King they fought for, but the news of his doings after the " blessed restoration " crushed it out. The prisoners of the Covenanting frays had little reverence for the royal authority and their descendants had none. After relig- ious liberty had been won, the movement for civil liberty commenced in earnest and men were sent to prison for holding sentiments as well as for standing out in actual opposition to " the powers that be." Even such senti- ments as " The nation is essentially the source of all sov- ereignty " and " Equal representation, just taxation, and liberty of conscience " were deemed treasonable enough to cause the arrest of their utterers, and such policy sent hundreds of good men and true across the sea. These wanderers found in America an opportunity for securing that religious liberty and that freedom and perfect equal- ity before the law they could not obtain at home. When I n 1 mm w m tl^^^l ;: I ''Sit i; ^ili' lOG THE SCOT IN AMERICA. the Revolutionary troubles began they or their descend- ants entertained no loyalty for King George or Iiis dy- nasty; they knew that Scotland had suffered deeply, not only at the hands of the last two Kings of the old royal iiouse, but at those of King William " of blessed mem- ory." Besides, from the time that John Knox had estab- lished in the Kirk the most perfect form of republican government of which the world has yet had knowledge, a growing sentiment, although in most instances an un- conscious sentiment, in favor of a republican form of government for State as well as for Kirk existed in the country. These are some of the reasons which made Scotsmen in America, or rather the majority of them, be as devoted to the principles at stake in the American Revolution as were any of the native patriots. Thus, in the highest circle of American patriotism, among the Signers of the Declaration of Independence we find the Scottish race well represented. Quite a num- ber were of Scotch descent, such as George Ross, who was the son of a Scottish minister, and Thomas McKean, afterward Governor of Pennsylvania. Two were natives of Scotland. One of these was James Wilson, a repre- sentative of Pennsylvania, who was born near St. An- drews, Fifeshire, in 1742. He was educated at the uni- versity in that ancient city and also at the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh. After settling in America he was employed for a time as a teacher in Philadelphia, and won a high reputation for his knowledge of the classics. Then he turned his attention to the study of the law and in due time was admitted to the bar and prac- ticed, among other places, in Annapolis, Md., and in Reading, Pa., afterward making his home again in Phila- delphia. He was a prominent advocate of the rights of the Colonies, and in the Congress of 1775, of which he was a member, he strongly advocated independence as the only possible means of escape from the evils which had brought the various Commonwealths into such a state of turmoil and dissatisfaction. In 1779 he was ap- pointed Advocate General for the French Government in REVOLUTIONARY HEROES. 107 the United States, but resigned the office in 1781. He continued, however, to give professional advice to the French Government until 1783, when he received from Paris a gift of 10,000 Hvres in recognition of his services. He served in Congress in 1783 and 1786, and in 1789 be- came, by appointment of George Washington, one of the Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. A capable lawyer, an upright and honorable citizen, wise in his counsels, and moderate, yet determined, in all his pub- lic utterances, we can easily understand that Judge Wil- son held a high position in the Revolutionary councils, and how, after the turmoil of the struggle was over, he should be elevated to a seat on the highest tribunal of the country and so assist in placing the legal system of the new nation on a sure foundation. He died, while on a circuit journey, at Edenton, N. C, in 1798. One of the most notable figures among the group of Signers, and said by some to have indeed been the real author of the Declaration, was the Rev. Dr. John With- erspoon, President of Princeton College. This great and good man was born at Yester, Haddingtonshire, in 1722. He could trace his descent from John Knox in the female line and on the other side from John Knox's heroic son-in-law, the Rev. Mr. Welsh. His father was the minister of the parish of Yester, and Witherspoon was educated for the pulpit in the University of Edin- burgh. His first charge was the parish of Beith, Ayr- shire, and there the excellence of his pulpit discourses, the high standard of his published writings and his nat- ural qualities as a leader soon won for him a high rank among the Scottish clergy. In the General Assembly he became a power on the side of the Evangelical party — the party that was trying to rouse the Church from the lethargy into which it had been thrown by the rhetoric, the phrases, the artificiality of the " Moderates." Prob- ably his work on " Ecclesiastical Characteristics," pub- lished in 1753, and directed against the Moderate party in the Scottish Church, w^as the most pithy and pungent bit of genuine sarcasm which Scottish theological writing !!1 in '■ ' hi >',: : m. ii'i 11 ■ '.A W< i s 108 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. had up to that time produced, and it proved the literary sensation of the hour. In 1757 he accepted a call from Paisley, and, although he had afterward calls from Dub- lin, Dundee, Rotterdam and other places, he remained in " Seestu " until 1768, when he accepted a demand for his services as presiding ofiftcer over Princeton College, a demand which when made on a previous occasion he had refused. Dr. Witherspoon was a noted man before crossing to America; he had attained by his preaching and his lit- erary capacity the highest rank among his contempo- raries. In America he soon became equally popular and influential. Princeton College quickly became, under his direction, the foremost in the country, and it would have soon been regarded as among the noted seats of learning in the world had not the troubles of the Revolu- tion paralyzed its usefulness, as they did that of all the higher educational institutions in the country. The college was finally compelled to close its doors, for around Princeton the tide of war for a time beat rudely. While the duties of his assigned office thus fell away from him, however. Dr. Witherspoon assumed others, which have given him a commanding place in the history of the Rev- olution. " He assisted," writes Lossing, " in framing a re- publican Constitution for New Jersey, and in June (1776) he was elected to a seat in the Continental Congress, where he hotly advocated independence and signed his name on the Declaration thereof. He was a faithful member of Congress until 1782 and took a conspicuous part in military and financial matters." In 1783 the time seemed ripe for renewing the activity of Princeton, and Dr. Witherspoon turned his attention from secular af- fairs to engage solely in that work, and he combined teaching and preaching until his death, in 1794. The saddest feature of his closing years was a visit he paid to his native land, primarily in search of financial assistance to carry on the work of his college. He was deeply pained to find his efforts in this direction a failure, but the saddest blow came from the personal treatment he re- REVOLUTIONARY HEROES. 109 ccived, mainly at the hands of his brother clergy. He was denounced as a traitor on every side and shunned by many who knew him well and were his friends and allies before he threw in his lot with the new republic. That sort of treatment was, however, to be expected, and it seems that even Witherspoon dreaded it when he left America on his journey to his native land. The clergy of Scotland at that time (1785) were by no means the believers in popular liberty their predecessors were, and it needed the discipline of the Disruption to bring them, as a class, once more to appreciate the power and in- fluence of the people when rightly enlisted and directed. Dr. Witherspoon was by no means the only Scottish clergyman who was active on the side of the Revolution. There were in reality very many such, and, indeed, it might be said that the Presbyterians and the great ma- jority of those then classed as " nonconformists " were outspoken in favor of independence. A noted example was that of the Rev. John Roxburgh, who was born at Berwick in 1714 and settled in America in 1740. He studied for the ministry at Princeton, graduating from there in 1761, and soon after was ordained as pastor of a church in Warren County, New Jersey. In 1769 he as- sumed a pastorate at the Forks of Delaware and held that charge at the time of his death. He was early dis- tinguished by his emphatic views in favor of separation, and soon after the conflict broke out he joined in the formation of a military company from his own vicinity. He became chaplain of a battalion of militia and served during most of the New Jersey campaign. At the battle of Trenton, in 1777, he was taken prisoner by a gang of Hessians and brutally murdered. As ardent an American patriot, although less militant in his disposition, was the Rev. Henry Patillo, who was taken to America from Scotland, where he was bom, in 1736, when only nine years of age. Beginning life as a clerk in a store, he studied for the ministry, was ordained in 1758, and settled in North Carolina. His ministerial labors were confined thereafter to that State, and among » ", om the first, as might have been expected, he was in favor of the complete in- dependence of the Colonies, and spoke on that once dan- gerous topic on every possible occasion. He was a member of the Provincial Council in 1775 and had the satisfaction of seeing the country fairly started in its na- tional career long before he died, in 1801. Another Scottish clergyman deserves to be recalled here, because he was outspoken in his advocacy of the principles at stake in the Revolution while still residing in Scotland and preaching there. This was the Rev. Charles Nisbet, who was born at Long Yester, Had- dingtonshire, where his father was a schoolmaster, in 1728. He was educated at Edinburgh University and became pastor of a church at Montrose. It was while there that his utterances in favor of the American Revo- lution were delivered, and his justification of Washington and his associates was regarded with disfavor by the leading people of the district and caused him to be con- sidered as, politically, a suspicious character. In 1783, when John Dickinson of Delaware founded at Carlisle, Pa., as a Presbyterian college, the institution which still bears his name, an ofTer of the Presidency was tendered to Nisbet, and he gladly accepted. He was even anxious to leave Scotland and take up his abode in a country where his sentiments concerning human liberty would be regarded as orthodox, or where at least he would have opportunity of expressing and ventilating those sen- timents without giving offense. In the Statistical Ac- count of Haddington, written in 1835, by the Rev. John Thomson, we read the following summary of Nisbet's American experiences: "Although a man of distin- guished attainments, he seems to have enjoyed little comfort and less worldly prosperity in * the land of lib- erty.' Although the names * college ' and ' President ' sounded well, yet he found that his situation was neither "^ REVOLUTIONARY HEROES. in 'i '; more profitalilc nor more respectable than that which his wortliy father held before him. On one occasion he wrote to his friends that ' America was certainly a land of promise, for it was all promise and no performance.' " This dolcsome report was probably sent to Scotland soon after Xisbet's settlement at Carlisle, for he had at the be- ginninji; some disap^reement with the trustees of the col- lege, and he resigned his position within a few months after assuming it. The matter was, however, arranged lo his satisfaction, for he was re-elected to the Presidency and continued his connection with the institution until his death, in 1804. I'esides acting as President, Nisbet lec- tured on philosophy, systematic theology, logic, and belles-lettres. His collected writings were published in 1806, and show him to have been a man of wide reading and great ability, and a just estimate of his career, and of its value in the cause of American education, may be found in the excellent memoir which was published iti 1840, by Dr. Samuel Nullis. Long after his death Presi- dent Nisbet's library, a large and extensive collection, in- cluding many very rare works, was presented by his grandsons to the library of Princeton College, so that to the present day some of the usefulness of his lifetime may be said to continue in active operation. Seeing that the clergy were so active in the Revolution, it is an easy matter to turn from them to those who in the tented field bore the brunt of the struggle and willingly encountered the horrors of war to secure the independ- ence of the land in which they were born or which they had adopted as their own. One of the most renowned of these heroes w-as Hugh Mercer, who was born at Aberdeen in 1721. He grad- uated in medicine at Aberdeen University and served as a surgeon or assistant surgeon in the army of Bonnie Prince Charlie, closing his Scottish military career on the field of Culloden. As soon after that as possible he crossed the Atlantic, and in 1747 we find him practicing as a physician near what is now the pleasant town of Mercersburg, in Pennsylvania. He was, however, fonder i I J' 112 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. of military matters than of his own profession, and he took an active part in the campaign of General Braddock, that ended so disastrously for that warrior's reputation. In the defeat on the Monongahela, Mercer was severely wounded, and either wandered from the main force of the retreating troops or was left behind by them intentionally as being so near death that there was no use of being cumbered with him. The business of human butchery does not inspire men with kindly feelings toward each other any more tiian the butchery of sheep invests the breast of the butcher with pity for his bleating victims. Mercer found himself alone in the unknown forest, but with the energy so characteristic of his countrymen in many like cases, he determined to attempt, at least, to gain the nearest settlement, Fort Cumberland, about a hundred miles distant. The journey occupied several weeks, and each day had its story of remarkable adven- ture and constant peril. On one occasion he escaped from the clutches of a band of Indians by climbing into the trunk of a hollow tree and remaining there till they disappeared. For his bravery and suflfering in this cam- paign he received a medal from the city of Philadelphia. Afterward he was placed in command, for a time, of Fort Duquesne. Mercer removed, when that campaign was over, to Fredericksburg, Va., to resume the practice of his pro- fession. By that time. Itowever, the Revolutionary tide had fairly set in, and "Uercer's abilities as a soldier were too well known to Washington and the other leaders in Virginia to allow him to remain in a peaceful walk of life when sterner work had to be done. Besides, Mer- cer's own entire sympathies were with the movement and he was pronounced in his views for independence as soon as the first glimmer of its light was seen. One who had already fought against King George in Scot- land was not very likely to be enthusiastic in his support in America, even although circumstances led him to fight under a General (Braddock) who was one of the com- manders in the victorious army at Culloden. He agitated "^ UFA'OLUTIONARY HEROES. 11;; with all his might for the niainicnancc of tlic riglits of the Colonies, and in 1775 (organized tlie afterward famous Minute Men of \ irjj^inia. lie also put the militia of the State in readiness for eampaij^niing. In 1776 Congress conmiissioned him a I>rigadier (ieneral, on the advice of Washington, and he at once took a high place in the forces of the young rei)ul)lic. His military career was cut siiort, however, in the campaign in New Jersey. After leading the forces in a night march on Princeton, he was mortally wounded in the battle at that place on January 3, 1777, and expired a few days later. The loss of this l)rave man was deei)ly regretted by General Washington and the nation, and Congress resolved not only to erect a monument to his memory at Fredericksburg, but to edu- cate his infant son. The body of the hero was interred in Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, and the funeral is said to have been attended by 30,000 persons. Among the associations represented in the throng was the Phil- adelphia St. Andrew's Society, of which he had been a member, and which still possesses, as its most precious relic, his sword. The American writers of the Revolu- tion vie w'ith each other in their tributes to his honesty of purpose, his valor, and his abilities as a leader, and the words of (ieneral Wilkinson may be regarded as stat- ing the general sentiment when he wrote: *' In Mercer we lost, at Princeton, a chief who for education, talents, dis- position, integrity and patriotism was second to no man but the Commander-in-Chief, Washington, and was qualified to fill the highest trusts in the country." A much more varied, and, on the whole, a much sad- der American career was that of Arthur St. Clair. This brave and at one time greatly maligned man was born at Thurso in 1734, and learned the " sodgerin' trade " in the British Army. He entered the British service as an ensign and served under Amherst at Louisbourg and un- der Wolfe at Quebec. In 1762 he resigned his commis- sion, but continued his residence in America. On the outbreak of the Revolutionary War he threw in his lot with the Colonists, and was commissioned Colonel. His 11 •m n 114 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. services and bravery were so conspicuous that in 1777 he was raised to the rank of Major General, and placed in command of the important post of Ticonderoga. Thdt post was regarded by many of the most experienced ofifi- ccrs as untenable, and even St. Clair was compelled to abandon it to General Burgoyne on July 5, 1777. Al- though some fault might be found with the details of St. Clair's defense, there was no way of evading the inevit- able result, for at best the most he could have done was to delay the further movements of the enemy. The sur- render of the place, however, was learned with much disfavor by the American troops, and to appease their dissatisfaction St. Clair was deprived of his active po- sition in the forces and tried by court-martial. That tri- bunal completely exonerated him, and he remained with the army as a volunteer, gradually winning back by his services in that capacity his former popularity and in- fluential position. He served in Congress from 1785 to 1787, and presided over its deliberations in the latter year. From 1788 to 1802 he was Governor of the North- west. His last military service was in command of an ex- pedition against the Miami Indians, in 1791, when he suffered a humiliating defeat and lost over 700 men. This disaster again turned the tide of popularity against him, and the loud censures then pronounced were more distinguished by their bitterness than by their logic. A defeated soldier, iefeated under any circumstances, is never an object ol much respect or regard, and although St. Clair was honorably acquitted of all blame by a com- mittee of Congress, he never again recovered his former reputation. When, in 1802, Ohio was admitted into the sisterhood of States, St. Clair relinquished, or had to re- linquish, his Governorship, and retired into obscurity and private life. He was old, poor, and dispirited, and even suffered, it is said, the terrors of poverty — the most re- lentless foe of old age. At length. Congress voted him a pension of sixty dollars a month, and with that his few wants were abundantly supplied and the evening gloom was not tortured by the spectre of actual want. The vet- REVOLUTIONARY HEROES. 115 eran died in 1818 at Greensburg, and over his grave a handsome monument was erected several years later by his brethren of the Masonic fraternity. A type of military commander evolved out of the war- like exigencies of the time without previous military training, many more recent examples of which were fur - nislied by the civil war, was Alexander McDougall, who was born in Argyllshire, in the year 1731, and settled in America with his father in 1755. He was a seaman at times, but appears to have learned, somehow, the print- ing trade. When the dissatisfaction with the home gov- ernment had nearly reached its height, McDougall be- came noted in New York as one of the leading members of the Sons of Liberty, an organization called into ex- istence by the opposition to the Stamp Act, in 1765. The feeling of loyalty which the rescinding of that act aroused did not, for various reasons, last very long. One would almost think, by reading the history of the time, that the Home Government really wanted to drive the Col- onists into open rebellion, and in 1769 McDougall was arrested and thrown into prison as being the author, or chief compiler, of l,»i address to the people, which was decreed by the authorities to be " an infamous and seditious )ibel." His career as a popular hero dated from the mon'/eni ^ f his incarceration. In Booth's '* History of the Ci.y of New York" we read: "A daily ovation was rendered him by his friends, vho regarded him as a martyr o the cause of liberty. The ladies flocked in crowds lo the cell of the imprisoned patriot, and so nu- merous \ ere his visitors that, in order to gain leisure for the defense of his cause, he was obliged to publish a card fixing his hours for public receptions. He remained in jail to the April term of the court, when the Grand Jury found a b;ll agau\st hip7, tvj wh'ch he pleaded not guilty. A few dayc afterward hf was icleased on bail." When war was declared, MwPou.^all went to " the front '' as Colonel of the regiment f:om New York City. His mili- tary merit was su:!: *' ul h-:. was speedily raised to the rank of Major Gencr^il, i :*i iie was particularly conspicu- !■ V.'- li^m i 116 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. ous in the battles of White Plains and Germantc»wn. T.e- tween 1778 and 1780 he had command of the forts alorg the Hudson River, one of the most important posts in the American Army, and fulfilled his trust to the entire satisfaction of his colleagues. In 1781 he wa^^ elected to Congress, was for a time Minister of Marine, and \yR^ sent to the United States Senate in 1783. He died some three years later, while still filling that position, to the great regret of General Washington and all who were associated with him in military or political life. Another instance of evolution from civil life to high military command is afforded by the career of Lac'"'!''" Mcintosh, who from being a merchant's clerk and a knt' surveyor developed into a Brigadier General, His fatiK ', John Mohr Mcintosh, was head of a small sept of tlic Macintosh clan, and in 1736 settled in Georgia, with 100 of his followers, on a place to which they gave the name of Inverness, but which is now known as Darien. Lach- lan was born at Badenoch, Inverness-shire, in 1727, ac- companied his father to Georgia, and grew up an enthu- siastic American patriot. When the war broke out he volunteered his services, and was commissioned Colonel, becoming a General in 1776. As a result of a duel, in which he mortally wounded Button Gwinnett, one of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, considerable ill-feeling was aroused against him in Georgia, although he was not the challenger in the duel, and was acquitted after standing his trial on a charge of murder. The trouble, however, was so serious that Mcintosh was given for a time a command in the West, with headquar- ters at Pittsburgh. In 1779 he was second in command at the siege of Savannah, and took part in the defense of Charleston. When that town was surrendered, in 1780, Mcintosh was made a prisoner, and with that ter- minated his military career. He retired to Virginia until the close of the war, and then settled in Savannah. His closing years were marked by poverty, and he wis un- doubtedly glad when his period of waiting" camf to an end, and he entered into rest, in i8o6. I REVOLUTIONARY HEROES. 117 In many ways one of the most prominent figures in the Revokitionary struggle was the hero who was known to his contemporaries as the Earl of Stirling. He was generally addressed by his title; but he was a devoted ad- herent of the republic, and the son of a man who was in every respect as ardent an American patriot as he became. With the justice of iiis claim to be Earl of Stirling, we have nothing here to do. He preferred the claim in due form to the British House of Lords in 1759 and backed it up with various proofs, notably a genealogical tree showing his descent from John, the uncle of the first Earl. The House of Lords took nearly three years to digest the material placed before it, and then decreed against the validity of the claim. He refused to acqui- esce in this decision, and continued to assume the title until the end of his career. The American family com- menced with James Alexander, who, for his share in the rebellion of 171 5, had to leave Scotland. He settled in New York and was appointed its Surveyor General, and Governor Burnet made him a member of his council. He was held in high esteem, and, along with Benjamin Franklin and others, was one of the founders of the Philosophical Society of America. By his marriage witli the Scotch widow of an American trader, he had four daughters (one of whom married General John Reid, founder of the Chair of Music in Edinburgh University and composer of the famous song " In the Garb of Old Gaul ") and one son, the claimant of the Stirling peer- age and its acknowledged holder in America. He died in 1756. Major William Alexander, or the Earl of Stirling, as he preferred to be called, and as, for that reason if for no other, we will call him, was born in New York in 1726. After a short experience in commercial affairs, he became private secretary and aide-de-camp to General Shirley, then commanding the Colonial forces, and when that officer was recalled, Lord Stirling accompanied him to England. His time there was mainly devoted to the prosecution of his peerage claims, with the unfavorable i n I I 118 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. ■I \ result already mentioned. On his return to America, he was appointed Surveyor General of New York and a member of the Council in New Jersey. He threw himself with the utmost ardor into the movement for indepen- dence, although thereby he knew that he dissipated any chance he might have for a legal acknowledgment of his claims to the peerage, and started in the war as Colonel of a regiment. His promotion was rapid and his military career brilliant. In January, 1776, he captured a British transport in the Bay of New York with a small force, ano n M?rch of that year he was placed in com- mand of >i •.'- "/.'ork and dexterously fortified the city and harbor. ( ^ was taken prisoner near Brooklyn, on Long Island, but exchanged, and took part in the bat- tles of Brandywine, Germantown, and Monmouth. In 1 781, with the rank of Major General, he was placed in command of the Northern Army, with headquarters at Albany, and he died in that city in 1783. " It is a singular fact," says Lossing, '' that during the War oi Independence, Lord Stirling had command at different times of every brigade in the American Army, except those of South Carolina and Georgia." By his marriage with Sarah, eldest daughter of Philip Livingston, Lord Stirling had two daughters, but no son, and so the claims of his branch of the Alexander family to the peerage died with him. In the brilliant galaxy of Revolutionary heroes, he holds an honored place, but his memory is perhaps now held in greener remembrance for the serv- ices he performed for Columbia College, of which he was for a long time one of the Governors. These soldiers we have just named are all recognized as leaders in the Revolutionary cause, and their deeds and lives have become part and parcel of American his- tory. There were hundreds of others less prominent, however, but by no means less brave, less loyal to the cause, less self-sacrificing, or, in a sense, less needful. That struggle was one in which all who took part in it had to do their utmost and to fulfill the duties allotted to them with scrupulous fidelity, and when every man's rp:volutionary heroes. 119 work was really necessary to success. Among these now less known heroes mention may be made of Colonel John Murray, one of the bravest of men, who represent- ed Pennsylvania in the struggle. He was born in Perth- shire in 1731 and settled near the town of Dauphin, Pa., with his father, in 1766. He commenced his active career as a military patriot in JMarch, 1776, when he was appointed to the command of a company in a regiment of rifles. A year later he had won the rank of Major, and in 1778 was Colo'^el of the Second Pennsylvania Regiment. He continued in active service until the termination of hostilities, in 1783, having beeii present at the battles of Long Island, White Plains, Trenton, Princeton, Germantown, and Brandywine, besides skirm- ishes innumerable. When the struggle was over he re- tired to Dauphin County, was appointed a Justice of the Peace in 1791 and so continued in the duties of active citizenship until his death, in 1798. A brother of this hero, James Murray, who came from Scotland with the rest of the family, served through the war, mostly as Captain in the Pennsylvania troops. Another Scottish-American who figured very con- spicuously in Pennsylvania's c|uota of patriots was Will- iam Leiper, who was one of the founders of the famous Philadelphia City Troop, and served with it during the greater part of the war. He was bom at Strathaven in 174.S, settled in Maryland in 1763, but removed to Phil- adelphia two years later, and thereafter made it his home. He engaged in the business of storing and exporting to- bacco and the manufacture of tobacco and snufT, and amassed a large fortune. For years he was looked upon as one of the most public-spirited of the citizens of Phil- adelphia, and every scheme for the advancement of the city or for the promotion of its interests found in him a liberal and thoughtful patron. The first tramway in America was laid under Leiper's direction, in 1809, and as President of the Philadelphia Common Council he proved a model official by the interest he took in every matter pertaining to the welfare of the city. He served also as a Presidential Elector, and was one of the first, if m 120 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. not the first, to nominate Andrew Jackson, his bean ideal among America's pubHc men, for the Presidency. Mr. Leiper's later years were spent in dignified retire- ment, and as he survived till 1825, he had the satisfac- tion of seeing his adopted country prosperous and pro- gressive after almost half a century of independence. William Fleming, who was born in Lanarkshire in 1740, may serve as a type of the Southern soldier. He emigrated when twenty >ears of age and settled on a large tract of land at Botecourt, Augusta County, Va. His property steadily increased in value until, in the prime of life, Fleming could regard himself as a fairly rich vr.n. In the district in which he had settled he was very popular. He had received a good education, was well rer/1, and was a man of fine appearance, and these qualities., jomed with his fondness for atheltic sports, to- gether with a commonly credited report that he was real- ly of aristocratic parentage, his generous hospitality, and his interest in public afi^airs, won him hosts of friends. When the outbreak with the mother country was immi- nent, Fleming raised a regiment which he afterward com- manded at the battle of Point Pleasant. His military career ended with that engagement, however, for in it he received a \vound, from the effects of which he never fully recovered. Colonel Fleming is said by some au- thorities to have served for a short time as Governor of Virginia during the troubles. Of all the soldiers in the Revolution, none had, on the whole, a more extraordinary career than James Swan, who w-as born in Fifeshire in 1754 and settled in Boston when a young man. He was for a time a mercantile clerk, but soon became more noted for his advocacy of the movement for independence than for his business abilities, although, as long subsequent events showed, his business qualities w^ere of a high order. He formed one of the celebrated " Boston Tea Party " and acted as an aide de camp to Gen. Warren at Bunker Hill. In that famous skirmish he was severely wounded. Afterward as a Captain in Crafts's regiment of artillery Swan saw much active service, and he was in the expedition that REVOLUTIONARY HEROES. 121 compelled the British forces to leave Boston Harbor. As Secretary to the Massachusetts Board of War, as mem- ber of the State Legislature, and as Adjutant General of the State, he rendered a series of magnificent services to the Commonwealth. But while thus winning honors as a patriot his private fortunes were not flourishing, and, despairing of meeting with much financial success in the then unsettled state of the country. Swan retired from public life and went to P>ance. There in a few years he accumulated a fortune, and when he returned to the United States, in 1795, he was noted equally for his wealth, his charity, and his munificence. In 1798 iie re- turned to Europe and engaged in large commercial ventures, all of which were wonderfully successful. In 181 5 his career was c.t short by his being arrested :ind lodged in prison on charges preferred by a German with whom he had had dealings. He remained in durance until 1830, living meantime in a style of the greatest luxury and enjoying the additional prodigality of a score of law- suits. A year later he died in Paris. Swan was a man of brilliant genius, of that there is no doubt, and he pos- sessed many of the qualities of a statesman, as well as those of a soldier and a merchant. His pamphlets on the fisheries of Massachusetts show that he was alive to the importance of an industry then wholly unappreciated, while his work against the slave trade, published at Bos- ton in 1773, demonstrated his belief that all men, black and white, are born free and equal, long before that senti- ment became recognized, even as a figure of speech, in the Declaration of Independence. It is singular to find that several Scots took part in the battle of Bunker Hill, and, having just mentioned one who fought on the American side, it may not be out of place to recall another Scot, and also another native of Fifeshire, who was in the opposing ranks — in the ranks of King George. This was John Pitcairn, son of the Rev. David Pitcairn, minister of Dysart, and a representative of the old Fifeshire house of Pitcairn of Pitcairn. John Pitcairn, when twenty-five years of age, became a Cap- tain in the Roval Marines, and was commissioned a Ma- ms 122 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. jor in 1771. He was for a considerable time stationed at Boston, and had the reputation of being the only British officer who showed any consideration for the people in their fre(juent petty troubles with the soldiery. On April 19, 1775, he was in command of the British squad in the famous skirmish at Lexington, generally regarded as the opening contest in the Revolutionary War. Bancroft says: " Pitcairn rode in front, and, when within five or six rods of the Minute Men, cried out: * Disperse, ye vilj- lains! Ye rebels, disperse! Lay down your arms! Why don't you lay down your arms and disperse? ' The main part of the countrymen stood motionless in the ranks, witnesses against aggression ; too few to resist, too brave to fly. At this Pitcairn discharged a pistol and with a loud voice cried ' Fire ! ' The order was followed first by a few guns which did no execution, and then by a close and deadly discharge of musketry." This very cir- cumstantial story has, however, been denied in most of its details by other historians, and Pitcairn himself always averred that it was the Minute Men who fired the first shot. Seven of the latter were killed, among them being Robert Munroe, a Scotsman, who as an ensign in one of the Highland regiments had helped to win Louisbourg for his country from the French in 1758. In the retreat from Concord on the afternoon of the Lexington aflfray Pitcairn had to abandon his horse and pistols, and very nearly lost his life. At Bunker Hill he was conspicuous for his bravery. In the last assault made on the hill he was the first to climb to the redoubt, which he did, crying : " Now for the glory of the marines ! " but fell mortally wounded by a shot fired by a negro — the last shot, it is said, fired in the fight. Major Pitcairn was carried to the City of Boston, and died within a few hours. He had married early in life Elizabeth, daughter of Robert Dal- rymple of Annefield, Dumfries-shire, and left her a widow with eleven children. She secured a pension of £200 a year from the British Government, and her eldest son, David, became one of the most noted physicians in Lon- don, dying in that city in 1809, the recognized head of his profession. REVOLUTIONARY HEROES. 128 We have probably said enough about the mihtary he- rocs of the Revolution — adduced sufficient instances to prove the importance of the Scotch element in it. We may, therefore, turn to another field — that of statesman- ship — which was as essential to the success of the move- ment as the military prowess of the warriors. Had the advice of the Scotch settlers, or of the majority of the Scotch representatives of the Home (lovernment, been taken, there would never have been any revolution at all — at least at the time and under the circumstances it did. Alexander Kennedy, for example, who was Col- lector of Customs at the Port of New York, and in 1750 a member of the Provincial Council, was continually, in his letters to headquarters, in his reports, and in his pub- lished writings, urging the importance of the American Colonies to the mother country and advocating measures and giving suggestions which, if carried out, would un- doubtedly have strengthened their loyalty and added to their wealth and prosperity. But no attention was paid to such warning voices. Kennedy, who became Receiver General of the Province of New York — proof sufficient that he was a man possessing some influence with the home powers — was descended from the third Earl of Cas- silis. He married a Miss Massam of New York, and when he died, in 1763, left a son, Archibald. This son be- came a Captain in tlie Royal Navy, and in 1792, on the death of the tenth Earl of Cassilis without issue, suc- ceeded to the Earldom. He had married Anne, sister of John Watts, at one time President of the St. Andrew's Society of New York, and their descendants still hold the old title and the newer one of Maniuis of Ailsa. Anne Watts lies buried in the Chapel of Holyrood under a plain flat stone. One of the younger sons of this mar- riage married the sister of Alexander Macomb, who, in 1828, became Commander in Chief of the United States Army. The most brilliant statesman of the Revolution was Alexander Hamilton, who was born in the island of Nevis, British West Indies, his father being a native of Scotland and his mother a Frenchwoman. He learned 124 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. business routine in a mercantile house at St. Croix, and when sixteen years of age came to this country with his widowed mother. He tlien entered King's College and studied law. His public life may be said to have begun when, at the age of seventeen years, he commenced mak- ing speeches in favor of freedom, and in 1775 he helped the Sons of Liberty to carry off the cannon from Fort George, (now the Battery,) New York. To trace this man's career would be to write the hislorv of the countrv during its continuance. He served in the war, in Con- gress, and was Secretary of the Treasury in Washing- ton's first Cabinet. No one enjoyed to a greater extent the confidence of the " Father of his Country," and when, in 1798, Washington assumed command of the provis- ional army it was with the distinct understanding that Hamilton should be his chief associate. His later years were spent in New York in the prosecution of his private law business, but he took the keenest interest in politics and national affairs. It was this interest and a knowledge of the influence he deservedly exerted that led to a dis- pute with the notorious Aaron Burr and to the latter sending him a challenge to a duel. According to the fashion of the time, Hamilton had to accept, and the par- ties met near Weehawken on July 11, 1804, almost on the spot where Hamilton's son had been killed in a simi- lar encounter a few years before. Hamilton fired in the air. Burr shot straight at his opponent, who fell, mor- tally wounded, and died the next day. There was a terri- ble outburst of public indignation when the news of the duel spread abroad, and Burr was denounced as a mur- derer, and for the remainder of his long life was not only ostracised by society, but was everywhere shunned, and he sank into obscurity. Hamilton was interred with all possible honors in Trinity Churchyard. He was through- out his life proud of his Scotch descent ; joined the New York St. Andrew's Society in 1784, and that organiza- tion marked the spot where he fell by a neat memorial stone. That monument has long ago disappeared — re- moved by relic hunters for the most part — and although the erection of another stone on the site has often been REVOLUTIOXAIiY HEROES. 125 discussed by Xew York Scotsmen in recent years noth- ing practical has resuhed. Jt is even doubtful if the ex- act site could now be determined, so great have been the changes in the vicinity. The family of Watts was a conspicuous one in the Rev- olution, and, like many others, was divided by that out- break into loyalists and Americans. According to Cien. Dc Peyster, the present able and cultured representative of the family, its American progenitor was John Watt of Rosehill, near Edinburgh, who settled in America toward the close of the seventeenth century. His son, John, be- came a noted figure in local affairs, and, had the Revolu- tion been suppressed, would have been Lieutenant Ciov- ernor of the Colony of New York. He represented the city in the Assembly for many years and was a member of Council. As one of the wealthiest landed proprietors in the colony, he was munificent in his private charity and in his public benefactions. He was one of the found- ers and Trustees of the New York Society Library, and in 1760 was the first President of the New York City Hospital. In the early Revolutionary struggle he was noted for his strong loyalist proclivities, and when hostili- ties began he ^-ent to England and there remained till his death, in 1789. By his marriage with the daughter of Stephen De Lancey he had a large family. " Robert, the eldest son," writes Gen. De Peyster, *' married Mary, eld- est daughter of William Alexander, titular Earl of Stir- ling; Ann, their eldest daughter, married the Hon. Archi- bald Kennedy and became Countess of Cassilis; Susan married Philip Kearney and wa 1 lother of Major Gen. Stephen Watts Kearney, the conqueror of New Mexico and California; Mary married Sir John Johnston, Bart., and, like her father, suffered the pains of exile and con- fiscation of property; Stephen, the famous Major Watts of Oriskany, and John, the public benefactor," We give this really correct genealogical record as an examplifica- tion of the way in which most of the old Scotch families have spread through what are now regarded as leading American houses, very few of which at the present day cannot point to some Scotch name in their family tree. 1 Si if III a 12G TITK SCOT IN AMEniCA. J(jlin Watts, the son of tliis expatriated colonist, was bred to the study of tlie law, and was the last of the Royal Recorders of New York, servinj^ in that cap' '*■' from 1774 to 1777. As he threw in Ins lot with th .nninp^ side in the war, a larj^e proj)ortion of the confiscated es- tate of his father was returned to him and his brothers. J le became Speaker of the New York Assembly — from 1 79 1 to 1794 — served in Congress for two years, and in 1806 became first Judge of Westchester County, N. Y. J le performed many good services to his country and de- served all the honors he enjoyed, but his memory is best preserved by his noble act in founding and endowing with a legacy that came to him under distressful circum- stances the Leake and Watts Orphan House, in New York, a charity which to the present day continues its beneficent work. Like his father, he showed his par- tiality to his ancestral country by joining the rr of the St. Andrew's Society, and in many other ways . jmon- strated his warm heart for the old land. A fine statue of this patriot-jurist, representing him in his robes as Re- corder, has been erected in Trinity Churchyard, New York, by his descendant, (jen, J. Watts de Peyster. A more suitable site for such a memorial could not be found, excepting, perhaps, the corner of Twenty-sixth Street and Second Avenue, on the grounds upon which liellevue Hospital is now located — grounds which for- merly belonged to his family. A much less known statesman than any of those we have yet mentioned, yet a man whose services were of the utmost consecjuence to the young republic, was John Ross, a native of Tain, who, in his day — a day before the Revolutionary sentiment developed into war — was one of the wealthiest citizens of Philadelphia. Ross had learned the principles of business in Perth, to which his family had removed when he was very young. He settled in Philadelphia in 1763, and soon was noted for his enthusi- astic advocacy of the principles which were tending to political independence ; and for separation as the natural and only possible outcome of the entire sea of troubles brought about by the incapacity or carelessness or arro- HEVOUTTTOXARY THOROES. 127 ^ancc, or all tlirco conibiiu'd. of the Home Government, he was decidedly outspoken. In 1776 he was appointe ciety of the Port of New York, an organization which had for its object * the relief of indigent and distressed masters of vessels, their widows and orphan children.' Thomas Randall was for many years intimately connect- ed through ties of friendship and business with Alexander Hamilton, the great soldier-lawyer-financier of the Col- onies, and it is recorded that Randall and Hamilton had built and fitted out, at their own expense, the vessel which conveyed Gen. Washington from Elizabethport to New York on his journey to the first inauguration. Capt. Trask has taken a great deal of pains ^o solve the question of Thomas Randall's birti hi without suc- cess. " If a Scotsman," he says, ' .ust have come to this country when young, as at ti ige of tweii ,-five he appears to have been a shipmastci md 1 command of the American brigantine. The Fox! " 1 ne son, how- ever, bequeathed his means unto a charity which has proved of practical service to the class for whom it was intended, and, in the absence of proof to the contrary, we feel justified in claiming Thomas Randall as a Scot on the strength of the tradition. Such institutions have ever been favorite ones with Scotsmen of means, and perhaps it may have been one of the dreams of Thomas Randall to found such a home, a dream made a reality by his son. CHAPTER V. MINISTERS AND RELIGIOUS TEACHERS. NO class of men have clone more to direct public opinion and conserve public morals in North America than the preachers of the Gospel who have settled in the L'nited States and Canada from Scotland. In speaking of the Scotch clergy on this continent, and particularly in the L'uited States, we generally think of them as Pres- byterians. The majority of them certainly were, and are, of the Kirk of John Knox, but we also find them in all denominations. Episcopalian and Baptist, Method- ist and Roman Catholic. Indeed, one of the Bishops of the latter Church in the United States who died a year or two ago was a native of Scotland, and as proud of the fact as he was of his crozier. Prcsbyterianism, how- ever, is so much associated with the history of Scotland that when we speak of a Scottish clergyman in America he is generally supposed to be a Presbyterian — until the contrary is made known. Then, many Scotch preachers ordained in some one of the Presbyterian denomina- tions in Scotland become Congregationalists when they reach America, believing that that form of Church gov- ernment is more suited to the requirements of the coun- try than any other, and many have found in the pulpit of the Reformed Dutch Church a haven from whicli they could preach the Word. Such changes may, of course, be made without sacrificing one iota of the preachers' early notions of the unity of the denomination and the inter-dependence of individual congregations taught in the policy and practice of the religious organization un- 141 f 'r am J42 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. der which their fathers had worshipped, and in which they themselves had been trained for the work of the iViinistry. Sometimes we read of a Scotsman who crossed the Atlantic to further the views of his denomination as a missionary, and of this the history of the Quakers has already furnished us with several examples. Sometimes the head and front of a new denomination settles in America, hoping- in a new country to find men ready to change the views they had previously held, or at least so open to conviction as to hold out some hope in the wa> of making converts. This was the case with Robert San- deman. lie was born at Perth in 17 18, and after a short university course at Edinburgh entered into commercial life in the linen trade. He married the daughter of the Rev. John Glas, minister of Tealing, near Dundee, whose viev/s against a national church and other matters led to his deposition and to the founding of a new sect — the Glassites. Sandeman not only adopted his father-in-law's views, but reduced them to a system. The Glassites had some pecrdiar views on church government, and were pronounced against all State connection with religion. They did not believe that their spiritual teachers should be set apart, or that they should contract second mar- riages, or that prayer should be promiscuous. They had love feasts — real feasts — celebrated the Lord's Supper every Sabbath, interpreted th j Scriptures literally, disap- proved of eating animals that had been strangled, and adopted such minor matters as washing the feet of broth- er disciples and implanting the kiss of charity, and many other views which drove them apart from the other communities into which the religious world of Scotland was divided. Sandeman became what might be called the evangelist of the new church, and was instrumental in organizing in connection with it many congregations, not only in Scotland, but in London, Newcastle, and other English tow^is. In 1764, leaving Mr. Glas to watch over the denomination at home, Sandeman crossed to Boston and founded a c^nrch there, the body being known in America by his naine — Sandemanians. He also MINISTERS AND RELIGIOUS TEACHERS. 143 established a cluirch at Danbury, Conn., and congrega- tions elsewhere, but the progress of the movement was hampered by the uncertain political conditions which be- gan to prevail, and Sandeman suffered many disappoint- ments. He died at Danbury in 1771. Probably not more than 5,000 persons in America could then have been regarded as adherents to Sandeman's views, and after his death that number began steadily to decrease, al- though, to a small extent, tliey are still represented in American denominational lists. During the Revolution- ary War they were noted for their loyalty to Britain, and that fact alone kept them from winning the amount of at- tention which their earnestness, their charity, and their striving after pure Christianity entitled them. Another worker in a new sect — a sect, however, whose purpose was to unite all the sects, with the Bible as the sole bond of union, was Walter Scott, who, it has been claimed by some of his admirers, could claim kinship with the " Author of Waverley." He was born in the now popular and pleasant town of Moffat in 1796. He landed in the L'nited States in 1818 and became acquaint- ed with Thomas and Alexander Campbell, father and son, two Irishmen who had the courage to think out re- ligious problems for themselves. For Alexander Camp- bell, Scott conceived a warm friendship, and the views of the Disciples of Christ, as the holders of the Campbellite doctrines were called, found in him a devoted believer. As a preacher, Scott exhibited such oratorical powers that he became recognized as a leader in the new ranks, and his writings formed a feature for years in Alexander Campbell's paper, " The Christian Baptist."' The sect thus founded spread rapidly over many sections of the United States, and it has churches in various parts of tfe world. Its vitality seems to increase with the passing of time — the great wrecker of so many sects — and it now has over 2,000 ministers and some 2,500 churches. For much of this popularity the labors of Walter Scott must receive credit, for in the work of the organization he seemed never to tire. Just before the outbreak of the war of tiie rebellion, as might be expected from one holding such il M •7«9» 144 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. broad, simple vicWvS of Cliristian life, lie spoke against an appeal to arms, and in a pamphlet ealled ** The Union," issned in 1861, a short time before his death, he nttered a rinj^in<( protest aj^ainst the impending eonflict. Words, however, by that time were of no avail — affairs had passed that stage, and the bombardment of l^'ort Sumter an- nouneed the beginning of one of the most appalling of modern wars. Seott was then in intirm health, and the grief which the news of the doings at Sumter occasioned hastened the end, and closed in gloom a life that had been spent in trying to infuse light and joy through the world. He died at iNlayslick, Ky., in 1861. Sometimes we find Scotsmen among the pioneers or active workers in fields that are neither orthodox nor es- tablished, seekers after something new, as zealous as the typical Yankee. Even in the ranks of the Mormon El- dership the ubicpiitous Scot can be found, and those of them we have met have displayed the greatest earnest- ness in their work and expressed a most complete belief in the righteousness of the doctrines held by that people. So, too, in the circles of the Spiritualists and such-like " new-fangled " folks, Scotsmen seem to hold prominent rank. The most noted of all the modern Spiritualists was David Douglas Home, who was born in Edinburgh in 1833 and died in Paris — a lunatic — in 1886. He settled in America in 1840, and at the age of seventeen blossomed out into a medium. His life may generally be classed as that of an adventurer, with his fame as a spiritualist as its foundation, while as the prototype of Pirowning's study of " i\[r. Sludge, the Medium," he even found a place in poetry. His spiritualistic performances w ere re- markal)le. whatever way we may look at them, and included all sorts of manifestations. Home had a career in Europe as well as in America. In 1858, while in St. Petersburg, he marri(Hl a Russian lady of rank. He joined the Roman Catholic Church, but was expelled for some of his manifestations. In London he was one of the curiosities of the capital for several >ears, and, his wife having died in 1862, he married again — this time also a Russian lady of noble birth — in 1872, He MINISTKIW AND UIOLKUOUS TKACHWUS. 145 wrote a nunibcr of works on spiritualism, and certainly made many converts to his ])eculiar views. If, however, we want to nieasnre fnlly the influence which Scotland's clerj^^y have had upon America, we need look no further than to the history of Presbyterianism in the United States. It is not much more than a century ago that the first General Assembly, with its 17 Presby- teries and 180 ministers, met in Philadelphia. Now there is hardly a town in the country where at least one church belonging to tlie denomination is not to be found, while its array of colleges, its missionary o])erations, and tiie extent and variety of its evangelistic work, make the American Presbyterian Church, Xorth as well as South, one of the most active agents in the modern religious world. In the early history of the country Scotch Presby- terianism was even a much more pronounced factor in its religious and moral development, despite its comparative meagreness of workers, adherents, and means, than now, and one authority says that two-thirds of the Presbyter- ian ministers in America, prior to 1738, were graduates of (ilasgow University. In the first Presbytery meeting, at Philadelphia, in or about 1700, there were seven minis- ters, and two of these, Nathaniel Taylor and Jolm Wil- son, were natives of Scotland, three belonged to the North of Ireland and were of Scotch descent and educa- tional training, and one was a native of New-England, of whose education and ancestry nothing seems to be known. Thus, six of this pioneer band of seven owed to Scotland the grit and fidelity of purpose thar enabled them to assume the dangers and hardships of pioneer life. One of these Irish Scots, the Rev. Francis Makem- ie, a graduate of ("dasgow University, is credited with being the founder of Presbyterianism in America, hav- ing organized a church at Snow Hill, Md., in 1684, with the aid of his trusted Scotch elder, Adam Spence. A claim for priority is alsf> made for a church at Hemp- stead, which was founded in 1644 by the Rev. Mr. Den- ton, a Presbyterian preacher from lui gland, but Denton should rather be placed under the general head of Nonconformist, and as we judge from the story of his hit hi. I.! If ,41 ! .>ii -l-.-_-:-::^^i--j.Lja-..t.,-..^ l |.-Hfj- j ^- H,- n ! 146 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. ministry at Hempstead, the church he founded was a Congregational rather than a Presbyterian institution. Makemie not only founded one church, but four others, within comparatively easy reach of Snow Hill, and did not rest content until he had the churches he founded and tiiose of other pioneers organized into a Presbytery, and with the organization of that body began, really, the history of Presbyterianism in America. In 1716 the first Synod, constituted by four Presbyteries, was held in the " City of Brotherly Love," and in 1789 the organization of the Church was completed by the meeting of a Gen- eral Assembly. No better or more inspiring " visible sign " of Scotland's influence upon America is to be found than in the growth and present wide-reaching influence gI the Presbyterian Church in all its branches on the continent. But under whatever denominational flag the Scotch preachers in America have enrolled themselves, their influence has been, with very few and very far-separated exceptions, for good in their ministerial relations, while as citizens they have been ever active and practical in manifesting how the duties of honest, upright, loyal citi- zenship should be considered and performed. F.ven as far back as the time of the Revolution there is abundant evidence to show that they were fast in their loyalty, whether their sentiments caused them to remain faithful to King George or, as was more generally the case, their convictions impelled them to transfer their loyalty to the Continental Congress. The leading characteristic of the great majority of the Scottish-American preachers in the past seems to have been their intense earnestness, the:r undoubted sincerity. They had the national dourness, the argumentative disposition of many of their country- men, and several of them were led into uncongenial posi- tions — to change even from one denomination into an- other in the hope of finding more freedom for their views or more peace for the current of their daily lives; but over all, as we study the careers of these preachers, or such of them, rather, as we have been privileged to read about, we find one grand principle ever sustaining and r. MINISTERS AND RELIGIOUS TEACHERS. 147 inspiring- them — that of performing faithfully the com- mission, as they conceived it, which the Master had given them to do. A recent writer in a religious paper has estimated that among the foreign ministers who have preached in this country from its beginning some 3,000 have hailed from Scotland. We do not know how the writer arrived at his figures, but we think his estimate rather under than above the mark. With his calcula- tion however, assumed as correct, it can be understood that all types of good men are contoston with a highly commendatory letter from Principal Stirling of Glasgow to Dr. Cotton Mather and was soon placed in charge of the church at Wood- bridge, N. J. He remained there only a short time, as, toward the close of 171 3, he was ordained minister of White Clay Creek, Del. There he became one of the busiest men in the Church, for he had several preach- ing stations to attend to, and he spared neither time nor labor in the faithful discharge of his duties to each. He was a noted leader in the controversies which had sprung up in the Church and which resulted, in 1741, in a memorable secession. As a writer his pen was particu- larly ready not only in forwarding his own views, but in advocating tolerance for the views of others. His trea- tise " Against Deists and Freethinkers,'' published at Philadelphia in 1735, was an able argument against such heresies, and in considering the events of his somewhat bitter controversial career we read with a smile his " Ser- mons against Divisions in Christ's Churches " when we remember that they were issued in New York in 1740, just as an impending schism was about to distract the energies of the Church — a schism which, in a manner natural in a Scotsman, he had a considerable share in bringing about. Mr. Gillespie died in 1760. A contemporary of Mr. Gillespie who was also noted as a controversialist, but of a less bitter type, was the Rev. Alexander Garden, who was born at Edinburgh in 1685 and settled in Charleston, S. C, in 17 19 as rector of St. Philip's (Episcopal) Parish. From the first he was a success in the work of the ministry, and he soon be- came noted as a leader in local religious circles. He MINISTERS AND RELIGIOUS TEACHERS. 149 brought about a scries of annual mt clings of the clergy in and around Charleston, and by that means alone did a great amount of practical good, but his great claim to kindly remembrance lies in the interest he took in the education and religious instruction of the negroes. In 1740 he entered into a controversy with the famous George Whitefield which attracted nuich attention all over the country. His arguments against the famous Apostle of Methodism were printed under the title of " Six Letters to the Rev. George Whitefield " and had a wide circulation, and he also published a few of his ser- mons — able, orthodox, and practical discourses — which are much superior to the ordinary run of such i^roduc- tions. Mr. Garden was a most enthusiastic Scot, and his name appears among the members of the St. An- drew's Society of Charleston, the oldest organization of that name in America. In 1754 he resigned his pastorate on account of ill-health, to the general regret of the peo- ple of Charleston, irrespective of denominational differ- ences, and was presented with a valuable service of plate. He died two years later. His son, Alexander, who was born at Edinburgh in 1713, became famous as a physi- cian and botanist. In 1754 he was elected Professor of Botany in Kings (Columbia) College, and maintained an extensive correspondence with European scientists, in- cluding Linnaeus, who named the genus Gardenia in his honor. When the Revolution broke out, l^rof. Garden retained his loyalty, lost everything he possessed, and was glad to escape to England, where he died in 1791. As another evidence of how that war separated families we may state that Prof. Garden's son, Alexander, who was born at Charleston in 1757 and died in 1829, served in the Revolutionary Army as aide to Gen. Greene and as an officer in Lee's legion. For his services, his father's property, or most of it, was given to him, and he was justly esteemed by his companions in the army. This warrior also inherited the literary tastes so noted in his family, and his work entitled " Anecdotes of the Revolu- tion and Sketches of Its Characters " was very popular when first issued, and has geveral tinies been reprinted. •ifl /H 150 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. ? A stormy, turbulent, unsatisfactory career was that of George Keith, a Presbyterian, Quaker, and Episcopahan, by turns, who was born in Aberdeen in 1645. It is pos- sible thatj he was a brother of the Rev. James Keith, a worthy Aberdonian, who settled at Boston about 1662, and from 1664 till his death in 1719 was the honored minister of a Congregational church at Bridgewater, Mass.; but this is only a surmise, for Keiths were and are as plentiful around " the City of Bon-Accord " as blackberries on a hedge. George Keith was originally a Presbyterian, and was educated at Marischal College, Aberdeen, where he formed a strong friendship for a fellow-student, Gilbert Burnet, who afterward became famous as Bishop of Salisbury and as a historian. The two entertained the warmest regard for each other throughout their lives. After graduating, Keith left the Presbyterian fold and joined the Society of Friends. Shortly afterward he was induced by tlie leading Quakers in Aberdeen to emigrate to America, with the view nt-, only of bettering his own temporal condition, but of helping to spread their doctrines in the New World, He arrived at New York in 1684, and for some four years was Surveyor in New Jersey. In 1689 he removed to Philadelphia, \/here he conducted a Friends' school, but that occupation was far too quiet and monotonous to suit his disposition, and he soon gave it up. He started to travel in New England, like a Quaker Don Quixote, to win people to the views of the Society, and he was at once engaged in a bitter series of controversies with Increase Mather, Cotton Mather, and others. He did not by his journey add much to the numerical strength of his adopted people, and when he returned to Phila- delphia he even managed, without loss of time, to quar- rel with the Friends there. This quarrel seems to have been due to his own temper, to his sense of disappoint- ment, to his disposition to escape from the leveling ten- dencies of the teachings of the Society, and to some pe- culiar innovations he advocated, and which none of the brethren seemed disposed to listen to. Then he went to England, and laid his whole case before William MINISTERS AND RELIGIOUS TEACHERS. 151 Penn, but that leader denounced him as an apostate, and Keith was excommunicated from the Society, as completely as the gentle Quakers could excommunicate anybody. Then he founded a religious denomination of his own, which he called the Christian or Baptist Quak- ers, (popularly called the Keithians,) and in which he had a chance for ventilating some original views he held on the millennium and concerning the transmigra- tion of souls. The Keithians, however, did not hold long together, and in 1702 its founder was a full-fledged and enthusiastic minister of the Church of England. Here, probal)ly because years had softened the natural contentiousness of his dispositon, or the Church itself allowed more latitude for individual views on various matters, he found peace. Nay, more, he found an op- portunity for repaying the Society of Friends for its rather summary treatment of him. He was sent as a missionary to Pennsylvania and New- Jersey, with the view of converting, or perverting, as many Quakers as possible, and used to boast that in that expedition some seven hundred Friends were by his instrumentality re- ceived into communion with the English Church. Soon after his return to England he was appointed Vicar of Edburton, in Essex, and in that beautiful parish his de- clining years were spent in tranquillity. Keith was a man of decidedly superior cast of intellect, an eloquent and attractive speaker and preacher, an able and ready conversationist, and, but for his choleric disposition, would have lived a life of more than ordinary useful- ness, and might even have attained to real power and eminence. He was a voluminous writer, and in the fifty or so volumes (some in bulky quarto) or pamphlets which we know to have come from his pen, we can trace the current of his religious views through all their changes. He appears in them all to have been singu- larly honest, made no attempt to conceal or belittle his own changes, and even published retractions of his own published writings. His later works were mainly taken up with what he regarded as the fallacies of Quakerism, and he attacked the Society of Friends from every point if ir>2 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. of view and with the utmost savagery and unrelenting acerbity. Jt is relief to turn from the waywardness of this tur- bulent character to the life of ([uiet consistency which is exemplified in the career of one of the most useful min- isters who ever occupied a New York pulpit, the Rev. Dr. Archibald Laidlie. lie was a native of Kelso, and preached his first sermon in this city in 1764. He joined the St. Andrew's Society a year later, a sufficient evi- dence that he was not forgetful of his native land. Mr. Laidlie had previously been pastor for four years of the Scotch Church at Flushing, in Holland. The success of his ministry there induced the Dutch Reformed Church in New York to invite him to settle in that city, and it was notable that he was the first minister of that denomination in New York to preach in Eng- lish. He was a most successful preacher and a man of very considerable learning, and one of the works by which he is still gratefully remembered is his translation, for use in his church, of the Heidelberg Catechism in 1770 — the year that Princeton gave him the degree of Doctor of Divinity. When the time came for men to declare themselves in the Revolutionary struggle Dr. Laidlie held aloof, but had to retire from his charge, and he went to Red Hook, Long Island, where, in 1779, he passed away at the comparatively early age of fifty- two years. It is seldom that we hear of a preacher who knows how to defend himself with his fists with the skill of a prizefighter, and the story of one is preserved in the liistory of the United Presbyterian Church at Oxford, Penn., one of the oldest associate congregations in America, and which still exists in a flourishing condi- tion. It was founded in 1753 by the Rev. Alexander Gellatly, who, along w^ith the Rev. Andrew Arnott, set- tled in America, from Scotland, in response to invita- tions from the Presbyterians in Lancaster and Chester Counties, Penn. In 1758 the Oxford church called an- other preacher from Scotland, the Rev. Matthew Hen- MINISTERS AND RELKIIOIIS TEACHERS. 15:{ dcrson, who had been trained for the ministry in (llas- gow University. He was a good, earnest man, mucli beloved by his people, and had many eccentricities of manner. Several anecdotes concerning him are still re- lated at Oxford, some of which recall the stories told of many of the Old Country preachers in Scotland in the early part of the century. Among others, it is said, that once, noticing a young woman with a new calico gown moving fre(|uently to various parts of the church, he called out : ** That is the fourth time, my lass, that you hae left your seat. You can sit doon now; we hae a' seen your braw new goun." As he was journeying over the mountains to meet with his brethren in the Presbytery he halted for the night at an inn. While resting in the common sitting room, two loafers, no- ticing that he was a mmister, persisted in trying his patience by their roughness, and finally insisted on figlit- ing. This caused his Scotch blood to " boil." Drawing off his coat, he exclaimed: " Lie there, the Rev. Mr. Henderson, and, now, Matthew, defend yoursel'." He threw one of his tormentors through the window, the other ran away. In the annals of Presbyterianism in America no names are sweeter than those of the Masons — father and son — who for many years were the recognized leaders in that communion in the United States. The Rev. John Mason was born in Linlithgowshire in 1734. He was trained for the ministry in the Secession Church, and was an ardent believer, as were all his family, in the views held by the Anti-Burghers in Scotland. It is well to remember this in considering Dr. Mason's work in America, for the Anti-Burgher views are generally con- sidered to be the narrowest and most closely confined of any held by Presbyterian denominations. I'ut from the time he settled in New York, in 1761, shortly after he was ordained, and took charge of the Scotch Presbyter- ian Church, on Cedar Street, he was the apostle of liber- ality and toleration. He saw Presbyterianism not only tiivided, but the sections threatening to drift wider apart, ! .1. »-. VA THE SCOT IN AMI:H1CA. and while he recognized the existence in Scotland of political and historical reasons which almost naturally created schism and embittered feelinj;", he saw no reason for tliere being any divisions at all in the New World. With that idea, he labored with intensity and determina- tion, and his labors were, to a very considerable extent, crownetl with success in 1782, when the Associate Re- formed Presbyterian Church was organized, and of its Assembly he was tlie first Moderator. In all the relig- ious and charitable movements of his time in New York, Dr. Mason was a leader. He was one of the prime mov- ers in the American l>ible Society, and issued an ad- dress on its behalf which was circulated broadcast among the people. This movement he conceived to be one of the most notable ever inaugurated in the interest of Christian union. Its platform and ])urpose were such that all Christians could unite upon, and, indeed, except for some objections from a few Episcopalian dignitaries and others, it was accepted in the spirit of union by all denominations, and has since done a mighty work. In charitable enterprises he was equally prominent, while as Chaplain of the St. Andrew's Society, from 1785 till his death, in 1792, he was brought into the closest con- tact with his countrymen, and aided largely in promoting the society's mission to *' Relieve the distressed." Dr. Mason's son, the Rev. John Mitchell Mason, who was born in New York in 1770, was in many ways the most representative and admired minister America has yet produced. He graduated at Columbia College in 1789, and then went to Edinburgh to complete his the- ological studies. He succeeded to the pastoral charge of his father's church on the latter's death, in 1792, and he succeeded his parent as Chaplain of the St. Andrew's Society, an oflfice he held until 1821, when he left the city to become Principal of Dickinson College, Carlisle, Penn. He returned to New York in 1824 and resumed the active work of the ministry. As a preacher he was unrivaled in his day, and it is said that when the famous Robert Hall heard him preach a discourse on " Mes- MINrSTK.US AND UI-UJOIOUS TEATHKHS. ir)5 siah's Throne" he said: "I can never preach ap^ain." Says one writer: " His aspect was on a scale of j^randcnr corresponchnjj to the majesty of tlie mind within. Tall, robnst, straii^ht. with a head modeled after tieither (Ire- cian nor Roman standards, yet combininp^ the dij^nity oi the one and the grace of the other; with an eye tliat shot fire, especially when under the excitement of ear- nest preaching, yet tender and tearful when a pathetic passage was reached ; with a forehead broad and high, and a mouth expressive of decision, Dr. Mason stood before ins audience a prince of i)ul])it orators." lie died in New York City in 1829. Old Dr. ]\Iason ([uietly adopted the American side in the Revolutionary struggle, but, unlike Dr. Witherspoon, was regarded so much as an unoffensive partisan that he retained the good will of his friends in Scotland to the last. As an offset to his exam])le we may here re- call a clergyman who was an uncompromising foe to the Revolutionary movement. That was the Rev. Henry Munro, who was born at Inverness in 1730. His first acquaintance with America was when he crossed the Atlantic as the Chaplain (Presbyterian) of the old Sev- enty-seventh Regiment, (Montgomerie's Highlanders.) He was with that gallant body at Fort Duquesne, Crown Point, and Ticonderoga, and was not oidy present at the capture of Montreal in September, 1760, but preached a rousing thanksgiving sermon a day or two later on the side of Mount Royal. As one reward for his campaigns he got a bounty of 2,000 acres of land in what is now Washington County, in New York State, but this land never added to his wealth, for the troul)les of the Revolu- tion interfered with its settlement, and it was confis- cated as soon as the progress of events made confisca- tion possible. In 1762 he settled at Princeton, and for some reason or another joined the Church of England, and in 1765 was stationed as a missionary at Yonkers. Three years later he became rector of St. Peter's, at Al- bany, and was active in his missionary labors among the Mohawk Indians, whose language he knew perfectly. ^r : 156 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. When the war broke out he was unsparing In his de- nunciations of the " rebels," and made himself so ob- noxious on that score that he had to escape to the Brit- ish lines. Then he made his way back to Scotland, where he died, at Edinburgh, in 1801, a broken-hearted old man whose life went out under a sense of having suffered (Uicp wrongs. He had married in 1766 a daugh- ter of Peter Jay, and the lady and her family were as enthusiastic in favor of the Revolution as jNIunro was opposed to it. She not only refused to accompany him, but retained with her their only son — Peter Jay Munro. Father and son never afterward saw each other. The lad was educated under the direction of his famous uncle, John Jay; accompanied that statesman to Spain as an attache of the American Embassy, and then studied law in the office of Aaron P)urr. He rose in time to become one of the foremost members of the New York Bar, and served in the Constitutional Convention of 1821. He died at Mamaroneck in 1833. Few clergyn:en have led more stirring lives than did the Rev. William Smith, a man of broad culture, of in- tense energy, of more than ordinary ability, and a preacher of wonderful force. He was born at Aberdeen in 1727, and graduated from the university there. He began life as a teacher, and came here in 1752 to take charge of the seminary in Philadelphia, out of which grew the Umvr^rsity of Pennsylvania. In 1753 he went to England ind received orders in the national Church there. On his return he was an activ^e preacher as well as a successful teacher, and when, in 1759, he revisited England his merit and ability w^re so widely recognized that he received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from the Universities of Oxford, Aberdeen, and Dublin. He threw himself heartily into the popular side in the Revo- lution, preached frequently to the troops, and did what- ever he could, consistent with his position, to favor the movement for independence. His very consistency raised up several enemies, and caused even a doubt to be cast on the sincerity of his sentiments, but such doubts MINISTERS AND HKr.IGIOUS TI^ACHERS. 157 were utterly iinfonnded. In June, 1775, lie preached a sermon in Philadelphia to Col. Cadwallader's battalion which created a sensation, so outspoken were its senti- ments, so clearly did he proclaim the righteousness of the cause of the dissidents. Even this sermon gave rise to criticism. Th' bane of his career was that his per- sonal character in many ways was not a lovable one. He had a sharp temper and a tongue that was often in- temperate in its expressions of personal dislike. Then the impetuosity of iiis disposition involved him in coimt- Icss arguments and impelled men who really ought to have been ranged among his friends to be ranked among his enemies. The sentiment against him was so bitter in some influential quarters for a time as to cause the charter of the college in I'hiladelphia, of which he was the head, to be suspended for ten years, arid later to defeat the approval by the General Convociition of his Church of his electinn as Bishop of Maryland. But he continued preaching and teacliing — mainly at Chesterton, Aid., (where he established Washington College,) until the clouds rolled away, and his latter years in Philadelphia, vsiiCie he died in 1803, were spent pleasantly and peace- fully. The blemish in Dr. Smith's career was his fond- ness for secular pursuits, notably for land speculation, a weakness that has never yet, so far as cur experience goes, added much to the popularity of a clergyman. It may safely be said, however, that his business ventures never interfered with his duties as a teacher, a Principal of a seat of learning, or as a preac'ier of the Gospel. He was an incessant worker, a marvel of energy. In spite of his numerous avocations he devoted a great deal of time to his study, and was a voluminous writer on re- ligious and secular topics and a patient investigator of scientific matters. A nephew of this sturdy divine, Will- iam Smith — also an Aberdonian and a zealous u])holdcr of tlie Revolutionarv cause — was rector of Trimty Church, X^ewport, for seven years, having previously held rectorships at Stepney, ]\Id., and Xarragansett, R. I., and afterward, until his death, in 1821. at the age of sixty-seven years, was a preacher and teacher in New ;!'- i!r Jli Ml m ^ '■: ! H 1 j 1 ' ' H ll ! ■ i! S '»! i \ 1 i ■ 1. 1 ' 1 i 158 THI<] SCOT J.N AMERICA. York. His pupils were mainly private ones, and as a classical instructor he was regarded as the foremost in the city. He was the autlior of several religious works, which seem now to be unobtainable — and forgotten. Having recalled two pro-Revolutionary ministers, the strict impartiality of tliis survey again impels us to con- sider two who were conspicuous in their own circles on the opposite side. The first of this pair was the Rev. Dr. Myles Cooper, a poet of no mean order, as well as a theologian and life-long student. The place of his birth is uncertain. He seems to have been educated at Ox- ford, and was a Fellow of Queen's College there. In 1763 he was elected second President of King's College (r >v,' Columbia Coliege,) New York, and in the performance of all the duties pertaining to that office he was faithful and zealous and deservedly popular. He, however, took up such a thoroughgoing loyal stand against the Ameri- cans in the troubles with the mother country that in 1775 he was obliged to return to Britain. Dr. Cooper soon after his return was made rector of the Episcopal Church (now a Roman Catliolic church) in the C'owgate of Ed- inburgh, and he continued in charge of that congrega- tion until his death in 1785. The Rev. Thomas Rankin was another refugee. He was born at Dunbar in 1738, and crossed to America as a missionary sent by John Wesley. Before that he had been preaching in various Methodist Episcopal cir- cuits, Sussex, Devonshire, and others, and was regard- ed as a successful evangelist and a most devoted worker in the promulgation of Scriptural truths. He was ecjually successful in his work in America until the outbreak of hostilities, when his intense loyalty made him turn his abilities to keeping the clergy of all denominations fast in their loyalty to George HI. He thought there was no use of preaching the Gospel to men who were arrayed in open opposition to lawful authority. " God,'' he said, " would not revive His work in America until they sub- mitted to their rightful sovereign." Holding such views, his usefulness in the New World was at an end, and he returned to England, spending his latter years in mis- MINISTERS AND RELIGIOUS TEACHERS. 159 y [s, lie U- sionan work in London. We may close oiir selection of Revolutionary era preachers bv recalling the name of the Rev. Alexander llewat, who may be classed as an inoffensive partisan, lie was born at Kelso in 1745, educated at the grammar school there, and became pas- tor of the Scotch Church at Charleston, S. C, in 1762. He remained in Charleston until it seemed certain that war was about to break out, when, unwilling to renounce his allegiance, he relincjuished his charge and returned to the mother country. His interest in America did not, however, cease when lie left it, for in 1779 he published in London a valuable and interesting " tlistory of South Carolina and Charleston," his only published work of which we have knowledge excepting a volume of ser- mons, wliich he published in '803. Within a year after reaching America Mr. Hewat testified to his native pa- triotism by joining the Charleston St. Andrew's Society. That society in the early period of its career was watch- ful to add to its list cf members all notable arrivals to the Scottish connnunity, and among its pre-Revolution- ary members we find such names as those of Ciov. James Wright of Georgia Sir Alex Nesbit, Gov. Johnston of North Carolina, Sir James Home, Gov. James Grant of East Florida, and Gov. James Glen of South Carolina. The early records are full of military names, and in one year the resident members placed on the roll the names of the Earl of Eglinton and all the ofBcers of Montgom- erie's Highlanders they appeared to have been acquaint- ed with. Henceforth, in this chapter at all events, we deal with men of peace — men who were ])erniitted to carry on their spiritual work without interference from the roll of drums or the agitations of political strife. The clergy who set- tled in America from Scotland after Washington and his compatriots placed the Cnited States in the list of na- tions accepted the situation loyally. In fact, Scotsmen generally accept a change in such respects with e([ua- nimity — wlu n it is made for them. Even in religious matters, what in Scotland would be deemed a momen- tous change is accepted by the Scot ir. foreign laviJs "I ■ 160 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. without scruple. Wc liavc known Scotsmen who al home would have turned pale at the thought of a harmo- nium in a kirk be quite satisfied with the assistance of an organ in a church in America, and can recall in- stances of many dour opponents of the use of anything in the worship of praise except the " Psalms of Dauvit '' who willingly saw spiritual beauty in many hymns by un- inspired writers after they had been a few weeks in the United States or Canada. The Rev. James Aluir, Presbyterian minister at Alex- andria, \'a., from 1789 till his death in 1820, deserves to be held in kindly remembrance for the able manner in which he handled in at least one published volume the heresies of Thomas Paine, the sceptic, when they were enjoying more influence than they do now, or than they ever deserved. Mr. Muir was born at Cumnock, Ayr- shire, in 1757, and had studied for the ministn at (jlas- gow and Edinburgh. He had been pastor of the Scotch Church in London, and of a church in Bernuida for eight years, before settling in America in 1788. He was a man of wide views, tolerant of all opinions which he believed to be honestly held or uttered, and tiioroughly orthodox in all he himself said or wrote, as may be seen by a pe- rusal of the volume of sermons he published in 1810. His son, Samuel, had a strange history. He was born in the District of Columbia in 1789, anrl in due time was sent to Edinburgh to study medicine. In 181 3 he was appointed a surgeon in the United States Army. That position he resigned in 1818, when he married the daugh- ter of the then chief of the Sac, or Fox, Indians. He settled among his wife's people, assumed their ways, and became regarded as one of their leaders. In 1828 he left the Indian settlements and earned his living again by practicing medicine at Galena, 111. In 1832, when there was an epidemic of cholera among the United States troops, he volunteered his services. His ofifer was accepted, and he saved many lives by his skill, but fell himself a victim to the disease within a few months. It is refreshing after dwelling so long among " the cloth " to turn to a lay preacher who did magnificent MINISTERS AND RELIGIOUS TEACHERS. Ifil work for the Master in his day and generation and around whose name many fragrant memories yet Hnger. This was Jolm Clark, better known as Father Clark, whose only educational training was that which he received in the school of his native parish of Petty, near Inverness. He was born there in 1758, and in early life is said to have been a sailor. In the course of one voyage he land- ed in America and concluded to associate his future with it. He settled for a time in South Carolina, where he taught in a backwoods log school, and then moved to Georgia, where he joined the Methodist Church and be- came a class leader. Desiring to revisit his native land, in 1787 he engaged to work his passage before the mast, and did so, but remained at home only a short time. Re- turning to America in 1789, he became an itinerant preacher in connection with the Methodist body, his travels being mainly throughout Georgia. He was a man of devout spirit, outspoken in his views and ready to de- nounce wrong wherever he found it, without regard to church affiliation, general policy, or self-interest. As might be expected, he was a bitter foe to slavery, and it is on record that he twice refused to accept his annual salary of $60 because the money was obtained through slave labor. Doctrinal dififerences at length led to his withdrawal from the Methodist Church, and he went to Illinois, w here he taught school, preaching as he got an opportunity, without owning allegiance to any denomi- nation. Then he joined the anti-slavery liaptist organi- zation known as the " Baptized Church of Christ, Friends of Humanity," and in connection with that bodv he re- sumed his work as a traveling evangelist. " Father Clark," as he was lovingly called, was inde- fatigable in his work of spreading a knowledge of the Gospel. His missionary wanderings led liim far itUo the then unknown West and southward through I'lorida. We have a record of his having wall od, when seventy years of age, over sixty miles to fultill a preaching en- gagement, and one missionary journey of 1,200 miles was performed alone, partly on f. )Ot and partly with the aid of an old canoe. He died at St. Louis in 1833. In Ill' i li i' p 1G2 fHE SCOT IN AMERICA. 1 ''i !:M ! I I his wanderings and devotion " Father Clark " was the best modern prototype of St. Andrew of whom we have knowledge. Few ministers liave found it more difficult to find a congenial denomination to cling to than did the Rev. Walter r)alfour, who was born at St. Ninians in the year of American independence and died at Charlestovvn, Mass., in 1852. Early in life he became a protege of the sainted Robert lialdane, and was educated through that gentleman's instrumentality for the ministry. He was in- tended for a pulpit of the Church of Scotland, but shortly after crossing the Atlantic, in 1806, he associated himself with the Baptists. In that communion he remained, lat- terly much discontented, until 1823, when, after much thought and careful study into the tenets of every Chris- tian denomination, and with much mental misgiving, he af^liated with the Universalists, and there found that en- tire freedom from doctrinal restraint for which he had so long yearned. In that Church he reached the height of his popularity as a preacher, orator, and as an author. His work entitled " Essay on the Intermediate State of the Dead '' was long considered a model of its kind for closeness of argument, delicacy of thought, and beauty of language. Along watli the names of the Masons in the religious history of New York stand those of the McLeods in the regard and veneration of those who have studied it. The founder of the American family was Dr. Alexander Mc- Leod, who w^as born in the Island of Mull in 1774, and died in New- York in 1833. He settled in America when young, and was trained for the ministry, graduating from Union College in 1798. For a sliort time he was pastor of a church at Wallkill, N. Y., but what may be termed his fife connection was the paste rate of the First Re- formed Presbyterian Church in New York. During that long pastorate " Dr. McLeod's kirk " was a Scottish landmark in New York, and the fame of the preacher was carried all over the country by hosts of his country- men, who, after sojourning in the American metropolis for a time, departed for other sections of the continent. His i I MINISTERS AND RELIGIOUS TEACHERS. 1G3 powers as a pulpit orator were of a high order, and his discourses were prepared with rare analytical skill. Every subject he touched was thoroughly discussed, and, while strictly orthodox, he exemplified by his pulpit ministra- tions that a man can be at once orthodox and original. As one of the Chaplains for many years of the St. An- drew's Society he kept in active touch with his country- men in Xew York of all classes, and was beloved by them all. After his death his son, the Rev. John Xeil McLeod, succeeded to his pastorate. He was an ablenian, as his published sermons, like those of his father, still testify, and under his care the First Reformed Church continued to be a power in the religious life of New York. He was a Calvinist of the sternest school, and was throughout his long life bitterly opposed to secret societies of all sorts or to the singing in public worship of anything ex- cept the metrical version of the Psalms of Israel's sweet singer. He died in 1874. A brother of this worthy min- ister had rather a strange career. He broke away from the Presbyterian fold when a young man and entered the Episcopalian. Then, like so many others in such cir- cumstances, he went to the end of his tether — followed his changing views to their natural end — and became a Roman Catholic. P^or several years prior to his death, the result of a railroad accident near Cincinnati, in 1865, he was Professor of Rhetoric in a Romcn Catliolic col- lege in Ohio. Xavicr Donald IMcLeod was a man of marked ability and scholarship. Among his published writings are a " Life of Mary, Queen of Scots," a " Life of Sir Walter Scott," and at least one volume of poetry. Another New York clergyman w'ho was well known on both sides of the Atlantic was the Rev. Archibald INlaclay, who was born at Killearn in 1778 and settled in New York in 1805. He had been a minister for a short time in Kirkcaldy before crossing the Atlantic, and on his arrival in New York he at once got charge of a small Presbyterian church in Rose street. In the course of a year or two his views on the subject of baptism so changed that he felt impelled to throw in his lot with the Baptist denomination, and in connection therewith he Iff F Nl ■f i ii ii ' li I 104 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. founded a. church on Muil^crry Street, (afterward in Sec- ond Avenue,) of which he continued to be .pastor for nearly thirty years. In 1837 he retired from pastoral work and became agent of the American and i'\)reign l>ible Society. In that capacity lie traveled extensively through the United States, Canada, and (Ireat Britain. In 1850 he was one of the organizers of the American Bible Union, and was elected its President. He was drawn to take the great interest he did in the dissemina- tion of the printed ^Scriptures because he realized that to be one of the quickest means in the power of man for spreading into every nouk and corner of the world a knowledge of the unspeakable rich-.^s of the Truth. He regarded every Bible, or portion of the Bible, as a mis- sionary ever ready to do efifective work and enjoying a closeness of communion which no merely human teacher could hope to equal. At the same time Dr. Maclay was outspoken in arguing the desirability of a new transla- tion of the Scriptures, or the need, at least, of a revision of that which was given to the world under the patron- age of King James, " the Sapient and the Sext " of Scot- land. It was with this object in view that he helped to organize the Bible Translation Society of England. There is no doubt that he did good work in forming public opinion to the necessity of revision, and that it was due to him, as much as to any single individual, that the work was begun in 1870 — ten years after he had passed from his labors to his reward. Almost equally prominent during a long American ca- reer was the Rev. Dr. James Laurie of Washington. He was educated for the ministry in his native city of Edin- burgh and obtained his license as a preacher in 1800. Two years later he determined, on the invitation of Dr. y. M. Mason, to settle in America, and in 1803 he was installed as pastor of the Associate Reformed Church in Washington. At first he preached in, the old Treasury Building — a structure that was afterward burned by the British troops, in 1814. One of his first duties was to procure a decent church for his people. This he accom- plished in 1807, after acting the part of a " big beggar MINISTERS AND RELIGIOUS TEACHERS. K).") Ill irv :hc to m- rar man " in every quarter of the counlry where contribu- tions were Hively to be had. lie preached and implored wiierever he went, for it was a period when money was scarce and the " art of giving " was not understood as well as now. He continued to act as pastor of his church for forty-six years, and for a time held a positi(jn in the Treasury Department, closing a life of devotion to the cause to which he had devoted his pilgrimage, at Wash- ington, in 1853. Another of Dr. Mason's proteges was the Rev. R. Hamilton liishop, a native of Edinburgh, who settled in America in 1801, and, after preaching for several years in Xew York, went West as a missionarv and subseuuently was connected, as teacher or Principal, with se^eral \\'estern colleges. He died at College Hill, Ohio, in 1865. Dr. William M. Taylor, who died at New York in 1895, in the dignified position of a ' pastor emeritus " of the church to which he gave the best years of his active life, was a worthy successor to the Masons and Mc- Leods, whose pulpits were so long lights to the Scottish dwellers in the connnercial metr:)))olis of the United States. Born at Kilmarnock in 1829 and educated for the ministry of the United Presbyterian Church, at Glas- gow and Edinburgh, William Mackergo Taylor was a painstaking and brilliant student. J^'or tw'o years, from June, 1853, he v^as minister of a church .at Kilmaurs, near his native town. In 1855 he went to IJootle, near Liverpool, and he remained there until 1872, when he accepted a call to the Broadway Tabernacle, New York, of which, after many years of faithful labor, he became l)astor emeritus three years before his death. By his writings Dr. Taylor enjoyed the acquaintance of a wide circle of readers. His monograph on '* John Knox " is the* best short life of the great Scotch Reformer which has yet been written — the best for those to read who have not the patience or the time to enjoy McCrie's classic work. His books on Bible biographies have been circu- lated by the* thousand, and his published sermons have also had thousands of readers. In 1886 Dr. Taylor was the " Lyman Beecher Lecturer " at Yale Theological h 1 l\ il Hf' I ;3 IGO THE SCOT IN AMERICA. Seminary, and in connection with tiiat appointment de- livered a series of lectures on " The Scottish Pulpit from the Reformation to the Present Day," which is virtually a sketch of the ecclesiastical history of his native land. IJy the terseness and lucidity of liis style in these lectures Dr. Taylor controverted unconsciously tlie oft-repeated fallacy tiiat men who are in the habit of preaching lose the power of condensing their thoughts and arguments. Faithful lives in the ministry, might be the words used in summing up the careers of such men as Dr. W. C. Prownlee, a native of Lanarkshire, who closed a long life of usefulness in New York in i860; of Andrew Stark, a Stirlingshire man, who was pastor of (irand Street Church, New York, for a few years, and tlied in Scotland, as did one of his successors in that charge, the Rev. Dr. John Thomson; of Robert Kirkwood, once of Paisley, who died at Yonkers in 1866, after holding pastorates at Court- landville and Auburn, N. Y., and after several years' ex- perience as a missionary in Illinois; of Dr. John Lillie, a Kelso man, who was one of the foremost ministers at Kmgston, N. Y., from 1836 till liis death in 1867, and gave many evidences of the possession of ripe scholar- ship, notably by his translations in connection with Lange's magnificent series of commentaries; of Dr. Peter D. Gorrie, who was carried across the Atlantic in 1820, when only three years old, from his native city of Glas- gow, and was a noted member of the Methodist Episco- pal Church, and died at Potsdam, X. Y., in 1884; of Dr. J. Harkness of Jersey City, who was born in 1803 and died in 1878, whose birthplace was in Roxburghshire, and whose first charge w-as at Ecclefechan, where his son, William Harkness, the famous astronomer, was born in 1836; of Dr. Duncan R. Campbell, long of Covington County, who was born in Perthshire in 1814 and was President of Georgetown College when he di^d, in 1861 ; of David Inglis, a native of Greenlaw, Berwickshire, who, after holding various minor pastorates, became, in 1871, a professor in Knox College, Toronto, and died in 1877, while pastor of a Dutch Reformed Church in Brooklyn, and of hundreds of others — enough to make up a very li MINTSTKRH AND RKLTGIO^^S TEACH KRS. 107 respectable dictionary of representative clerical biog- raphy. These men belonged to generations wliich have passed. What may l)e called our own generation is still adding to the list — adding, it may be saitl, in greater proportion than any previous one, so far as our records enable us to judge. In Canada the great majority of the I'resbyterian divines are of Scotch birth or of inmiediate Scottish de- scent. In the States such men as the Rev. William Or- miston, now of California, provide us with names suffi- cient to show- that Scotlaiul still " leavens the lump." Latterly we have been dealing with preachers pure and simple; with ministers who by their own merits won posi- tions of i)re-eminence for themselves in tlie world of the- ological thought, or by their elocjuence made their pul- pits conspicuous *' above the lave," or by their sainted lives left memories which are still among the precious heritages of their own churches and denominations. In thinking over the influence which Scotland has exerted over the history of religion in America we somehow overlook, however, the ecclesiastical dignitaries who have adorned the Churches in which their lifework was done, or is being done. The bulk of Scotsmen are so accus- tomed to their Presbyterian, or Congregational form of Government, with the practical independence of each church and the equality in rank of all ministers, that they seldom contemplate Deans and Bishops, and an Archbishop seems to them a man who stands z. long way of¥, so little does he enter into their calculations. Some- times they are told that the Moderator of a Presbytery is a sort of Bishop, and that the Moderator of a General Assembly is virtually an Archbishop. But the men who have held such positions seldom, if ever, think so them- selves; and if they did they would soon be dispossessed of such thoughts. Beside, they hold such of^ces only for a brief period and by the votes of their brethren, and after a short interval lay down their honors and fall into line once more with the rank and file unless — as is often the case — their own ability wins for them continued prominence and infiiience. There never was a purer form I IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) /. 1.0 i.l •" in A us u 1^ -^5 21 M 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 .« 6" ► Photographic Sciences Corporation 4. ^ i\ <^ ishop Claggett, there was little opposition to the selection of Dr. Kemp, and he was duly conse- crated. Two years later he succeeded, on the death of Dr. Claggett, to the full honors of the Bishopric, and oc- cupied that position, as well as the office of Provost of MINISTERS AND KP:LKU0US TEACH KHS. 1()9 the University of jMaryland, till his death, in 1827, at Baltimore. Bishop Kemp pnbhshed during Ins hfetime several of his sermons on special occasions and a number of con- troversial tracts, but such Fpecialties are by no means contributions to literature, and have, naturally, been long forgotten. Not so, however, tiie example of his life, his devotion to duty, and the manner in wliich he administered and discharged every trust confided to him. The Episcopal Church in the Dominion gives us sev- eral examples of noted Scotch I'ishops, for the Scot in Canada flourishes and forces his way to the front under all sorts of conditions. One of the earliest ot these dig- nitaries was Charles J. Stewart, IJishop of (Juebec. lie w'as the fifth son of John, seventh Karl of (ialloway, and was born at Galloway J louse, Wigtownshire, in 1775. He was educated at Oxford. Having selected the min- istry for his lifework, his studies were directed toward that end, and in 1800 he was ordained a priest. His first charge was a small parish near IVterborough, England, where he remained eight years. Then, desiring to engage in mission work, he applied to the Society for the Propa- gation of the Gospel and was assigned to the mission of St. Armand, P. Q. There he built a church at his own expense; but his district was a wide one, and he was e(iually ready to preach the Gospel in a parlor, a barn, or a room in a village inn, as in the sacred edifice he had had constructed. In 1819 he became visiting missionary in the Diocese of Quebec, virtually embracing the whole of Canada, and the story of his journeys in the discharge of his duties, involving discomfort, danger, fatigue, and discouragements, would furnish themes for many ro- mances. I'ishop Mountain of Quebec died in 1825, and the faithful missionary was nominated to the see. He was consecrated in Lambeth Palace, London, and at once entered on his duties. These he performed with rare fidelity till his death, in 1837. * He was," wrote Mr. H. J. Morgan, " a most zealous servant and soldier of Christ, a noble, disinterested being, endowed with rich qualitie of heart and mind, and a mouth that spoke no guile." m^mmmm 170 THE SCOT IN AMICRICA. Bishop Strachan of Toronto will long be remembered in Canada as having virtnally ruled the Church of Eng- land there during many years of his life, and for having ruled it well. He was born at Aberdeen in 1778, grad- uated at King's College in that city, and afterward stud- ied theology at St. Andrews. After a brief experience as a teacher in Scotland he emigrated to Canada in 1799, and taught school at Kingston, Ontario, for some three years. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1803, and opened a school at Cornwall, where he remained until, in 181 2, he became rector of York (Toronto.) Here he commenced his career as a statesman as well as a pastor. He was nominated an Executive Councillor, took his seat in the Legislative Council, and continued to show an active and direct interest in politics until the end of his career. In 1825 he was appointed Archdeacon of York, and in 1839 reached the highest of his ecclesiastical hon- ors when he was nominated J>ishop of Toronto. Eew men possessed more influence in Canada than this noted prelate. He established some fifty-seven rectories in Ontraio, and to his efforts was due the foundation of Trinity College, Toronto. The cause of education was possibly dearer to his heart than any other earthly agency, and as a successful teacher himself he knew how to appreciate success in others. Quite a large number of eminent men sat under him as pupils. In Scotland during the few years he taught there he had among his boys David Wilkie, afterward the famous painter, and Capt. Robert Barclay of Lake Erie fame. In Canada Sir John Beverley Robinson, Chief Justice Sir James B. Ma- caulay, and the Hon. Judge Jones attended his classes. The friendship of these men and scores like them he re- tained until death dissolved mere earthly ties, and Sir David Wilkie often asserted that to Bishop Strachan he owed everything. The good Bishop died at Toronto in 1867. To the end he preserved the Aberdeen dialect in all its freshness, and a stranger, hearing his accent, might have been excused for thinking he was listening to one who was fresh from the " City of Bon Accord." " Bishop Strachan," writes one who knew him, *' when he came to MINTSTEtlS AND RET.IGTOUS TEACHERS. 171 ^l¥ Canada, taugjlit school in Cornwall, and educated sonic of the best men we have ever had in Canada. Tiiere arc few of them left, I am sorry to say. What was curious about the old I'ishop was, he never lost the Aberdeen ac- cent, although he thought he had. I have heard him preach. In pronouncing the benediction he always said: ' The peace of «'jod, which, passeth all understanding, keep your herts.' Many years ago he had a clergy- man come from Aberdeen. He asked him: * Far dae ye come fae?' The minister said: * Fae Eberdeen.' After asking some more (juestions the Bishop insisted on the clergyman getting clear of his Scotch accent, adding: * 1 had some trouble in getting clear of it, but I have none of it now '; yet all this was said in the broad- est * Eberdeen ' dialect." Turning to the Roman Catholic Church, we find t' c Scot flourishing there as elsewhere. In the Lower Prov- inces few names are held in more kindly remembrance than I>ishop Angus McEachern of Charlottetown, Bishop Ronald McDonald of Pictou, or Bishop William Eraser of Antigonish, Vicar Apostolic of Nova Scotia in 1821. The latter deserves to be honored by Scotsmen, for he certainly suffered much for ** puir auld Scotland's sake." In fact, it was complained of him at Rome that he de- voted himself exclusively to the Scotch members of his flock, for a long time hardly recognizing any others, and finally rarely journeyed outside of the Scotch settlement at Antigonish. He seemed to have a special aversion to Irish Roman Catholics. In point of devotion to duty, liberality of views, and earnestness of purpose, no fault could be found with Bishop Alexander MacDonell, who was born at Glen Urquhart, near the shore of Loch Ness, in 1769, and is said to have belonged to the family of Cjlengarry. Long before he was consecrated Roman Catholic Bishop of Kingston, at Alontreal in 1826, he had done rare service to Canada by inducing Highlanders to settle in its wild lands, and he had seen active service in Ireland as Chap- lain in a regiment of Catholics. In fact, his services were such that he was publicly thanked by the Prince Regent. 172 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. i'i He was a thoroughly patriotic Scotsman, and one of his carHest undertakings was the formation of a Highland Society in ( )ntario, of which he became Presivlent, and which was designed to be of real use to settlers and intending settlers. He built no fewer than forty-eight churches and established missions at every point, fie had a profound faith in the wonderful future of Canada, and believed in building the foundations of the Church he served so loyally on a scale worthy of that future. Per- sonally he was a kindly man, who made friends wherever he went, and his death, in 1840, while revisiting his native land, was regretted by all classes in the community. " Bishop MacDoncU," once wrote a correspondent to a Canadian newspaper, " was a very kind-hearted man. He was a great means of settling the part of Canada called (dengarry. Some of them were more than ordi- nary big, strong men, and the present generation of them are worthy of their sires. I never heard that he was particular to have them all Roman Catholics. There are a number of Presbyterians amongst them, and they have a good congregation in Alexandria. The good Bishop gave all the first Roman Catholic settlers in Glengarry a copy of the Holy Bible, which the Presbyterian clergy- man told me they would not part with for any money. " I have been iold many good stories about the Bishop by an old r>ench friend. I will only mention one. In the early settlement of the County of Kent the roads were very bad and there were very few places to stop at. The Bishop was exploring through the county on horse- back, and, being benighted, he had to ask a farmer for lodgings for the night. After getting supper, and time to go to bed, the farmer said he would show him his bed. The Bishop said : ' Are you a Scotchman and don't take the " Book " before going to bed? ' The Scotchman was ashamed to confess that he did not. The Bishop took the Bible and read and prayed with and for the family. The farmer was astonished when the Bishop told him who he was.'' Bishop Gilmour of Cleveland, Ohio, who died in Flor- ida in 1 891, was born in Glasgow in 1824, and moved MINISTERS A XT) RKI.KJIOT'S TEATHERS. 17.1 ill oarly life, willi his parents, to Xcw (ilasg^ow. He was educated in Canada. After many years si)ent in mission- ary work he was assij^ned to tlie pastorate of St. Patrick's in Cincinnati in 1857, and was consecrated I'dshop of Clevehmd in 1S72. llis achninistration of the (Hocese was most successful, and was particularly noted for the manner in which it developed the system of parochial schools. A Catholic prela*c need not be a Bishop, and the \'ery Rev. Monsig-nor Seton of St. Joseph's, Jersey City, is a case in point. Descended from the ancient noble fam- ily of Winton, Dr. Seton's ancestors came to America be- fore the Revolution, carryinj:^ with them many historical relics of the family to which they were proud to belong in spite of its misfortunes. One of these American set- tlers, William Seton, (of whom Dr. Seton is the great- grandson,) was from 1766 to 1771 an ofificer in the New York St. Andrew's Society, and to the present day the members of the family are proud to recall the fact that their forbears hailed from " dear old Scotland."' i^ V T ■«P W til I i I I. lili CIIArTER VI. ARTISTS ANIJ ARCHITECTS. PAINTINCiS from Scotland by Scottish artists do not seem nowadays to find much acceptance in America. They are rarely found in the catalogues of the many art sales in New York or Boston or the other large cities, and in the r t dealers' establishments the best-known j)ainters of Scotland are unknown either by name or by example. In art circles, in periodicals devoted to art, and in the columns of newspapers which make a feature of artistic matters, hardly any attention is paid to collect- ing and presenting news from the Scottish studios, and even the gossip of American professional critics seldom troubles itself concerning what may be passing in Scot- land, where so many recognized masters have gained their reputation and established a national claim to ar- tistic recognition. The amateur lovers and professional creators of art in America talk glibly of Chalon, of Pal- maroli, of Gamier, of Gcrome, but of Thomson, Phillip, Macnee, MacCuhough, Allan, I-'acd, or any of the recog- nized Scottish masters tbry seem to know nothing. This is singular when we consider that so many other professional, as well as business and working, men from Scotland, and Scottish products generally, find such a kindly reception in America. The Scottish artisan is al- ways welcomed in every section of the Ignited States as a superior, thorough, and industrious workman, one with a degree of intelligence above his fellows; the Scot- tish farmer is hailed as an accession in each agricultural community, and it is safe to say that there is not an American steamer afloat on which the services of Scotch engineers are not in use or in demand. In the higher 174 ARTISTS AND ARCHITFJCTS. I7r. walks of life the intliieiice of Scotland is everywhere seen. Scottish architecture has been closely studied, and the old r»aronial style has been copied, adapted, or " api)lie(l " to the majority of American modern villas, and, in fact, alonpc with the so-called Colonial style, was the main foundation for the exteriors of such places un- til recently supplanted by the nondescript *' Queen Anne" and pseudo-IClizabethan styles. Even in many public buildings, although a sort of mong^rel renaissance is the prevailing- fad, the towers and peaks and gables o£ the Scottish school take the place of the ** Cirecian " front elevations, with their wooden i)illars and impossible pedi- ments. Scotch financiers stand above the tumults, the reactions, the bull-and-bear movements of the stock ex- changes, veritable pillars of strength in a seething, some- times repulsive, sea of dishonesty and dishonor. Scottish theology has been gratefully accepted by Americans, and not even in Scotland have the writings of such men as Prof. A. I). I>ruce, Dr. Calderwood, the late Dr. John Ker, Dr. Oswald Dykes, and Dr. I'uchanan more ap- preciative readers. Scottisii poetry, too, is also in great v(jguc; Robert Uuchanan, for instance, used to be a favorite; several editions of '* Olrig Clrange " were read- ily disposed, of v,hcn that poem first appeared; Shairp's verses also found a ready sale, and even Pollok's '* Course of Time " has been printed in a dozen different forms. There arc a half a dozen editions of Aytoun's " Lays," and there are numerous editions of Motherwell, Montgomery, Campbell, and most of our poets, printed and sold in this country. Scots songs are sung on every concert platform, and students of Burns are as numer- ous as in Scotland. Indeed, probably the most ambi- tious edition of the works of the Ayrshire bard — six large volumes with notes, steel engravings, and all sorts of ed- itorial paraphernalia — was published in Philadelphia only a few years ago. Of the Wavcrley Novels there are over twenty-five distinct editions in the market, and editions of Scott's poetry seem to grace, either completely or sin- gly, every publisher's catalogue. One firm has printed over 300,000 copies of Barrie's works, and there is a I U?i \\ :i I I ' I II It: i! '■ 17G THE SCOT jyt AMERICA. choice of various editions of any of the writing's of Ste- venson or Jilack. Excepting art, everything Scotch, from curling' to philosopliy, seems to find congenial soil in America. This lack of appreciation of Scottish art applies as much to loan exhibitions and museums and public galler- ies, of which better things might be expected, as to private collections and the dealers' offerings or stock in trade. In the Metropolitan Museum of Art, at New York, the greatest institution of its kind in America, not a single work painted in Scotland by a Scottish artist is to be found. Even in the large and costly collection of Miss Catharine Lorillard Wolfe, which by terms of its be- quest to the museum is kept distinct from the other pict- ures, and which is undoubtedly the crowning artistic feature of the institution, the absence of Scottish art is equally apparent. In the Lenox Library of New York, founded by a Scotsman and still mainly directed by a Scotsman, we find a somewhat similar condition of affairs. Tnie, the collection there is not large, but every picture on view is supposed to be a representative one, and ought to be, if placed on exhibition in accordance with the ideas on which the library was founded. In such a collection we would naturally expect to find some Scotch examples, yet, instead, we have some rather paltry sketches by Sir David Wilkie, of no interest to the public and of little value even to art students, certainly not representative of the man; a painting of the Scottish regalia which is at- tributed to Wilkie, but with which he had no more to do than the man in the moon, and a couple of specimens (one of them doubtful) of Sir Henry Raeburn. These things, with a very commonplace bust of Scott from Steell's studio, but not his handiwork, and a really good bust of Dr. Chalmers, evidently modeled by Steell him- self, are all that represent Scottish art in what might be or ought to be the great repository of that art in Amer- ica. What has been said of these institutions may be held to apply to all the other art centres in the country. Even at the Chicago World's Fair Scottish artists were m ARTISTS AND ARCHITP^CTS. t I poorly represented. Tlierc were several Scotch canvases in the Uritisli section, but not one tliat really connnantl- c(l attention. So far as art was concerned, Poland far outstripped Scotland in excellence, variety, and in the evident pfenius of the artists. Scottish sculpture is no more hip^hly regarded than the sister art of painting. Not long ago a replica of Ste- venson's fine statue of Sir William Wallace, which is on the corbel over the entrance to the hero's monument on Abbey Craig, near Stirling, was unveiled in liaUimore, and the pose of the figure is laughed at in every circle that makes any pretention to art culture. The pose, ihey say, is theatrical, the drawn sword is too prominent a feature, the figure itself is stiflf, there is nothing below the armor, and so on. ( )f course people who know- why the figure and sword were posed as they are and the latter made so prominent will admit that the artist made the most of his original opportunity for a particu- lar effect. Ihit Americans do not know this, and so they criticise the figure as they find it — standing on an ordinary pedestal in the midst of a park landscape — and find much to sneer at and condemn. If they had said the pose was simply unsuited to the location in which the replica is placed, every one would have agreed with them, and an additional argument against the use of replicas would have been added to the stock on hand. But when they fail to take the change of position into account and simply condemn on general principles their criti- cism is not worth considering from an artistic standpoint, although, commercially, it is to be regretted. Sir John Steell is represented in America by two statues in Cen- tral Park, New York, one a replica in bronze of the figure of Scott, which, in marble, sits under the arch of the monument at Edinburgh, and the other his figure of Burns, of which there are replicas in Dundee and London. Those who know anything of the inside work- ings of Stcell's studio while the Burns statue was in process of development will not be anxious, however patriotic they may be, to claim that statue as one of even his second-rate works, for it must be confessed that, while ^^ < n m 178 THK SCOT IN AMEItrA. in parts it sliows tlic pfcniiis of the sculptor, it certainly is, as a wliolc, disappointing. His statue of Scott, how- ever, has l«)ng since passed the gauntlet of criticism, and been accepted as a masterpiece, in spite of the clumsi- ness of the plaid and the stiff massiveness of the whole figure. Yet in .\ew \'ork lliere is a s(>rt of trades union society of local sculptors, which openly advocates the re- moval of l)f)th these figures to a less prominent place, and would not mourn were they stolen from their pe- destals some night and broken up beyond hope of re- pair. One guide book, describing these statues says: ** They are coarsely modeled by a man with a local fame in Scotland, but no artist." This criticism, it must be remembered, was written in a city which contains more atrocious examples of the sculptor's art than any other in the world, such caricatures as the bronze figures of S. S. Cox, Roscoe Conkling, Horace Ciretley, W. E. Dodge, and Secretary Seward, which seek honor and recognition in the most prominent thoroughfares. Heside any of them Steell's work, even his poorest, rises as the mod- eling of a master. The trouble, however, does not lie now, nor has it ever lain, with any prejudice on the part of the people against either Scottish art or artists as such. It is rather the re- sult of a fashionable current directing the public taste toward Continental schools and a lack of enterprise on the part of the artists in Scotland themselves in not catering to the wants and whims or tastes of the people. Scottish artists residing in America have, from the very begimiing of its history, really attained as much honor and success as their countrymen have won in other walks of life. The names which follow will abunduntly demonstrate the truth of this assertion. So far as we have been able to discover, the first Scotch painter to make his home in America was John Smibert, who was born in the Grassmarket of Edinburgh in 1684. He served an apprenticeship as a house painter, but his artistic ambition led him to aspire higher, and he went to London, where, after a time, he made a comfortable living by copying paintings for dealers. Then, after he i^\ ARTISTS AND ARCHITECTS. 179 he had saved a Httlc money, he went to Italy, where he stiuhed hard, copied many of the most famous works of the old masters, and made many friends, amonj^^ them Dr. Berkeley, afterward llishop of Cloyne. In 1728 he crossed to America in the company of that divine, with the idea of becoming- professor of drawinjj;', &c., in a university which it was projiosed to found at liermuda. While the nep^otiation.- rcijarding' tliat seat of learninij were in profjiress, Smibert -ok up his residence at New- port. When the university sciieme was abandoned the artist settled in liostoi* where he p. <(uired not only repu- tation, h\:* a comfoiiahle fortune by his art. Horace Walpole, in his ** AnecdoU of Paintinjj^," describes him as " a sileni and motlest miui, who abhorred the finesse of some of his profession." A number of his paintinjjs are still to be seen in Yale I'niversity, in the l»oston Museum of Fine Arts, and in tlie houses of many old New Eng- land families. He married a lady belonging to a well- known Boston family, and had two children. ( >ne of them, Nathaniel, gave promise of attaining celebrity as an artist, but he died at an earlv age. Smibert died in Smibert excelled as a portrait painter. America had not m his time got as far advanced in a love of art to affect to admire efTorts that were not to a certain degree utili- tarian, useful, and productive of dignity, as well as being ornamental. The most famous, perhaps, of American portrait painters was (lilbert Charles Stuart, who was descended from a Scotch family and was born in Rhode Island in 1756. He went to Scotland when a lad ?nd studied painting there, but when his teacher died he re- turned to America and made his living by painting por- traits at Newport. In 1778 he crossed over to London and attracted the attention of Uenjamin West, tlie great- est of all American artists, and from that time he was able to date his success in life. His own studio in Lon- don, which he opened in 1781, was a fashionable resort, and he painted portraits of King George HI., the IVince of Wales, (George IV.,) and many of the most celebrated characters gf the time, He also painted, in Paris, a m « M- ^ 180 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. portrait of Louis XVI., the unfortunate sovcreij^^n on whom the wrongs and niisgovcrnnicnt of a race of Kings were avenged at. the l'>ench Revolution. Stuart settled down in his native country in 1793 and painted many of its most distinguished sons. His por- traits of Washington are generally accepted as the best which have been made of that great and good man, and by them Stuart's name has been kept prominently before the people of the United States. He died at Boston in 1828. James Smillie, who may be regarded as the American founder of an artistic family, landed at. Quebec in 1821. His father and elder brother, who were with him, were jewelers, and they at once went into business in that quaint, historic town. James did the engraving and chasing for the establishment. His abilities won the notice of Lord Dalhousie, then Governor General of Canada, and that nobleman sent him to London to study. Smillie failed to get the sort of instructor he wanted, and he returned to his native city of Edinburgh, worked there for five months, and then rejoined his rela- tives in Quebec. In 1829 he settled in New York and established himself as a line engraver. An engraving after Weir's picture of " The Convent Gate " brought him into favorable notice, and he soon had all the work on hand he could accomplish. In 1830 he became an as- sociate of the National Academy, and an Academician in 1 85 1. Among his most successful engravings are '' Mount Washington," after Kennett; " Dover Plains," after Du- rand, and " The Rocky Mountains," after Bierstadt. Mr. Smillie in his latter years lived in retirement at Pough- keepsie, where he died in 1884. There is no doubt he was the most successful line engraver of his time in America, and one of his brothers, William Gumming Smillie, was long equally recognized as a leader among the bank-note engravers of this country and Canada. Of Mr. Smillie's sons, two have carried on to the present day the reputation he so deservedly won for the family name. James D. Smillie, who was born in New York in 1835, made his mark by hi? engravings of Dar- ARTISTS AND AUCIIITECTS. 181 •h- he in )iig ley's illustrations to Cooper's novels. He became a Na- tional Academician in 1876. Uesides being noted as an engraver, J. D. Smillie has won nnich success as a painter in oil and water colors, and such works as ** The Cliffs of Normandy," in oil, and " The Passing Herd," in water color, have given him a place among the most praise- worthy artists of the country. 1 le was President of the Water Color Society in 1873 and 1878. Mr. Smillie has also shown exquisite skill as an etcher, and the best- known specimen of his work in that method is the etch- ing of the magnificent statue of Robert lUirns at Al- bany, the work of his friend, Charles Calverley. His brother William M. was eminent as a letter engraver, and was General Manager of the American Bank Note Company when he died, in 1884. The third son of James Smillie, George Henry Smillie, is a National Academi- cian and a master of oil and water color, and such works as " A Florida Lagoon," '' A Lake in the Woods," and " Under the Pines of the Yosemitc " show that he has inherited a full share of the wonderful talent of the family. Among landscape artists in America none have been accorded a higher position by critics and the public alike than William Hart, who died at Mount Vernon June 17, 1894, in his seventy-second year. When a boy his par- ents removed from Kilmarn(jck, and, crossing the At- lantic, settled at Albany, where William, after a brief schooling, was apprenticed to a coachbuilder. He was then instructed in the art of decorating carriage panels, and that employment awakened liis artistic tastes. A severe illness made him leave the coachmaker's employ- ment when seventeen years of age, and on recovering he opened a studio at Troy, where he did both portrait and landscape work, and by dint of patient devotion to his subjects not only earned a livelihood, but steadily added to his knowledge of his art. A visit to Scotland com- pleted his artistic education and training, and atter three yeais' sketching there he returned, in 1853, to America with several portfolios filled with drawings and " bits," and suggestions for future wgrks, He opened 9. studio ■M I fi f '■'■3 I r '¥ 182 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. i '■■ i. i ■^ \ in New York, and in 1855 was elected an Associate of the National Academy. Three years later he was cliosen ar Academician. His works betokened careful, thought- ful, and conscientious work, and in country scenes intro- ducing" animal life he particularly excelled. There was nothing outre in his methods; no straining after mere color efifects, no desire to startle by following the dic- tates of some of the new schools, which, now and again, in his time, as to the present day, strive to capture pub- lic attention by some royal road to excellence, which ends in bathos — the Pre-Raphaelite, for instance. Hart's ex- cellence was the result of a careful desire to reproduce i.ature and show on his canvases every little detail, which, taken together, make up completeness. Among his most noted works, all of which exemplify his tech- nique, his devotion to the highest principles of art and his mastery of that art, are: " Coming From the Mill," " The September Snow,'' ** Autumn in the Woods of Maine," " Scene on the Peabody River," " Twilight on the Brook," "Goshen, N. H."; "Twilight," 'A Brook Study," '* Easter Sky at Sunset." water color; " The Gold- en Hour," " Morning in the Clouds," *' Keene Valley," " Cattle Scenes," " Landscape with Jersey Cattle," " The Ford," " Scene on Napanock Creek," " A Modern Cin- derella," and " After a Shower." Mr. Hart was ecjually great in the use of water color as of oil. Indeed, the former, perhaps, was his favorite mode of artistic expression, and his love for it led him to take an active part in the formation of the American So- ciety of Water Colorists, of which he was President for three terms, 1870-73. For many years also he was Pres- ident of the Brooklyn Academy of Design. A brother of this noted painter, James McDougall Hart, has gained equal fame in the annals of American art. Born at Kilmarnock in 1828, he, like his brother, crossed the Atlantic in boyhood and began life in the service of n roncidKiilder at Albany. In 1851 he went to Dusseli!urf 'id studied art, and on his return settled in Albany, where he opened a studio. After about four years' strugc,!e in that good old phlegmatic Dutch town. ARTISTS AND ARCHITECTS. 183 he tliou^ht his opportunity for the future lay in New York, and there he removed, and soon won a prominent plaee among local artists. His pastoral scenes, especially, won him popularity, and as a landscape painter none of his contemporaries excelled him for his faithfulness to nature and the poetic glamour he threw into most of his work. Like his brother, he never tried any of the tricks which so many artists attempt to win attention, and it is noted that one can study any of the productions of this painter's easel and find the attractiveness of the sub- ject growmg as a result of '.Iiat study. Such is notably the case with his *' Summer Memory of Berkshire " and his " Indian Sunmier," both of which won deserved Applause wdien exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1878. They are poems as well as pictures, and arc-use many pleasing thoughts in the mind of tiie spectator who has any power of thought at all. So, too, with the masterpiece which he exhibited at the Centennial Exhibition in 1876 — ■ '* A Misty Morning " — a work which stood out in bold relief among the contril)utions of American artists to the collection there displayed for its wonderful interpretation of one of nature's moods. Some afifect to find little to praise or enlarge upon in such works as that of Mr. Hart, because they are so true to nature that they awaken noth- ing discordant in the mind or present anything particular- ly odd to attract the eye. Their very fidelity is apt to make them be overlooked in an exhibition, while a flaring can- vas, with an unearthly green foreground, a wooden-like figure in a glaring yellow gown, and a sky with a series of streaks of all the colors on the palette, would attract a gaping crowd and charm the dilletantes and the news- paper art critics, the latter mainly because it would give fhem a chance to display their stock of artistic slang. Such paintings as that of " Cattle doing Home " are not enthusiastically praised for the same reason that the Scotch sewing woman saw notliing to admire in Rurns's poem, " The Cotter's Saturday Night," because it told just what she saw done every night in her own father's house since ever she could remember. So long as Scot- Hih art in America is represented by the examples we ^■i- \ r 1- 'A' "^ I 1 1 ,. I'. I. M 7 •.•' mm ■(■ V ^m m ■^ "^ I 184 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. have named, and by such paintings as " Aloonrisc in the Adirondacks," *' A Breezy Day on the Road," " On the North Shore," and a dozen others from the same studio, her lovers will have no occasion to " hing their heids." Another landscape painter of note was James Hope, who was born not far from Abbotsford in i8iS, and set- tled on a farm in Canada, along with his parents, when a boy. He was for a time a teacher in a seminary at Castleton, Vt., and it was not until 1848 that he found it possible to put into practice an ambition which had long possessed him and devote his time entirely to art. After considerable struggles to gain a footing, he took up his abode in New York in 1853, '^^^^ soon found a market for his canvases. In 1865 he was chosen an As- sociate of the National Academy, and such works as " Rainbow Falls," " The Forest Glen," or " The Gem of the Forest," amply proved his genius for landscape paint- ing. From 1872 till his death Mr. Hope spent his time in quiet retirement at Watkins Glen, New York. In a purely popular sense no Scottish-American artist ever commanded so wide attention as Alexander Hay Ritchie, who died at New Haven, Conn., Sept, 19, 1895. He was born at Glasgow in 1822, and in early life removed to Edinburgh and was educated in Heriot's Hospital. He was apprenticed to a firm of machinists, but devel- oped a taste for art, and studied under Sir William Allan, one of the most famous of the historical painters of Scot- land. In 1843 1^^ settled in the United States, after a Rhort stay in Canada, and soon afterward took up his residence in Brooklyn, where he resided until just before his death. He quickly acquired high rank as an engraver in stipple and mezzotint, and gradually won a reputa- tion as an original painter in oils, particularly of por- traits and historic scenes in which figures predominated. His popularity reached its height b> his painting of the " Death of Lincoln," and such works as " Mercy Knock' ing at the Gate," *' Fitting Out Moses for the Fair,'' showed that he possessed the charms of fancy as well as the graces of art. His painting of " Washington and His Generals " proved equally popular, and by means of his I m ARTISTS AND ARCHITECTS. 185 own engraving of it, that patriotic group now decorates thousands of homes throughout the American conti- nent. As a portrait painter, in which work his " Dr. Mc- Cosh," " Henry Clay," and " Professor Charles Hodge of Princeton " are notable examples, Mr. Ritchie left some particularly creditable examples of his skill, while as a book illustrator his graver was constantly employed for many years prior to his death. Pleasing memories are recalled by such examples of pure art as " The Palisades," " Sugar Loaf Mountain," " Autumn in the Adirondacks," and other pictures of John Williamson, an artist who found in and around the magnificent scenery of the Hudson constant employment for his brush, and a perpetual incentive to attain the highest possible ideal of his art. He studied that noble stream from its source to the sea, and knew it, and could reproduce it in all its moods. Williamson was born in the very inartistic region of Tolcross, Glasgow, in 1827, and died at Glenwood-on-Hudson in 1885, nearly all of his life being passed on this side of the Atlantic, as he was taken from his native land while a child. Another artist who had Glasgow for his birthplace was Thomas Lachlan Smith, whose specialty was Winter scenes, and who contributed two notable pictures to the collection at the Centennial Exhibition — " The Deserted House " and " The Eve of St. Agnes." Smith received his artistic training in the studio of (iccrge H. Boughton (now winning yearly successes in London) at Albany, and he opened a studio in that city in 1859. In 1862 he forsook Albany for New York, where he died in 1884, having won a recognized position among the American painters of his time. So much for painters. We may now, having shown the merits of the Scottish-American " limners," bring for- ward some instances of those who have won fame with the chisel and molding tools. C^ne 01 the earliest of these on our list is John Crookshanks King, who was born in the ancient and historic village of Kilwinning, Ayrshire, in 1806, and died in the historic city of P>oston in 1882. He was educated in his native county, and there served .1: 1S() TUK SCOT IN AMERICA. his apprenticeship to his trade — that of ir.achinist. In 1829 h.e crossed tlie Atlantic, and for a time was Super- intendent of fact(^ries in Louisville and Cincinnati. It was in 1834 that he began to understand the extent of his genir.s for modeling, and in that year he made a clay figure which so pleased Hiram 1). Powers, America's most poetic sculptor, that he advised him to devote his entire attention to such work. After a brief residence in New Orleans, King settled in Uoston in 1840, and in that city most of his artistic career was spent. Among his best-known busts are those of Daniel Webster, John Quincy Adams, and Ralph Waldo Emerson. King also excelled as a maker of cameo portraits a branch of art which at present has gone out of fashion, although there are not wanting signs that it will again become a fad in the society world. Few if the many thousands of visitors to the memorial temple which rises over the Doon, not far from the Auld Brig, as a national tribute to the memory of the genius who gave fame to that classic section of Ayrshire by his pen, know that the two figures representing *' Tam o' Shanter " and ** Souter Johnnie " which are shown in the grounds below are the work of a sculptor who died on a farm at Ramapo, X. Y., in 1850. James Thorn, the sculptor in question, ended his career in that lonely spot a sadly disappointed man. He was born in Ayrshire, and began life as a stone mason. He ac([uire(l the art of modeling mainly by his own personal observation and practice, and in 1828 produced the two figures which, shown on the banks of the Doon, have preserved his name to the present day. In an artistic sense he never advanced any further than these statues, and such works as his figure of " Old Mortality '' simply reproduced their artistic beauties and defects. It seems a pity that Thorn did not have the benefit of two or three years' practical training at some of the art centres, but fate denied him the opportunity, ar^l all his work was done in a narrow and rather primitive groove. But he was a genius un- doubtedly, and lacked merely the necessary study to have been able tQ give full expression to the ideals he so ear- ARTISTS AND ARCHITKCTS. 187 nestly tried to interpret vvitli his chisel. His work was very popular with the people, but his studio at Ayr was never jjreatly burdened with orders, and it was in the hope of winning a more remunerative popularity tiiat he emigrated. In America, however, there is no trace of his having had any success at all, or even of his doinj^ any work. A much more modern instance of a Scottish sculptor's success in America is that of Mr. J. M. Rhind, son of a once well-known Edinburgh sculptor. Mr. Rhind set- tled in New York from Eclin burgh in 1888, and was not long in coming to the front among that city's sculptors. His most noted work — the King memorial fountain at Albany — is an elaborate and thoughtful group of sculp- ture, rather than a single example, and shows the artist to be a man of imagination as well as of artistic ability. Its theme is that of Moses striking the rock, and the story is completely told in the attitude and composition of all the figures, from the majestic representation of Moses to the sweet outline of the baby which is getting from its mother a draught of the blessed water flowing from the rock in answer to the stroke from the Patri- arch's staff. Mr. Rhind also executed one of the mag- nificent bronze doors now on Trinity Church. Msitors to New York's Central Park have admired the beautiful carved work on the Terrace and Mall — work that is now beginning to lose its sharp outline un- der stress of the weather changes, which in the Northern States are so destructive of outdoor stonework. A great deal of this carving was done by Robert Thomson, a sculptor of exquisite taste, who, if we may judge by his work in Central Park, was as conscientious and thorough in his attention to the most trifling and almost hidden details as to those things which were certain to arrest the public eye. For many years there stood in the same park a group modeled by him to which was given the name of "Auld Lang Syne." It represented Tam o' Shan- ter and Souter Johnnie enjoying a crack, with the usual accompaniments. To a Scotsman the group was more than a work of art; it was a glimpse o' liame. Every m i| '■■ m t^^H ^B 1 i.l Ij 188 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. 1 > ■ lif: ■ » m Scot resident in Xevv York knew each line in the group, and every new arrival in the community was taken to the nook where it stood, or was sent there soon after his arrival. After several years of exposure the freestone in which the figures were carved began to show signs of dis- integration, and to save the work it was removed to the building at ihe Casino where the Crawford models were on view, and there it was badly damaged in the fire which laid that building in ruins. It is still stored some- where in the J^ark, but too much worsted in its encounter with the flames to be attractive — even to Scotsmen, it is said. After a residence of some fifteen years in this coun- try, spent mainly in New York, Philadelphia, and Balti- more, Mr. Thomson returned to Scotland, and, settling in Edinburgh, continued his work as a sculptor. He ex- ecuted, among other things, several figures for the niches in the Scott Monument, including Jeannie Deans and the Laird of Dumbiedykes. He died in that city early m 1895. One of Thomson's pupils, Alexander M. Calder, a native of Aberdeen, has long held a noted position among Philadelphia sculptors. He cut or designed most of the carved work on the new Public P)uildings, and that magnificent pile is crowned by his gigantic figure of William Penn. George E. Evving, the once noted Glasgow sculptor, whose figure of Burns stands in that city's famous plaza, George Square, closed a somewhat varied career in New- York in 1884. He had done much good work in Glas- gow and the West of Scotland, and many Scots in Amer- ica were surprised when he forsook his native land and entered upon a new career in New York. Whatever ex- pectations he had formed of America were doomed to disappointment, and his experience was a succession of failures. The fact was, he was too old on reaching America to begin life anew, and his artistic methods and ideals were too firmly cast to adapt themselves to the taste of the American connoisseurs, and so accomplish anything like satisfactory financial results. He executed some very pleasing busts, notably one of the Rev. Dr. Taylor, and one of the Rev. Dr. Omiston, both good ex- ARTISTS AND ARCHITECTS. 189 aniples of conscientious modeling, with, in the bttst of Dr. ( )rniiston, a dash of genius which marked the artist; but these things brought no " grist to the mill." After two years' struggling in New York, Ewing went to Philadel- phia, but tliere his success was no greater, and his life became full of sadness. When Henry Irving first visited Philadelphia Ewing called on him — they were acquaint- ed long before. Learning of his plight, the great actor at once gave him a commission to execute a medallion portrait of himself and one of Miss Terry. To get the necessary sittings he accompanied the actors to New York and lodged at the r>revoort House. There, one morning, he was found lying dead in bed. The room was partly filled with gas from an open jet in the chandelier, and it was supposed that Mr. Ewing had either not no- ticed the escape when he retired to bed, or, in extinguish- ing the light had involuntarily reopened the jet. The re- mains were interred in Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn. Mr. Ew'ing virtually left nothing on this side of the At- lantic by which his ability as a sculptor can publicly be judged, a fact which is to be regretted, for he was a man of brilliant parts, with high ideals as an artist, and would have at least amply justified his Scottish reputation had a fitting opportunity been vouchsafed to him. In the Wellstood family, which for a long series of years had at least two representatives in the foremost ranks of American engravers, w^e find several men of un- doubted artistic ability who devoted their whole lives toward improvement of that branch of art. The family was an Edinburgh one, and is still in some of its branches active in the daily doings of that grand old city. John Geikie Wellstood was born in Auld Reekie in 1813, and settled in New York in 1830. After being in business for several years, his firm merged in the American Bank Note Company, and he remained in that concern until 1 87 1, when he founded the Columbian Bank Note Com- pany in Washington, of which he became President. In connection with this establishment he modeled and part- ly engraved the backs of all the United States Treasury notes. When all work of this class was undertaken bv ' ' if It V ;.(■ 4 . .\:-&K i' ]<)() THK SCOT IS AMERICA. Il IP a ( lOvcrmiKMit bureau Mr. W'ellslood returned to New York and became again connected witli the American I Sank Note Company. As a script enj^raver he was con- sidered superior to any man of his time. J lis brother, W'ilham, born at JCritain. J)r. Craik was one of those quiet, useful men who do much p;-ood on their journey throufi^ii the world, hut who, it nuist he confessed, ac(|uire eminence not so much by their own talents as by those of their friends, lie was rec- ognized as a skillful, conservative physician, but without any of those brilliant (jualities which would have oi themselves given him j)rominence in his profession or would have i)reserved his name and memory till the ])resent day. His fame was not to be compared to that of his contemporary, Dr. Peter Middleton, one of the original members of the St. Andrew's Society of New York and its President for three terms, 1767-8-9. He was a native of Edinburgh, and graduated in medicine in that city. He settled in Xew York about 1730, and soon was regarded as the most eminent physician and surgeon in the Colony. In 1750. in company with another med- ical man, he made the first dissection in America of a body before a number of students, and in the matter of the education for his own profession Dr. Middleton seemed to have always taken a deep interest. In 1767 he established a medical school in New York, a school which was subsequently merged into King-'s [Columbia] College, of which institution he was one of the Gov- ernors from 1770 till his death, in 1781. Equally prominent as a physician, and entitled to spe- cial remembrance as the first of the great scientific American weather prophets who have made the name of *' American weather " so famous or notorious over the world, was Dr. Lionel Chalmers. He crossed the At- lantic in 1736, settled soon afterward in Charleston, S. C, and practiced his profession there for some forty years, or until his death, in 1777. Dr. Chalmers was born at Campbellton, Argyllshire, in 1715, and left Scot- land for America immediately upon graduating from Edinburgh University. He published several medical books and essays, but his weather researches, notably as SCIKNTISTS AND INVIONTOHS. L'Ol expressed in his now scarce " Treatise on Weather and Diseases of South CaroHna/' are his best claims to (Hs- tinction. He made careful observations, ventured even on prophesying, and saw that study on scientific lines was only needed to reduce the weather problem to an exact science. An amiable man, of high scientific attainments, and whose life was one of usefulness, was Dr. William Wil- son, who was contented to practice his profession as a physician in a very limited circle — that of the family and friends of Chancellor Livingston — but who fillefl several offices with marked ability and was one of the early pro- moters of scientific agriculture in America. He arrived in New York in 1784, bringing with, him from Scotland his newly received medical graduation papers, from (ilas- gow University, and letters of introduction to Chan- cellor Livingston. That great and good man was de- lighted with the new-comer, and invited him to take up his quarters at the family mansion of Clermont, which remained his home until his death, in 1828, at the age of seventy-three years, long after his patron and friend had passed away. In 1804 Dr. Wilson was appointed Judge of Columbia County, and held that office for several years. His interest in agricultural matters was increased and developed by his residence in that section of the State, and produced many useful results. One of these was the organization, by his efforts, of the I'^armers' Club of Dutchess and Columbia Counties — the pioneer of the purely agricultural societies in New York. Another scientific physician was Dr. John Spence of Philadelphia, who was born at Edinburgh in 1766 and educated at the university in that city. His first purpose when entering the classes at Edinburgh was to get en- rolled in the ranks of the ministry, but his views in that respect were not realized, and he turned iiis attention to the study of medicine. When he took up his residence in America his first employment was as a family tutor at Dumfries, Va. He was one of the stanchest advocates in America of vaccination, and was active in spreading abroad a knowledge of its practice and its beneficent in- I !■ I Ui H 1 202 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. II .! fluence. He contributed largely to the medical and scientific journals of his time, and a spirited controversy which he had with the famous lUnjaniin Rush, and which was published in 1806 in the " Medical Museum " of Philadelphia, gave him a considerable degree of prom- inence. Dr. Spence died at Dumfries, \'a., in 1829. Few physicians in New York State were more hon- ored during life than was Dr. James McXaughton, who was born at Kenmore, Perthshire, in 1809, and died in Paris, France, while on a visit, in 1874. His life from 1817 until a few months before his death was spent in Albany, N. Y., and from 1840 on he honored the office of Professor of the Theory and Practice of Medicine in Albany Medical College, while for many years he was regularly elected President of the Albany County Med- ical College. His birthplace is remembered in Albany by the Kenmore Hotel, named in its honor by a com- pany in which his sons were prominent. Dr. Lawrence Turnbull (a native of Shotts) and his son. Dr. Charles Smith Turnbull, fill a large and prominent place in the medical annals of Philadelphia, while around New York such men as Prof. A. J. C. Skene, and in Boston practi- tioners like Dr. A. D. Sinclair are worthily upholding the fame of the motherland in the art of healing. But we have dwelt long enough among medical men, and must now cull some examples in other walks of science. One of the most noted of the scientific soldiers of the Revolutionary War was Robert Erskine, son of the Rev. Ralph Erskine, author of " Gospel Sennets •' and one of the founders of the Secession Church in Scotland. Er- skine was born at Dunfermline in 1735. His first employ- ment was at Falkirk, and there and in England he seems to have become thoroughly posted in the making of can- non and cannon balls. After settling in America in 1771 to become the manager of an iron works in New Jersey, he threw ofif, when opportunity offered, his allegiance to the British Crown and became Chief of Engineers on the staff of Gen. Washington. He died in 1780, when the conflict was at its height, and his leader honored his »g n- to Ihe SCIENTISTS AND INVENTORS. 203 memory by ordering a stone placed over his grave at Ringvvood, N. J. — a memorial that can yet be seen by visitors to that region. Among the many scientific institutions of which Phila- delphia is so justly proud a prominent place is held by the Academy of National Science, which is now housed in a massive (lothic building on Logan Square. It was established in 181 2 by a few enthusiasts in scientific mat- ters, one of the foremost being William Maclure, a na- tive of Ayr. He was born in " the auld toon '' in 1763. He first visited America in 1780, but his stay was short, and he returned to 1 Britain and engaged in business in London. In 1796, having meantime acquired a compe- tence, he crossed the Atlantic again, acquired citizenship in the young republic, and once more engaged in busi- ness, increasing his fortune. In 1803 he went to France as a Commissioner from the United States to settle the French spoliation claims, and it was while thus engaged that he became deeply interested in the then new subject of geology. He made a comprehensive study of the science, collected a large number of specimens, and de- termined on his return to America to devote himself solely to the study of its geology. This he did so effect- ively and thoroughly and with such important results that the title of " Father of American Geology " has been bestowed upon him. The first fruits of his researches were contained in an exhaustive paper which he read be- fore the American Philosophical Society in 1809, and in 1817 he published the first geological map of the United States. In his latter years Maclure was elected President of the Academy of Natural Science, and retained that honor until his death, althougli his frecjuent absences from Philadelphia, and even from the country, might have warranted his replacement by some other scientist. His social ideas were in many respects peculiar, and he tried in various ways to put them into practice. Thus, in 1819, he went to Spain, bought a tract of land from the revo- lutionary Governn:ent then, in power, and endeavored to found an agricultural colony and school — mainly with s.' . - ?' Mi I; t ■ i I ^ '\ ir I r I 204 THK SCOT IN AMERICA. the view of advancing the interests and increasing the comforts of the poorer farmers and othv-^r tillers of the soil, but the deposition of the (iovern.nent vitiated the title to the lands he had secured, and he was compelled to abandon the work. Then he essayed a similar scheme at New Harmony, Ind., and it also turned out a failure, although for very different reasons. Mr. Maclure all this time steadily prosecuted his geo- logical studies, visiting nearly every section of the coun- try in pursuit of data and specimens, and these he gen- erously distributed among various societies, but his own collections, stored in Philadelphia, became wonderfully varied, and, for the time, complete. In 1827 he first vis- ited Mexico, and was so attracted by its opportunities for study that he returned there the following year and continued traveling in its territory till his death, in 1840. By his will he bequeathed his library and the bulk of his collections to the Academy of Natural Sciences, together with $25,000, which enabled that society to erect the building it so long occupied at the corner of Broad and Sanson! Streets, Philadelphia. Many of his geological specimens were given also to the American Geological Society, at New Haven, Conn. An equally interesting and useful career was that of David Douglas, botanist, who was born at Scone, Perth- shire, in 1798, and was murdered in the Hawaiian Isl- ands in 1834. His first employment as a botanist was in the service of the University of Glasgow, and afterward, as a botanical collector for the Horticultural Society of London, he traveled over a large part of the world. He journeyed in the northern and western regions of Can- ada with Sir John Franklin, and was one of the early ex- plorers of the Columbia River. In California he col- lected no fewer than 8,000 specimens of its flora, and wherever he went his industry and knowledge were fruitful of results. In botanical circles he is still remem- bered by his name being given to a species of pine — Pinus Douglassi — which he discovered, and many of the imported favorites which are now to be seen in English gardens were first carried to that country by him after SCIENTISTS AND INVENTORS. 20.1 some of his waiulcrinjjs. Another Scot wiio is rcincin- bcrccl botanically by liavinj^ plants name! after him was (ieorge I7re Skinner, wlio died at Aspinwall in 1867. While actively engaged as a member of the mercantile firm of Klee, Skinner & Co., (juatemala, he zealously pursued botanical researches in Western Mexico, Gua- temala, and in the Southern United States. In this connection we are reminded how numerous and important have been the Sc(3tch florists who have settled in America. LVom the davs of (Irant Thorburn until the present time Scotch practical gardeners — men trained in Scotland — have always been in demand in America, and as seedsmen, florists, or overseers, working gardeners have had more to do with inspiring the Amer- ican people with the love of flowers now so character- istic of the nation, than any other race. The late Peter Henderson, for instance, as a practical gardener, a vendor of seeds and plants, and as an author was better known in American country homes than any man in his business, and he did more to make gardening of all sorts — practical and ornamental — really i)opular than any other gardener of his day and generation. The late Isaac Buchanan, who died in 1893 ^^ 3. patriarchal age, long stood at the head of New York's florists. The pub- lic park system of lUifTalo owes much — if not all — of its comprehensiveness and beauty to the labors and ability of Mr. William Macmillan, a native of Nairnshire, and his assistant, Mr. James Braik; and the Botanical Gardens of Washington owe their perfection in great measure to the loving care of Mr. W. R. Smith, (a native of Athelstane, Haddingtonshire,) who has been their Superintendent for many years. Mention of Mr. Smith reminds us that gardeners — mostly, as might be expect- ed, men of refined taste — find time to cultivate other things than flow-ers. ]\Ir. Smith, for instance, proud as he is of his plants and shrubs, is also proud of his library of editions of Burns and Burnsiana, said to be the most extensive and complete in America. The story of a life which might have grasped the high- est earthly honors, which at times almost did grasp them, : : 206 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. but failed, from sonic inscrutable reason, i.. always a sad one to read, and as we reflect on the career ot David IJoswell Keid it seems as if there lay in him the ability to have won for himself a famous name, but every line along which it ran seemed doomed to end in disappoint- nient, and the whole story is a painful one. He was born in Edinlnirgh in 1805 and educated in the university there. His student career was a brilliant one, and four years after graduating- he taught chemistry in the uni- versity laboratory. In 1833 he became one of those " Extra-Mural " lecturers whose ability and popularity did so much to preserve the fame of lulinburgh scien- tific education at a time when the university itself was by no means in a progressive condition. Reid built a classroom and laboratory, and for several years he had over 300 pupils at each of his sessions, a larger number than attended the chemical lectures at the university. He paid close attention to the principles of ventilation and drainage, and in 1836, at the recjucst of the Government, he suggested many changes in the internal structure of the old houses of Parliament in London, and superin- tended their execution. His work was so highly appre- ciated that from 1840 to 1845 ^^^ was engaged mainly in London, superintending the drainage and ventilation of the present Palace of Parliament, and succeeded in perfecting these matters as fully as the plans of the archi- tects and the nature of v\e site permitted. He also lect- ured about this time in many of the larger cities in Great Britain, and was rccof,nized as the leading authority on ventilation and sewerage. In 1856 Reid left Britain, and, after lecturing in many of the principal American cities, became Professor of Applied Chemistry in the University of Wisconsin, and afterward one of the Medical Inspectors of the United States Sanitary Commission. He was a man of consider- able energy, a clear and fluent speaker, and an interest- ing writer, while his various published works and contri- butions to " transactions " and periodicals w^ere valuable and widely read. He died at Washington in 1863, in what ought to have been the very meridian of his life. SriKXTTt.TS AND TNVRNTORS. 207 In another chapter mention is made of Alexander Wil- son, ihe ornithologist and poet, who would have been refen ed to at more lenpi'th here did not his prominence as a writer induce the insertion of his name among those who have done something to further America's literary progress. His services to the ornitiiology of the United States, however, have been more generally valued and recognized than his ability as a writer, and it is with the view of recalling his earned honors in the world of books that we prefer to discuss his career among the men of letters than in this place. Ikit his labors as an ornitholo- gist not only had grand results in themselves, but in*- duced in others an enthusiasm for study along the same lines. There is no doubt tluit Wilson's example inspired Audubon antl led to the magnificent career of that genius as a naturalist. Among others who followed in Wilson's footsteps as an ornithologist mention should be made of William Paterson Turnbull, whose work on the " Birds of East Pennsylvania and New Jersey," published in 1869, is a model of patient and accurate research and thoughtful study. Turnbull was born at Fala, Midlothian, in 1830, and was educated at the Edinburgh High !^'chool. He took up the study of ornithology at an early age, and a volume on the birds of East Lothian, which was pub- lished in Cdasgow, showed that he was an observer of the closest and most painstaking type. After crossing the Atlantic, in 1851, he made his home in Philadelphia and began a thorough study of the ornithology of the coun- try. He gradually acquired a complete library of the published works on the subject and succeeded in collect- ing many letters, manuscripts, and drawings of his great hero — Alexander Wilson. Mr. Turnbull was a member of the Academy of Natural Sciences, and others of Phil- adelphia's scientific societies, a genial, amiable man, and his death, in 1871, was mourned by a wide circle of friends. In many respects the most extraordinary of the Scotch inventors whose ingenuity has helped to swell the busi- ness of the Patent Office was Hugh Orr, a Renfrewshire ■ t ■ 20S Tni: McoT IN AMionrcA. mail. Ilo was l)«)ni at Looliwinnucli in 1717, and trained, prohaMv in (ilas^ow, as a ^nn and Iih'K smith, lie set- tled at i'ridj^ewater, Mass., in 17,^7, and started at onee in Inisiness as a maker ol" seytlies and axes, ereetinj^ in eonneetion with his little estahlishment the iirst trip ham- mer ever seen near I'oston. Mis hnsiness prospered, ami his mannl'aetnres were soon fi)ntul all iner the New I'-nj^j- land vStates. In faet, for mans years he was the only maker of ed.i;etl tools in that section of the eonntry, and from his employ, as time went on, men went ont to vari- ons parts of the Colonies and so hnilt np a new indnstry, snpplantinj; imported j;oods. In 175^^ Mr. ( )rr invented a machine for dressinj;* flax, and in the cnltivation of that l>lan he ti>ok a deep interest, and sncceeded, in the long rnn, in making it a prohtahle agricnltnral industry around his home t(>wn. The suhject of llax raising in- deed, seems to have heei^ his hobby, and in it he found health and change from the harassing labors v)f his foun- dry. Almv)st every man. philosophers tell us, reijuires to have a hobby of some S()rt. and it is well when it takes the form of somelhitig practical, Mjmething that may be oi use io liimself and to his fellow-creatures. I hit the luU)by. whatever ilevelopnient it may take, should be en- couraged so long as it is it\nocent and healthful. Some men take to photography, others to athletics, a lawyer may cotpiette with literature, a literary man may make a plaything of the law, a preacher may try gardening and a business man yachting. JUit, though the lawyer may make a poor litterateur and the litterateur be a tyro in k.A' to the entl of his days; though the preacher be an expensive gardener, raising potatoes at a cost of a dol- lar apiece, and the business man's heart may sink to his boots in a gale, such changes from the routine of nien's^ daily lives are beneficial both to soul and body. It is rarely, indeed, tliat a man's hobby directs him to study out some matter that is at all likely to add to the gen- eral wealth of his fellow-citizens, and it is in this respect tliat Hugh Orr's flax-raising experiments deserve the highest commendation. In 1748 t)rr made some five hundred stands of arms wm H(MrONT[HTM AND INVlONTOUff. 20& for the I'rovinrt' of Massaclnisctts i'.ay, vvliicli were do- positiMl in (astk- William, in i'.oslou Harbor. 'I'luTf tlicy were in nvvealth and erected a foundry for the eastin^^ of brass and iron ordnance and the makin/^ of cannon halls. lie was also busily em- ployed mamifactnrin^ small arms, and the ener^^y he threw into all his work astonished his contempfjraries. After peace had been restored ( )rr returned to more use- ful pursuits than manufacturinj^^ life-destroyiuj^" weapons. In company with two Scotch mechanics, Robeit and Alexander I'arr, he constructed some carding, roj)in^, and spinninj^ machines, au'l he had become so thorough .'I \\'ud 'oj)te(l by the United States N.\/y. Mr. Lee was born in i<< .burj^hshire in 1837. On leaviii,; school he learned his father's trade of vvatclk- maker, a id in his twentieth year went to Janesville, Wis. I'rom tlu.e he removed to Stevens Lcint, in the heart of the lund)(T region, and it war. vviiilc in that place that he first began the series of (jxt)erinients which ctdminated in the most wondt iful gi.n t'lal 'he Americr.n Xavy now possesses. LMs rrst *vcri| on was a breech-loading- rifle, which was subniittr' ' to ti.c Ciovernment during the civil war and adopted, l^c r tary Stanton gave Lee a If 1 r :.i ! 'ill 210 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. contract to manufacture the weapon, and he organized tlie Lee Firearms Company, with a factory in Milwaukee. The company did not prosper, mainly on account of the high cost of labor, and in 1870 Mr. Lee connected him- self with the Remington Company. With them he re- mained until the organization of the Lee Arms Company of Connecticut, with headquarters at Hartford. Desoite his long residence in America, Mr. Lee is an enthusiastic Scot, and as proud of the Borderland as though he had never been fifty miles from the Tweed all his life. Hugh Orr, as we have seen, was one of the first It start the American agricultural implement industry on its progress to become the best-known of all the manufact- ures of the country, and the first product of Americati mechanical skill to occupy a pre-eminent place in the markets of the world. One of the most noted of his successors and the first to bring about that perfection which has won general admiration was Henry Burden, a native of Dunblane, who came to America in 1819, in the twenty-eighth year of his age. He had received a good technical education, and was a thorough mechanic before he crossed the Atlantic, but his ingenuity — his genius, it might be called — was developed by the require- ments of the new country, and, settling at Troy, he be- gan the manufacture of agricultural implements. His first venture was an improved plough, which was very successful, and he sold as many as he could produce. He also introduced the first cultivator ever seen in this coun- try, and was continually inventing new implements or improving those already in use. A machine for making horseshoes was not only regarded as his greatest tri- umph, but made him wealthy, and gradually his estab- lishment at Troy became famous as one of the most ex- tensive in the world. i\lr. Burden took a deep interest in the science of steam navigation, watched its progress closely, and himself invented a "cigar boat," with which he foresaw great possibilities, but was forced for various reasons to lay aside. Tlie invention was regarded >im- ply as a curiosity, but Mr. Burden had no conception of concocting merely wliat might be regarded as a si;?';i to i I: SCIENTISTS AND INVENTORS. 211 astonish visitors; he was thoroughly practical in all his ideas, and, altiiough he did not live to see his cigar boat a commercial success, its principle was not lost, and is to be found in the *' whaleback " steamers now in use on the great lakes and in many of the modern models of torpedo boats. He owned patents by the hundred, and even these only represented a part of the fruits ot' his ingenuity. At his death, in 1871, he was beyond question the most successful inventor in the country, and he had the satisfaction of knowing tliat the products of his great establishment were as highly appreciated in Europe as in the markets of his adopted country. One of the most characteristically Scotch inventors the writer of this volume ever had the good fortune to meet was the Rev. Robert Dick of Buffalo, ** Brother Dick," as he was most generally called. He was at once preacher, lecturer, newspaper editor and writer, teacher and inventor, a man of the highest cliaracter, always aiming upward, and taking a deep interest in the moral elevation of the people. Mr. Dick was born at Bathgate in 1814. His parents, with eleven bairns, determined to emigrate when Robert was very young, and settled in Canada, where they died before any of the children had attained manhood. The lot of the bairns was, as might be supposed, a hard one. Robert managed to study for the ministry, and in spite of many disadvantages and hin- drances — the result of poverty — managed to graduate at Hamilton College, Clinton, in 1841. Then he taught school for several years, held several pastorates, and in 1854 established at Toronto a religious paper called ** The Gospel Tribune.'' All this time he found his re- laxation in his workshop. He was always inventing, al- ways trying to put his mechanical ideas into practice, and to devise something that would meet a popular demand. His newspaper experience finally gave him a clue, and his mailing machine not only met a pressing demand, but won for him comparative wealth. His business henceforth was devoted to these machines, their per- fection, and introduction, and they became part of the indispensable outfit of nearly every large newspaper of- P S 212 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. I I fice on the continent. But he never abandoned his voca- tion of a minister of the Gospel, and even in the midst of his business journeys was always ready to " preach the Word " or to do something by speech, purse, or pres- ence to advance the cause of total abstinence, ot which he was a devoted advocate. His life was a useful and lovable one, he triumphed over great obstacles, he was outspoken in denouncing wrong, and even while im- mersed in / siness was ever ready to turn aside from temporal ca- ^^VK of things celestial and say a word in season. Mr IHck died at Buffalo, a city that had been his home tor many years, in 1893. Alexander Morton, the perfector, if nor the inventor, of gold pens, (for his claims to the latter distinction have been challenged,) was born at Darvel, Ayrshire, in 1820, and became a resident of New York in 1845. I" 185 1, after many experiments, he began making gold pens, and after awhile, with his improvements in pointing, temper- ing, and grinding, * his manufacture became famous. Throughout his business career he was always improv- ing these useful articles, and his efforts were so well ap- preciated that he acquired considerable wealth long before his untimely death, in i860. Another noted inventor was William Chisholm, long head of the Union Steel Com- pany of Cleveland, Ohio. He was born at Lochgelly, Fifeshire, in 1825, and, along with his brother Henry started the Cleveland Rolling Mill. He was constantly inventing new methods in machinery and mechanical implements, and particularly hoisting and pumping en- gines, and was the first to demonstrate the practicability of manufacturing screws from Bessemer steel. Early in 1895 there died at Pawtucket, R. I., an in- ventor of an intensely practical turn of mind — practical, inasmuch as his ambition was to produce inventions that would save both labor and material, and because when he once got into a groove that brought him success, he con- tinued to develop and deepen that groove all through his career. This was Duncan H. Campbell, who was i3orn at Greenock in 1827 and settled, with his parents, in Boston, Mass., while yet a lad. When h^ finished his SCIENTISTS AND INVENTORS. 218 public school course he was sent to work at the shoe business, and conceived the idea of having machines do a ^reat part of the work which he saw done by hand. Bit by bit, his inventions revolutionized the entire busi- ness and made it become the important factor it is to- day in the industries of New England. He invented pegging machines, stitching machines, a lock-stitch ma- chine for sewing uppers a machine for using waxed threads, a machine for covering buttons with cloth — and it is hard to recall all what, but all were in connection with the manufacture of shoes. An equally inventive genius, and a more fortunate one, so far as financial returns was concerned, was Thomas Dickson, who died at Scranton in 1884, and whose name was for years the most prominent in that thriving Pennsylvania town, and is yet held in kind re- membrance. Mr. Dickson was born at Lauder in 1822. He left Scotland when comparatively young, and his first employment was as a boy in charge of a couple of mules on the towpath of a canal at Carbondale, Penn. From that he gradually rose in life, until he was known all over Pennsylvania as the head of the Dickson Manu- facturing Company at Scranton, and then he acquired a national reputation as President of the Delaware and Hudson Canal Company and as a Director in a score or more of other corporations. He also established an iron plant on Lake Champlain, and was ever ready to engage in any enterprise that promised to aid in the de- velopment of the country. Mr. Dickson's ingenuity and inventive genius kept the Dickson Manufacturing Com- pany's products at the front all over the country, and these products covered a great variety of manufactures, from locomotives to stoves. He was a man of consid- erable refinement, and his elegant home at Scranton, with its magnificent library and large and well-selected gallery of paintings, was one of the show places of the city. He was an omnivorous reader, and nothing pleased him better than to spend a few hours each day in the quiet of his library, while his pictures wer^ a con^t:.n^ source of delight to him and others. Ml I ■ 5< ,; L aft •!» if Pi i H.i 214 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. I For many years one of the most popular teachers of elocution in Edinburgh was Alexander Melville Bell, whose " readings " were regarded as among the most successful of each season's round of entertainments. Mr. Bell, who was born in Auld Reekie in 1819, was more than a mere elocutionist. He possessed the qualities of the poet and actor, and never gave a reading on any theme if he did not thoroughly appreciate and under- stand the full meaning of the author. He wrote much on elocution, and always from a scientific standpoint. He invented a method for removing impediments in speech, and as author of " Visible Speech " was the first to show how worJ., might be framed and meanings conveyed in the absence of sound. Somewhat late in life he removed, with his fri ily to Canada, and became instructor in elo- cution at Queen's University, Kingston. His great work was his investigations among deaf-mutes, and to the vjnd of his long life he was constantly engaged in prob- lems calculated to break down the barriers of their isola- tion — to bring them into active sympathy with the rest of the world. In spite of his useful labors, however, Mr. Bell's mem- ory would be by this time only a reminiscence to a few- personal friends and pupils were it not for the brilliant success accomplished bv his son in working out ideas on the same line as his father. This son, Alexander Gra- ham Bell — the inventor of the telephone — was born at Edinburgh in 1847, ^^^^ accompanied his father to Can- ada. In 1872 he took up his residence in Boston as a teacher of vocal physiology, and, like his father, took a deep interest in the education of deaf-mutes. It was this that led to the romance and the fortune of his life — the invention of the telephone and his marriage. One ac- count, seemingly by Mr. Bell himself, tells the story as follows : " The history of the telephone has been so often writ- ten that the facts relating to its growth and development, its legal battles and patent complications, are too well known to need repetition. Few people, however, are ^ware that an interesting romance hides in the back- a a It, ;11 SCIENTISTS AND INVENTORS. 215 ground. To go back to the beginning, there lived in the classic shades of Cambridge a Mr. Hubbard, who had four charming daughters. His youngest daughter, when but five years of age, was attacked with scarlet fever, whicli left her totally deaf. Everything possible was done for the child. She was sent to the best institutions in Europe, but her hearing was entirely gone. The rudi- ments of lip-reading were taught to her, as well as speak- ing by means of mechanical training of the vocal chords. On her return to her home her father decided to con- tinue her education, and she was sent to an institution in Charleston. It was here she first met Mr. Graham Bell, then an instructor in the institution. The sequel was an engagement between the teacher and his pupil. ** It was while endeavo'^'ng to contrive some electrical method by which his fiancee could regain her lost sense that Mr. Bell, who was alwavs of an inventive turn of mind, discovered the secret of the transmitter of the tele- phone. At first he did not realize the importance of his discovery, and it was only after much persuasion that Mr. Hubbard induced him to take out patents. The rest is well known." The success of the Bell telephone was immediate, and Mr. Bell, with the pertinacity of his race, kept steadily at work improving it, leaving the commercial side of the invention to be managed by others. In 1892, after a long and trying series of experiments, he in a manner perfected his telephone by making it useful for any dis- tance. On October 18 of that year he opened the first telephone connection between Chicago and New York, and its success demonstrated that distance was practi- cally no bar to the use of the instrument. Fnrther than this into the story of the telephone we need not go. Its history — with its triumphs, litigations, and heartburn- ings — belongs to the scientific story of America. At his home in Washington and his country seat at Baddeck, Cape Breton, Mr. Bell is still busy in what he calls his workshops, but the secrets of these places are carefully guarded. The possessor of immense wealth, he can af- ford to experiment with whatever he has on hand until i '^1 M 216 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. perfection is attained. But wondrous stories somehow creep out, and one is to the effect that a flying- machine will in time make the name of Mr. IJell as widely as- sociated with a new era in locomotion as it has been with the transmission of recognizable sound. Among" practical mechanics, men who can design a., well as themselves handle the tools which fashion their designs, no name is more prominent than that of Henry Eckford. This once famous shipbuilder left Scotland in 1 791, when he was sixteen years of age, and tried to es- tablish himself in some way of earning a living at Que- bec. The opportunities there, however, were small, and in 1796 he crossed the St. Lawrence, settled in New York, and threw in his future with the United States. But he did not ignore his native land by his change of allegiance, for we find that in 1802 he joined the local St. Andrew's Society. He commenced business as a boatbuilder and did fairly well, but his great oppor- tunity came with the outbreak of the war of 181 2, when he built several vessels for the Government to en- gage in service on the great lakes. In 1822 he built the steamer " Robert Fulton," which made the first success- ful steam voyage to New Orleans and Havana, an oc- currence that attracted attention all over the country. His greatest American work was done as Naval Con- sructor at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, an appointment he secured in 1820, for while there he built six ships of the line from his own models, and one of these, the " Ohio," was regarded at the time as the finest vessel of her kind in the world. While in New York Eckford resided main- ly in a pleasant rural cottage on Love Lane, now part of West Twenty-sixth Street, and it was the scene of many joyous and intellectual gatherings. One of his closest friends was the poet Hallock, who was a frequent vis- itor at the cottage, with many other of the leading lit- erary men and thinkers of the day, as well as Drake and De kay — two young men afterward celebrated as poets — who became the Scotch shipbuilder's sons-in-law. Eckford, as a result of a disagreement with the United States Government, jef^ New York and re?iclily found SCIENTISTS AND INVENTORS. 217 » employment in designing war vessels for other coun- tries. His last engagement was in Turkey. He had built a sloop of war for Sultan Alahoud, and, accepting the offer of the position of Chief Naval Constructor of the Ottoman Empire, he proceeded to Constantinople, but died soon after he reached that city, in 1832. James Ferguson, who between 1817 and 1819 w'as as- sistant surveyor of the Erie Canal, was a native of Perth- shire, where he was born in 1797. From 1819 till 1822 he was one of the surveyors on the boundary commis- sion acting under the provisions of the treaty of Cdient, and afterward became assistant astronomer of the United States Naval Observatory, an appointment he held till his death, at Washington, in 1867. His career as an as- tronomical student was a very brilliant one, and he was the discoverer of three asteroids, for which he received two of the astronomical prize medals given by the French Academy of Sciences. He was a (juiet, unob- trusive, lovable man, immersed in his studies, and re- gardless of personal labor in faithfully fulfilling whatever work he had in hand. A shallower man w'ith more pre- tensions might have cut a greater figure in the world, but he had no regard for mere fame, and was satisfied with his own consciousness of work well done. James Pugh Kirkwood, who in 1867 and 1868 was President of the American Society of Civil Engineers, had a much more varied career. He was born at Edin- burgh in 1807, and learned civil engineering and meas- uring in that city. On taking up his residence in Amer- ica in 1832 he became resident consulting engineer on several railroads. His first prominent appointment was as constructing engineer for the docks, warehouses, and other Government structures at Pensacola. and then he secured the position of General Superintendent of the Erie Railroad. From 1850 to 1855 he was chief engi- neer of the Missouri Pacific system, and then became its consulting engineer. From 1856 to i860 he was chief engineer of the Nassau Water Works, P.rooklyn. and from the latter date he acted as a general consulting engineer, with water works as his principal specialty. He > -; ■i i ■ 4 'V 01 VM 218 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. ;i 5 : ill took cliargc of laying tlic water mains on Eighth Ave- nue, \e\v Yorl<, into a rock bed which was cut accord- ing to liis directions, and tlie work at the time attracted much attention among engineering experts on account of its difficulty. His latter years were spent mainly in Brooklyn, and he was regarded as one of the leaders in his profession, and enjoyed the respect and affection of a wide circle of friends. His death, in 1877, was the occasion fcr a host of tributes being paid to his services and worth by societies, newspapers, and individuals. A career which run on somewhat similar lines w^as that of James Laurie, who was born in 181 1 at Bell's Mills and settled in America in 1832. In fact, he was closely associated with Kirkwood in considerable rail- road work, and the two men entertained the warmest friendship for each other, until Laurie's death, at Hart- ford, Conn., in 1875. His first notable appointment was as chief engineer on the Norwich and XV^orcester Rail- road; then he filled a similar office on the New Jersey Central Road, and later was consulting engineer in Mas- sachusetts in connection with the llousatonic Tunnel. As Mr. Kirkwood made a specialty of water works, so ]\Ir, Laurie, in time, made a particular study of bridge building, and was regarded as the foremost practical au- thority on that specialty in America, so that his services as consulting engineer on such structures were in con- stant demand. Among other of his achievements it may be mentioned that he built the wTought-iron bridge over the Connecticut River at Windsor Locks, the first of its kind in the country. Mr. Laurie was honored by his pro- fessional friends by being elected the first President of the American Society of Civil Engineers, an organization in the founding of w-hich he took a deep interest. Donald Craig McCallum was a soldier as well as a civil engineer, and during his career did much good w^ork in both capacities. He was born at Johnstone, Renfrewshire, in 181 5, and emigrated w'ith his parents and the rest of his family in 1832. They settled in Roch- ester, N. Y., and soon after Donald started in the battle of life bv learning the tailoring trade. That business did ich- ttle did SCIENTISTS AND INVKNTORS. 219 not suit him, and, going to Canada, he became a car- penter and studied architecture. Tlicn lie returned to Rochester, engaged in business for himself as a builder, and did fairly well. He took a special interest in rail- road and bridge construction, invented what was known as the *' inflexible arch truss bridge," and gradually left off his building operations to become a constructor of railroads and bridges. In 1855 he became (ieneral Su- perintendent of the Erie Railroad. During the war he was appointed director of the military railroads in the United States, and in that capacity he not only rendered particularly brilliant services at critical periods by mass- ing troops at certain strategic points, but he maintained the entire service in a state of efficiency that contrasted in a wonderfully favorable manner with the disorganized condition of many of the other administrative depart- ments of the Northern Army. His services with Sher- man on that soldier's memorable march to the sea were conspicuously valuable and won the highest encomiums from all in authority. When the war was over, McCal- lum, who had enjoyed the rank of Colonel in the United States Army, retircil from service with the honors of a Major General, and until his death, in Brooklyn, in 1878, confined his attention to civil pursuits. Gen. McCallum was more anxious to be known as a poet than a soldier or engineer, and in 1879 issued a small volume contain- ing specimens of his muse. They are full of fine senti- ment, lofty thought, sage reflection, and timely admoni- tion, and, while no one would .rd their writer a position among the foremost ranks 01 smgers, he deserves a marked place among what Mr. Stedman happily calls the " general choir." One poem, " The Water Mill," is certain to live in literature, but the authorship has been questioned by some writers, and the problem, like most others of the kind, is a vexing one. The poem, how- ever, has generally been attributed to McCallum, al- though we are not aware that he ever gave personally any information on the subject; but, even if this beauti- ful bit of sentiment be taken away from him, enough re- mains of his undoubted compositions to entitle him to a i I'ia i Ti' 220 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. very respectable place among the minor bards of Amer- ica. A fair representative of the Scottish work engi- neer, the men who do their work so well that their serv- ices are always in demand, and who are ready to develop into heroes or millionaires as time and chance may offer, might be found in George M. Wait, who died at Brook- lyn in 1894. lie was a native of Dunse, (Duns they call it now,) licrwickshire, and was born in that staid old- fashioned town in 1825. After serving his apprentice- ship in a " machine shop," he developed into a railroad engineer, and then devoted himself to marine engineer- ing, lie came to America shortly before the outbreak of the civil war, and when that cloud darkened the country he volunteered his services to the Union Nav Such offers from such men were then gladly received 1 Mr. Wait found himself enrolled as chief engine 1 the warship Monticello. One of his most daring acts was the cutting of the chains which the Confederates had placed across the Mississippi River to obstruct the Fed- eral fleet in its purpose to get near enough to New Or- leans to bombard it. Mr. Wait had many narrow escapes in the course of his service, but the narrowest of all came from his own side, when Gen. Butler in a moment of haste ordered Commander Braine (afterward Admi- ral) and Chief Engineer Wait to be hanged for disobey- ing his orders. The carrying out of these orders was an impossibility, and Butler fortunately recovered his tem- per before the sentences were carried out and came round, as gracefully as he could, to W^ait's way of think- ing on the matter at issue. Wait afterward became chief engineer for the Pacific Mail Steamship Company, and his last employment was on some local boats making daily excursions from New York Harbor, as he did not care about being deprived, as old age began to creep on, of the comforts of his own fireside. CHAPTER VITI. MERCHANTS AND MrXICIPAL BUILDERS. an lief md pg hot m. IT may safely be laid down as a self-evident truth that every Scotsman in America who has gained position or eminence or wealth, or all three, has worked hard. Among the Scotch community, even in the fourth or fifth generation removed from the ** Land o' Cakes," there are no idlers, no " gilded youth," no merely empty loungers on the face of the earth. We find Scotsmen and their families moving in the very highest social cir- cles in each community — among the ** Four Hundred," to use a ridiculous expression that has come into use in recent years — but they all seem to engage in business of some sort. They do not figure much, if at all, in what loves to be distinguished as the *' smart set," the butter- flies whose only object in the world seems to be to de- rive pleasure from it, pleasure sometimes innocent, some- times brutal, sometimes silly, always extravagant, and a standing menace to the peace of the community. The main purpose in life, if there be any purpose, after all, of such creatures is to draw themselves into a class apart from the common herd, to ape the manners of the aris- tocracy of the Old World, and this latter purpose they accomplish in such a way as to win the disgust of every honest citizen and the contempt of every honest aris- tocrat. If we designed to devote a chapter to titled person- ages in this book, it might easily be done. The advent- ures of the members of the British peerage alone in America would fill many pages and would include sol- diers, statesmen, sightseers, hunters and adventurers — for even the latter class are found legitimately occupying a 221 I 900 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. line, at least, in the standard peerages. Such a chapter would, however, include names like that of Lady Mac- ionald, who enjoys a peerage through the services which her late husband, Sir John A. jMacdonald, rendered to the Empire; and of Lord Mount Stephen, who won his peer- age by his own successful and eminently useful life, as well as those of manv baronets and knights. It would also refer to an old title, that of Baron de Longueuil, a French title of nobility originally granted by Louis Xl\\, but recognized by Great Britain. The dignity was jfirst conferred on a French subject, Charles Le Moyne, but as might, somehow, be expected, the pres- ent holder of the title, Charles Colman Grant, is more entitled to be regarded as of Scotch descent than the representative of a French family. The chapter would also chronicle the story of an old Scotch title which has been so long held by residents of this country that they pride themselves as much from their descent from Colo- nial ancestors as from their Saxon forbears — Saxons who were j)rominent in England before the advent of the Normans. The title. Baron Cameron of P^airfax, in the peerage of Scotland, was bestowed by Charles L in 1627 upon Sir Thomas Fairfax of Denton, an English- man. The family never had any connection with Scot- land, however, beyond the title, but the name yet stands on the roll of the Scottish peers and is still called at each assemblage of these peers in Ilolyrood to elect their rep- resentatives in the British House of Lords. The repre- sentative of the family, the holder of this ancient tHle, still resides in Virginia, but so far as we can trace he and his immediate progenitors, as soldiers, preachers, or physicians, have done something to justify their exist- ence, have pursued some recognized profession. But all this reference to nobility is merely a digres- sion by way of variety in the opening matter of a new department of our story. Here we have to deal with what may be called the nobility of business. To acquire eminence in trade, finarce, or commerce, especially in view of the ever-watchful and sometimes unscrupulous competition which prevails in all large business centres, MERCHANTS AND MUNICIPAT. BUILDERS. 223 ids ich )rc- he or ist" •cs- lew nih liirc in lous Ires, a man needs rare qualities, and a successful merchant is generally an individual possessing not only a clear head, but a large heart. If we could enumerate the practical charitable institutions of the world, group together the art galleries, museums, and halls of learning, we would find that successful business men, when not their found- ers, were their most liberal benefactors. We will get abundant evidence of this as the present chapter pro- ceeds, and will find also that these same business, money- making, men were sterling and self-sacrificing patriots whenever occasion arose for the display of that quality. Such men arc entitled to be called nature's noblemen — men who hold their patents of nobility from Almighty God. We could place the life, for instance, of Alexander Milne, an Edinburgh man who was long a merchant in New Orleans, as a pattern — one which could be sur- passed by the product of no other class. After a note- worthy and commercially irreproachable career, he be- came distinguished for his philanthropy, although the world never knew its extent or imagined the amount of thought and care he exercised in trying to do as much good as possible to his fellow-men. Even the good he did lived — and lives — after he had passed away, for when he died, in 1838, at the age of ninety-four years, it was found that he left most of his fortune to endow the Milne Hospital for the orphan boys of New Orleans. In treating of the classes embraced in the title to this chapter we arc more than ever overwhelmed by the diffi- culty of selection. There is hardly a city or township in which Scotsmen have not more or less prominently fig- ured in its business interests. In financial circles every- where, whether in Montreal or New York, they have held a front rank, and that might be said also of every branch of business. We can only array a few examples, selected almost at random, and endeavor to be as repre- sentative in each selection as possible. The founder of the famous town of Yorktown, Va., was Thomas Nelson, who was born in 1677 in Cumber- land, not far from the Scottish border. His parents had , ^ r it Ill !i ii 224 The scot in America. moved there from Wigtonshirc shortly after their mar- riage, and the district was more Scotch in its speech, manners, and customs than Enghsh, so that, ahhough actually born on what Scotsmen playfully call the " wrong side of the Tweed," Nelson was in reality a Scot. Indeed, after his arrival in America, about 1700, he was generally known as " Scotch Tom,'' and appears to have been quite proud of the a^. i>ellation. He started in business, began at once to make money id in 1705 founded the town of York — one of the few 1 ally historic towns in America — which witnessed the surrender of Cornwallis in 1781 and was the scene of a stirring con- flict between the forces of McClellan and Magruder in 1862, during the civil war. Nelson died full of years and honors, in 1745, in the town he had founded and which he had been spared to see grow slowly and surely. If he did not hold high oflfice, he founded a family which has made its mark in the history of his adopted State. One of his sons, Thomas, was a candidate for Governor of Virginia, but was defeated by the celebrated Patrick Henry, (also of Scotch descent,) and afterward for thirty years was Secretary of the Privy Council. Another son, William, was President of the Council for a long time, and on the death of Lord Botetourt became Governor of Virginia and administered its affairs for about a year, until the arrival of the Earl of Dunmore in 1771. He died a year later, leaving three sons, who all became fa- mous. One of these sons, Thomas, who was born in Virginia in 1738, was educated partly in America and partly at Trinity College, Cambridge. As might be ex- pected, he ranged himself on the side of the patriots, and as a member of the House of Burgesses was outspoken in his condemnation of whatever tended to abridge the freedom of the Colonies. " He was a member," says Miss M. V. Smith, in her able volume on ** The Governors of Virginia," "of the Revolutionary Conventions of 1774 and 1775, and was appointed by the convention in July, 1775, Colonel of the Second Virginia Regiment, which post he resigned on being elected to the Contmental Congress in the same year. H was again called to ad- MERCHANTS AND MUNICIPAL BUILDERS. 225 minister home affairs, and was a prominent member of the Virginia Convention of 1776, which met in May to frame a Constitution for her Government. Here he of- fered a resolution instructing tlie Virginia delegates in Congress to propose a Declaration of Independence. Having been elected one of these delegates, he had the satisfaction of seeing the hopes and wishes of his people embodied in a crystallized form, and, with unfaltering faith in its declarations, set his seal to the historic in- strument July 4, 1776.'' In 1777 he became Commander in Chief of the forces in the State, and devoted not only his time but his means to the war. In 1781 he was chosen Governor of \'irginia, but his health was then broken. He soon resigned the office, and, retiring to Hanover County, resided there in seclusion till his death, in 1789. He lost his fortune in the war, sacrificed every- thing he had to the State, and the State was too poor to recoup him, so his latter years were passed amidst pov- erty. But he never complained on that score, and await- ed the last roll-call conscious that he had done everything a patriot could do to advance and establish his native land. Two of Gov. Thomas Nelson's brothers, William and Robert, were in the Revolutionary Army, and both were captured by Col. Tarleton's forces. When the struggle was over, William engaged in the practice of law until 1803, when he became Professor of Law at William and Mary College. On his death, in 181 3, he was succeeded in that office by Robert, who held it for five years, or until he died, in 181 8. The public services of the family were continued, as far as our records go, to the fourth generation after " Scotch Tom/' for Gov. Thomas Nel- son's son, Hugh, was a member of Congress for \'ir- ginia during several terms, and in 1823 was appointed by President Monroe United States Minister to Spain. The family of Thomas Campbell, autiior of " The Pleasures of Hope " and of '* (lertrude of Wyoming," had rather an intimate connection with America. His father, Alexander Campbell, the son of a landed proprie- tor, was born at Kirnan, in tlie parish of Glassary, Ar- gyllshire, in 1710. He was trained to the mercantile pro- i'.ii 226 ■The scot in America. fession in Glasgow, and in early life crossed the Atlantic and settled at Falmouth, Va., where he engaged in busi- ness for several years and acquired considerable means. There, too, he made the acquaintance of a countryman named Daniel Campbell, afterward his brother-in-law. Returning to Scotland, the two Campbells founded the firm of Alexander & Daniel Campbell and engaged in the Virginia trade. In this they amassed considerable wealth and became recognized as among the leading merchants in a trade whose very name was then regarded as synonymous with opulence. In 1756 Alexander Camp- bell married a sister of his partner, and had a fam- ily of eight sons and four daughters. One of these sons, it may be said, afterward emigrated to America and mar- ried a daughter of Patrick Henry, the great Governor of Virginia. Thomas, the poet, the youngest of the fam- ily, was born at Glasgow in 1777, but two years before that the out]3reak of the Revolutionary War had knocked away the props of the Campbells' business and the poet's father and uncle were practically ruined, the former hav- ing lost some i20,ooo, the savings of a life devoted to business. We have no interest here with the personal career of the poet, except we choose to speculate how far the stories his father may have told of America influ- enced him to look for a theme for his muse in the tradi- tions of the beautiful Wyoming \^alley. An uncle of the poet — Archibald Campbell, an Episcopalian minister — was located for some time in Jamaica, but settled in America about the same time as his brother Alexander. He remained in Virginia after his brother left to begin a business career in Glasgow, and in time threw in his lot with the Colonists when the struggle came which welded the Colonics into a nation. He was a much-esteemed minister, and had among his parishioners such men as Washington and Lee — the famous *' Light-Horse Harry " of the Revolution. Sir William Dunbar, who appears to have belonged to the old Banffshire house of Dunbar of Durn, now repre- sented by a family in Australia, was a noted personage in American business and political circles for many years. MERCHANTS AND MUNICIPAL BUILDERS. 227 He was born in 1740, and appears to have landed at Philadelphia about 1771, just when matters were ap- proaching an interesting crisis witli the Home Govern^ ment. In company with John Ross, a once well known and prosperous merchant in the Quaker City, and who in 1774 was honored by being chosen as \'ice 'President of the local St. Andrew's Society, Dunbar formed in 1773 a partnership for opening a plantation in West Florida. The afifair did not seem to be a success, and Dunbar moved to Baton Rouge, near New Orleans, and finally to Natchez, Miss., where he managed to get possession of a plantation, and where he died in 1810. lie led the career of an adventurer and suffered tlie usual ups and downs of fortune incidental to such a career, but his lat- ter years seem to have been pleasant and prosperous. He had assumed allegiance to the P\dcral Government, from motives of policy rather than frcm any deep-seated principle, and under it held several important offices. He was an intimate friend of Thomas Jefferson, and cor- responded with him at frequent intervals, and to the '* Transactions " of the American Philosophical Society of Philadelpha, of which he was a member, he contrib- uted a number of papers on various subjects, all of which were considered valuable in their day. Among the early merchants of \'irginia no name stands higher or is surrounded with more honorable as- sociations than that of Thomas Rutherfoord of Richmond. He was born at Kirkcaldy, Fifeshire, in 1766, but was educated in Glasgow, where his famiiy removed while he was an infant. In that city, too, he received his mercan- tile training, and when he reached early manhood he se- cured a position in the house of Hawkesley & Ruther- foord of Dublin, the junior partner in which was his elder brother. In 1784 he was sent by the firm to \'irginia in charge of cargoes in two vessels, the value of the goods being placed at $50,000. He was well recommended to the local business men of \'irginia, and among ollicrshe carried a letter of introduction to George Washington, which had been given him by Sir Fdward Xeversham, then member of Parliament for Dublin. Rutherfoord took \1 ' [ IT \ ! U' <: ?28' THE SCOT IN AMERICA. up his quarters in Richmond, where he opened a branch estabhshment to the DubHn house and quickly put it on a substantial footing. After some four years spent in Richmond he returned to Ireland and was admitted as a partner in the firm to which he had proved so faithful and profitable a servant. His stay in Ireland lasted only about a year, and in 1789 he was once more in Rich- mond, which was henceforth to be his home. His busi- ness career was a continued round of prosperity, and he gradually became regarded as one of the wealthiest and most upright merchants of the city. His life was a pleas- ant one, although as general merchant, miller, importer, and exporter the daily routine of his affairs was for many years of the most engrossing description. He invested his means largely in Richmond real estate, until he was the most extensive owner of that class of property in the city, and even this reputation added to his wealth, for others, seeing the sagacious Scot sinking his money in land, followed his example, and so raised values all around. But Mr. Rutherfoord's days were not wholly de- voted to business; he found time for all the interest in the affairs of the city that any true citizen should take, and his public spirit and liberality were as conspicuous as his wealth. He was bitterly opposed to tariffs or to anything that looked like an abridgment of individual, state, or national freedom, and the papers he published on such questions and on commercial matters attracted wide attention. In 1841 he was selected to draft a peti- tion to President Tyler protesting against the imposition of tariff duties, and the Chief Executive of the Nation found in Rutherfoord a man whose sterling honesty, de- voted earnestness, singleness of purpose, and native in- telligence won his entire respect. Years afterward Presi- dent Tyler, when lecturing at Richmond, referred to his acquaintance with Rutherfoord in words that evinced his high appreciation of the Scottish- American merchant, whose earthly career closed at Richmond in 1852. John Rutherfoord married an American girl and left thirteen children, whose descendants are found all over the Union> although principally in Virginia. Of his tt\- 111- [si- his lis left rer lis MERCHANTS AND MUNICIPAL BUILDERS. 229 children the eldest son, John, who was born in Rich- mond in 1792, graduated from Princeton College in 1810 with the degree of M. A. and then applied himself to the study of the law. In 1826 he was elected to the House of l3elegates hritish Consul in this city. Another son, Anthony, who went in early life to Georgia to seek his fortune, succeeded so well in the South — after becoming a Colonel and marrying the wealthy widow of a Scotsman named Glen — that when he returned to New York he was made a partner. He lived in a fine house on Uey Street, near Greenwich Street, was the aristocrat of the family, and became British Con- sul, like his father. The Barclays of the firm all prided themselves on being British subjects. They were ali born here, but their father being Consul, they claimed that his house was British territory. Few are now living who remember thv^ importing firm of Gillespie & McLeod, Vv'hich llourished between 1825 and 1835. lV)th partners were Scotch, but William Mc- Leod was particularly enthusiastic about his native land. His early life was full of promise. He was descended from an old Highland family, and inherited considerable wealth through liis father, an oilficer in the British Army, who was killed at Waterloo. McLeod once held a com- mission in the army himself, but for some reason he sold out when his regiment was in Canada, an'" setii>.a in New York to enter on a commercial • years the firm did a large business, for ior partner, was a hard-working and i man, which McLeod certainly was not. erous, warm-hearted fellow, proud of his birth and his Highland ancestry, careless of money, and utterly im- provident. He aimed at being a fashionable leader rather than a merchant, and in this aim he certainly succeeded. For years he was one of the most popular society men about town, and had as large and varied a circle of For some . spie, the n- rougl business lie . as a gen- MKRrHANTH AND MUNICIPAI. RUILDERS. 21)5 d In is ir friends as any one in it, wliilc everybody knew him by sij^^lit. lie was an arbitrator in society quarrels, and was equally ready to act as a peacemaker as to be a sec- ond in a duel, lie made one j^roat mistake in his life, and that was when he quitted the army for conunerce. r^or the latter he was in no way suited, and, thouj^h he appeared to flourish for a time, his brother merchants shook their heads when asked about the prospects of the firm, and were very cautious in their dealin}2;-s with it. Ciradually the business j;rc\v smaller and smaller, until one or two wikl plunges, made in the hope of im- proving matters, ended in bankruptcy and ruin. Mr. McLeod took his misfortune with reniarkai)le compos- ure. Although he lost his position in fashionable so- ciety, and found in his later days that, his real friends were few, he never murmured. lie continued to live in New York, and died at a good old age in the old City Hotel, which had for years been one of his favorite haunts. The most noted, however, of the early mercantile fam- ilies of the City of New York was that founded by Rob- ert Lenox, a native of Kirkcudbright, and belonging to a family which had long been famous in the ancient Stewartry. One Robert Lenox was shot in 1685 by the notorious Grierson of Lagg, the nifair.ous persecutor of the Covenanters, of whom no man has ever yet spoken a favorable word, although Claverhouse and others have had their defenders. Robert Lenox was a Covenanter, and " suffered " like so many hundred others for his ad- herence to that noble cause. Whether Robert Lenox, who crossed the Atlantic about 1778, was a descendant from the same familv as this martvr or not we cannot say, but he and his son certainly showed a devotion to the cause of religion that almost tempts one to conclude that the same blood flowed through their view's. Robert Lenox seems to have settled first in Philadelphia, but after a year or two removed to New York. He started in business as a general shipping merchant at 235 Queen Street, and rapidly, for those days, rose to a foremost position among New York's merchants. He married a *!«!■« 23G THE SCOT IN AMERICA. ':.4 ^^^:f 111 daughter of Nicholas Carmer, a representative of an old Knickerbocker family, and so got a recognized place among the local aristocracy, while his own countrymen admired his executive ability and mercantile standing so highly that in 1792 they elected him a Vice President ol the St. Andrew's Society, and its President from 1798 till 1 81 3. Of the Chamber of Commerce he was also Presi- dent for many years. While Robert Lenox's entire career as a merchant is interesting, its most noteworthy incident was his pur- chase of the five-milestone farm of about thirty acres from the Corporation of New York City. The purchase money paid was, comparatively, a trifle, and as the farm lay between what is now Fourth and Fifth Avenues and Sixty-eighth and Seventy-fourth Streets, every New Yorker knows that this land is now among the most valuable in the city. Mr. Lenox was firmly convinced that this land would *' improve " in value, and steadily added to its extent as opportunity offered, and in draw- ing up his will he bequeathed it in such a way that its sale for many years was efYectually prevented. When he died, in 1840, Mr. Lenox was reputed to be among the five wealthiest citizens of New York. His only son, James, who was born at 59 Broadway, New York, in 1800, succeeded to his entire estate. Tames Lenox was educated at Princeton, where he was graduated in 1821. He studied law, but practiced little, if any, and went to Europe soon after his admission to the bar. While there he developed his bibliographical and artistic tastes and laid the foundation for his future benefaction to his na- tive city of a public library. On his return he carefully attended to his property, which year by year increased in value, but at the same time he was actively engaged in thinking out those schemes of public benefit with which his name is now associated. He was a man of retiring disposition, very sensitive as to public notice, and, while he was constantly engaged in doing good, it was in such an unostentatious manner that often the recipients of the bounty were unaware of its source. His first great bene- faction was the site and $250,000 toward the construction MERCHANTS AND MUNICIPAL BUILDERS. 23? [lly in in ich ng lile ch jhc jic- lon and equipment of the Presbyterian Hospital, which was opened Oct. lo, 1872. Then he gave the ground on Sev- enty-third Street, valued at that time at $64,000, for the PVesbyterian Home for Aged Women, and in 1874 the site for a Presbyterian church on Seventy-third Street. The other gifts Mr. Lenox gave to these institutions will probably never be fully known, but during his life* time none of them suffered for lack of funds. In 1870 he conveyed ten lots on the crest of a hill overlooking Cen- tral Park for the erection of the Lenox Library, and built the structure which adorns that site and to which he gave his family name. To it, when completed, he pre- sented his magnificent collection of books and pictures, and augmented since, as it has been, by the funds be- queathed by him and by other donations, notably that from the Stuart estate, it is become one of the choicest of the public libraries in America, altliough its individ- uality has been in a measure lost since becoming a part of the " New York Public Library — Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations." It does not aim at comprehensive- ness, but whatever branch of literature it takes up it tries to illustrate completely. Thus, of liibles it has the finest collection in the country, from the rare " Maza- rin " of Gutenberg and Faust, about 1450, to the Oxford Bibles of the present age. There is a set of Shakespeare folios and quartos, seven Caxtons, and nearly every known edition of Bunyan's " Pilgrim's Progress," Wal- ton's " Angler," and Milton's works. The Americana is particularly large and valuable, and the collection of manuscripts is especially noticeable. The art collection is small, but includes a number of Washington portraits, and examples of Reynolds, Turner, Gainsborough, Wil- kie, Stuart, Leslie, Delaroche, and other modern artists. The most conspicuous picture in the collection is Mun- kacsy's " Blind Milton Dictating * Paradise Lost ' to His Daughters," the gift of Robert Lenox Kennedy, who succeeded Mr. Lenox as President of the library, and who, like the present President, John S. Kennedy, was ever on the outlook to advance the importance of the institution by gift or executive ability. Mr. Lenox died 238 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. i '}• in 1880. Of his seven sisters, only two survived him, and the bulk of his property was distributed so as to reach these, and ultimately his numerous benefactions. Of one thing he was very imperative in the terms of his will, and that was that no details of his life should be given for publication in any form. It is impossible to estimate what New York — the poor of New York — owe to the deeds of this family, but when we remember that thou- sands each year pass through the Presbvterian Hospital either as indoor or dispensary patients, we can under- stand slightly the good work that is being carried on by one agency established through the foresight of the father and the benevolence of the son. In this instance, too, the educated are equally benefited by the family benefactions, for the scholar and man of letters has in the Lenox Library access to literary treasures so rare and so valuable as to be nowadays beyond the reach of purchase. Surely among the things which make up the great metropolitan city of America these institutions will ever deserve a prominent place and the name of Lenox be reverently cherished, not only as that of a family of representative Scots, but of men who strove to do the utmost good to the city which had become their liome. Equal prominence as public benefactors is due to the Stuart family, which may be said to have been founded in America in 1805, when Kinloch Stuart settled in New York from Edinburgh and started in business as a candymaker. He attended closely to his establishment, and when he died, in 1826, had not only acquired consid- erable means, but was regarded as a substantial mer~ chant, two reputations which do not always go together. His sons, Robert L. and Alexander Stuart, both of whom were born in New York, succeeded him and car- ried on the business until 1856, during which time the confections of R. L. & A. Stuart became famous all over the country. In that year they gave up candymaking and devoted themselves to refining sugar — they were the first, by the way, to use steam in the process in America — and finally retired from business life in 1872 with large lie icr MERCHANTS AND MUNICIPAL BUILDERS. 239 fortunes. The rest of their lives were truly spent in do- ing good, although the performance of charity was no new hobby with them, for from 1852 they had each laid aside yearly a stated amount of their income for works of benevolence or religion. Alexander died in 1879 and Robert L. in 1882, and it has been estimated that joint- ly they gave away during their lives over $2,000,000. Princeton College and Theological Seminary were lib* eral partakers of this bounty, and the New York Presby- terian Hospital and the San Francisco Theological Sem- inary were enriched by munificent gifts. R. L. Stuart was long President of the American Museum of Natural History, and the early growth of that institution was greatly facilitated by his generosity, and as President for a time of the Presbyterian Hospital he did good service — service only second to that of the founder himself — to the poor of New York. No one, however, knew exactly how far the charitable hands of these brothers were ex- tended or how many churches, missions, and agencies of good, not only in America, but throughout the world, were helped by them. After R. L. Stuart's death the philanthropic work of his life was nobly carried on by his widow, who hence- forth lived to be virtually the almoner of her own and her husband's wealth. This estimable lady was the daughter of Robert McCrea, a wealthy Scotch merchant of New York, who died in 1830. The Presbyterian Church in its various schemes was the recipient of large contributions annually, and special occasions were always certain of her assistance. To Princeton College she was a princely benefactor, founding in it, at Dr.McCosh's special request, a School of Philosophy with a gift of $150,000, and that was only one of many contributions to the institution. To the liistorical Society she gave $100,000, to the Half Orphan Asylum $100,000, and so on — always generous in her contributions. She was invariably giving — and giving in secret, for she shunned notoriety or publicity, and hardly a day passed that she was not assisting in some good work. When she died, at the close of 1891, most of her meanc. went to Princeton, to the various tt B i 240 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. t I I 1 I Presbyterian Church schemes, and to a host of charities, for she had no near relatives, llcr books and collection of paintings went to the Lenox Library, and those who perused her will saw that in the final distribution of her wealth she aimed to be as comprehensive in its disposi- tion as possible, to aid established and tried agencies, and to spread the light of the Gospel as Vvcll as the blessings of education and charity. She used connnon sense throughout her life in her giving, and this good Scotch quality was never more apparent than in the instrument which contained her instructions for the disposal of her " guids and gear.'' In the '* Statistical Account of Scotland," Vol. I., Page 495, is the following brief notice of a Scot whose name was once well known all over the Eastern States and is still prominently remembered in horticultural circles: *' Mr. Grant Thorburn, seedsman, New York, the original ' Lawrie Todd,' though a native of Newbattle Parish, where he was born on the i8th of February, 1773, lived in Dalkeith from his childhood till he sailed for New York on the 13th April, 1794. He is a man of great piety and worth, though of a remarkably lively and ec- centric character. He visited Dalkeith in 1834, when he published his ' Autobiography,' which he dedicates with characteristic singularity and elegance to Her Grace the Duchess of Bucclcuch." It did not suit the purpose for Mr. Peter Steele, the gifted schoolmaster who in 1844 wrote these words, to give any indication of Thorburn's career in Scotland. Political feeling then ran very high and political resent- ment was very bitter, and the teacher could not, had he so inclined, ?ay a word commendatory of Thorburn's early life without bringing upon his own head the ill will of the Buccler.ch family and its adherents. So, like a canny Scot, he acted the part of the Aberdeen man's parrot, which " thocht a guid deal but said naething ava." Thorburn learned from his father the trade of a nail- maker and became quite an expert at it long before his apprenticeship was past. Like most of the Scottish workmen of the time — a time when the old order of MERCHANTS AND MUNICIPAL BUILDERS. 241 ill a 's MS 5h tilings was fast changing and the governing powers tried to quell the popular advance and the political aspirations with trials for treason, sedition, and the like — Thorburn became deeply interested in politics, and in Dalkeith was prominent among those who advocated Parliamentary reform and a generous accession to the rights of the peo- ple to a voice in the conduct of affairs. The result was that when opportunity offered he was arrested for trea- son, and, after a short time in prison, was released oiii bail. This arrest made him a marked man and blocked any prospect of his making his way in the world, so, be- lieving that the star of freedom blinked bonnily across the sea in the new Republic which had thrown off the yoke of the same Parliament he had protested against, Thorburn left Scotland and, settling in New York, tried to earn his living at his trade of nailmaking. It, how- ever, did not promise much for the future, and in 1801 he started in business as a grocer at 20 Nassau Street. *' He was there," writes Walter Barrett, " some ten or twelve years and then he moved to Xo. 22, and about the time of his removal, in 1810, he changed his business and kept garden seeds and was a florist. He established a seed-raising garden at Newark, but it proved unsuc- cessful, and thereafter he confined his attention to his business in New York and acquired considerable means." From the beginning of his American career almost, Thorburn became known for his kindly heart, and he did much practical good in a quiet way, not only among his countrymen, but among all deserving people whose needs touched his sympathy or aroused his compassion. For many years his store in Liberty Street was not only a lounging place for the merchants who bought flowers, but for the practical gardeners who grew them. His place became a sort of clearing house for the horticultur- ists in the city, and every Scotch gardener who arrived in New York from tlie Old Country made Thorburn's place his head(iuarters until he fo nd employment, and hun- dreds used to say that the advice and information they re- ceived from him at that critical stage in their careers were of the ir.ost incalculable value to them through life. In i^ja 242 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. k 1854 Mr. Thorburn in a sense retirevl from business and settled in Astoria. From there he moved to Winsted, Conn., and finally to New Haven, Conn., where he died in 1861. Mr. Thorburn possessed considerable literary tastes, and, under the iiotn dc plume of " Lawrie Todd," wrote in his later years at frequent intervals for the " Knicker- bocker Magazine '' and other periodicals. He gave to John Gait much of the information which that genius incorporated in his story of " Lawrie Todd; or. Settlers in the New World," and his published volumes of remi- niscences, notably his " Forty Years' Residence in Amer- ica •' and " Fifty Years' Reminiscences of New York," still form interesting reading. So, too, does a now scarce volume published in 1848 under the title of " Lawrie Todd's Notes on Virginia, with a Chapter on Puritans, Witches, and Friends." This book is one of those con- tributions to American social history which will become of more value as time speeds on, although its importance may be more appreciated by the student than by the gen- eral reader. In Walter Barrett's interesting volumes on '* The Old Merchants of New York " we find the following notices of an old family of merchants, the founders of which set- tled in America frorii Inverary. Says Mr. Barrett: " Robert Bruce came out to Norfolk as a protege of the Earl of Dunmore, who was then Governor of Virginia. The Governor was about to visit the Province of New York in an English man-of-war. ' Robert, I want you to accompany me to New York; Norfolk is too small a sphere for your mercantile operations. New York will be the great commercial city. You must anchor there,' were the kind words of Lord Dunmore to Robert Bruce. 5ic * * Accordingly, the young Scotch merchant ac- companied Gov. Dunmore to New York. Here he in- troduced him to Gov. Golden, who became his friend and patron ever after. " When Robert had been in the city a few months he determined to make it his permanent home, and sent for his brother, Peter, to come over from Scotland. At that MERCHANTS AND MUNICIPAl BUILDERS. 243 time Broadway did not extend up to where Chambers Street now is, though I'eter Bruce bought a spot of ground on the southeast corner of Broadway and Duane Street. The brothers were in this city prior to the Revo- hition, probably about 1768. Robert was a Tory and Peter a. Whig in the war times. It is a wonder to me how a merchant of that day could be anything else than a Tory — particularly in the case of Robert Bruce, who had been the protege and had received the warm per- sonal friendship of two royal Governors, Probably it was a little bit of policy that made Peter a Whig. After the war w'as over they kept their store, in 1784, at 3 Front Street, and as late as 1795, vvhen they removed to 120 Front Street. There was a William Bruce vlio was in the grocery business at 129 Front Street. Fie was from Aberdeen. He died in 1798 of yellow fever. " Both Robert and Peter died in 1796 within a short lime of each other. In 1789 the linn of Robert & Peter Bruce owned a little vessel called The Friends' Advent- ure. She was commanded by Peter Parkor, and traded to Shelburne. At the time John Jacob Astor arrived in New York from Germany he found Robert Bruce the richest man in the city, as Mr. Astor frequently stated."' From these brothers descended a family whose repre- sentatives are now to be found in the highest circles of the representative houses, not only of New York, but in Virginia and other States. Another family of Bruces crossed the Atlantic about the time these Inverary merchants were passing off the stage. The first of this family to settle in America was David Bruce, a native of Edinburgh, who landed in New York about 1793. His brother, George, followed him in 1795. After being employed in several establish- ments, the two brothers, in 1806, opened a book store and printing office on Pearl Street. They soon had a fair business, but their success really dated from the day they published an edition of Lavoisier's " Chemistry," all the work in connection with the printing of which they did themselves. In 181 2 David revisited Scotland in search of matters that might extend their business, and 244 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. ; ■• wlicn in Edinburgh mastered the art of stereotyping — an Edinburgh invention — and on liis return proceeded to turn liis knowledge to practical account. This led to the making of improvements in typesetting, and finally to the establishment of a type foundry, which at the present day ranks as one of the foremost in the United States. Their first stereotyped work — the first in Amer- ica — was an edition of the New Testament in bourgeois type, and this was followed by an edition of the entire lUblc in nonpareil. After a most successful career, Da- vid Bruce died in Brooklyn in 1857, and George sur- vived till 1866, having done more to make American type famous for beauty of outline and strength of mate- rial throughout the world than any of their contempora- ries. Philadelphia furnishes us with the names of several even earlier Scotch printers, and it is worthy of mention here that the first American edition of Burns's poems was published in the Quaker City in 1788 — a year after the first Edinburgh edition and a few months before the first New York edition — by Stewart & Hyde. One of the most noted of the Scotch printers and publishers in IMiiladelphia was Robert Aitkcn, a ncitive of Perthshire. lie was born in 1724, and, although nothing can be learned of his early life, he appears to have been a man of considerable education and mental capacity, and thor- oughly imbued with republican principles. We first find him in Philadelphia in 1769 engaged as a printer and active in the then undefined movement which within a few years was to bur:t aside the bonds which united the Colonies to the old land. In 1775 he published the " Pennsylvania Magazine; or, American Monthly," but the times were not propitious for the success of maga- zine literature, and after issuing it for eighteen months, during which it contained many attractive and timely articles — some from the pen of Dr. Witherspoon of Princeton — he reluctantly abandoned it. A year later his enthusiasm for the cause of the young republic land- ed him in prison. In 1782 — a most ill-advised time for such a project — he printed the first American edition of MKRCHAXTS AXD MUNICIPAL lU'ILl »i:ii«. 245 the Englisli IJiblc, aiisl r.-.oiicv by ihc speculation. Its titk' pag'^- uears the imprint, " Pliiladelphia, Printed and Sold by R. Aitkin, at Pope's Head. Three doors above tlie Coffee House, in Market Street, MDCCLXXXH.," and it has become a very scarce book. It is doubted if there are fifty copies in existence, and the value of a perfect one is very j^reat. Aitkin was the author, or the reputed author, of a work on a com- miercial system for the I'nited States, which was pub- llished in 1787, and of a number of pamphlets. He died in 1802, in the city which had so long- been his home. Another noted Philadelphia printer was David Hall, whose firm — Hall & Seller — printed the paper money issued by authority of Congress during the Revolution. Hall was born at Edinburgh in 17 14, and thoroug-hly mastered what is called " the printer's art " in his native city and in London, to which place he removed shortly after his apprenticeship was over. He settled in Phila- delphia in 1747, and after working- at his trade for sev- eral years started in business. For a time he had the fa- mous P)enjamin l*>anklin as a partner, but that great patriot had then fully entered upon that public career which was to redound so nobly to his own fame and to the welfare and stability of the Nation he did so much to found, and so his partnership was of little practical use in the business, and the relations between Hall and Franklin were soon dissolved. In 1766 he formed the copartnership of Hall & Seller, a firm that continued in existence long after he had passed away, his own interest being taken up by his sons. The firm printed the '* Pennsylvania Gazette," and the editorial work was done by Hall. It was a model of its kind, and typo- graphically and editorially the publication was ahead of any of its contemporaries. Hall also conducted on his individual account quite an extensive book and station- ery store, so tl:at he must have been a pattern of indus- try — just the sort of man whose life ought to have beeii written by Dr. Smiles or included in that author's " Self Help." His death took place at Philadelphia, in 1772, just as the struggle was fairly opening that was to culmi- I -4 n : V 246 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. I i I li: natc in the political l.idcnendcnce of the land he had made his own, and whose cause had nuwarnKT sup- porter. Possibly the pioneer Scotch printer in America was John Campbell of Uoston, wlio published on April 17, 1704, the Boston '* Xews-Lettcr," the first regular news- paper issued in the country. It was a small production looked at alongside of the mammoth *' blanket " news- papers of the present day, but, small as it was, its publi- cation involved an amount of thought and care and enterprise which stamps John Campbell as having been no ordinary man. Campbell was born at Islay in 1653, crossed the Atlantic in 1686, and became a bookseller in Boston. For many years he was Postmaster of that city, and seems to have been held in general esteem. He died in 1728. Another enterprising newspaper was ])ublished before the outbreak of the Revolutionary troubles by Robert Wells, an Edinburgh man who, in. 1754, when in the twenty-sixth year of his age, settled down in Charleston to make a fortune. One of his first acts was to get en- rolled as a member of the St. Andrew's Society of Charleston, so that his own land and its associations were not to be forgotten, although he had " crossed the sea." Wells commenced busliicss as a bookseller, sta- tioner, and printer, and for many years his establish- ment was the leading literary emporium in the Carolinas. His paper, " The South Carolina and American General Gazette," enjoyed a large circulation — as circulations went in those days. When the Revolutionary move- ment approached a crisis he declined to throw off his allegiance to the Crown, and, resigning his business to his son, John, who had no such scruples, Wells returned to Britain and died at London, in 1794. While in Charleston he wrote for his amusement a '* Travestie of Virgil," and he seems to have been a person of consid- erable attainments, a self-educated and self-made man. As we have lingered so long among printers and book- sellers, we may be pardoned for continuing here to write of them down to a period beyond that intended to be MKUCHANTS AND MUNICIPAL BUILUKHS. 247 covered at lliis stage of tliis cliapter. Having dwelt on the l^eginning of the business of typography, we may as well go on to see its highest development. This was brought about, it may be said, through the life-long labors and learned as well as artistic zeal of John Wil- son, the founder of the still-famed Wilson Press of Cambridge. John Wilson was born at Glasgow in 1802. His parents were of humble position, his early education scant, and early in life necessity compelled him to adopt a trade, and by accident or from inclination he became a printer. Notliing sliows the character of the lad better than the fact that despite his " short schooling " and the long hours which his occupation demanded, he devel- oped into a man of very considerable learning and an adept in Greek, Latin, French, nnd other languages. Leaving Scotland about 1824, he went to Belfast, and there showed that lie thought of more than the mere mechanism of his business l)y publishing in 1826 a small "Treatise on Grammatical Punctuation," a work which was afterward (in 1850) rewritten and republished in Boston, and which has since been accepted as the stand- ard work on the subject, so much so that over twenty editions have been published since the author's death. In 1846, after many other migrations, Wilson settled in l)Oston and began business for himself at his trade. ]\Ioving from the city subsecpiently to its suburb of Cam- bridge, he founded the firm of John Wilson & Son and did a large business — a business of that high class that brought into constant practical service his lingual ac- quirements. A great deal of his business lay with ILirvard L'niversity and with the writings of its pro- fessors and instructors, and this connection gained for him, ir 1866, the well-merited of^cial acknowledgment of the degree of INIaster of Arts. In his religious belief ]\Ir. Wilson was a stanch Linitarian, and wrote several volumes and pamphlets in defense of the principles of that body — of the school, rather, of which the gifted Channing was the leader. Mr. Wilson was constantly engaged in perfecting the details of his business in all departments, and for many >t r i 4 24S THK SCOT IX AMI'UICA. •! years no cstahlishnicnt could turn out more perfect work. His proofreading was a model of accuracy, and in the j)rinling of wood cuts he was especially successful. I'Or a long time his office was the only one in America that could print a book in Greek with any degree of accuracy, and in the classics he attempted to rival the beauty and correctness of the I'oulis Press, which made his native city so famous in the annals of typography. To the end of his career Mr. Wilson was a devoted Scot, growing prouder, it almost seemed, ol his native land as the years sped on and it became to him simply a reminiscence. iTom the moment he could read, almost, he became a student of the poems of Robert Burns; and as early as 1837, while still in Jielfast, he contributed a well-written and appreciative essay on the life and character of the poet to an edition of Jkirns's writings printed in that city that year. He also delivered a noteworthy address on the bard in Boston in connection with the centenary celebration of 1859. INIr. Wilson closed his useful and honorable life — honorable e(|ually to Scotland and Amer- ica — in 1868, at Camljridge. Our next illustration hat! to deal v/ith books, not as a w-riter or manufacturer, l)ut simply, for the most part, as a dealer, although he knew the contents of the books iic sold more intimately than many who professed sui)erior learning, and though his name appeared as publisher on the title pages of several volumes. This was William Gowans, long the most famous of New York booksell- ers, whose stock for variety and value was only equalled by those of some of the old-established emporiums in London or on the Continent. Gowans was born at Lesmahagow in 1803, died in New York on Nov. 27, 1870, and was buried a few days afterward in Wood lawn Cemetery, where a plain stone marks his resting place. At the funeral services the Rev. Dr. John Thomson, long pastor of the Fourth Presbyterian Church in New York and afterward a minister at Grantown, Scotland, delivered an appropriate address, in which he said: "William Gowans, well known— few men better known— among the men of literature, not only in New MERCHANTS AND MUNICIPAL HUII.DIORS. 2i9 York — a city of no mean literary excellence — but also over all the land, has stood anioiij^st us, /'(/(//(• priiucps, as a ])eculiar man. A native of .Scotland, having been born in the parish of Lesn.ahaj^ow, in the county of Lanark, in the year 1803, he inmii^^rated with the family to Philadelphia in the year 1821. (n various situations he spent the succeedinj^- years until 1830, when he bejj^an his career as bibliopole in Chatham Street, in this city. Between the little store and little stock in Chatham Street and the thronged passaj^eways of 115 Nassau Street, tapestried — I had almost said ]iadded and paved — with books — one will say what a chan.c^e! Yes, but how many changes are embraced between two such ex- tremes? Another generation has risen and has buried that that first patronized the bibliopole. Authors have been born and have written their names on the grand historic tablets and have since died. Authors long dead and buried out of sight have been disinterred and, silent for centuries, have f^poken again, and modern life liears their speech and lives their laborious days over again, all since that young Scotsman fathered the store in Chat- ham Street. Since then bookselling has become a mar- velous and mightily honorable trade, and one only yet in its infancy, for it has not a State or a few States, but a continent, to compass and an a])petite insatiable to provide for. William Gowans was a dealer in books. Aye, so will some most pitiful dealers in money repre- sent him and ail such as he. But he was more. He was not so much a dealer /« books as a dealer zcitli books. To know them, their authors, age, spirits, range, and bearing was not his labor or life task; it was his delight and high e'ljoyment. Among books, old and rare, and the rarer and older the more agreeable the work for him, William Gowans was the antitype of Old Mortality among the tombstones. It was his high calling to bring out into the light of modern life what time and ignorance were fast in conspiracy to waste away." Two more illustrations, eacli still nearer to our day, and we will leave the makers of books. One of these we select is Henry Ivison, whose firm was for years fore- !>: "i 27)0 TIIK SCOT IN AMlsinCA. u\os[ ill Xow N'ork in \\\v pulilication an .f the hook dado as apprcnliiH to William Williams, hook- sollor ill I'tica, and in iS^o slartod bnsinrss on his own aocomU. in Anhnr w. II riMnamcd tluMv for sixteen years, and not only was iiv e«)mlurtahlc ciiTiinislanccs, hnt aconmnlatod a little money. Tlieii, in 1S46, lie ac- eepted the otTer of a partnetship with Mark II. Newman of New ^^)rk, and removed to that eity. The e(^|»artiiership was a pleasant and prolitahle one from the start, aiul oi one soiies ol hooks Sanders's Keaders. the lirst eonseentivc series of sehool readers pnhlishetl in Ameriea- the sales were enonnons. ( )f the " Primer," the lirst of the live in the series, never less th.an icx\(XX"> eopies were ordertd printed at one time for quite a nnmher oi years. In 1S3J the partnership was renewed, and th.e hrm heeame known as Newman <5v Ivison, hnt within a year, throni;li the death of the senior ]iartner, the entire niana;;"ement passed into Mr. Ivison's handi The tirm afterward was reorj^ani/ed several limes, and hore the names of the partners who snhse- qnently heeame assoei.ited with him — one of these part- ners heinj;- 11. l'\ Pliinney, a son-in-law of J. I-'eiiimore Cooper — and it did Inisines.--. under the firm name of Ivi- son. r»lakeman, IViylor iS: Co. in iSSi, when Mr. Ivison retired, leaving his interest to his son. After retirinj^" from hnsiness, Mr. Ivis(Mi led a (jihet and happy life ])('- tween his oitv home in New ^'ork and his eonntrv resi- dence at Stoekhrid«2e, Ma ss. lUit his career of use fnh ness still continne(^ .\s a Trnstee oi the Cnion 'Jdieo- loi^ical Seminary, an h'.lder in the h'ifth Avenue I'reshy- terian Cduirch. .'ir.d in many other directions he had plenty of scojie for his energies and for the exercise of that hnsiness shrewdness which was his distini^nishinu^ characteristic thronghont his career. He died after a hrief illness, in New York, in 1884. Onr last " examplar " in tins section. Robert Carter, was for years the leading publisher of religious — tlior- MloncfTANTM ANI» MPNlClfAI I'.rrMMMlH. 251 oiijji'lily orthodox — lilcrnltirc iti New N'ork, .ind in liis earlier years lie sliowed a de^^Mce of eiiterj)rise and of re- liance on liis own jnd^Mnenl vvliieh few reli^nons-hook pnhlisbers have shown in the liistory of the trade. Mr. Carter heeaine a hoohseller and pnhlisher hy f(»ree of eirennistanees rather than anything; else, for he was de- signed hy his parents, and the desi^-n was seconded hy his own inelinations, to he a teatdier. Me was horn at l''arlston. not many miles froni Ahlxttsford, in i^oy. liis own edneation was, i' inij^dit he said, not tiineh more than l)e_L,nni wlun in iKjj he opened a niL,dit sehfiol in one of the rooms of his fatJK r's eotia^e for the yonnj^ lads of tile neijdihorhood, and at the same time was ap- plyin.L^ himself diligently to a study of Latin and (ireek, assisted hy a eousin some years older, who had heen at college. In l«Sj7 he entered npon the hattle of life hy securing a ])osition as teacher in a jj^rammar sclio(»l at I'eehles. hrom the money earned during,'' the two years spent in that work he saved enoni^di money to spend a session at tlie Tniversity f)f h'-dinhnr^Ji. ATr. Tartet landed in New York in t8^i, and ior over tliree years was enjui'a^e*! in teachinj^", latterly iii a school of his own, hnt in i^,^4 he connnenced Iiis real career hy leasinjL^ a store at tlie corner of ( an.il and Lanrens .Streets and entering' into hnsiness a;< a s'dler of hooks. It was a fairly snccessfnl veiilnre, hnt too shnv for the yotin;:^ inevch. nt, and he rc-solved 1o try his hand at puhlishin^^ 1 li^. first experiment was a hooiv wiiich it is safe to say ii>/ other pni)lisher in America would liavc riske(l a cent of money or a moment's consideration on — " The Atone- ment ;.nd Intercession of Jesus Christ," hy Dr. William Syminj^ton. 1die venture \mn^ fne at first, but one j^cn- tleman houq;ht loo copies for (listril)Ulir)n, another wrote a warm eulofji'v of the hook for a i .lip^ious paper, and gradually llic entire edition disappeared. This book broup^ht Mr. Carter into notice in rclip^ious circles, and his business steadily increased. In 1841 he revisited Scotlaufl in search of jjusiness connections and books to sell, and while there boup^ht a copy of tliC earlier volumes of D'Aubij^ne's " History of tlie Ref- * ill % \ It IJ- A 252 THF: scot in AMERICA. oniTation/ which he rcpiibHshcd immediately on his return, and which reached a sale of over 50,000 copies. In 1848 Mr. Carter assumed as partners his brothers, Peter and Walter, and under the style of Robert Carter & brothers the firm moved to 258 Broadway, and in 1856 to the building- at the corner of Spring Street and Broadway, which continued to be its place of business until it went out of business, after the death of its founder. Early in his business career "Mr. Carter made two reso- lutions to which he adhered steadfastly — to make all purchases for cash and to give no notes. Therefore, he always knew " where he stood," whatever the condi- tions of trade or general business. Then no book was ever published whose religious teaching was not unim- peachable. The mere fact of there being " money " in a publication was m itself no consideration, and, unless Robert Carter and his brotliers were perfectly certain that a book v^as strictly orthodox, ihat its teachings were helpful, that some benefit was to be gained by its pe- rusal, no thoughts of sale would tempt the firm's imprint to appear on the title page. Some even good men averred that in all this the Carters were too particular, and a story used to be told that Robert Carter once took home a manuscript to read, and was delighted with it, talked about its early chapters to his friends with en- thusiasm, and had made arrangements to print it, but when he came to the last pages he saw some stains that led him to believe the writer had been smoking when he penned them, and as part of the stcry had shown the evils of tobacco he returned the manuscript at once, be- cause he thought the writer was not an honest man. A Presbyterian of the strictest school, accepting hum- bly all the canons of that denomination, even those whicli are most sneered and laug^hed at, Mr. Carter was a bit- ter foe of hypocrisy and cant, and was intolerant of dis- honesty in any form. F(jr, although it is the common practice to charge such ni'^n as he with narrow-minded- ness and intolerance, a more unfounded error never ac- quired popular belief. The most intolerant, bigoted, r-'f. MERPIIANTS .VXD MUNICIPAI. BUILDERS. 253 self-conceited prig- to be found in any community is the professed infidel, who always, avers that he sees no good in any man's opinion which differs from his own, and is either sneering" or gibing or denouncing any views held by his fellow-men which do not scpiare with those senti- ments which, generally for a fee or an advertisement, he is always proclaiming in season and out of season. The truly religious man honors all sorts of sincere belief, and this was the case with Robert Carter. He cared nothing for controversial literature — it never figured in his list of publications, but that list was u ide enough to include literary examples from every evangelical denomination. We have many examples in the trade history of New York of men achieving distinction in the common call- ings of life — the callings which could not be dignified with the title of professions — and it is the same in all centres of population, h^or many years the official time- keeper of Xew York, as he might be called, was a Scots- man, and in the old houses of the city no furniture is niore prized than that made by Duncan Phyfe, a native of (ilasgow, who was for many years at th.e head of the furniture-making trade in America. Kvcn to-day his handiwork stands out as solid, as clear cut, and as beau- tifid as when it first left his workshop, although, for very evident reasons, undoubted examples of his skill are yearly becoming more scarce. We can easily believe, however, that h.e made a special study of every article he manufactured, that the workmanship, even where con- cealed, was honest, and everything was made to last, rather than merely to sell — as is the fashion nowadays. Duncan Phyfe was born in 1770, and, with his parents, emigrated to America in 1783, just after he had got through schooling. Where he learned the trade of a cabinetmaker is not known. It is possible he had even started to understand its mysteries before he left Scot- land, but about 1796 he conunenced busiiiess for him- self, and continued steadfastly at work, at the bench and the designing board, until 1H50, rdjout which year he died. " In that time,'' says one record, " he made a vast (leal of excellent and beautiful mahogany furniture, in- ■■*il f ■ I 2:)4 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. !*» eluding pieces of all sorts and sizes. Chairs were his specialty. A dozen well-anthenlicatcd Duncan Phyfe chairs sold not long ago at $22.50 each. He also made card tables with richly carved tripods provided with an internal mechanism that caused the legs to spread or colla])se, as desired. The simplest carving on his small chairs was wrought with the utmost care and precision, while the more elaborate carvings on the larger pieces were marvels of the art. The renovation of Duncan Phyfe's work is expensive, 1)ccause of the care and time required. Phyfe was fond of introducing the figure of the lyre into his furniture. It appears in chairs, in swing- ing mirrors, and in various pieces, large and small. He seldom chose to mark his work, and only experts arc able now fo recognize it. " As Phyfe used to employ fully one hundred of the most skillful journeyman cabinetmakers in New York, and as his furniture was of the most durable sort, there is still a great deal of his work in existence. It is sel- dom for sale, and when any of it is sent to the auction room it is usually disposed of at private sale. A maiden lady who died a few years ago at the age of ninety-four left behind her a full set of Duncan Phyfe furniture, the gift of her father when she was a girl of eighteen. The set was reproduced in mahogany l^y a German cabinet- maker, and imitations of it are to be found in some of the more fashionable stores.'' Among the hundreds of Scots who have been promi- nent in St. Louis, probably no name stands out in bolder relief or is held in more pleasant remembrance by the older residents than that of John .Shaw, who died at his residence near that city, in 1878, at the advanced age of eighty-eight years. It is worth while (Kvclling on Mr. Shaw's career and idiosyncrasies, because the details show how many transformations may happen in a man's life between the cradle and the grave, and because in all he said and did he was most characteristically Scotch. John Shaw was born in Edinburgh Castle, where his father, a soldier, resided with his wife in the barracks. His parents removed to Grantown, in the north, and MERCHANTS AND MUNICIPAL BUILDERS. 255 his early years were spent there. While yet a boy he entered tiie army, and was engaged in the Spanish cam- paign which resulted in the retreat upon Corunna and the death of Sir John Aloore. He obtained his discharge shortly before the battle of Waterloo, and, returning to Grantown, began an apprenticeship as a stonemason, in which business nearly all his after life was spent. When his apprenticeship expired he wandered all over Scot- land and the North of Ireland to acquire experience and skill in his trade. After leading a life of this kind for come time he married and returned to Grantown, w'here some of his children were born. Turning his steps westward, Shaw landed in America, and settled in St. Louis about 1842. His life there was that of an active and energetic master builder. All for whom he worked had the greatest confidence in his ability, and he soon became the head of his branch of business. Alany of the best buildings in St. Louis are the result of his skill. Among others were the founda- tion of the old Post Office, the Mercantile Library Hall, the Old Lindell, and numberless stores and residences of all sizes. In 1862, finding himself possessed of a com- petency, he retired from business, and, purchasing a large tract of land in Franklin County, Mo., settled there and engaged in the quiet life of a farmer. " Mr. Shaw," wrote one who knew him well, shortly after his death, " was a man of marked force of charac- ter, decided in his opinions, and often severe in his judg- ments. To a stranger lie may have appeared bluff and brusqtie in manner, but it was merely on the surface, for any of those who enjoyed his acquaintance knew that he possessed many kindly qualities and a warm, generous heart. In enthusiasm for his native land (which he twice revisited after making his home in St. Louis) he was really ' second to none." 1 1 e was a diligent and careful reader, and, while well informed upon all --ubjects, he took a special interest in the history of t.ie Highland clans, and coidd tell many thrilling stories of thtir fights and feuds. Of what he calle m 2fi0 THE SCOT IN AMERirA. like nature. In the Scotch coninmnity he soon became a leader, and in such j^ames as curling, quoits, and oth- ers that smacked of tlie old land he was an adej^t. I be- sides serving as President of the (Irand National Ctuding Club of America, he was one of the founders of the Northwestern Curling Association and its chief executive officer. At his death, in 1887, j\ir. Mitchell left one- third of the stock of the bank to Mr. Johnston. The busi- ness continued to increase to such an extent that Mr. Johnson felt there should be an augmentation of the beard of directors. Some of his colleagues held different views, and, as a result of the variety of opinions, Mr. Johnston retired, in 1892, in the prime of life, intending to si)end his time at his books or his outdoor anntsements. r>ut the financial crisis of 1893, which involved jNIitchell's Bank, as so many others, called him back to his desk, and he once more cheerfully went into harness, with the most beneficial results to all concerned, and to the general sat- isfaction of all business circles in Milwaukee. We may here turn, for the sake of variety, to find an illustration of the Scot in agriculture. One case in par- ticular is peculiar, inasmuch as the individual was pos- sessed of a competency before settling in America. George Grant, a native of Speyside, made a large fortune in London as a silk merchant. Then he desired to do something practical to benefit other men, and hit upon the device of organizing a British colony in Kansas. His first purchase was a tract of land containing 69,120 acres, to w^Mch he gave the name of Victoria. To this tract he afterw^ard added a large number of acres. The first set- tlers arrived in Alay, 1873, and so rapid was the growth of the settlement that there was not, at the time of his death, in 1887, an acre of land for sale within ten miles of Victoria on the south. None of the settlers were al- lowed to purchase less than 640 acres. Mr. Grant began Avith a flock of 3,555 breeding ewes and 60 long-wooled English rams of the highest pedigree, and in 1874 his wool alone brought $11,700, in Boston, at 33 cents per pound. In the management of his vast concerns Mr. Grant displayed great activity, and a remarkable busi- iP \c- MIOUC'HAXTS AND MUNICli'AL BUILDERS. 1>(J1 ncss aptitude. I lis efforts were successful in a very emi- nent degree, and he enjoyed largely the confidence and esteem of those who had business or private associations with him. The Scotch farmer in America is generally successful, and instances of this success might be drawn from the local histories of every county on tlie continent. Monument builders are not very numerous in any country, except we include such people as build monu- ments to themselves,, and therefore it would seem that those who erect memorials to others, mainly on patriotic grounds, are deserving of the highest meed of praise. The Scots in America have done their share in this re- gard if we estimate what they have accomplished com- pared with that of other nationalities whose numbers greatly exceed theirs. One of the most striking statues in the " Monumental City" of Baltimore, on a commanding position in Druid Park, is the huge figure of Sir William Wallace, Scotland's popular hero, which is referred to in an earlier chapter. The donor of the statue to Balti- more, Mr. William Wallace Spence, was born at Edin- burgh in 1815, left his native land in 1834, and went to Norfolk, Va., where he obtained a situation with the old Scotch firm of Robert Souttar & Sons, wiio were then largely engaged in the West India trade. One of the local papers at Baltimore, in reviewing Mr. Spence's ca- reer at the time the statue of Wallace was presented to the city, in 1893, gave the following particulars as to his career: '' While in the employ of Alcssrs. Souttar, Mr. Spence became well acquainted with their trade, spending several months in the West India Islands to gain addi- tional knowledge of it. For two years he was i.i busi- ness for himself in Norfolk, and then, in 1841, came to Baltimore, commencing business with his brother, John F. Spence, under the firm name of W. W. Spence & Co. In 1849 ]\Ir. John F. Spence went to San Francisco to open a house there, and in the same year Mr. Andrew Reid came to Baltimore from Norfolk and became asso- ciated in business with Mr. Spence under the firm name of Spence & Reid. The firm remained in business for twenty-five years, when both its members retired. For iHi' ■ I f i* ■■■[' Mi ■n^ wi IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) .M^ ■<»'''1.%^ ^^. :/i 1.0 I.I 2.2 2.0 1.8 1.25 1.4 1.6 ^ 6" — ► V <^ #5«b ^j^''"/ Photographic Sciences Corporation 33 WIST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 1458'J (716) 873-4503 fA il 262 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. the past twenty years Mr. Spcncc has been largely inter- ested in purely financial affairs. He was for many years President of the St. Andrew's Society, is President of the Presbyterian Eye, Ear and Throat Charity Hospital, and of the Egenton Orphan Asylum. Mr. Spencc is an act- ive member of the First Presbyterian Church, and for nearly forty years has been a ruling Elder." r»ut Mr. Spence is not the only Scot whose patriotism has raised a monument in America to one of his coun- trymen. That labor of love had a precedent in 1888, in Albany, when the Burns Monument there was unveiled through tlie exertions of Mr. Peter Kinnear. Mr. Kin- near, who is a native of Brechin, and was born there in 1826, came to this country in 1847, ^"^^ fo^" niany years carried on business in Albany as a brassfounder, acquir- ing a handsome competence as a result of his labor, and then taking a warm interest in various business matters in his adopted city, as well as developing activity in municipal affairs. For many years he was active as an official in all the Scotch organizations in Albany — St. Andrew's Society, Burns Club, and Caledonian So- ciety — in everything Scotch except curling; he drew the line at that. The St. Andrew's Society was his favorite organization, and he served it for many years as Secre- tary, and for several terms was its President and chief spirit. His connection with that venerable society brought him into close relations with all his country people in Albany of whatever degree, and that, coupled with his enthusiastic admiration for his country's bard, led to the erection of what had long been one of his dreams — the statue of Burns which now graces the beautiful Washington Park of Albany. The money with which the monument of the poet was set up was not the gift of Mr. Kinnear. In its erection he was simply act- ing as executor in carrying out the wishes of an old Scotswoman who was long regarded in Alliany as a mi- ser, but the terms of the bequest were such that Mr. Kin- near could, had he so desired, placed a marble or other tablet in the park and retained the balance of the money. But he was too honest a man to take advantage of any MERCHANTS AND MUNICIPAL BUILDERS. 263 :t- quibble that niiglit he raised for any personal gain to him- self, and he rejoiced that JNIary ^IcPherson's eccentricities and close-fistechiess had be;:n the means of putting it into his power to reahze his desire of seeing a monument to Scotia's darhng poet in the city of his adoption. So, soon after Mary MciMierson died, on Feb. 6, 1886, the legal machinery in the case was fully put in operation, and in a short time Air. Charles Calvcrley, sculptor, of New York, formerly of Albany, was at work on the clay model of the figure of the poet. Mr. Kinnear never for a moment concealed or thought to conceal Mary Mc- Phcrson's share in the monument, but it should not be forgotten that but for him and for her reliance on his honesty and common sense she would never have made a will at all. The statue was completed and unveiled on Sept. 30, 1888, and the day of the unveiling was a memorable one in the history of the Scotch population of Albany. The figure itself, as a work of art, fully deserved the high praise which was lavished u])on it when first seen and so fre- quently since. Unlike most sculptors who have essayed a figure of Burns, Mr. Calverley had no previously con- ceived ideals or theories to work out. He simply start- ed on his task with the view of reproducing a lifelike portrait of the man, tempered in details so as to fashion a work that would be accepted as correct in its portrait- ure, while satisfying the highest artistic requirements. The bases for his work were the only " originals " in ex- istence, the Nasmyth portrait and a cast of the skidl, and these were used to the utmost, with hints taken from Skirving and later engravers and artists. The result is a figure of Burns that is more satisfying — as some one put it — than any other, and which in most respects ranks superior to any of the other statues of the poet which his admirers have raised to his memory. Among the men who have been most active in the building up of the far Western cities, Scotsmen will most assuredly and invariably be found in the very front rank. An instance of this comes before us from Portland, Ore- gon, where William Reid, a native of Glasgow, is rc- m •SIJ iJi M a 264 THH SCOT IX AMERICA. garded as prominent anionp^ tliosc who have helped to make that city what it is to-day, one of the most pros- perous trade centres west of the Mississippi. Mr. Reid was born in 1842, and after receiving his early education in his native city, crossed the Atlantic. His career in America has been eminently useful and successful, and he has combined the (|ualities of a literary man and financier so as to give magnificent results to Portland, the city in which he has his home. Mr. Reid organized in 1874 the Portland Board of Trade, and is credited with having been the means of investing, or causing to be invested, over ten millions of foreign capital in the industries and agriculture and development of Oregon. A pamphlet entitled "Oregon and Washington as I'^ields for Labor and Capital," published in 1873, was widely distributed in Britain, and was the prime factor in the establishment of the Washington and Oregon Trust and Investment Company, with a capital of $1,000,000; and in the rail- way, iinancial, and industrial interests of Oregon and Washington he has been recognized as a powerful fac- tor. We have already mentioned several names associated with Boston, and, did the limits of this work permit it, an interesting chapter or two, might be written headed '* Scots in lioston." Such firms as Hogg, Brown & Tay- lor, the Gilchrists, and Shepherd, Norwell & Co., have not only led the dry goods trade in that city for many years, but from them a host of Scotch dry goods establishments has spread all through the country, even New York, it- self a centre of the trade, having numbered the graduates from these establishments among its great merchants. But the Scot in Pioston has flourished in all the walks of business life. For many years a notable figure in its commercial circles was James M. Smith, who was at the head of a large brewery, and had an interest in a dozen other concerns. Born at Arbuthnott, Kincardineshire, in 1832, and educated at the Montrose Academy, he commenced his business life as an apprentice in the once famous Edinburgh establishment of Duncan, Flockhart & Co., druggists. When his apprenticeship was over he MKRCHANTS AND MUNICIPAL BUII.DKRS. 2(1") C, le e rt le went to Canada, and finally settled in Uoston, where he drifted into a groove that made him a successful busi- ness man, '* a man of means and substance," as the old saying puts it. No Scot in l>oston was more full of pa- triotism than he, and his patriotism he was always ready to back up in the most practical way — by his l)awbees. He was a ruling spirit in the Presbyterian Cluirch and liberal to all its schemes. For many years he was Pres- ident of the Scots' Charitable Society, and his business administration of its affairs, and wise liberality made that venerable organization take on a new lease of popularity. He revived, too, the almost defunct British Charitable Society and placed it on a substantial and useful footing, and in a hundred other ways was constantly manifesting his interest in the old land and his countrymen. Mr. Smith died in 1894, and his departure left a blank in the Scottish ranks in the *' Hub " which will, we fear, long remain unfilled. The same year the grave closed over another leal-hearted Boston Scot — Robert Ferguson of the firm of Shepherd, Norwell & Co. He was on a visit to Paris at the time, traveling in search of health, and was about to leave the Continent and return for a spell to his native place, Kirkmahoe, Dumfriesshire — where he was born sixty-five years before — when the end came. Mr. I-'erguson settled in America in 1855, and was employed in several dry goods houses in New York, notably that of A. T. Stewart & Co., with whom he remained fifteen years, and was regarded as one of the best buyers, always cautious, but ever ready to notice the selling value of everything brought before him. In 1870 he went to l>os- ton to assume a partnership with the firm already men- tioned, a partnership that continued until his death. In the Scots' Charitable Society he was an active and gen- erous member, and was known for his artistic and literary tastes. He won hosts of friends in P)Oston, and was re- garded not only as an upright and able merchant, but as an exemplary and patriotic citizen. We have just spoken of the ramifications of the Scotch dry goods houses in America which radiated from Bos- ton as a centre. But one might think that Scotsmen ■r , i il f 206 THK SCOT IN AMERICA. exerted a prime influence in tlie trade all over the coun- try. One remarkable evidence of this is the rapid suc- cess of the Syndicate Trading Company of Xew Yorl^ which is a sort of dry goods exchange for its consti- tuting members. Regarding the inception and composi- tion of this organization, a correspondent, Mr. Donald Mackay of Worcester, sent the following intelligent ac- count to the Xew York '* Scottish-American " in Octo- ber, 1895: " A. Swan Brown, when a young clerk in a dry goods house in Worcester, having an instinct for enterprise and speculation, foresaw a great opportunity in amalga- mating the Scottish dry goods establishments into one great syndicate. His reasoning was that, bound by na- tional ties (and many of them on terms of personal inti- macy) they would work together without friction to the advantage of the various firms involved in the enterprise. The chief aim, however, of the syndicate would be to es- tablish an office in New York Citv, in touch with the markets of the world, and purchase in unprecedentedly large quantities and at cheaper prices tlian would be of- fered to satisfy those who cannot afTord to buy except on a basis to satisfy a limited demand in a single estab- lishment. ** To A. Swan Brown belongs the credit of organizing one of the greatest dry goods institutions in this or any other country — the Syndicate Trading Company, of which he is the President. It comprises the Callender, McAuslan & Troup Company, Providence, R. I.; Adam, Meldrum & Anderson Company, Buffalo, N. Y.; Sibley, Lindsay & Curr, Rochester, N. Y. ; Brown, Thomson & Co.: Hartford, Conn.; Forbes & Wallace, Springfield, Mass. ; Denholm & McKay Company, Worcester, Mass. ; Dives, Pomeroy & Stewart, Reading, Penn.: Almy, Bige- low & Washburn, Salem, Mass.; Minneapolis Dry Goods Company, Minneapolis, Minn.; Doggett Dry Goods Company. Kansas City, Mo., and Pettis Dry Goods Com- pany, Indianapolis, Ind. Mr. Brown approached these various firms, scattered throughout the country, and the syndicate now formed is the result of his efforts. These s s J- e e MERCHANTS AND MUNICIPAL BUILDERS. 2G7 eleven firms are among the largest dry goods houses in this country, and have experienced buyers in all the lead- ing markets of the world. Each firm of the combine is established and managed by Scotsmen, and the employes are largely Scottish, or of Scottish descent. " Mr. Brown has purchased a controlling interest in the Boston Store of Worcester, of which he is now President, and has removed his family from New York to a unique residence which he recently had erected in one of the suburbs of that place. He has lately exhibited an interest in the municipal afifairs of this city, and it is suggested that at some not distant day he may be Mayor Brow/1 of Worcester, Mass." A sad break was made in one of the firms constituting this syndicate early in January, 1896, when, within a few days of each other, John McAuslan and John E. Troup cf the firm of Callender, McAuslan & Troup, Providence, passed away. Both men were notable examples of Scot- tish-American merchants. Mr. McAuslan was born at Kilmadan, Argyllshire, in 1835. He learned the drapery business in Greenock, and in 1858 secured an appoint- ment in the store of Hogg, lirown & Taylor, Boston. Mr. Troup was born at Old Meldrum, Aberdeenshire, in 1829, and until he sailed for the United States, in 1855, was employed as a clerk in Aberdeen. At Boston he entered the firm of George TurniDull & Co., and re- mained in that establishment until, in 1866, along with Walter Callender and John McAuslan, he went to Providence and opened the establishment, which, from the time it started until the present, has been the leading dry goods emporium of Rhode Island. Recent and typical examples, and examples, too, which combine New York and Boston dry goods train- ing, based on a thorough Scotch fcundation, may be found in the careers of two brothers, Thomas and James Simpson, who, until their lives were cut short when they should have been in their prime, ranked among the lead- ing retail merchants in their line of business in New York. They were born at Markinch, Fifeshire, and served apprenticeships to the drapery business there, and after- i'l' if f 268 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. il ward g-aincd wider experience in Cdasgovv. Settling in America, tliey secured positions in the house of Hogg", Urovvn & Taylor, and then, when they reached the top rung in the ladder of promotion, they, in accordance with tlie custom of the leading employes of that house, and with its blessing, started out for themselves. Thomas cast in his lot with Lawrence, Mass., while James went to Norwicii, Conn. After a while, although both were suc- cessful, tiiey longed for a wider sphere of business, and, an old New York house being in the market owing to the desire of the senior partner to retire, they 3ecured the in- terest tiuis offered, sold off their respective establish- ments, and, removing to New York, organized the old firm into that of Simpson, Crawford & Simpson, Mr. Crawford who connected the Sin^n ions being the holding over partner in the old firm, ^nd, like his new asso- ciates, a native of Scotland. The new firm was a suc- cess from the start, and its business was steadily in- creased until the establishment occupied many stores and gave employment to some i,8oo hands, mostly Scotch. It used to be said that it was as good as a trip across the ocern to go into this mammoth concern, a concern that was, and is, conducted with Yankee shrewdness, tem- pered by Scotch honesty, an invaluable combination, and hear tlie Doric spoken by the clerks and salesmen as fresh and pithy as though they had just come from the heather. Thomas died in 1885 ^"d James in 1895, and both were sadly mourned. The leading dry goods man in St. Louis is a native of Rothesay, Mr. D. Crawford. A recent article in The Mirror of tliat city, says that he settled there in i860 or thereabout. " Mr. Crawford's prosperity," says that pa- per, " has grown with the city, but he attributes his great success to Scotch tenacity of purjDose, cash payments, and printers' ink. He looks back with pride on the days of his small beginnings, and cherishes more than all the friends of these earlier days, when his great * Broadway Bazaar ' was much smaller than it now is, and when its business represented thousands where now it runs into millions of dollars. He has never forgotten his mother MERCHANTS AND MITNICIPAL BUILDKRS. 2G9 in country, and no deserving indigent Scot ever applies to liini in vain, l-'or the last twelve snccessive years he has been the highly-a])preciated IVcsivlent of the St. Louis Caledonian Society." Mining in all its branches is an industry in which the Scots in America have taken a very prominent part, bnt curionsly enongh. miners, while hard-working men, are very modest and seldom obtrude themselves in ])rint. They make their " pile ' w hen they can, but do not care to ** blow " about it, and are content to have the " gear " and leave the glory to others. As a result, they are diffi- cult to get information abont, although there is hardly a mineral field on the continent on which they have not been at work, and if a Scotch tourist gets among the placer mines of the Pacific slope he will not need to wan- der very far before shaking hands with a countryman. One of the most intelligent and successful miners Scot- land has sent to this conntry, Andrew Roy, a native of Lanarkshire, was the first State Inspector of Mines in Ohio, and the first in the United States outside of the anthracite district of Pennsylvania. He has been iden- tified with mining in the State of Ohio for thirty years, and has had practical experience in other parts of the country. He is a scientific miner, a thoroughly practical geologist, and it was through his exertions that the Min- ing School was established in connection with the Ohio State UniversitN. Mr. Roy may, therefore, be fairly re- garded as a representative type of the educated miner, and one who loves his business for its own sake rather than for the mere consideration of the money that may be in it, and that, after all, is the highest sort of representative any trade or profession can have. The man who merely bends his energy to getting rich may thrive with shoddy, wooden nutmegs or bogus clocks, just as the grocer may thrive who carefully sands his sugar, or the milk- man who mathematically dilutes the fluid he sells, or the speculator who waters the stock in which he is inter- ested. But these things have no real influence upon the world. The man who does his work — w^hatever that work ma} be — honestly and thoroughly, does something lii I 270 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. that justifies liis existence, that adds to the wealth of tlie world, and reflects honor on his name after he has passe lir srt- tK'tl in \'r\v ^'n^l\. ami alnmst innnr^liatoly after niti'trd upon that larorr »>f kin»lly usefuliu'ss wliirli lias fii- slninod his nuMUory in tlu* rharitahh' annals of AuK'tiia's lotuinoirial tnrlropolis. Mo fouiuli'd the Imvo I'oinis Mission, one of the niost needed, most henefieent, and most piaetieal eharities in New N'ork. and ai«le«l in fomid- inj; the Half < >rphan Asylum and a dozen other institu- tions. I>urin^ the eivil war he was a m«'ml)er of the C"hristiat\ ("onnnission, wh(»se nohli' work needs no re- tellinj; here, and even when restinj^ at his .Sunnner home in lister rounly. Mr. Kussell was always thiid\in^ upon some seheme o\ kindly work, t)r puttiu};' siieh sehemes into exeeution. Mr. Kussell died in New ^'ork in 1H71. A kindly man, althouj;h of a peeuliar temperament, but whose «laily business life was seldom unproduetive o) some mood i\cK'{\ ijuietly done, was Kohert L. Maitland, whose de.ith at INirt \Vashin,i;ton, N. j., in 1876, was a surprise to his hosts of friends in New N'ork, althouji^h it was known to himself lonj^ before the sunnn«)ns eame that his life huni^ by a more than usually slentler thread. iMr. Maitlaiul was bon\ in New N'ork, bin he always claimed to be of the Scottish r.ice, and was proud of it, His father was a native of Kirkcudbrightshire, in Scot- land,, and belouLicd to an ancient family, for which a re- mote kinship was claimed with the noble house of Lauderdale. His uncle established the linn of Maitland, rhcli>s vS: Co., already referred to. His mother was a daughter of Mr. Robert Lenox. His associations, there- fore, social as well as business, were of a character to give him a splendid start in life, and no one could have used them to better advantage. If we were called upon tc> name a dozen firms in this city distinguished above all others for long staiuling. great energy, and enter- prise, honorable princij^les, and a credit that never was doubted in the most troublous times, IMessrs. R. L. Maitland i^^ Co. would be one of them. Mr. Maitland was frequently impetuous and some- times iniperious. but a good deal of this might justly be f t^rl, it caiuo read, wavs of it. Scol- a rc- sc of llaml, was a llicrc- tor to have u^)on above enler- er was R. L. some- stly be MI'llO'MANTH AND MltNKMI'AI I'.Itl M .| lltH. '27^) attributed to the irritableiiess prdduce*! Ijy a paiiifnl dis- ease from vvliieli lie was Inii^,^ a sulfeicr. In private life few men were nmre considerate, j^^ntlr, and Nivahlc. Me was eertainly strong' in his likes anartner in iIk; once-famoiis imporlinj^'^ honse of r.oorman, loht'ston & Co., on (ireenwich .Street, New York, menlifyiied on a previous pa^e in this chapter. While on a visit to I'.din- burf^di with his parents in 1S32, John Taylor JohnsPjii w.'is sent to the llij^di .School, where he remained a year and a half. Me tlien returned to Xcw York, anrl was educated for the law. Me did not take kindly to lej^al work, however, ami when twenty-ei^ht years of a^e he branched off into railroafl mana^eiiK iit. Me bej^^'in by takinjj^ the Presidency of the ITizabetl.town and Somer- ville Railn)ad, then only a few miles lonj^ and stru^j.(linLj for existence, and be steadily developed it until, under its new name of t!ic New Jersey Central, it covered the greater part of tlu; State. I^ie chief business feature of tlie enterprise was the cultivation of the anthracite coal trade, and part of Mr, Johnston':? §cl.)cni<; was? the con- ■lit m ■T m i M ( i I ■ 111 II ij; 27G THE SCOT IN AMERICA. struction of a vast system of wharves, basins, and docks, involving the reclamation of the .j^eater part of the Jer- sey flats. In 1877, however, before that undertaking could be carried out, the New Jersey Central, in com- mon with other railroads enp^aged in the same line of business, was overtaken by disaster, and had to go into the hands of a receiver. Mr. Johnston lost a large por- tion of his private fortune in trying to maintain its credit, but ultimately resigned the Presidency, which he hacl held for twenty-seven years. Mr. Johnston took the leading part, in 1870, in founding the Metropolitan Mu- seum of Art, and was its President when he died. He contributed $15,000 to the starting of the institution, and collected personally in Europe a large number of the works of art which were first shown in it. He was for many years an active oflfice bearer of the St. Andrew's Society, and was for one year its President. He was also a Trustee of the Presbyterian Hospital, besides be- ing otherwise an extremely useful citizen. Another Scotsman s son who has come to the front in financial circles, especudly from the manner in which he twice came to the rescu 3 of the financial end of the Cleve- land Administration by organizing syndicates to take up its early issues of bonds, is John A. Stewart, President of the United States Trust Company. It is well known, too, that Mr. Stewart has b m n liberal of his means in a quiet, unobtrusive way in p'-omoting good works. In speaking of his work in the bo: -:l svndicate in November, 1894, "The New York Herald" remarked: " It is not everybody who can go around among his friends and by a little persuasive argument induce them to form a syn- dicate which will pay out $50,000,000 in gold at the beck of his finger." This was exactly what John Aikman Stewart did, and the fact speaks volumes for the trust reposed in his honesty and siirewdness as a financier. *' The Herald," in further commenting on this great bond transaction, gave the following ^particulars of Mr. Stewart's parentage and early career: " Mr. Stewart first saw the liglit of day on Aug. 26, 1822. " From the land of Robert Burns came his ancestors. 1 11 mp:rchants and mtnicipal builders. 277 His father was born on the Island of Lewis, one of the Hebrides SJ'o^^P. on the northwest coast of Scotland. Cominpf to this country when quite young, he was a ship carpenter in this city for many years, then em- barked in business, was for a long while an Assessor fjr what were then the Twelfth and the Sixteentii Wards, and was also J'icceivcr of Taxes. Mr. Stewart's mother was born in this city, her father being a Scotchman." Perhaps the most conspicuous example of the influ- ence which Scotsmen have exerted and are exerting upon American progress is found in the career of fohn S. K-nnedy, of New York, who was born at Blantyre, Lanarkshire, (the birthplace of David Livingstone,) in 1830, and settled in New York in 1856. During his American business career Mr. Kennedy has been associated in many of the most important busi- ness interests of his time, and railroads, banks, and syn- dicates of all sorts have felt the influence of his guidance and judgment. He undertook the receivership of the Central Railroad of New Jersey when that road was practically bankrupt, and when he retired he handed it over to its present owners as a paying concern. His connection with the Canadian Pacific Railroad is well known, but few can appreciate the amount of work he did as \'ice President and Director of the St. Paul, Min- neapolis and Manitoba Railroad Company, or as Vice President of the Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Lafayette Railroad Company, or as President of the International and Great Northern Railroad Company of Texas. Even now that he is supposed to be retired from business, and enjoying his otium cum dijjiitatc, he is trustee under the mortgages of various railroads to an amount approach- ing $100,000,000, besides being trustee or executor on many private estates involving many millions more, a Director of the National P)ank of Commerce, the Man- hattan Company's Rank, the Central Trust Compan}^ the LTnited States Trust Company, the Title Guarantee and Trust Company, the New York, Chicago and St. Louis, and several other railroad companies, and many lesser concerns. if 1 11 ^f Pff 278 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. In the affairs of the Presbyterian Hospital and of the Lenox Library, of both of which he is President, Mr. Kennedy takes more than ordinary interest.^ No one knows the extent of his gifts to the hospital, and to the library he is constantly giving. He is also an ex-Presi- dent of the St. Andrew's Society, a Vice President ot the New York Historical Society, a Trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and of many other of the public institutions of which Now York is proud. In the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church (Dr. John Hall's) Mr. Kennedy has long been a Trustee, and in several of the boards of the Presbyterian Cliurch he is an active office holder. Two of his offices, and of both of which he is peculiarly proud, are those of President of the Board of Trustees of the American Bible House and of Robert College, botli at Constantinople — institutions which he visited when returning from a tour through Egypt and the Holy Laud, a few years ago, and again in 1894. Mr. Kennedy's latest gift to New York is the Public Charities Building, at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Twenty-second Street, which cost about three quarters of a million ot dollars, and brings the various public charities of the city under one roof. In this chapter we have said nothing of the Scot in Canada, for the reasons elsewhere stated, and because to cross the St. Lawrence in search of illustrations would simply mean to confront the entire business interests of the Dominion. We have, however, selected a few names, but merely at random, and as much for the sake of substantiating this remark as for any other purpose. A prominent type of a Scottish merchant in Canada was the Hon. John Macdonald, who died at Toronto early in 1890. He was born in Perthshire in 1824. His father, who was a native of Knockoilum, in Stratherrick, Tnverness-shire, was a Sergeant in the Ninety-third Highlanders. He accompanied his regiment to Canada in 1837 ^"<^ to^^ ^^^^ ^^^ along with him, the lad's mother having died the day before the vessel sailed. John received his education at Dalhousie College, Hali- His rick, lird lada ad's iled. MERCHANTS AND MUNICIPAL BUILDERS. 279 fax, and then vent to Toronto. His first connection in business was as a clerk in. a store at Gananoque, and in 1849 lie started in for himself and founded the firm wliich afterward became noted throughout Canada as that of John IMacdonald & Co., wholesale dry goods dealers and importers. Its credit was unlimited, its warcrooms were magnificent, and the Toronto Scots pointed to the imposing pile as evidence of what Scotch grit can accomplish in Canada. But Mr. Macdonald was more than a mere merchant. He was a philan- thropist, a patriot, and a public-spirited citizen. He was a member of the Canadian House of Commons and afterward one of the Senators of the Dominion. In church and temperance work he was most assiduous, and in, the Toronto School Board, in the university, and other educational institutions he was prominently identified for years. To the young men in his establish- ment he was more than an employer, and his will showed that they were in his thoughts when they little imagined it. The life of such a man is blessed not only to himself, but to the comnumity in which he dwells, and to every one who is directly or indirectly brought under its influ- ence, and it may well be imagined what regret was felt in Toronto when it was known that this career of use- fulness and beneficence was closed. The annals of the Scot in Montreal would probably keep us, were they studied, almost always closer to the top of the tree in all departments of commerce, indus- try and finance than those of our countrymen in any other city on the American Continent. Take as a soli- tary case the career of Sir Donald A. Smith, whose gifts to the Victoria Hospital in Montreal alone have amount- ed to a quarter or a million sterling. He is a native of Morayshire, and went out to Canada while a youth and entered the service of the Hudson's Bay Company. Rapidly rising to the head of that corporation, he was the last resident Governor of that body as a governing corporation. During Kiel's rebellion he was Special Commissioner in the Red River Settlements, and was thanked by the Governor General of Canada for his if !4 i! II ^ m I 280 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. 11 'SI ■1 many services. Sir Donald has taken a foremost part in such large commercial undertakings as the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Bank of Montreal, of which he is President. It was he who drove in the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway, nearly twelve years ago, at Craigellachie, in the Eagle Pass. In Canada his name is a household word, while in Scotland, as the proprietor of the historic estate of Glencoe, he occupies a promi- nent place among the county magnates of Argyllshire. One more illustration, and then we leave this long and honorable record. It is that of William Walker, who, after a stirring and honorable career as a merchant and statesman, died at Quebec, in 1863. He left Scotland in 181 5, when twenty-two years old, and went at once to Montreal, where he became a partner in the firm of For- syth, Richardson & Co. of Montreal, and Forsyth, Walker & Co. of Quebec. He was part owner of the steamer Royal William, the first steam vessel that crossed the Atlantic from British North America. He was first President of the Quebec and Riviere du Loup Railroad Company, President of the Quebec Board of Trade, and a Director in nearly all the financial institu- tions of that ancient city. He was a bit of a soldier, too, and raised and commanded the Quebec Volunteer Rifle Corps. But, with all these occupations, he attended closely to his main business, and in 1848 was enabled to retire with a handsome fortune. In 1839 he was ap- pointed a life member of the Legislative Council by royal mandate, and in that capacity did much good work for the Dominion, as well as for his own province ol Quebec. His later interest, however, centred in the University of Bishop's College, Lennoxville, of which he was the first Chancellor, and his benefactions to it, as well as his influential labors, were such as to stamp him as one of the most thoughtful workers on behalf of higher education in Canada. We would fain dwell yet a while across the St. Law- rence, but the work has been done already by loving hands, and we have now lingered too long with this branch of our theme — not too long to exhaust it, but MERCHANTS AND MUNICIPAI, HUILDKRS. 281 longer than was necessary to demonstrate liow nnicli America owes to the Scottish merchants who threw in their lot with the New World. In (jlasgow they generally estimate the good ciualities of a man by figuring up how much he is worth. That basis of merit we have generally avoided in the preceding pages. But it may not be out of place to say that the fortune of Mr. George Smith, the pioneer Chicago banker already mentioned, is now believed to amount to about $50,000,000. With it he is doing much practical good, for, besides founding several bursaries in the schools of Old Deer, he gave $5,000 last year to Aberdeen Uni- versity towards its new buildings. When Alexander Stuart of New York died he be- queathed his entire estate, valued at $2,000,000, to his brother, Robert L. Stuart, his sole legatee. When, later, Robert L. died, he left his fortune, estimated at ov':r $5,000,000, to his wife. In spite of her many benefac- tions, Mrs. R. L. Stuart left $5,000,000 when slie died, nine years after her husband. After making liberal pro- visions for distant relatives and a few personal friends, she bequeathed nearly $4,500,000 to religious, benevolent, and educational institutions. n \m i :■'!!) ■i this Ibut I ft! CHArTER IX. EDUCATORS. i "'T' IF a Scot were asked in what direction the influence of liis native land was most plainly and characteristically to be seen in America, he would undoubtedly answer in the direction of education. In surveying the entire scho- lastic field — primary, grannnar, and collegiate — in America, we are struck by the fact tliat the underlying theory of the whole is that promulgated by John Knox when he proposed an ideal system for Scotland, but was defeated by the greed and treachery of tiie Scottish no- bility — including even those who were with him in the struggle against the old Church. In brief, his system called for at least one ;',rannnar school in every parish, a burgh or high school and, where possible, a collegiate institution in every town, and a university in the princi- pal cities, besides " bairn schules " in connection with each kirk. His theory is that the education of the youth was part of the legitimate business of every State, and his wish was that that education should be as liberal as possible. Education, the education of the masses, has always been since Knox's time one of the ruling principles of Scottish life. It was carefully fostered by the Church; the management of the schools long formed part of the most important business of every General Assembly, and their visitation and supervision were re- garded as not the least among the duties of the clergy. It wa*^ only within a comparatively recent period in Scotland that the State stepped to the front in educa- tional matters, and the Church gradually released its hold, until now the entire management, even of the uni- versities, is professedly seciilar. This change — this sep^ 282 EDUCATORS. 283 3.C e- ■y- in a- Xs n- aration of education from religion — it has always ap- peared to us, is one of the thin^^s lliat the Old Country has learned from America, wliere scholastic training from the beginning of the national history of the L^nited States has been secular, except where particular re- ligions have founded schools or colleges of their own. In speaking of the Church having control of the r.choois in Scotland, however, it must be remembered that that control sprang from a different source from that which actuates most Churches in educational mat- ters. There never was, there never will be, a more per- fect system of republican government, a more complete democracy, than that devised for the Kirk by John Knox and his associaies. In that system the basis of every- thing was the Kirk meeting, in which every one, every head of a family, had a voice and a vote ; from that pop- ular meeting came the session, from the session the Presbytery, from the Presbytery the Synod, from the Synod the General Assembly. The last being thor- oughly representative in its complexion, was for many generations the real parliament of the nation, and thus it was the voice of the Scottish people acting through their regularly and honestly chosen delegates that inspired the zeal for the cause of education throughout the country and maintained it. Although the educational system of the United States, the system made compulsory by State laws, is as per- fectly secular as can be devised, yet it should be remem- bered that the earliest American teachers were either the clergy or that the early schools were founded under the auspices of some Church. The Presbyterian, as the representative Scotch denomination, for a long time was as active in establishing schools as churches. Thus, in the early history of the Carolinas, we find that one Synod admonished all the Presbyteries under its control " to establish within their respective bounds one or more grammar schools, except where such schools are already established," and the early Presbyterian records all over the Colonial settlements are full of such references, where the records are found to exist. One of the most famous m 284 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. i m of the early educational institutioiivS in the Carolinas was the Innis Academy, founded in Wilmington by Col. James Innis, a native of Dunse, who incorporated the school in 1783. He had been an officer in the British Army, and distinguished himself in the expedition against Carthagena, in South America. The University of Xortli Carolina, too, was established in 1795 by the Rev. Joseph Caldwell, an educational pioneer of Scotch and French descent. Before that, however, in 1685, the Rev. James Blair, a Scotch missionary, founded Will- iam and ]\Iary College, in Virginia, the most ancient oi the American colleges, and which still carries on its good work to the present day, and we have seen in the course of this work, by the labors at Princeton of Witherspoon and other early Scotch teachers, how active the pioneer Scots in America were in the cause of higher education. Among the most prominent of the early Scotch teach- ers, whose life story has been preserved to us mainly be- cause he became as active as a patriot and a legislator as an educator in his adopted country, was Peter Wilson, a native of the little parish of Ordiquhill, Banffshire. He was born there in 1744, and, after attending Aberdeen University for several sessions — long enough to grad- uate, for in Scotland they used to enter college at an age when the children of the present day are only half way through the grammar schools — he left Scotland and landed in New York, in 1763. Wilson soon re- ceived an appointment as a teacher in Hackensack Academy, New Jersey, and served there as Principal for many years. His labors appear to have been interrupted by the Revolutionary War, and the movement for inde- pendence found in him one of its most devoted ad- herents and promoters. From 1777 to 1783 he served in the New Jersey Legislature, and afterward took a prom- inent and exceedingly useful part in codifying and revis- ing the laws of that State. In 1789 he accepted the pro- fessorship of Greek and Latin in Columbia College, and remained there till 1792, when he resigned to become Principal of Erasmus Hall Academy, Flatbush, N. Y. That oflfice he vacated in 1797, when he returned to Co- -, , EDUCATORS. 285 le lumbia College as Professor of Greek and Latin and of Greek Antiquities, and taught until 1820, when he rc- .tired on a pension. He died five years later, at New Barbados, N. J., and was buried in Hackensack Church- yard, where a stone was erected to his memory on which his career was sunmied up in the words: " A zealous and successful patriot and Cliristian, and exemplary in all the public, social, and domestic relations which he sustained." Dr. Wilson publisheil several textbooks, each of which bore evidence to his scholarship, but they are now forgotten, for old textbooks, like old almanacs, seem to be neglected and cast aside as soon as they have served their day. A representative Scot, whose life story, however, is rather a painful one, was James Hardie, an Aberdonian and a graduate of Alarischal College, Aberdeen. He was born in 1750, and after graduation became an in- mate of the domestic circle of Prof. James IJeattie (" the Poet of Truth," as he has been called,) as secretary, or tutor, or both. Beattie possessed influence enough and heart enough to have advanced his protege's fortunes in a material way, but there were several matters which caused the philosopher and poet to believe that Hardie's interests would be best served by his removal from his associates and accustomed haunts, and by beginning life anew in a far country. He, therefore, advised him to emigrate to America, and the advice was taken, Hardie settled in New York, and from 1787 till 1790 was em- ployed as a tutor in Columbia College. He then lost his employment on account of his dissipated habits, for he did not " mend his ways " in the new land, and, after drifting aimlessly along in the current of life for several years, picking lip a precarious liveliliood one way and another, he obtained a minor position in connection with one of the city departments. His salary was small, barely enough to keep body and soul together, and he eked it out by doing hack work for the publishers when he got the opportunity. In this way he became the au- thor of quite a number of books, the most curious of which are " An Account of the Yellow Fever in New 28G orn at Achlossan, in 1763, he graduated from Aberdeen University in 1781, and soon after, be- fore he had even attained full legal age, was admitted a member of the Royal Society of h'dinbnrgh. In his twentieth year he emigrated, and, after spending a year or two in N'irginia, finally settled in New York. He se- cured employment as a teacher in Columbia College, and soon after became one of the I'aculty of that insti- tution by accepting the Chair of Mathematics. In 1795 he was transferred to the Chair of Geography, History, and Chronology, and proved a most devoted teacher. I'ut he was more than a teacher. He was a ]niblic-spir- ited citizen, and took an active interest in matters far from akin to his profession. For instance, the desira- bility of a system of internal waterways tlirough the State of New York, which was first suggested by the old Scotch Governor, Cadwallader Colden, was a burning question early in the century. The ])r&blem of the feasi- bility of such waterv»ays was keenly debated, and De Witt Clinton, their great and unswerving advocate, found no more logical, determined, or efficient sup- porter than Prof. John Keith. The latter readily fore- saw the immense advantage these waterways would be, not merely to the State, but to the entire continent, for he believed they could be connected so as to open up communication with the IMississippi. He advocated their construction as a matter of practical necessity, and his position as a professor in Columbia College gave great weight to his words. In 1810 he visited Lake Erie to examine into the feasibility of the proposed Erie Ca- nal, and made private surveys and calculations, with the EDUCATORS. 287 isi- )c ite, MP- »rc- bc, Ifor up Ited ind ive rie 'a- the result that he fully dcnionstratcd the entire practicabil- ity of the waterway lon^ before any authoritative survey had passed judjj^ment upon the scheme. It is a pity that he was not spared to see the great work fairly entered upon, but he died in 1812, when the whole scheme was in th.at stage of all great American measures when it was simply a football for politicians. Among tlie names of the early professors in Princeton College none is more highly cherished than that of John Maclean, who became Professor of Chemistry and Nat- ural History in that young institution in 1795, the year after President Witherspoon had passed to the rest he had craved and tbe reward he had earned, and been suc- ceeded by his h n-in-law, President, Stanhope Smith. Dr. Maclean was born at Glasgow in 1771, and studied medicine in Edinburgh, London, Glasgow, and Paris. His travels and reading, and his own personal observa- tion of European Governments, had made him become a thorough believer in a republican form of govern- ment, and led liim, when his studies were completed, to throw in his lot with the United States. He settled in Princeton in 1791, and, with the encouragement of Dr. Witherspoon and the then limited Faculty, commenced lecturing on chemistry before becoming a member of the professorial staff. He continued to fill a chair in Princeton till 181 2, when he resigned to accept the Chair of Natural Philosophy and Chemistry in William and Mary College. That post he resigned in the course of a year on account of ill-health, and he died in 1814. His memoir was written by his son, John Maclean, who was born at Princeton, in 1798, and graduated from the col- lege there in 181 6. The story of this man's life was bound up with that of the college of New Jersey, and to his enthusiasm and learning, as well as to his industry as a professor and executive ability as its President, it owed much of its renown as a seat of learning. He be- came President in 1854, and continued to fill the office until 1868, when he resigned the dignity into the hands of Prof. McCosh, but the remaining years during which his life was prolonged (he died in 1886) were devoted to 288 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. ii advocating the interests of the college in every way that lay in his power. President Maclean's name is yet one of the most honored on the roll of Princeton's teachers. Another of the early professors of Priiicetoii of whom mention might be made was Walter Minto, who was born at Coldingham in 1753, and after graduating from Edinburgh University became tutor in the family of George Johnstone, once Governor of West Florida, (see page 80.) and traveled with his charges over the Con- tinent of Europe. When that position could no longer be retained, Minto became a private tutor of mathemat- ics in Edinburgh, but his prospects were not inviting, and he emigrated in 7786, hoping to find some oppor- tunity in the New World. A year later he was appoint- ed to the Chair of IMathematics and Natural Philosophy in Princeton, and filled that position with much bril- liancy until his death, in 1796. Professor Minto received in 1787 the degree of LL. D. from Aberdeen Univer- sity, and was the author of several interesting works, the best remembered of which is " An Account of the Life and Writings of John Napier of Merchiston," which was published in 1787, and professed to be writ- ten in conjunction with Lord Buchan, a celebrated ama- teur scientist and would-be patron of learning of the time. Reference has already been made to the Scotch found- er of William and Mary College. But many more Scotch founders of institutions devoted to higher educa- tion could readily be named. Dalhousie College, in Halifax, was organized mainly through the exertions of one of the holders of that peerage, and Morrin College, Quebec, was founded by a native of Dumfries-shire, who had long practiced medicine in that historic city. Bishop John McLean of Saskatchewan, a native of Portree, founded Emmanuel College, of which he became War- den, and held that office, as well as its Chair of Divinity, at his death, in 1886. Judging by results, one of the most noteworthy, if not the most noteworthy, of Scottish college founders was Tames McGill of Montreal, to whose wise philanthropy EDUCATORS. 289 tliat city owes the great scat of learning which bears his name and of which it is so justly proud. McGill was born at Glasgow in 1744. After settling in Canada, he engaged in the fur trade for a time, but afterward made his home in Montreal, where he entered into business as a merchant. He was successful from the start, and quickly won a large fortune, h'or several years he rep- resented Montreal in the Parliament of Lower Canada, and became a member of the Legislative and Executive Councils. His whole life was an example of patriotism, and was devoted to the advancement of the highest in- terests of the city in which he had his home, and in which he had risen to the most honorable eminence. Connected by marriage with one of the most aristocratic of tlie old l^>ench families in the city, he had the social entree to both the English and French speaking circles, and was held in the highest esteem in these exclusive sets, as well as by all classes in the community. His pa- triotic instincts even induced him to apply himself to military matters. He became an officer in the militia service, and in the War of 181 2 rose to the rank of Brig- adier General. Throughout his life, Mr. McGill was prominent in Montreal for his charitable gifts. He was noted for his practical ideas in connection with his giv- ing, but the most conspicuous proof of this was given when, after his death, on Dec. 19, 181 3, it was found that he had bccjueathed over £30,000 in property and £10,000 in cash for the foundation of a great university in Montreal. The bequest was not at once made avail- able, for litigation — that bane of will-making all over America, and which lias so often upset from trivial causes many kindly intentions — interfered, and it was not until 1821 that the obstacles were cleared away and the institution estal)lisheil, with full university powers, by royal charter. The real estate left by Mr. McGill steadily continued to increase in value, and when the magnificent mission of the institution began to become apparent, many of Montreal's citizen^" liberally contril)- uted to its resources, either by con ributions or 're- quests. Thus, Miss Barbara Scott bequeathed $30,000 M 290 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. 11^ I. for a Chair of Civil Engineering, Major Mills $42,000 for a Chair of Classics, Mr. David Greenshields $40,000 for a Chair of Chemistry, and Mrs. Andrew Stewart $25,000 for a Chair of Law. Writing in 1884, Mr. S. E. Dawson said: '* The latest large benefaction which it has received is the Peter Redpath Museum, which was erected by the Scot whose name it bears at a cost of about $120,000, and contains very valuable collections, more especially in geology and mineralogy. The uni- versity has four faculties — of Arts, Applied Science, Medicine, and Law. Being non-denominational, it has no theological faculty, but it offers advantageous terms of afftliation to theological colleges, whereby their SiU- dents can have the benefits of its classes and degrees, and it has already four such colleges, representing four of the leading Protestant denominations. * * * j^g buildings are pleasantly situated in grounds laid out in walks and ornamented with trees at the foot of the Montreal Mountain, and, though most of them are un- pretending in exterior, they are substantially built of stone and are well adapted for the purposes of education. It has an excellent philosophical apparatus and collec- tions of models in mining and engineering, and also good chemical and physiological laboratories. It has a library of 25,000 volumes, in audition tO' its medical library, and, though these libraries are not large, they include an unusually choice and valuable selection of books. Though the university has existed since 1821, and its endowment since 1813, its actual history as an im- portant educational institution dates from the amend- ment of its cliarter and the reorganization of its general body in 1852. It is thus a comparatively new institu- tion, and is, perhaps, to be judged rather by indications of vitayty and growth which it presents rather than by its past results. It has, however, already more than 1,200 graduates, many of them occupying important public positions in Canada pnd elsewhere." Among the colleges affiliated with McGill University are Morrin College, of which mention has already been made, and the Presbyt.rrian College of Montreal. This EDUCATORS. 291 [rsity (been iThis latter institution was founded in 1865 for the training of ministers and missionaries in connection with the Pres- byterian Church in Canada. Its origin was very hum- ble, but in 1893 its endowment was valued at $16,000, it owned property worth $225,000, and its annual inconu: was $12,600. " The college,'' according to Mr. Dawson, " has found many generous benefactors. Among them are Mrs. Redpath, who endowed one of the chairs with $20,000, and the late Mr. Edward Mackay. who gave $40,000 to the endowment in his lifetime. The sum of $10,000 was bequeathed by Mr. Joseph Mackay for the same purpose." It is impossible to estimate the amount of good, not merely in the education of young men, l)ut in the cause of patriotism of the purest sort, that year after year is ac- complished by the single agency begun by the thought- fui bequest of James McGill. Such institutions stand for much more in a community than merely advanced schools or degree-conferring establishments. They foster a na- tional spirit much more potent and far-reaching than a standing army and they develop a sentiment of pride in the present progress toward nationality and hope for its perfect realization in the near future. Without such institutions as McGill University, Toronto University, Knox College, and the other institutions of higher edu- cation with which Canada is so plentifully supplied, it would still be in the colonial stage. With them it is a nation in all but in name, and tliat name will undoubt- edly be willingly given to it as soon as its races become a little more blended together, if the sentiment of the nation does not induce it to remain, as now, an integral and honored factor in the British Empire. No one who knows Canada believes it will ever consent to be oblit- erated by annexation. ^ While we are across the border and dealing with col- leges founded there by Scotch benefactors, it may not be out of place to mention a few representatives of the thousands of teachers which Scotland has given to the Dominion. There is not a college or university in Can- ada where at least one " son of the heather '' is not to ml IKS 1 ij 292 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. be found in some capacity, and the entire educational system of the country, from primary school to univer- sity, is more indebted to the Scottish section of the com- mnuity than to any other. It is the Scotch element, in fact, that has made education become the prime factor in Canadian public life, so important an office in the general and provincial Governments, it is to-day. Daniel Wilkie was born near Hamilton in 1777. He was the youngest of twelve children and was left an orphan in early life. His education was undertaken at the expense of his elder brothers, who designed him for the ministry, and with this object in view he went to Glasgow University, after passing through the grammar school of Hamilton. In 1797 he entered the Divinity Hall and won the first prize, a medal for an essay on the Socinian controversy — a controversy that then and for more than half a century afterward seriously troubled the Kirk and which still bobs up now and again. In 1807 Wilkie crossed over to Canada, and in the same year was licensed to preach by the Presbytery of Montreal. He was sound and orthodox in his pulpit ministrations and might have passed his life in the work of the min- istry, or he might have confined himself to literature, for as editor during three years of a Quebec newspaper he won many high encomiums for his work. But teach- ing was his real mission, his hobby. For over forty years he was engaged in teaching in Quebec, and in that respect was one of the most successful in Canada. Hundreds of pupils passed through his hands each year, and toward the close of his career he could point to his " old boys " occupying positions of distinction or prominence in every walk of life throughout Canada. Probably the happiest day of his life was that on which the High School of Quebec was opened, and thus was realized a dream he had long cherished. Tliis was in 1843, ^"<^^ ^s rector he hoped to enter upon a new and extended lease of usefulness, but ill-health compelled his retirement within a year and the remainder of his days were spent in privacy, sometimes in gloom, for toward the end his mind gave way. As the night was EDUCATORS. 293 to was in and illed his for was falling he forgot everything save the words of Divine truth. When he had forgotten ail about the classics he could still read and quote Scripture, and as the end drew nearer every feature of his once varied and aggres- sive character seemed to disappear excepting that of love. Dr. Wilkie v.as buried in ]\Iount Hermon Ceme- tery, Quebec, and his grave was marked by a handsome monument erected by a number of his old pupils. The funeral discourse that was delivered over the body of the dead teacher was one of the most beautiful of its kind ever heard in Canada. Its speaker was the Rev. Dr. John Cook of Quebec, himself a teacher of note, as well as one of the most influential divines of his time in Canada. He was a native of Dumfries-shire, and had studied at Edinburgh under the great Dr, Chal- mers, settling in Canada in 1836. In the divisions which entered the Church in Canada consequent upon the Disruption in Scotland, Dr. Cook took a prominent part, not only counseling adherence on the part of the Canadian Presbyterians to the old Church, but after the schism did take place striving hard to effect a reunion. In the foundation of Queens College, Kingston, he took a deep interest. He was one of the delegation that went to Great Britain to obtain its charter, and afterward be- came one of its trustees. Urged in 1857 to act as Prin- cipal of the college, he agreed to fill the office until the faculty could secure the services of some one else, and he continued as Principal for two years, during which time he taught the divinity class. Then he was suc- ceeded by the Rev. William Leitch, a native of Rothe- say, and who was minister of Monimail when he was summoned to Kingston, (where he died in 1864.) It' was through Dr. Cook's influence that the Quebec High School was founded in 1843. For years he was the backbone of the institution, and to him more than to any one else was it indebted for triumphing over, its many early difficulties and developing into one of the foremost institutions of its class in Canada. In con- nection with Morrin College, Dr. Cook's name was also conspicuous. i 294 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. ::i i Another name which stands out prominently in the history of education in Canada is that of the Rev. Dr. Michael Willis, Principal of Knox Collej^e. He was born in Greenock, where his father (afterward of Stirling) was for many years a minister. For twenty-five years after leaving college Dr. Willis held pastoral charges in Scotland, in the old Secession Church, and threw in his lot with the Free Church when that denomination sprang into existence. It was by a vote of the Colonial Board of that Church that he was selected to the Chair of Divinity in Knox College, and though the change was stoutly opposed by his congregation in Renfield Street, Glasgow, he felt that duty and conscience called him " over the sea." His long connection with Knox College, as teacher and Principal, was a very valuable one to the Church in Canada, and he not only aided greatly in giving to the students the thorough teaching which made a Knox College graduate so acceptable to the ranks of the ministry, but he infused into every one of his pupils a catholicity of taste and a non-sectarian spirit which led them to place the simple truths of Christ's teaching above all creeds or denominational barriers. He was a determined opponent of any union between Church and State and spoke and wrote against it on all occasions, but so honest were his utterances and so lovable was his character, that his outspokenness raised him no enemies even among those who were as zealous in the opposite direction. Treating of Knox College recalls a flood of Scotch professors, among whom we will mention only one. Dr. Robert Burns, who from 1856 till 1864 occupied its Chair of Church History and Apologetics. Dr. Burns w^as born at Bo'ness in 1798 and for some thirty years prep^'^ed in Paisley, from the same pulpit that had once be^ ! V upied by Dr. Witherspoon. At the Disruption h TT'e out" and, crossing to Canada, became minis- ter t-t Kuox Church, Toronto, and remained there until he entered the faculty of the college. He was a man of great learning and culture and an amiable and thorough- going preacher. Outside of the ministry he took a spe- EDUCATORS. 295 •ns irs ice ion itil of rh- )e- cial interest in poor-law matters, and wrote much on that and other subjects. Dr. lUtrns will, however, be best re- membered by his carefully edited edition of " Wood- row's History of the Sufferings.'' Many other names crowd upon us, such as that of Vice Principal Leach of McGill College, Montreal, a native of l>crwick on Tweed; Dr. Inglis of Char- lottetown, a native of jMontrose; Principal Mc\'icar of AIcGill College, and his brother, Prof. Malcolm Mc- \'icar of Toronto. P>ut we must cross the St. Lawrence again, or the rush of Canadian teachers demanding no- tice w^ould swamp this chapter. One of the most industrious and painstaking of scien- tific students of whom we have record was Granville Sharp Pattison, who was for many years teacher of anat- omy in the University of the City of New York and was engaged in that capacity at the time of his death, in 185 1. He was born near GlasgDw in 1791, and was for a time lecturer on anatomy in the Andersonian Col- lege, in that city. After settling in America he became Professor of Anatomy in the Medical College at Balti- more. After many years' residence in the Monumental City he enjoyed a short vacation in Europe, and then took the Chair of Anatomy in Jefferson Medical Col- lege, Philadelphia. He was recognized there as one of the ablest men in his profession, a particularly pains- taking demonstrator, and won the confidence and re- spect of the students who attended his lectures. His contributions to medical literature in the shape of pamphlets and papers in transactions were highly praised in their time, but they have long since served their day and generation and been relegated to the honorable con- dition of scientific curiosities like most medical works after a very brief season of popularity or usefulness. In the annals of education in the L^nited States no name stands out more boldly not only for his know- ledge of the science of pedagogy, but for the manner in which he advocated its highest interests and directed public opinion in its advancement than that of William Russell, who, besides understanding the theory of teach- ^ SI a 29G THE SCOT IN AMERICA. f hi 1 it' : 'I ' \ ! I : I ing, was himself a practical and successful instructor. Born in Glasgow in 1798, he settled in Savannah, Ga., in 1 8 19 and took charge of Chatham Academy there. After a few years' experience in vSavannah, he removed to New Haven, and taught in the new Township Acad- emy and the Hopkins Grammar School, the latter one of the schools founded by Edward Hopkins, an English trader, who died at London in 1657, and whose gifts to the cause of education in America have done more to keep his memory alive than the important position he held in New England for many years. All this time, while teaching, Mr. Russell had been studying the entire science of pedagogy, and the fruits of this were seen in the masterly manner in which for some four years, 1826-29, he conducted the " American Journal of Education." Removing in 1830 to Phila- delphia he took charge of a ladies' seminary. In 1838 he returned to New England and devoted himself to the teaching of elocution in Boston and Andover, lecturing at frequent intervals to teachers through New England and in New York. In 1849 he organized a teachers' in- stitute in New Haven and removed its headquarters to Lancaster, Mass., where he remained until his death, in 1873. For the last ten years of his life he lectured fre- quently before teachers' institutes throughout Massa- chusetts and was recognized as one of the leading and most successful instructors of the day in his own spe- cialty, that of elocution. He was the author of many popular and highly practical schoolbooks, including " The Grammar of Composition," " American Elocu- tionist," and a dozen others. One of the best-known educators in New York for many years was Charles Murray Nairne, who from 1857 to 1 881 was Professor of Moral Philosophy in Columbia College. He was born at Perth in 1808, graduated from St. Andrews in 1832, and afterward extended his studies at Edinburgh University. For a short time he was associated at Glasgow with Dr. Chalmers, but in 1847 he left Scotland, and soon after reaching the United States found a position as teacher at College Hill, in- Ited [ill, EDUCATORS. 297 Pouglikccpsie. Tlicn he opened a private school in New York City, and continued to conduct it with every success that can attend a tcaciier until he became con- nected with Columbia. He retired into private life with the dignity and title of an emeritus professor of Columbia in 1881 and died a year later at Warrcnton, \'a. Another noted New York teacher was David lUirnet Scott, who died in 1894. " He liad been connected," said one of the newspapers which recorded his death, " with the public school system of New York City from its beginning, and as a teacher, a successful schoolbook writer, and a public speaker prominently identified with the great political movements of his day, he was a well- known and highly respected man." Prot. Scott was born at Edinburgh in 1822 and educated at the High School with the view of being sent to St. Andrews Uni- versity. Circumstances, however, compelled his father to emigrate, and the family settled near Hartford, Conn., where young Scott worked for a time with his fathe-r as a tailor. He kept up his studies, however, while working " on the board," and in time obtained a posi- tion as instructor of classics in Hartford High School. In 1845 ^iG settled in New York, and for many years was connected, as teacher and Principal, with the pub- lic schools. In 1870 he became Principal of the intro- ductory department of the College of the City of New York and afterward was transferred to the Chair of English Literature, which he filled till his death. He was the author of three school histories of the United States and other works which enjoyed a wide circula- tion and were, and still are, eminently useful. Prominent as he was in connection with his duties as a teacher. Prof. Scott became more widely and popu- larly known by the force he exerted in public affairs, by the boldness and originality of his views on social economy and by the brilliant manner in which he gave expression to them. He was an ardent and uncompro- mising Abolitionist and aided in the formation of the Republican Party. Afterward, when he thought that party had fulfilled its mission, he desired to see another ■ \ 1 1 * " , ; J^^^K '■■ - ! i i! a 298 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. 'i movement come into operation, and he found what he wanted in the single-tax theories of Henry George. In 1886 he tiirew himself heartily into Mr. George's candi- dature for the Mayoralty of New York. This move- ment started in a very half-hearted manner, speedily as- sumed great proportions, and ended in a magnificent run on tlie part of Mr. George. That gentleman was de- feated, but his large vote surprise I even his friends and demonstrated that there was a very large body of citizens who cared little for eitlier of the two predomi- nating parties. To this end. Prof. Scott signally con- tributed by his voice, his pen, and his example, and thereby earned the thanks of all interested in improving the system of municipal government not only in New York, but throughout the United States. A friend recently sent us the following cutting from an American paper, which is interesting at least for the many brilliant names it contains, apart from the record it gives us of a Scot who devoted the best years of his life to the cause of education in America: ''The Rev. Dr. R. A. Paterson, late Pic^ldent of Binghamton College and founder of the first women's training college in America, has returned (1894) to Edin- burgh, Scotland, his native city, to resume the pastor- ate after forty years' absence in this country. He and Baron Playfair, Prof. P. G. Tait, the first scientist in Edinburgh, and the late Prof. James Clark Maxwell, the foremost scientist and Professor of Experimental Physics in Cambridge, were all boys in Edinburgh to- gether in the forties, and Paterson, Tait, and Maxwell were university classmates under James Eorbes, Chris- topher North, and Sir William Hamilton. Dr. Paterson came to this country in 1852, to be the tutor of the Hon. Charles Ellis and the Hon. Edward Ellis, now proprie- tors of the Schenectady Locomotive Works." We have reserved, as a fitting name to close this chapter, the name of William Wood, not only because of his grand services to education, but l^ecause his serv- ices were in reality typical of the devotion to that cause of thousands of Scotsmen who have no connection EDUCATORS. 299 wifli teaching" as a profession and devote themselves to I)ronioting it because its advancement is one of the intuitive duties of their race, and because by spreading broadcast the blessings of education they are thereby advancing the best interests of their adopted country. Thousands of Scotsmen in America have served upon boards of education or as regents or trustees of univer- sities or colleges, and thereby performed one of the highest services whicli patriotism can inspire. Pre-eminent among such public benefactors must linger the memory of William Wood. He was born in Glasgow in 1808 and belonged to that Dennistoun fam- ily which has given its name to one of the sections of the Western Metropolis of Scotland. He was educated at the Universities of Glasgow and St. Andrews, and at the latter place had for one of his teachers Dr. Thomas Chalmers, a fact of which he was very proud and never tired of recalling in his public addresses. Throughout liis long life he remained a diligent stu- dent. President Hunter, of the New York Normal Col- lege, said of him: " In 1870 he got out of the Board of Education to study up on his Greek because he felt he was a little rusty. His memory for poetry was marvel- ous, and I have heard him repeat verses by the hour. His favorites were Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Southey.'' Mr. Wood came to America in 1828 and begun liis commercial career. After several years' American expe- rience he returned to Scotland, remaining there till 1844, when he once more settled in New York as a partner in the firm of Dennistoun, Wood & Co. This partner- ship continued till 1868, when Mr. Wood retired from business. The first year Mr. Wood saw New York he joined the St. Andrew's Society, believing that to be a duty, and he served it in many capacities — two years as President — and for some time prior to his death was its oldest member. He was a regular attendant at the St. Andrew's Day celebrations, and very frequently re- sponded to toasts, the last occasion being in 1893, some ten months before his death, when, visibly failing, he made a reminiscent speech .in response to " The day and « noo THK SCOT IN AMEniCA. .'i' wlia honor il." He spoke of the many similar mect- inj^-s ho had attended, and then, as if conscious that that was to he the last, lie closed by quoting Tennyson's famous " Crossinp^ the Har": '* Sunset and eveninp^ star, . And one clear call for me, And may there be no moaning' of the bar When I put out to sea. lit »( ^Ic * For tho' from out our bourne of Time and Place The flood may bear me far, I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crost the bar." With these words the old man left the banqueting room and virtually closed his public appearances. These had been many, for Mr. Wood was a magnificent speak- er, and a popular man, and when in the hey-day of his strength his services were often in demand at gatherings of all sorts. Possibly the most noted of these occasions was in Central Park, at the unveiling of the Scott statue, on Aug. 15, 1871, when he delivered an oration which was regarded as the best example of Scotch eloquence ever heard in America. His public career may be said to have commenced in 1869, when he was appointed a Commissioner of Public Instruction. He continued for the rest of his life to have a potent infiacnce on the education board in the city, even in tlie intervals when he was not connected with it as its Preside?' t jr as a mem- ber. He also served for a time as one of tiie Dock Com- missioners of the city. In 1888 he retired from ofificial life, and was pnblicly thanked for his services to New York by the then Mayor, A. S. Hewitt. From that time until his death, in 1894, Mr. Wood spent his days in pleasant retirement, taking a keen interest in passing affairs, holding fast to old friends, but seldom going be- vond the limits of his own immediate circle. CHAPTER X. STATIOSMKX AND I'OLITiriANS. WE enter upon the sul)ject-mattor of tliis chapter with fear and with trcmhhn^, and would fain dismiss it aho- j^'cther. pass its theme hy, as it were, hut for the sake (jf the completeness of our survey of the Scot in Amer- ica. The subject is i)ractically an inexhaustible one. h>om the beginning;' of the Colonial history Scots have been prominent in public afifairs, and at the present time it is safe to say there is not a Eegislature or mu- nicipality in the country that cannot produce one or more members who are able to trace Scotch blooenton, John C. Calhoun, James Piuchanan, J. C. P>reckinridge, U. S. Grant, R. P. Hayes, Chester A. Arthur, and James G. IMaine, all claimed descent from Scotland, and so did Robert Fulton, the steamboat pioneer; C. H. McCormick, of thrashing machine fame; 301 ao2 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. Ml 'I > I < r< I i . Davy Crockett, the tighter; Joseph Henry, the scientist, and if the student of this sul)ject were to incorporate, as he would liave a perfect rij^^lit to do, the legion describing themselves as of the Scotch- Irish race, he would be con- fronted with an appalling task. Even George Wash- ington had a little mixture of Scotch blood in his com- position — so it is sa'd. In these circumstances it is absolutely necessary to draw the line somewhere, and instead of attempting anything like a complete survey, to rest content with selecting a few instances from early times until the present day. Of course many who might claim a place in this chapter have already been spoken of in other connections, and so we must pass over a large number of names which would add greatly to the brilliancy of the present record. One of the earliest of the minor Scotch office hold- ers in the history of the continent was Thomas Gordon, who was born at Pitlochry, in the parish of Moulin, Perthshire, in 1650. In 1684 he settled at Scotch Plains, and in 1698 was elected Attorney General of the East- ern district of Jersey and Secretary and Registrar in 1702. Despite these legal appointments, it was not until 1707 that he was licensed as an attorney, and the same year he was elected to the Legislature and served as Speaker of the Assembly. These appointments and elections show that he must have enjoyed considerable popularity among his fellow colonists. But he rose still higher when he was appointed Chief Justice of the Province, and, later on, its Receiver General and Treas- urer. He died at Perth Amboy in 1722, having a record as an ofifice holder that would ha', e won for him the envy of a modern politician had he lived in later times and been as successful. P>ut, unlike the majority of modern instances of success in that regard, old Thomas Gor- don's good fortune was undoubtedly due to his honesty and ability, two qualities which do not figure very large- ly in the qualities of our contemporary office seekers. A man who loomed up even more prominently in the public ev^ of hh day was Andrew Hamilton, who was ■m I' !1 !■ ' Ji STATESMEN AND POLITICIANS. 303 nivy and ern lor- esty rge- the was called by ( jouvcrncur Morris '' the day star of the Amer- ican Revolution."' There is a good deal of mystery about the early career of this man. He was born, it is believed, in Edinburgh about 1656 and settled in the American colonies in 1695. Of his family or history until landing in America nothing is certain. For some reason or other he never referred to such matters. It is known, however, that when he first settled in the Colonies he bore the name of Trent, although he soon discarded it for Hamilton, which is believed to have been that of his family. Pro])ably he was concerned in some of the Covenanting troubles and hi^ own strict religious views would seem to warrant this suggestion, for when he settled in Philadelphia he was received into communion bv the Quakers and was one of the most strait-laced of that sect, although a lawyer. His first resting place in America was in Accomac Parish, Virginia, where he got a position as steward on an estate and added to his income by conducting a classical school. After a while the owner of the estate died and the widow became the wife of Hamilton, who thereby not only became a land- ed proprieto-, but at once got a standing in social life which started him in a signally favorable way toward the success which he afterward attained. He entered upon the study of the law with all the zeal of a deter- mined Scot, and in due time was admitted to practice. Then, seeing that the oppoini- ties of the profession lay in the large cities, he umov'ed to Philadelphia, and as the saying goes, " hvv.g out his shingle." This was some time prior to 1716, In ^717 he became At'o.-.>ey General of Pennsylvania, c:v\ in 1721 a member Oi \]'.q Provincial Council. He be ame Recorder of Philadel- phia in 1727, and the sam? year was elected a member of Assembly from Bucks County. He continued to be a Representative until 1739, and was several times St>eaker of Assembly. It is worthy of note that thj trround on which Independence Hall in PhilrvJelphia staiii'- was bought by Hamilton for the purpose oi rli<: erection of a suitable building to accommodate the Legislature an(3 the courts, these public bodies hav>n,^: p— iviously m 304 THE SCOT IN AMERTCA. been sheltered in private houses, and, thougli the scheme was not completed until after Hamilton's death, it is curious to know that a spot so famous in the history of the country and so sacred to every lover of freedom was once in the possession of one whose country has been famous for its struggles on l^ehalf of liberty. Notwithstanding his public duties, Hamilton contin- ued zealously to practice his profession, and gradually advanced to the front until he became the undisputed leader of the Pennsylvania bar. His fame had extended far beyond the boundaries of his own State — and fame did not travel as cjuickly then as now — and he was noted not only for his fearlessness in maintaining the rights of his clients, but in his adherence to what he perceived to be the rights of all citizens and the inherent liberties of the Colonies. All this gave him the opportunity which has won him a place in American history and caused Gouverneur Morris to characterize him by the proud title with which we began our reference to him, a title which any American family would be proud to possess among its ancestral glories. A printer in New York — John Peter Zenger — had printed in the colunms of the " New York Journal," a little newspaper issued by him, some strictures on the then Chief Magistrate, Gov. Crosby. The strictures were very unpalatable, mainly because they were for the most part true, and as a warning to others, as much as for his own ofifcnses, Zenger was arrested. It was proposed to deal summarily with the prisoner, but public interest was aroused in his case, and it was seen that if he was convicted all hope of free speech would, for the time at least, be gone. As the public became interested the authorities became determined and harsh. In pursuance of his rights Zenger's counsel made an objection to the Judges who were to try the case, and they were prompt- ly disbarred, while a lawyer was assigned by the court to carry on the defense. All this time public sentiment had been forming and consolidating, and the " Sons of Liberty," as representatives of the spirit of liberty among the people, took a hand in fighting the Executive and m STATESMEN AND POLITICIANS. 305 -had the were most for posed crest was time d the lancc o the 3mpt- coiirt uiicnt »ns of in defending what they regarded as the inaHenahle rights of all freemen — that of free speeeh and discussion. Wlien Zengcr was finally called on to face a jury, the authori- ties were confident of making short work of his case and of establishing a precedent which would crush out what they deemed " sedition " in the niture. It was not known to them that Zenger's friends were doing any practical work on his behalf, but they were better enlightened when the court was open and Andrew^ Ham- ilton w'alked in and announced that he had been re- i. lUied as counsel for the prisoner. The fame of the ven- erable attorney, his standing at the bar, the prominent • f ices he had held, and his position as a member of Assembly forbade his being treated in the summary fashion of Zenger's earlier counsel, and the representa- tives of the prosecution could do nothing but submit. They had great hopes from the jury, and, besides, they knew that the Judges were with them. The prosecution held that all the jury had to deter- mine was whether the publication which was scheduled as libelous had appeared, and that they had nothing to do with the truth or falsity of the libel. Hamilton de- murred from this, saying he was prepared to admit the public? '^on ui the strictures and to prove their truth, leaA'iiij '.'■'■ issue to the jury to be whether truth was a lib<\ or i.ot. He was overruled by the Court on the if'.vM'd .T-round that anything reflecting on the King was a ;/,?l. Hamilton then denied that the King's rep- resentalivo l;ad the same prerogatives as the sovereign himself, and claimed the right of proving the truth of every statement that had been made in Zenger's paper. This the Court again overruled, and Hamilton confined his attention to the jury and made a glowing speech on belialf of personal liberty and the right of free criticism, wkiici: still ranks as one of the masterpieces of Ameri- r.-.i logal elo(iuence. His speech was productive of ef- fect far 1, -vond the limits of the courtroom in which it was ^'Mivered, or the case in which it was used. It started a train of thought which fired men's minds and did more than anything else to give expression to the popular ■■i T n06 THR SCOT IN AMERICA. flosirc for freedom — for the freedom which the Dcople deemed their l)irtliright as I'ritish subjects — for inde- pendence was not then thoiiglit of, though it was the natural and unavoidable result, as men's minds and men's experience then went in Britain and in America. He practically admitted again the publication of the words deeir.ed libelous. " Then the verdict must be for the King,'' broke in the prosecuting attorney. But Ham- ilton proceeded to contend that, the words must be con- sidered by the jury as to whether they constituted a libel or no, and quoted te^'^^s of Scripture to show how even they might be consid( ^d as libelous, by a zealous lawyer, against the then .^ rnent (}f the Colony. Therefore he urged the jur}, • ^n though the Court might decide otherwise, to consider the words for them- selves, and put their own construction on them. In con- cluding he said: "You see I labor under the weight of many years, and am borne down by many infirmities of body; yet, old and weak as I am, I should think it my duty, if required, to go to the uttermost part of the land where my service could be of any use in assisting to quench the flame of prosecutions upon informations set on foot by the Government to deprive a people of the right of remonstrating and complaining, too, against the arl)itrary attempts of men in power. Men who op- press and injure the people under their administration provoke them to cry out and complain, and then make that very complaint the foundation for new oppressions and prosecutions. * * * The question before the court is not of small or private concern. It is not the cause of a poor printer nor of New York alone which you are now trying. No! It may in its consequences affect every freeman that lives under the I'ritish Government upon the main of America. It is the best cause ; it is the cause of liberty; and I make no doubt but your upright conduct this day will not only entitle you to the love and esteem of your fellow-citizens, but every man who pre- fers freedom to a life of slavery will bless and honor you as men who have baffled the attempts of tyranny, and by an impartial and incorrupt verdict, have made a STATKSMKN AND POLITICIANS. 307 noble foundation for securing to ourselves and our pos- terity and our neighbors that to which nature and the laws of our country have given us a right — ^he liberty of both exposing and opposing arbitrary power in these parts of the world, at least bv speaking and writing truth/' The prosecution rejilied, and the Court charged against the prisoner, but Hamilton's eloquence was irre- sistible, and the jury, after a few minutes' deliberation, acquitted Zenger, much to the disgust of the powers. But the public delight was unbounded and Hamilton became the hero of the hour. T!ic next day he was entertained at a public dinner, received the freedom of the city from the corporation, the certificate being in- closed in a gold box purchased by private subscription, and he was escorted by a large crowd to the barge which was to carry him back to Philadelphia. Hamilton died in Philadelphia, in 1741. His son, James, became Gov- ernor of Pennsylvania. Sometimes, in the course of this work, we have traced the fortunes of a family for two or three generations, mainly for the sake of showing how the qualities wdiicli distinguished the founder have not been lost in his de- scendants. Another instance of the same sort may be recorded in this place in connection with the Auchmuty family. The firs*, of the name to settle in America was Robert Auchmuty — born in Fifeshirc, in 1670. His American experiences seem to have been confined to Boston, where he appears to have arrived in 1699, and at once assumed a prominent position as a lawyer. He was active in local affairs, and was held in general es- teem. In 1 74 1 he was sent to England as agent for the Colony of Massachusetts, an appointment that is suf^- cient testimony to his standing as a citizen and his hon- esty as a man. He died, in Boston, in 1750. His eldest son succeeded to his law business, and carried it on in Boston until 1776, when, being an intense loyalist, he left the country and went to Britain, wliere he remained till his death. A younger son, Samuel, born in Boston in 1722, was I-. I 308 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. educated for the ministry, and became assistant rector of Trinity Church, New York, becoming rector in 1764. The Revolution brought him into a sea of troubles. As intensely loyal as his brother, he continued to read pray- ers for George III. long after the Revolution had broken out and the rule of monarchy was declared at an end. When ordered by Gen. Alexander, titular Earl of Stir- ling, to discontinue such loyal petitions, he closed the church and left the city. New York was at that time in possession of the Continental troops, and when, by a turn in the tide of war, it fell again into the hands of the British, in 1777, Dr. Auchmuty returned to his post of duty, only to find his beloved church in ruins and its records destroyed. The shock was too mucii for him, and he died, broken-heaned, in March, 1777. His son, Samuel, born in Nev; York in 1758, entered the British Army and served in it Ji. in^, the Revolutionary War. Obtaining a Captaincy, he served in India from 1783 to 1796, and in 1800 was in Egypt under Abercrombie. In 1803, for his services, he was knighted, and soon after proceeded to South America, where he distin- guished himself by his skill and bravery. In 181 1 he reduced Java, and was regarded as one of the best of- ficers in the service. Returning to Britain, he was com- missioned a Lieutenant General in 1813. He died at Dublin, in 1822, while Commander in Chief of the forces in Ireland, leaving behind him the record of a long and honorable career, unniarkcd by reproach or blame. In the history of the City of Richmond, one of the most prominent of its residents in civil life during the Revolutionary War. and for many years after it had be- come reminiscent, was John Harvie, a native of the Par- ish of Gargimnock, Stirlingshire. He was born about 1740, and is believed to have emigrated to the Colonies shortly after reaching his majority. He settled in Albe- marle County, Va., and began the practice of law. In this he was eminently successful, and his ability was so generally acknowledged that in 1774 he was commis- sioned by the General Assembly to make a treaty with the Indians, a task that was always reckoned a delicate STATESMEN AND POLITICIANS. 309 one, requiring unlimited diplomacy, cnol judgment, and the utmost firmness. He also threw himself devotedly into the cause of the Colonies against the motherland, and in 1775 and 1776 represented Augusta County in the Virginia Conventions of these years. Then he was sent to Congress, where he served during two eventful years, and he afterward held several State offices, in- cluding that of Secretary of the Conmionwealth of Vir- ginia. His latter years were spent in Richmond, and he took an active i)art in every movement designed to add to the importance and beauty of that city. Indeed, it Avas while superintending the erection of a handsome new building which he intended to be an ornamental landmark that he met with the accident which, in 1807, caused his death. Another Indian-treaty-making Scot was David Brodie Mitchell, a native of Paisley, who cross'^vl the Atlantic in 1783, in his seventeenth year, to take possession of some property in Georgia which had been bequeathed to him by his uncle, David lirodie. He took up his headcjuar- ters in Savannah, and the work necessary to enable him to acquire his property led to his devoting himself to the study of law, and in due time he was admitted to the bar, having assumed citizenship in the young Republic. His studies were so well directed to acquiring the mas- tery of his profession that he soon enjoyed a widespread reputation as a lawyer, and, in 1795, was chosen to be Solicitor General of Georgia. A y ear later he was elect- ed to the State Legislature, and he was afterward elected several times Governor of the Commonwealth, and eac!\ term justified the public confidence by the executive qualities he displayed. In his dealings with the Indians he was ever just and humane. In any treaty nerjotir.- tions he tried to be honorable in his claims and conces- sions, and his treatment of these people won for him their regard. Gov. Mitchell also took a deep interest in educational matters, and did much to extend their prog- ress in the State he had adopted, and which he loved and served so well. A curious instance, for America, of a man eminently a: l^ll ;i!^l :t-i & (d^ 310 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. Ml fitted for public life, yet utterly reg^ardless of its honors — a man with ability to have reached and retained a high position in the service of thcjcountry^yet who preferred the pleasures of home life to tlicTnurriiTcnts of Office — is afforded by a consideration of the career of John Greig of Canandaigua. Born at Moffat, Dumfries, in 1779, and educated at Edinburgh University, he settled in America in 1800, and applied himself to the practice of law. He in time acquired a competency, and, though often urged to run for Congress, he steadily refused, ex- cepting once. He had hosts of admirers, and the grace- ful hospitalities which w^ere so marked a feature of his home life made him even better understood and more endeared to his associates and friends than though he had met their wishes and embarked on the stormy and uncertain, sometimes orn in Edinburgh in 1784, he settled with his parents in Pennsylvania in 1791. He was brought up on a farm owned by his father, a man of sin,- STATEriiMKN AIMU POLITICIANS. :;i:} in the leld 873, )aid iSlVC one on lited tied was sin- cere piety, who, although unable t(j give his son a tlior- ough general education, took care tiiat his religious training was as full and deep reaching as thougli he were designed for the ministry. Tiiis was, in fact, the utmost legacy the Scottish farmer could give his son, but it was enough, as a foundation, to carry lum safely through life and exalt him to high places. When eighteen years of age, Lowrie resolved to study for the ministry, but after a time he abandoned the idea and determined to enter the legal profession. When twenty-seven years of age his neighliors, with a high ap- preciation of his character, elected him as their repre- sentative in the Senate of Pennsylvania. After serving in that l)ody for seven years, he 'vas chosen as one of the Senators from his State to the United States Senate, and when his term expired, in 1824, he was elected Sec- retary of the Senate, and held that important office for twelve years, when he voluntarily retired, to the regret of all the members of that body. The rest of Air. Lowrie's life was spent in doing good, and the influence he exerted, even upon Congress, was very great. He founded the Congressional prayer meet- ing, and was active in the formation of the Congres- sional Temperance Society, and, although these institu- tions have now long been abandoned, they did much good in their day, and some time in the future their in- fluence may be revived. In 1836 Mr. Lowrie was elected Corresponding Secretary of the Western Foreign Mis- sionary Society, and in the following year was called to a similar position in the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church, which latter office he held f' ' thirty-two years. He was particularly interested in i!\c evangelization of the American Indian tribes, and spent much time in visiting the red men on their reservations and throughout the West. It is impossible to calculate the full value of this man's life work. Wherever he went, his thoughts were always directed to noble ends, and his blameless career as a i)olitician stands out in pleasant relief in the somewhat muddy atmosphere of American practical politics. Several of his sons, emu- lii :]14 TUK SCOT [X .\MKI{I(\\. Ji i latinpc his example. ])ecanie missionaries of llie ( iospel in foreij^n lands, and his eldest son sneceeded him in the Seerctaryship of the Treshyteri ui h'orei^n Mission Hoard, after preaching the (Iospel in India for three years, and so havinjj;' praetieal experienee in that noblest of all the outcomes of Christian practice and teaching. In 1765 there arrivetl in lUjston from Dornoch, Sutli- erlandshire, a Scotch crofter-fisherman named Adam McCulloch. He settled at Arundel, afterward known as Kennebunkport, in Maine. He joined in with the Revo- lutionary movement and accepted citizenship in the young Republic with eciuariimity, and, if he did not wax rich, he at least became comfortable in his circumstances through his own exertions, although the life ol a pio- neer in Maine in those days was (jnc of much hardship and danger. His son became a ship owner, and when the War of 181 2 broke out was one of the largest mer- chants of the ship-owning class in New luigland and in a fair way to becoming one of the recognized wealthy men of the northern seaboard. The business interests of Maine, however, suffered sadly in the war. and the ship owner sustained such losses that his operations had, temporarily, to come to a complete standstill. His son Hugh — the grandson of the Scotch crofter — who had been born at Kennebunk in 1808, had been entered a student at l^>owdoin College, 1)ut his health gave way, and this, together with the condition of his father's finan- cial afifairs, caused him to leave the institution long be- fore the usual course was completed. At seventeen years of age, Hugh McCulloch began to earn his own living by teaching school, and continued at that occupation until 1829, when he commenced the study of law. That study he completed in Boston in 1832, and a year later he went to Fort Wayne and en- tered upon the practice of his ch.oscn profession. But it was soon discovered that liis talents were those of a financier rather than a lawyer, and he entered on his real career, when, in 1835, ^i<^ became manager of one of the branches of the State Bank of Indiana. A year later he became one of the Directors, and finally, as Pres-ident of m STATKSMKN ANI» r< )I.1TK'IANS. ai5 a great bankitijj^ company, hcoanu' known as one of the tinancMal authorities in the West, lie entered puljlic life in i«S()3, when he aceej)te(l fnjni Secretary Chase the position of Controller of the Currency, and in i(S65 he became himself Secretary of the Treasury, with a >eat in President Lincoln's Cabinet, and he continued to hold the office under President Johnson. When his term ex- pired he retired from official position, until, at President Arthur's recpiest, he aj.,^ain returned to the Cabinet as the head of the Treasury, h'rom that time he lived mainly in retirement, enjoying the glorious sunset of a busy life, until his death, in nS^S- Hugh McCuUoch was by no means what is connnonly regarded in the States as a pcjlitician. He had no polit- ical fences to keep in order, no wires to manii)ulate, no leaders to conciliate, or heelers to proi)itiate. ICvery public office he held came to him unsolicited, and he cared nothing for intrigues or for personal popularity. He did sim])ly what he thought was right; lie had no motive in any of his acts as a public man beyond serv- ing the best interests of the country. In the Cabinet councils his cool, practical, common-sense view of what- ever topic came up for discussion proved of incalculable value, and his shrewdness and stcrHng honesty were al- ways conspicuous. In the Treasury Department his policy was always regarded as safe, and his rei)Utation as a financier was of infinite value to the country, espe- cially innuediately after the war, when so many wildcat schemes were on foot. His innate Scotcli practical nat- ure showed him clearly that there was no royal road to nation.al wealth, no sidetracks from the strait path of national integrity. An equally noteworthy exponent of Scotch industry, honesty, and conmion sense was James Gilfillan, who from 1869 till his death, in 1895, was, with the exception of a short interval, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Minnesota. Judge Gilfillan ums born at Pjannock- burn in 1829, and was brouglit to this country in his childhood. He received his early education in New York City, studied law at Ballston Spa and Buffalo, and ^ fi. Ill J 1 1 I If I 31(1 THE S'^OT IN AMERICA. i ! in 1850 was admitted to the bar at Albany. He prac- ticed at ikiffalo for some seven years, and then removed to St. Paul, Minn., which became his home city there- after. When the civil war started he joined the Seventh Minnesota Regiment, and in 1862 was commissioned as Colonel of the JLleventh Minnesota. He commanded that regiment until it was mustered out of service at the close of hostilities, in June, 1865. He then settled down again to the practice of law at St. Paul. In 1869 he was appointed Chief Justice of Minnesota, to fill a vacancy, and held a seat on the bench until the next election. In 1875 he was again appointed temporarily, but at the election that year he was elected to it by the votes of the people, and his subsequent re-elections demonstrated their satisfaction with his services. During ^lis long term on the bench not a whisper was ever heard reflect- ing on his impartiality, and his thorough knowledge and grasp of the law, national as well as State, was conceded. His opinions and judgments were models in their w-ay. They were couched in ])lain language, and terse in their expression and so written that they could be clearly understood by whoever chose to read them, a quality which is seldom characteristic of legal documents of any kind. It seems essential to the extreme sentiment of trades unionism which prevails in the legal profession to clothe everything wath a disheartening and unmeaning mass of verbiage, as well as to multiply forms and pro- cedures, and, of course, costs. This brings grist to the legal mill, but is of no service for any other purpose in the world — certainly not for any purpose of right or of justice. Some da}' this extraneous mass of legal cob- webs will be swept away by a disgusted people, and then Judge Gilfillan's clear-cut decisions may be taken as models of what such judicial utterances ought to be — terse, sound, logical, and conclusive, and thoroughly un- derstandable by any man possessing mere common sense. A jurist with an even more national reputation was (or is, for he still lives in honorable retirement,) Arthur Mac- Arthur, who in 1887 retired from the bench as Asso- ciate Justice of the Supreme Court of iter re- her ind, ass- niu- II, a the her sley, iuca- ince- , and ;ious the i age e was r. He xtieth com- aham t her r like oman etc., s she " the ended ent to Island d his jn, was ig her ill and This ^ove to )1, and prospered exceedingly. As her means grew she took an active part in charitable work, to which she scrupulously devoted a tenth part of all her earnings. She organized a Penny Bank to encourage the very poor to save, and out of that institution grew the Society for the Relief of the Destitute Sick, which is still actively carrying on its blessed work in Auld Reekie. We need not mention Mrs. Graham's career in her native land further than to say that she earned a living for herself and little ones as a teacher, did much good among the poor, and raised up for her household many friends. Among these were Mrs. Scott, (mother of Scotland's great novelist and poet,) and the sainted Lady Glenorchy, whose story is one of the many refreshing bits of biog- raphy of which the lives of Scottish religious women have been so productive. Lady Glenorchy had the warm- est admiration for Mrs. Graham, and entered into her charitable and religious schemes with much zeal. She took her daughter, Joanna, to her home for a time, and then sent her to Rotterdam to complete her studies. Mrs. Graham attended this Christian lady during the illness which ended in her death, and was by her will the recip- ient of a bequest of £200. In 1789, at the request of Dr. Witherspoon and other friends in New- York, Mrs. Graham, with her bairns, settled in New- York. Soon after she landed she opened a school, and within a month had fifty pupils. Until 1798, when she retired, she ranked among the most successful teachers in the American commercial metropolis. But, deeply interested as she was in the cause of education, she delighted more than all things else in " going about doing good." She wrote her own religious experiences and thoughts and had them printed in tract form from time to time, and these she distributed with her own hands in the houses of the very poor, hoping that her practical sympathy for them in their sorrovvs and suffer- ings would cause them to take to their hearts the higher message she brought. A tenth of her income, as in Edin- burgh, was still regularly distributed in relieving the dis- tressed, and as her goodness and gentleness and patient l^ 326 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. tenderness became understood and appreciated, this brave, God-fearing Scotchwoman entered harmlessly, and was even welcomed into places — tliey could hardly be called homes — where many men would not have dared to penetrate. Her pastor, the Rev. J. M. Mason, was amazed at her courage, and reproached her for her te- merity, but she never faltered in carrying on her self- appointed work among the poor. Remembering her own forlorn and helpless, condition when her husband died, she was especially interested in cases where the bread- winner of a family had been removed, and by her kindly sympathy softened the blow of many a bitter bereave- ment. In her school work Mrs. Graham was very effectively aided by her children, but her main reliance seems to have been on her daughter Joanna. The school, it may be said, from the first was a financial success, the Gra- hams were soon in fairly comfortable circumstances, and were welcomed into the best and most refined society in New York. As might be expected in a girl who had enjoyed the care of such a mother as Isabella Graham, and the friend- ship of a woman like Lady Glenorchy, Joanna was, from her earliest years, animated by a deeply religious spirit. When she settled in New York, in her nineteenth year, her sentiments were as fixed as ever. One gentleman — an Irishman — who was paying her attentions, said that when he married her he would take her where she would never hear the sound of a church bell. That settled his case. Her next wooer was a wealthy merchant, but she declined his proffers for some reason. Then Divie Bethune, at that time a young merchant on Broadway, near Wall Street, without a superabundance of means, laid siege to her heart, and in proposing, according to her story, " adverted to his poverty and talked much of living by faith." She construed this to mean that Divie was not in circumstances to support her, and so refused him. But Divie had a stanch ally in Mrs. Graham, who thought him one of the best men in the world, and so, when the young woman told her mother of the inter- AMONG THI-: WOMEN. ;{L'7 view and its result, the good old lady simply said: " Jo- anna, if he has asked you in faith, he'll get you in spite of your teeth." Divie did not take *' no " for an answer, and in July, 1795, the two were married. From that time Mrs. (iraham and Mrs. liethune and her husband were united in every g(jod work — a glorious trio whose highest aim was to do good through tlie spirit of the Saviour, and until death stepped in and, one after the other, carried them off to a higher sphere, the life story of the three run on the same lines. Mrs. Bethune's active career in well-doing commenced with her marriage, and here it may be said that a happier union than that of the Bethunes, during the twenty-nine years it lasted, could hardly be imagined. During part of that time old Mrs. (iraham was a member of the house- hold, and the warmest affection animated every one in the home. Mrs. Graham and Divie Bethune were hand in hand in all good works, and Divie had a theory that women understood the practical workings of benevolence and Christian endeavor better than men, and so was ever willing to follow the lead of his wife and his mother- in-law. Divie Bethune was a native of Ross-shire, a Presbyte- rian, and an honest, conscientious, God-fearing man. He had fairly prospered in business, was not rich by any means, but had established a trade that promised steady and increasing, if not extravagant, returns. He vv^as act- ive in Scotch matters, for he was an enthusiast in all things pertaining to his native land, and in the cause of religion he was noted from his arrival in New York for his earnest and faithful work. He appointed himself a missionary among the poor, and gave away hundreds of Bibles and good books while relieving the pressing ne- cessities of each case of actual poverty with a liberal hand. No wonder that the heart of Isabella Graham warmed to this typical Scottish merchant as soon as she became acquainted with him, and that it was with peculiar satisfaction she witnessed his marriage to her daughter Joanna. While Mrs. Graham lived she and her son-in- law were associated in many Christian enterprises, and 'I I \1 328 THIO SCOT IN AMERICA. Divie Rethunc revered lier. In her later years, especially, Mrs. Graham mainly made her home "at Uivie's," and nowhere was she more warmly welcomed. We hear a good deal of mothers-in-law. They are credited with causing much trouble and any amount of fun, and an incredible number of silly jokes have been concocted at their expense. In this case, Mrs. (jraham loved her .-on- in-law as a mother loves her son, and he looked up to her with truly filial afifection. A day or two before her death, in 1814, she penned the following tribute to his worth in a letter to a friend: " According to knowledge, observation, and even investigation, Divie IJethunc stands, in my mind, in temper, conduct, and conversation, the nearest to the (iospel standard of any man or woman I ever knew as intimately. Devoted to his God, to his Church, to his family, to all to whom he may have oppor- tunity of doing good, duty is his governing principle." In 1796 Divie Hethune was one of tiie managers of the St. Andrew's Society, and had personally to attend to the distribution of its charity along with the otiier managers, for these ofificials at that time were the almoners of the organization. Bethune, of course, had to refuse relltf from the funds to many worthy applicants whose cases did not come properly within the province of the society, and Mrs. Bethune at once saw the necessity for a general organization which would help the most pressing at least of such cases. Woman-like, her heart went out to the widows with young children, and, besides helping such cases as her means permitted and collecting aid for them among her acquaintances, she set about the formation of a society which would more systematically do the work. She found able coadjutors in her husband and in her mother, and in the same year the Society for the Relief of Poor Widows with Small Children w^as organized, ai it exists to this day. Thus the influence for good of the St. Andrew's Society was shown in a direction which its members never antici- pated ; but it was destined to bear still further fruit. When the widows' society had been in operation for a few years it was seen that its scope was not broad enough to \i AMONG THE NVOMl-N. :v2\) ai enable it to assist orphan children; so in 1806 the ( )rphati Asylum of New York was organized, mainly by the efforts of Airs. Graham and her daughter, Mrs. r»etiume, and it is still one of the most active ciiarities of this city. Divie Bethune called the meeting which led to the organiza- tion, and while he lived spent nnich of his Sundays in the asylum and was ever ready to help it. I'or half a century Mrs. Hethune was active in tiie work of superin- tending the asylum, and only retired from her labors when advanced age incapacitated her. It is curious to think how these two societies — the one for widows and children and the other for orphans — really owed their origin to the election of Divie iiethune as a manager of the St. Andrew's Society. In 1801 Mr. and Mrs. Bethune visited Scotland, and one result was the real beginning of the Sabbath school movement in this country. The first Sabbath school in America of which we have record was founded bv Quak- ers in Philadelphia in 1791. In 1792 Mrs. Graham organ- ized a Sunday school for young women in New- York. While in Scotland Mrs. Bethune saw the importance of such schools, as we now understand them, for religious instruction, and began at once an efifort to have the same missionary spirit at work among the children here that she saw in her motherland. Ill health, family cares, and the amount of work already on hand prevented her from making headway with her project, and the war of 181 2 put an end to it altogether apparently, but Mrs. Bethune never relaxed in her purposes, and even when the project seemed hopeless continued in correspondence with friends in Scotland so as to keep posted on the varying phases of the Sabbath school movement there. At length, in 1 81 6, by the organization of the I'emale Sabbath School Union of New- York, the real foundation of the present system in this country was laid, and by her work in this connection Mrs. Bethune fairly earned her title oi *' Mother of Sabbath Schools in America." I I vie Bethune died in 1824 and his widow survived until i860, and until the infirmities of years compelled her to stand aside she continued her interest in all good work. Ill 330 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. It is impossible in tliis place to enter into details re- garding other spheres of Joanna !)Cthnne's usefulness, of her work in Church matters, in infant schools, in indus- trial schools, and in practical benevolence of all kinds. She was not a " woman with a mission," but a woman with a dozen missions, and her whole life of ninety years may justly be said to have been spent in doing her Mas- ter's work. Busy as slie was, her home duties were never neglected, and few men had a happier home than Divie Bethune, and few children had more of a mother's care than did her own beloved little ones. it is hardly possible to imagine a life more pure, more holy, more devoted to doing good, more self-denying, more full of humble faith, rhan that of Isabella Graham, and the same may be said of her daughter Joanna. Both women had their share of the trials,vexations, and sorrows o' this life, yet they never faltered in their devoted trust or in their implicit faith that all things are ordered for the best. The life of Mrs. Bethune, like that of her mother, showed that sectarian differences aie, after all, divisions in name only, and that religion and good works break down the barrier of the issues which have arisen to distract Christianity from the pre-eminence of the real message of the Gospels. Mrs. Graham rejoiced to see that her lifework was certain to be carried on by her daughter, and the daughter in her turn saw her son preaching the Gospel with much acceptance and fruit. That son, the Rev. Dr. G. W. Bethune of Brooklyn, was born in New York in 1805, and after being educated at Dickinson College and at Princeton, became in 1828 pastor of a Dutch Reformed Church at Rhinebe.'k, N. Y. His next ciiarge was at Utica, and in 1843 ^le went to Philadelphia. In 1849 ^^^ was called to take charge of a newly organized congregation in Brooklyn, and remained there ten years, when he went to Italy in search of health. He returned after a time, resumed his pastoral labors in Brookljm, and made a notable public appearance and eloquent oration at a meeting held in New York to advo- cate the maintenance of the Union on April 20, 1861. Shortly afterward his health again gave way and he re* AMONO THE "WOMEN. 331 ited [828 t to lof a net! ilth. -s in and dvo- |86i. re- turned to Italy, where he died suddenly, in 1862. He was eloquent as a preacher, faithful in the administration of his pastoral \vork% and won the love of every congrega- tion to vv^hich he ministered. His published writings were many, and his prose works were noted for their chaste dic- tion and the clearness and crispness of their style. As a theologian he was not only profound, but had the happy art of stating even the most profound truths in language that a child might understiuid. But it is as a poet that he will be remembered in coimection with literature, and his " Lays of Love and Faith " stamped him as a writer of rich fancy and one possessing true poetic insight and sentiment. In his poetry, too, we find the true patriotism of Isabella Graham and his father and mother repro- duced and perpetuated, for it was the hallowed influence of Divie Bethune's fireside that inspired in after years his son to pen that most popular, and to the Scot abroad most dear, of modern Scottish lyrics: " O! Sing to me the auld Scotch sangs, r the braid Scottish tongue, The sangs my father loved to hear, The sangs my mither sung When she sat beside my cradle, Or croon'd me on her knee; An' I wadna sleep, she sang sae sweet. The auld Scotch sangs to me." A very pronounced type of the woman with a mission, but so earnest in her mission that vshe had none of the peculiarities which inspire contempt or arouse amuse- ment for that class, was Fanny Wright, after whom, in the early anti-slavery days, so many abolitionist societies were named. She was born at Dundee in 1795, and in early life made a special study of Smitli's " Wealth of Na- tions " and other works on political philosophy. She de- veloped into a close and original thinker on such topics, and her earliest publication was a defense of the doc- trines of Epicurus. F'rom 1 81 8 till 1821 slie resided in the L'nited States, I:. f ■:;'vsl M-i J 332 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. mainly engagfccl in travel and paying particular attention to the social and religions communities then in existence, and to the slavery question in all its bearings. Then she returned to Europe and traveled over the Continent, gathering new ideas and adding to her store of know- ledge as she journeyed. In 1825 she determined to turn her accomplishments to some practical purpose, and ac- cordingly returned to America to wrestle with the slave problem. She bought some 2,500 acres of land in Ten- nessee as a place for the residence of emancipated negroes, so that, dwelling together in a compact coiony, they might not only acquire a sense of independence by earning their own livelihood, but be sufficiently under her control that she might readily put into practice several theories she had formed for their advancement. The colony, however, turned out a failure. The time was not ripe then for such an attempt. Though disheartened greatly at the upshot of this well-meant endeavor, she did not abandon the cause of the slave, and by her lect- ures and speeches did much to foster and strengthen the sentiment against the accursed traffic, which was then becoming a live issue in public affairs in the Northern States. It is singular that, though retaining her Scotch accent, she had no difficulty in rousing her audiences, the very earnestness of her manner making all else be for- gotten wliile she occupied the platform. Becoming acquainted with Robert Dale Owen, Miss Wright adopted many of that dreamer's ideas and tried to aid him in his work at the settlement at New-Har- mony, Ind. She edited the " Gazette " there, and worked hard to make the experiment a success, but her nature and that of Owen w^re not con gen ill, and she abandoned the enterprise. Crossing the ocean again, she took up her residence in Paris and married a Frenchman named D'Arusmont, but marriage is never a happy state for a woman with a mission, and this union was not a fortu- nate one. The pair separated, and, making her home once more in the United States, the gifted Scotchwoman entered upon a busy career, writing and lecturing on social and religious topics, and advancing often such ex- AMONG THK WOMEN. 333 tremc and outre views as to subject her to persecution, ridicule, and sometimes opprobrium. Slic was a volumi- nous writer, althougii little that came from her pen now survives. lUit such books as her " Views on Society and Manners in America " and " Lectures on Free Inquiry '' were much read and discussed in their day. She essayed poetry also, but it has passed away into the misty sea where nearly all literary efforts, with the exception of a comparativel}' few, sooner or later find their way, and even her tragedy of " Altorf," which was produced at the Park Theatre, in New York, in 1817, has long since been forgotten. She died at Cincinnati in 1852. She was a woman whose thoughts were constantly directed away from self to doing good in the world, and, while we may regard her energies and endeavors to have been to a great extent wasted, and her life to that extent a failure, we should not forget her efforts in behalf of the slave, exerted at a time when such efforts were comparatively few, and to believe that she in that respect at least did much good and aided very greatly in the progress of the movement which, once started, could have no other ter- mination than equal rights in free America for all men, black or white. hi m m m lature Icloned )k up lamed for a Ifortu- home roman ig on !h ex- CHAPTER XII. PUBLIC ENTERTAINERS. II : I Hllii SCOTTISH entertainments and entertainers have from a very early period been remarkably popular in America. When the country had grown populous enough to give the drama a foothold, Scotch actors were very numer- ously represented among the foUow-crs of the Thespian art who ventured to cross the Atlantic and find a new field for their talents. While, like most pioneers, they did not themselves fare very well at the hands of fortune, there is no doubt that they started the American stage on a high level, so that it is to-day the equal of any stage in the world, not even excepting those of London and Paris. Scottish music, too, has invariably been popular here, and, although they seem unable to grasp the de- lightful smoothness of the grand old Doric, a privilege only vouchsafed (except in a few instances) to a native, many American amateurs sing the songs of the '' Land of the Kilt and Feather " with a degree of taste and with so thorough an appreciation as to warm the heart of even the most obdurate of Scottish listeners. Of course, a Scotsman would any day prefer to hear his country's songs sung by a native, but the perfection attained in the singing of these by those who are not natives, and especially by non-natives who are of the tender sex, is gratifying at once to his patriotism and his musical sen- timents. At times, too, one who is not a native struggles • so successfully with the vernacular that it is difficult to detect a false accent, and, to take an illustrious instance, it may be remarked that Sims Reeves when singing a Scotch song presented the Doric so faultlessly as to give the Glasgow folks a chance for ventilating a tradition that 334 PUBLIC ENTERTAINERS. 335 I sen- ggles • Lilt to ance, |ing a give that the greatest of English tenors used in his younger days to act in a booth on the Green, Glasgow's historic public park, and that he there learned how to sing! One of the first of really great Scottish singers to try his fortune on this side of the Atlantic w'as John Sinclair, a native of Edinburgh, where he was born in 1793. He made his first appearance in America in the old Park Theatre, New^-York, in 1837, when he appeared as r>ancis Osbaldistone. An old Scot who was present on that evening has left on record a statement that he had never before, not even in " Auld Reekie," heard " The jMacgregors' (iathering " sung with more fire, or " My Love Is Like a Red, Rjd Rose " with more sweetness. Possibly this was because absence from home had sharp- ened his sympathies, and tlic sentiments which arise when a wanderer's thoughts turn back to " Auld Lang Syne " usurped the ordinary powers of criticism so natural in a Scot. However this may be, Sinclair before visiting Amer- ica had earned the reputation in Scotland of being the best living interpreter of liis country's songs, and his memory is still kept green in the musical history of his native land. He captured his New^ York audience from the mo- ment he first appeared, and his engagement w-as in every w'ay a most successful one. He repeated his success short- ly afterward at the Chestnut Street Theatre, Philadel- ])hia, as well as, later on, in Boston. At that time, by the way, a success in Boston was as gratifying to an artist as was one in Edin1)urgh. " Sinclair," once wrote John Forbes Robertson oi London to David Kennedy, " was a frank, genial fellow, [" the leddics' bonnie Sinclair,'' he used to be called,] and among his Scottish songs were ' Hey! the Bonnie Briest- knots ' and one of his own composition, ' Come, Sit Ye Down, My Bonny, Bonny Love.' " One of Sinclair's daughters married Edwin Forrest, the famous tragedian, and the union gave rise to one of the most notable di- vorce trials ever held in America. Forrest, by the way, claimed to have descended from Scotch ancestors, and asserted that Montrose was their old home. Sinclair re- turned to England,, and died there a\ 1857. MMM li: 336 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. The next vocalist from Scotland to visit these shores, and the grandest of them all, was John Wilson, who was born at Edinburgh in 1800, and at ten years of age was sent to learn the printing business. When his appren- ticeship was over he became a proofreader in James Bal- lantyne's printing office, and is said to have been one of the few to whom the secret of the authorship of the Wa^ verley Novels was made known. During this time, how- ever, he was studying music and training his voice to speak as well as sing, and, in spite of the protestations of his friends, he made his first appearance on the stage, at Edinburgh, in 1830, assuming the character of Henry Bertram in the opera of " Guy Mannering." His success was complete. Wilson determined, in the height of his powers, to make an American tour, and he landed in the New World in 1838, and remained for two years. Hf was beyond question one of the most accomplished vo- calists of his time, and, though he had made a brilliant reputation on the operatic stage, and had won laurels as a writer and as a composer, he was never happier or bet- ter than when singing the sweet and simple songs of his " ain countrie." His entertainments, such as " A Nicht wi' Burns," or " Bonnie Prince Charlie," proved wonder- fully popular wherever he gave them, not merely among the Scottish auditors, whose enthusiasm knew no bounds, but among educated Americans and lovers of music of all classes. That he raised Scottish song to a high de- gree of popularity goes without saying, and he paved the way for the more complete financial success, long after- ward, of the entertainments of the same class given by the late David Kennedy. In 1849, accompanied by his wife and daughter, Wil- son entered upon another American tour. While at Quebec, he was seized with cholera on July 7, and died two days later. His last wish was to be buried in a Scot- tish grave, but the circumstances of the case forbade that wish being carried into effect, and the great singer was laid at rest in Mount Hermon Cemetery, Quebec, and a handsome memorial was erected over the spot by his ad- mirers. " Although far from his dearly beloved ' North PUBLIC ti:ntertainers. 337 Countrie,'" wrote Gen. James Grant Wilson of New York long afterward, " Wilson is surrounded by men of his own race, on whose tombstones may be seen Mac- kenzie and iMacdougall, Campbell and Grant, Fraser and Forsyth, Ross, Turnbull, and other ancient Scottish names, many, if not most, of them the sons and grand- sons of the 6/2 gallant fellows of Fraser's Seventy-eighth Highlanders, who followed Wolfe up the steep and nar- row escalade to the field where he met his fate." So far as America is concerned, Wilson's great suc- cessor as a singer of Scottish songs was David Kennedy. He was born at Perth in 1825, and died at Stratford, Canada, while on a professional tour, in October, 1886, and for some forty years he was before the pubHc as a singer of Scotch songs. He sang the ballads of his na- tive land round the world, visiting India, Africa, Aus- tralia, as well as every section of the United States and Canada. While Kennedy's programmes were modeled on those of Wilson, and to a great extent presented the same songs, there was a wide difference in the style of their entertainments. Wilson was a faultless singer, a student of music, and as firm a believer in the sweetness, power, and melody, native to Scotch nuisic, as is the modern American dilettante in the genius of Richard Wagner. Kennedy was by no means so grand a singer as Wilson; he never claimed to be so, in fact; but he had the knack of getting, as it were, into the heart of a song, and mak- ing every shade of its meaning become perfectly clear to his audiences. He was in many ways the best modern representative of the old Scotcli minstrel we can imagine. Nobody ever excelled him in the telling of an old Scotch story, for he did not merely repeat such tales, he acted them, and iiUed the stage or the platform with their per- sonages, and there was that strong personal magnetism about the man which is so indispensably requisite to public success on the concert or lecture platform. The wonderful success of Wilson and Kennedy in- duced many Scottish singers, singly or in groups, to " cross the pond," and since they illustrated the fact that .ir*^ 338 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. there was money in an aulcl Scotch song, there has rarely been a season when we have not had the pleasure of lis- tening- to native talent of various degrees of ability. The Eraser family of Paisley won, as they deserved, more reputation than any of them, and the Fairbairn family were also successful for a time. Pliillis Glover, wife of Thomas Powrie, the once-famous Rob Roy, sang in New York for a season in 1875, and might have done well had not domestic trouble prevented her from taking advantage of her opportunities. William Gourlay, one of the Edinburgh family of that name, essayed a season in New York in 1877 with his " Airs. MacGregor's Levee," but failed. Hamilton Corbctt would have made a fortune had he been gifted with as much strength of will as beauty of voice, and that might, too, be said of a score of others whose names need not be repeated here. We cannot, however, forbear a line to the memory of Jeannie Watson, one of the sweetest female singers of Scottish songs we ever listened to, and who, after a life of misfortune, now lies at rest in the burial plot of the St. Andrew's Society of Toronto. She was a brilliant successor to such singers as ]\Iiss Reynolds nnd Miss Sutherland. The latter, who made her American bow at a ballad concert in New York on July 16, 1857, won high rank as a ballad singer, and was especially a favorite in Scottish circles. She described herself, or her managers described her, as " the Scottish Nightingale,'"' and in that respect she was the forerunner of a host of " Scottish Nightingales," " Queens of Scottish Song," and so on, good, bad, and very indifferent. Turning to theatrical records, we are met at the outset by the diflficulty of stage names concealing the nation- ality and identity of many whose birth and talents ought to have given them some mention in these pages. The well-known antipathy which so long prevailed in Scot- land against " play actors " led most of the Scotch aspi- rants to footlight fame to conceal their family names more closely than those who adopted a stage name for the sake of its appearance, as Melfort looks better on a programme than Hodgkins. But both Scotch plays and PUBLIC 1:NTEKTA1NEUcJ. 339 Scotch players have won more than ordinary popularity in America. In the early dramatic history of the United States the play that appears to have been the most general favorite was Home's now almost forgotten tragedy of '* Doug- las." Probably more American amateurs made their first bow before the public as professionals in the character of Norval than in any other up to the close of the first half of this century, and in early American playbills it con- stantly held a place. The best Scotch personator of the character here was Henry Erskine Johnston, who made his first American appearance in the National Theatre, New York, in 1838, in the character of Sir Pcrtinax in the still popular play of " The Man of the Workl." John- ston was a good and painstaking actor of the old school, and his Norval won thunders of applause in all the prin- cipal cities of the country. North and South. He played in the States only one season, and returned to Britain, dying there shortly after, in 1840. Roderick Dhu was another Scotch character which was a favorite with the public, but it was only in the large theatres that the necessary scenic and spectacular display could be made to warrant the production of its play, *' The Lady of the Lake." It was placed upon the stage, however, in Boston and New^ York, and J. H. Wallack, especially, made a great hit as the irate Highland chief- tain. Of " Rob Roys " the American theatres were at one time full, and the Bowery boys used to be as familiar with the wrongs of the ]\Iacgregors as were the laddies in " Auld Reekie." None of the great Scotch Robs ever came here, but among its first delineators, if not the very first, was an actor from Edinburgh named Bennett, who had been a member of the company in that city, playing minor parts, under Murray. He made his opening bow as Rob in the old Chestnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia, in 1 83 1, and was fairly successful. A much more able rep- resentative of the great cateran, however, was Thomas F. Lennox, a Glasgow man, who appeared in the charac- ter in the Chatham Theatre, New York, in 1838, and made a great hit. His personal appearance exactly suited m \ 4 340 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. the cnaracter. He had a powerful yet not unpleasant voice, and every time he started in to denounce the Sas- senachs he made the gallery howl in chorus. Lennox was a good all-round actor, and a great favorite wherever he appeared, lie died at j\lem])his, Tenn., in 1849. Quite a different sort of a Rob was fohn Henrv An- derson, the *' Wizard of the North," as he called himself in his advertisements and showbills. He first visited this country in 1851, and besides giving exhibitions of his really wonderful skill as a magician produced *' Rob Roy " at Castle Garden, this city, with himself in the title role. Its merit may be understood from the remark of one of the most competent American critics of the time, that " Anderson was a very good magician, but a very bad actor." In one way or another the redoubtable " Rob " has had his name kept pretty well before the American, pub- lic, possibly because Sir Walter wScott's novel of that name has enjoyed a larger American circulation than that of any other of the romances of " The Author of Waverley." The novel has appeared in nearly all the pop- ular " series " of " standard works," without which no American publisher's catalogue seems complete, and in all other sorts of cheap series with which the United States market is flooded. Even James Grant's story of " The Adventures of Rob Roy " has been issued in editions of thousands, and in more than one instance it has been given as a " supplement " to a Sunday newspaper. But perhaps the most curious illustration of the popu- larity of the name was when it was used as the title to a comic opera in which the genuine cateran did not appear at all. It wrs written by a gentleman named Harry B. Smith, and from a historical point of view contained more sheer nonsense than possibly any other stage ar- rangement seriously or humorously founded on history. Its leading character was Rob Roy MacGregor, a High- land Chief, although the cateran was not a " chief " at all, and the cast describes him as a follower of Prince Char- lie, although the real Rob died in 1738, when Prince Charlie's ideas of Scotland were the primitive ones of I'UBLI ( ' K XT i:iiT A I N Kliti. :Ul youtli. 'ihcii we had the " .Mayor " of Perth, wlio was an Kn^dishman, and wlio seemed to have been tlie depos- itary of tlie ready money which the (Jovernment iuiended to spend in subduing- the forces of Prince CharHe. There were all sorts of udd situations in the i)lay, one of which showed us J'rince Charlie as a prisoner in Stirling Castle, from which he was liberated by the efforts of Flora Macdonald, and the whole affair 'wound up with the marriage, or the arrangements for the marriage, of that young lady— who, by the way, was dress':d through- out in a Highland male costume — and the Prince. Put lest souic of our readers might think we are exag- gerating the bundle of improbabilities and absurdities thtis presented, we reprint here the synopsis of the play which appeared on the official programme: ** The story of ' Rob Roy ' is very interesting, inas- much as it is founded on that romantic story of Sir Wal- ter Scott's which deals with the escapades of Prince Ed- ward Stewart the Pretender and his faithful follower, Rob Roy Macgregor. At the opening of the first act a party of Highlanders make a raid upon the house of the Mayor of Perth and appropriate a sum of money in- trusted to that worthy for English troops. The Alayor has a fair daughter, Janet, who is secretly married to Rob Roy. Owing to the Mayor's desire to keep on good terms with both the English and the Scotch, he compels Janet to declare herself the wife of first an old Scotchman and then a young English oflicer. As a mere declara-. tio^i constitutes a Scotch marriage, Janet finds herself the wife of three husbands belonging to opposing factions. Throughout the first act the romantic interest is main- tained by Prince Charlie and his sweetheart, Elora ]\Iac- donald, whose adventures have historical foundation. At the end of the act Janet deserts the two husbands pro- vided by her father and escapes to the Highlands with Rob Roy. The scene of the second act is laid in the Highlands, when the Scotch are in hiding after the bat- tle of Culloden. Janet, as a Highland shepherd, is wait- ing for the return of Rob Roy, who is fighting at Cul- loden. The greater part of the act is devoted to the 1 t .ji- m I : I 342 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. »iB il i ! machinations of the Highlanders to prevent the capture of their bonnie Prince Charhe. Tlie act ends with Flora Macdonald giving" herself up for the Prince. The third act, which shows the exterior of Stirling Castle by moon- light, with the English troops in. bivouac, sees everything happily arranged." Amusing as this production was on account of its silly distortion of historical matter, a distortion whicii was not even required by the story, it was infinitely more respect- able than a rendering of *' Rob Roy " which was given in Chicago in 1895. ^^'^ <^l'<^ ""^ see this production, fortu- nately, but the following advertisement of its glories will sufficiently indicate to the reader its unique character: " * Rob Roy ' will be given in the great amphitheatre, Burlington Park, Saturday, Aug. 3, 1895, under the aus- pices of the Scottish Assembly. Twelve special acts will be presented in tableaux and pantomime. Sham battle — Highlanders and Zouaves vs. First Regiment, I. N. G. Thrilling and exciting conflict. Cannon roar, volley after volley fired, terrific fusillade; with great confusion the enemy is routed amid the applause of 10,000 specta- tors. Tlie bold chieftain is free! The park will be on blaze during the evening with electric lights, so that the presentation of the soul-stirring drama will be produced with all the magnificent splendor possible." But we must return to the players themselves, and dwell among a few names which are more or less repre- sentative, although most of them are now forgotten, for nothing is more fleeting and perishable than a player's stage reputation. Mr. and ]\Irs. Marriott, who came here from Edin- burgh in 1794, made the old John Street Theatre be crowded to the doors each time they appeared in " The Fair Penitent," and they repeated that success in Phila- delphia and Boston and in whatever city they performed. In 1810, in the same New York theatre, a Dundee man named David Mackenzie made an equally great hit as Flint in the now long-buried play of " The Adopted Child." He afterward made a very successful tour through the country, but for some reason now unknown fi'l PUBLIC ENTERTAINERS. 343 he ended his hfe by suicide at IMiiladelphia toward the close of 1811. C^ne of the greatest favorites of tlie I'owery staple around 1826 was a J'ifc man named James Roberts, wlio was l)orn in i/ijS, and died at Ciiarleston, S. C, in 1833. In melodrama, either "s a villain or as a hero, he was considered to have no ecjual. As nntch, at least, mij^^ht be said of Richard L. Graham, a Cllaspcow actor, whose first appearance was made at the National Theatre, IMiila- delphia, in 1840, and who continued on the American staj^e until his deatli, at St. Louis, in 1857. Another Scotch actor who was a great favorite in his time in New York was John Mason, a native of Edin- burgh, who made a hit on his first appearance in Amer- ica at the old Park Theatre as Rover in " Wild Oats." He afterward studied medicine, went to New Orleans, and built up there a large and lucrative practice. P. C. Cunningham, a Glasgow man, visited America first in ^835, and made his first api)earance that year in the Warren Street Theatre, lioston. lie was especially noted for his excellence as a player of Irish characters and for his rendering of old men's parts. He closed his first sea- son in America at Alitchell's Olympic, in New York, and then went back to Britain, where he acted successfully throughout the provinces. He returned several times to this country, being always certain of a hearty welcome on account of his merits as an actor. One of his last appear- ances was in 1852 at the opening of the Arch Street The- atre, Philadelphia, when he took the part of Gibby in *' The Wonder." Many in the States and Canada will remember the tour of Sir William Don, a native of Berwick, in 1850, and the artistic success he won. Losing his fortune in the course of the process know'n as " sowing his wild oats," he turned to the stage as a means for earning his livelihood, and acquired a fair degree of popularity on the boards. He was the descendant of an old Scotch family, and on the female side was the representative of the Earls of Glencairn. His father for some time repre- sented Roxburghshire in Parliament and was an intimate ' -■ ;t 1 '. I''PII' li 344 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. friend of Sir Walter Scott. In his younger and palmy days Sir William was an officer in a regiment of dra- goons, and held the appointment of an aide de camp to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland. In 1845 '^1^ found him- self so financially embarrassed that he had to resign from the army and adopt the stage as a profession. His course was deeply deplored, naturally, by his noble friends, but the public admired his independence in earn- ing his own living rather than settling down as a paltry pensioner on whatever his relatives might allow Jiim. In 1857 he married an actress, and togctlier they made sev- eral successful tours through Britain. Sir William re- mained on the stage imtil his death, in 1862, and retained his popularity to the end. His widow. Lady Don, visited America in 1867, and was very sttccessful in comedy and burlesque parts. Robert Campbell ]\Iaywood may be regarded as a good representative of the Scots (and there have been many of them) who have held the reins of theatrical maivagement in this country. He was born at Greenock, it is said, in 1786. and in 1819 appeared at the New York Park The- atre. In 1832 he became manager of the Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia, and he continued to manage the- atres in that city until 1840, when he took a grand fare- well benefit and retired from the stage. He died at Troy, N. Y., in 1856, fronir paralysis. It used to be said that whenever he was short of an attraction he invariably put " Cramond Brig " on the stage, and as invariably made a success of it. The most noted, however, of the Scotch managers in America wa? Col. John A. McCaull, who, after a life of varied successes and misfortunes, died at Greensboro', Ala., in 1894, and was buried in Baltimore, iNTd. He was born at Glasgow in 1830, and was, when a cliild, taken by his parents to Virginia. When the civil war broke out he joined the forces of his native State, and served under General ^Tahonc in the Conferkrate Army. When it w^as over he was for a term in the Virginia Legislature. But it was in connection with the stage that he became known to fame. PUBLIC ENTERTAIXKKc?. 'Mo i : As an operatic manager he introduced more stars than an}/ other man in America, but his fortunes decHned in his closing years, and on Feb. ii, 1892, a monster benefit was given for him in the Aletropolitan Opera House. It netted $8,000. Among tlie Scottish actresses wlio won distinction on the American boards, besides those ahx-ady named, the most famous in many respects was Mrs. Joseph Wood, who made her transatlantic debut '"i^ 1833 i" ^^^^ Park Theatre, New York, in the operc'ia of " Cinderella." She was born at Edinburgh in 1802, and received her musical training under the patronage of the J3uchess of Buccleuch. Under her maiden name, Susannah Paton, she made her first bow to the public at concerts in her native city, and quickly became popular, her sweet voice and winsome appearance securing for her hosts of ad- mirers. In her case, critics and public were unanimous in their praise. In 1820 she esayed the highest rank of her profession by appearing at the Haymarket, London, as Susannah in " The ^larriage of Figaro." Her success in the Pritish metropolis was also complete, and for three or four years her life was full of happiness. She was courted by Lord William Vht Lennox, a younger son of the Duke of Richmond, and was married to iiim in 1824. Lord William, soon after their marriage, began treating her cruelly, and ait^r a while she found it necessary to separate from bim. Their domestic troubles created a great sensatu n at the time, but amidst all the talk the young actress retained the sympath} of the public, and every one was glad when she obtained a decree of di- vorce from the titled brute, and resumed her place on the stage. In 182S she married josej)h Wootl, a p()[)ular actor and operatic singer, and both maintained for nany years a front rank on the liritish stage. Mrs. Wood's American experiences were of the most pleasing descrip- tion, and she was magnificently received wherever she appeared, which was in all the large cities of the conti- nent. She died at Wakefield, England, in 1864. Few lives have been more full of sunshine and shadow than that of A.gnes Robertson, wife of Dion Boucicault, •IS 34G THE SCOT IN AMERICA. the actor and playwright. Born at Edinburgh m 1833, she became in early life famous as an actress in Scotland, and was regarded as one of the most beautifiil women in the country. Her marriage to Ijoucicault, in 1853, brougi)t lier more prominently than ever before the pub- lic, and the same year she made her American debut at jMontreql. In North America she was a prime favorite wherever she appeared, and, whether in Scotch or Irish drama or in society plays, she proved herself to be a fin- ished and accomplished actress. The story of her later domestic troubles and her retirement from the stage are painfully familiar to people inteiested in theatrical mat- ters, but amidst all the recriminations and lawsuits, and variety of stories which were circulated at the time, she never lost the respect of the public. Among musicians and composers the Scot in America has also made his mark, and as a producer and inter- preter of high-class nnisic his efforts have made him con- spicuous. His quality as a producer is fairly shown in the career of William Richardson Dempster. This ge- nius of song was born at Keith in 1809, and was appren- ticed to a quillmaker in Aberdeen. He was from his boyhood devoted to music, and applied all of his spare time to its study. In early life he crossed the Atlantic and was naturalized as a citizen of tlic United States, de- voting himself to teaching music and to public singing, for his voice and ear were equally gifted. He gradually became known as a composer, but his efforts in that di- rection were not generally recognized until he published his setting for Tennyson's *' May Queen," which at once became very popular wherever Tennyson's poem was known. Subsequently he composed music for many of the songs scattered through the works of the great Poet Laureate, and his latter years were spent pleasantly and at equal intervals on both sides of the Atlantic. In pri- vate life Mr. Dempster was much respected as a rigid moralist, a good man in all that men hold honorable, and a conscientious citizen, and his death, at London, in 1871, was regretted by hosts of friends in the United States, as well as in the motherland. CHAPTER XIII. !ii MEN OF LETTERS. IN the gallery of Scottish- American men of letters no name stands higher, no personality was more impressive, no life was more useful, than that of James McCosh, the gifted President of Princeton College, N. J. He settled in America in the fullness of his powers, and from the day of his arrival gave himself up w holly to it. He not only strove to place Princeton among the world's great scats of learning, hut he gave to America a system of pliilosophy, hased upon the old common-sense school of Scotland, which, •'' followed out and studied with the closeness it dese.'ves, will give a new trend to American thought and scholarship, and to Anierican metaphysical study an individuality of its own. His administration of Princeton was a model one. During his tenure of office he reorganized the A\hole routine at the college, extended its curriculum, rebuilt most of its halls, and when he laid down the Presidencv it was second in point of equip- ment, number of students, standing of Faculty, and moral tone to no university establishment in America. Consid- ered simply as a man of letters, Dr. McCosh by his writ- ings did much to advance American scholarship, and his two volumes on " Realistic Philosophy " and the one on " First and I'^undanuntal Truths " are probably the most important contributions yet made to higher American thouerht. The time has come for America to declare her independence in philosophy " formed part of one of the opening sentences of the former work, and the foundation of such a system was the purpose of his later writings — the work of all his closing years. But, full of American fervor as he was, he never lost his devotion to 347 I '' '\i !! I 348 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. liis native land, and what Scot abroad ever sent back to the country of his birth a grander memorial of his love than di ! '3r. McCosh when he published his invaluable history of " Scottish Philosophy "? As he well said in its preface: "This work has been with me a labor of love. The atiiering of materials for it and the writing of it, as carrymg me into what I feel to be interesting scenes, have afforded me great pleasure, which is the only re- ward I am likely to get. I publish it as the last, and to me the only remaining, means of testifying my regard for my country — loved all the more because 1 am now far from it — and my country's philosophy, which has been the means of stimulating thought in so many of Scotland's sons." To understand Dr. McCosh's life work, too, it must not be forgotten that he was a zealous and devoted minister of the Gospel. That fact he him- self not only never forgot, but he placed its duties above all others. In the preface to his " Gospel Sermons," pub- lished in 1888, he sufficiently enunciated this when he said: " Hitherto my published works have been chiefly philosophical. But, all along, while I was lecturing and writing on philosophy, I was also preaching. I am anxious that the public should know that, much a.s 1 value philosophy, I place the Gospel of jesus Christ above it.'' Dr. McCosh was born in 181 1 at Garskcoch, Ayrshire, and was the son of a farmer. After studying for the ministry at Glasgow and Edinburgh, he was licensed to preach in 1834, and soon after became minister of the Abbey Church, Arbroath. Three years later he becajrre ' minister of Brechin, and there he labored until the Dis- ruption, when he formed one of the noble band who " came out " with Chalmers, Cunningham, Candlish, and Guthrie. For a time he was an itinerant preacher, going hither and thither tlirougliout Angus and Mearns, gath- ering tlie people \n\o congregations and explaining the position of the new Free Church. Finally he settled down as minister of the East Free Church, Brechin, and gave himself up to study. It was there he commenced his lifelong inquiry into philosophical matters. One of 1 MEN OF LETTERS. 349 the first fruits of that study was a vokimc on. " The Afcthod of Divine Government, Physical and Moral," and its publication led to his receiving the appointment ot Professor of Logic and Metaphysics in Queen's Col- lege, Belfast. This appointment met with a good deal o^ opposition in Ireland. The new professor speedily showed, however, that he was an acquisition to Ireland, although his earnest ad- vocacy of a system of education in that country on na- tional principles met with the most bitter opposition of the Roman Catholic clergy and laity. Indeed, his views and those of Mr. Gladstone on this question were dia- metrically opposed to each other, but he cordially in- dorsed, as might be expected, that statesman's movement for the disestablishment of the English Church in Ire- land, His studies in metaphysics were diligently prose- cuted in Ireland, and the outcome was several works which advanced his position in the world of letter>-frrKl thought — notably his volume on " Intuitioiis^^of the Mind." In 1866 Dr. McCosh paid aj^^t to i\merica, mainly for the purpose of studyinj:5:4'hc educational equip- ment of the country. Two^^fs later he was offered the position of President^j&f'P'rinceton, and accepted it after considerable hcjiitJition. From that time until the weight of yearsMiv 1^88, impelled hirn to nsign the Presidency, his 3i4irt5le life was devoted to Princeton, and the devo- -^ron had magnificent results. liis students loved him, the friends of Princeton had confidence in him, and he constantly was adding new names to the long list of the benefactors of the institution. But, wrapped up as he was in Princeton, Dr. McCosh took a keen interest in passing events and in the literary movements of his time. lie had a profound contempt for the theory of evolution, and discussed it in print with its great apostle, Tyndall, and whatever lookorn at Edinburgh in 1816, a nephew of " Christopher North," he early showed a predilection for literary work. His education was re- ceived mainly at the historic High School of his native town — the sciiool of Drununond of Hawthorndcn, Rob- ert Ferguson, Law of Lauriston, IJoswell, the biog- rapher; Henry ^Mackenzie, the '* Man of Feeling"; Lord iirougham, and a hundred other notables — and at the university in that city. After graduating, he spent some years in London, mainly engaged in literary pursuits, and then reUirncd to Scotland, where he began that thorough study into the archaeology and antiquities of the country which was destined ultimately to give him a high place among her historical writers. Fie became Secretary to the Royal Antiquarian Society of Scotland and contrib- uted many valuable papers to its " Transactions.'' His chief study at that time was the romantic city in which he was born and in which he resided, and the result of his studies — the '' Memorials of Edinburgh in the Olden Time," published in 1847 — established his reputation as a writer and archaeologist. His greatest contribution to historical literature, however, was his " Prehistoric An- nals of Scotland," a work w'hich not only directed in- quiry on a rational basis into a subject which had pre- viously been treated as a romance or a series of fables, but continues to be a standard authority, notwithstand- ing the researches which have since been made into the subject. In 1853, through the influence of the Earl of Elgin, Wilson accepted an invitation to become Professor of English Literature and History in the University of Toronto, and thereafter made his home in Canada. From that " Ouecn Citv " he issued, in 1862, his magnificent volumes on " Prehistoric Man: Researches into the Ori- gin of Civilization in the Old World and the New," thus grouping his American as well as his European studies of a theme that was to him of the most fascinating descrip- tv 352 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. i tion. We have not space, however, to mention all of the literary work whicli this (lilis"ent student performed after his lines were cast in Canada. If j^athered together his contrihutions to the Journal of the Canadian Institute and to periodicals of various descriptions would fill a goodly array of volumes. All his work was conscien- tiously done; every line he wrote bore the hall marks of the scholar. Dr. Wilson was a poet, too, and published a small volume of his verses under the title of " Spring Flowers " in 1875, but no one can read his prose works without feeling in them even a deeper poetical sentiment and insight than in the volume in which he uttered his thoughts in verse, llis was a beautiful old age. Ele- vated to the Presidency of his college, honored by his sovereign with knighthood, and enjoying the respectful admiration of thousands of friends in both hemispheres, he continued in harness to the end, doing good by word, thought, and deed until the night came that ushered him into the sunlight. The first literature that is issued in connection with a liew country is generally topographical and descriptive, and in respect to the New World the ubiquitous Scot is represented among those who wrote of the American Colonies while even most of the seaboard was in a state of nature. This advance guard of a long line of litter- ateurs of all ranks had an early representative in John Lawson, a native of Aberdeen. He was born in that city about 1658, and in 1690 was appointed Surveyor General of North Carolina. He appears to have begun his work in America a year later, and to have applied himself to its duties with all the determination and en- ergy so characteristic of his race. The best evidence of this extant is his volume, published at London in 1700, entitled " A New Voyage to Carolina, Containing the Exact Description and Natural History of that Country: Together with the Present State Thereof; and a Journal of a Thousand Miles Traveled Through Several Nations of Indians, Giving a Particular Account of Their Cus- toms, ]\Ianners, &c." This work proved so popular, was recognized as so perfect an authority on its subject that ^ MEN OF LETTERS. 353 it was reprinted in 1709, 1714, and in 1718, and it had the honor of beiiij^ rcprockiccd, at Kaloi^h, N. C, as recently as i860. In 1712, in the course of one of his surveying- trips, Lawson was made prisoner by Tuscarora Indians and was put to death in a manner that brought into o^)- eration all the fiendish cruelty for which that people were distinguished. A better-remembered name is that of George Chalm- ers, one of the most prominent literary antiquarians of Scotland. This man, whose wonderful " Caledonia " re- mains a storehouse for writers on Scottish historical matters, was born at h'ochabers in 1742, and bred to the legal profession. In 1763 he sailed for America with a relative who was anxious to recover a large tract of land in Maryland, which had been in the possession of an earlier member of the family. Making his headquarters in Baltimore, Chalmers studied the legal practice of that city, and finally determined to settle there and carry on his profession. There he remained, until the troubles of the Revolution broke out, and when he saw that separa- tion from the mother country was inevitable, or that mili- tary rule was to be necessary to keep the country loyal, he determined to leave it. Settling up his affairs as best he could, he crossed over to London and began his ca- reer as a man of letters. It is singular that Chalmers's American experiences proved unproductive of literary result. He published in 1782 the first volume of " An In- troduction to the History of the Revolt of the Colonies," but the volume was quickly suppressed at his instance, and no more appeared in print. A volume of " Opinions on Interesting Subjects of Public Laws and Commercial Policy, Arising from American Independence," issued in 1784, and a few tracts, complete his literary connection with the United States. Scotland, however, was possibly the gainer by his devotion to themes and studies peculiar ly her own, and his editions of her ancient poets, hi-) *' Caledonia," his " Life of Mary, Queen of Scots," and many other works of like importance give him a high place among the literary students of the count ry. In the case of [amec Thomas Callender we have the If'M 'I 354 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. il \ first instance of a Scot whose entire literary life, almost, was given up to the United States, and was developed by the influences at work in the country. He was also one of the pioneers, if not the pioneer, of that style of Ameri- can journalism which uses declamation and denunciation instead of argument, which is distinguished by the bitter- ness it displays toward opponents, and seems never hap- pier than when engaged in sneering at and belittling, if not vilifying, whatever does not scjuare with the writer's notions or interests, in C-hurch or State, in religion, man- ners, or morals. Callender was born at Stirling in 1758. Of his early life little is known until, in 1792, he published at Edinburgh a pamphlet entitled " The Political Prog- ress of Britain." It was a time when the authorities, aroused by the success of the French Revolution and the feeling of dissatisfaction with political conditions which generally prevailed, were keenly bent on suppress- ing anything that looked Hke sedition, and Callender's work was judged to fall under that category, and was seized. A warrant was issued for his arrest, but he evaded it by escaping to this country. Callender reached America in 1793, and settled in Phil- adelphia. There he published the *' Political Register " and the " American Register," but neither appear to have added much to his worldly fortune. Removing to Rich- mond, Va., he established the " Richmond Recorder," which became somewhat of a power in politics. Callen- der was bitterly outspoken in his opposition to the Ad- ministrations of Washington and Adams. His beau ideal of a statesman for a long time was Thomas Jeffer- son, but toward the end he opposed that patriot's policy as vehemently as he did those of the early Presidents. A man engaged in newspaper work has little time for anything else than to fulfill its demands, but Callender managed to publish several volumes — " Sketches of American History " being the most noteworthy — all of whi'-h show him to have been a writer at once forcible qnd graceful and possessed of a thorough knowledge of ind a keen insight into the passing aiTairs of his time. His character, how^ever, was not a lovable one. His MEN OF LICTTKIIS. ;{:).■> Phil- temper was soured — perhaps by liis outlawry in early life — and his work in this country seems really to have been of little passing', and certainly of no permanent, value. lie met his death, by drowning, in the James River, near Richmond, in 1813. A much more amiable career, and one still ])opularly recalled on both sides of the Atlantic, is that of Akxan- der Wilson, "the Paisley poet and American ornitholo- gist," as he has been described. He was born in i'aisley in 1766, educated at the grammar school there, and in due time was apprenticed to a weaver — the trade oi his father. He did not take kindly to the loom, and after liis apprenticeship was over he sighed for some other em- ployment, which would give him an opportunity to study nature in all her moods. He early began to dabble in literature, and, at all events^ to have as])irations for lit- erary work, and one of his many biographers, Dr. (iro- sart, seems to regard it as probable that in 1786 he made a pilgrimage to Kilmarnock to make the accjuaintance of Robert I'.irns, and that he succeeded in his mission. Af- ter several years spent as a journeyman weaver in Pais- ley, Queensferry, and other places, durmg which lime his muse was busy, he determined to see his country tlior- oughly and at the same time support himself by " carry- ing a pack '' — that is, by becoming a peddler. In this way he not only traveled into sections of his native land which otherwise he might never have seen, but his poet- ical qualities wonderfully developed, and such composi- tions as " The i^oss of the Pack " are still recited in Scot- land. His delightful prose style also formed itself al)out this time, and the journals of his travels and his letters are to this day delightful reading. While journeying he secured subscribers for a volume of his poems, whicli ultimately appeared in 1790 and gave him a more than local standing as a poet. The volume is, however, very unequal in its contents, and shows tk.at the autlior lacked the services of a critical adviser when preparing or se- lecting its contents for the press. The most popular of all his poems, " Watty and Meg," appeared in 1792 as a penny chapbook, without any author's name, and was at -s IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) \ ^ A 1.0 I.I 1.25 •"' IM |||||22 ,: i^ 12.0 1.8 1-4 IIIIII.6 P /a ^ /a VI A ■^^% €W _,<* Vl .>, 7 /^ Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. MS80 (716) 872-4503 * %r 11 1 336 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. once attributed to Burns — the higfhest compliment which it was possible for the people of Scotland to pay it. In 1793, like nearly every young" man then in Paisley, Wilson fell under the ban of being suspected of nursing seditious sentiments, and, as he avowed the authorship of several poems thus libeled, he was sent to jail. After his release he made up his mind to try his fortunes in the young republic over the sea, although the very idea of parting with Scotland cost him a severe pang, for Amer- ica was much further away from Scotland in those days than now. When Wilson landed in the New World he was ready to accept a job at anything that presented itself, and in time he was a helper in a copperplate printing establish- ment, a weaver, a peddler, and a schoolmaster. In the last-named employment he won considerable success, and his appointment as teacher in an institution at Kin- gess, about four miles from Philadelphia, seemed to bring him the opportunity for putting into practice a determination he had formed during his wanderings over the country, that of making a descriptive and pictorial work about the birds of America. Wilson's fame in America rests on his ** Ornithology,'' the first volume of which was issued in 1808. In his let- ters and diaries he has given us \vondcrfully graphic pict- ures of his adventures in search of material for this work, of the hardships he had to endure, of his wander- ings through unknown regions and of his many hair- breadth escapes on land and water. As he journeyed he canvassed for subscribers for the work, and he has told us of his successes as well as his rebuffs in this con- nection with a species of humor that is thoroughly na- tional in its alternate modesty and grimness. It was a great work to be undertaken singlehanded by a man whose sole capital, besides his fitness, was his enthusiasm, but he kept steadily to his task, overriding all sorts of obstacles, and in fairly rnpid succession saw seven of its goodly volumes on his table and in the hands of his subscribers. The eighth volume announced his death, and the sad event was directly ?)rought about through MEN OF LETTERS. 357 his eagerness to perfect the work. Tlie story is then told: '* While he (Wilson) was sitting in the house of one of his acquaintances enjoying tlie i)kasures of conversa- tion, he ciianced to see a bin! of a rare species, for one of which he had long been in searcli. Witii liis usual enthu- siasm he ran out. followed it, swam across a river over which it had flown, fired at, killed, and obtained the object of his eager pursuit, but caught a cold, which ended in his death." The end came on Aug. 23. 181.5, and the poet-ornithologist was buried in the little God's- acre surrounding the old Swedish Church, Philadelphia, wlicrc the birds still sing over his grave. The spot is marked by a flat stone appro])riately inscribed, and is the foremost Scottish shrine in the " City of Brotherly Love.'' Wilson's memory is still cherished in the land of his birth and the land of his adoption. Not far from the ancient Abbey of Paisley a splendid bronze statue of him has been erected, showing him, not as a poet, but as a wanderer in an American forest in search of illustrations for his great work, and that work has given him a place in American literature which is not only unique but has won for him the title pre-eminently of " The American ( )rnithologist." In many respects the greatest name in Scottish-Amer- ican Hterature is that of Washington Irving, who was born in New York City in 1783. His father was a na- tive of Orkney, and traced descent back to the Irvines of Drum. He settled in New York in 1763, and became a successful merchant, but had to leave the city during the Revolutionary struggle, having adopted the Colonial cause. After a couple of years, however, he returned, and quickly made up his losses. He was a sturdy Presbyte- rian, a good citizen, and a stanch admirer of the first President of the country, and so named his youngest son in his honor. Washington Irving w'as carefully educated, although he never attended college, and in due time entered a law office. He was attentive to his law studies, but liter- ature had a greater attraction for him, and the business of his life was sadly interrupted — fortunately for literature — it!' A. ■i 1; >4 . t ■: i a- f^^ ly VU— 'AKM I! ii ii* 358 THE SCOT TN AMERICA. by delicate health. This le line, that people at first did not know what to make of it. MEN OF LETTERS. n.')!) The descendants of the old Knickerbocker families voted it a caricature and denounced it as such: others accepted it as a veritable history, and a few sat down to enjoy its perusal purely as a literary treat. It at once became popular, and has since become a classic, and we have admitted Wilhelmus Kraft, W'outer \'an Twiller and Peter Stuyvesant — I'eter the Headstrong — to our j^al- lery of heroes of romance, lint such is the power of genius that Irving's " Knickerbocker," without any real pretensions to be a veritable history, has taken its place among historical records to such an extent that no ono would now dream of investigating the early histor\ of New York or writing about it without studying more or less Irving's pages. We could not draw a pen picture of (lov. Stuyvesant, for instance, without bis aid, for it is Irving's portrait of that one-legged hero that has been accepted as the true one, and, in the public esteem, what- ever does not conform to it cannot be correct or worthy of consideration. In Scotland it is Sir Walter Scott's " Jeannie Deans's Duke " that people think of, not the historical character who figures in the annals of Great Britain as the second Duke of Argyll. This work fully established Irving's fame on both sides of the Atlantic, and, what probably delighted him more, led to the writer's receiving a warm welcome at Abbots- ford, when afterward on a visit to Scotland. "The Sketch Book," with its inimitable paper on '* Rip \'an Winkle," added to the popularity of Irving; but, although " Brace- bridge Hall " was received kindly, it did not add much to the prestige of its author. In the " Life of Colum- bus," published in 1828, Irving fairly entered the arena of European literature, and that work at once became recognized as the standard biography of the gr'^at dis- coverer. Its diligent research, its clear array of facts, its skillful handling of details, and the beaa.y of its lite- rary style were at once recognized as the work of a master, and it has since remained without a rival in pop- ular favor. His last work, his *' Life of George W^ashington," was undoubtedly his greatest and his best, and gives us a • ! ■ - . j!i aoo THE SrOT IN AMERICA. picture of the great American hero wliich, it is safe to say, will never !)e surpassed for truthfulness or power, lie gives way to no theories why Washington did this or (lid not do that. lie indulges in no philosophy, and follows his hero from the cradle to the grave with a fullness that leaves no doubt in the mind of the reader as to what kind of a man Washington really was; and this, it seems to us, is the very iiighest form of biographical writing. When the work was passing through the press Irving began to feel that the night that falls upon all men was quickly drawing its shadows around him, and it was only a few months before the clouds closed in that he had the happiness of seeing the completed work on his table, and of rejoicing in the knowledge that all united in say- ing it was well done. He died on Xovember 28, 1859, and three days later was buried in Sleepy Hollow, in the midst of a country that received from his ])en some at least of the halo which Scott threw over his own beloved Borderland. Had Washington Irving not written " Astoria " it is probable that tlie recognized authority, the literary genius of John Jacob Astor's expedition to Oregon would have been Alexander Ross, who from a pioneer hunter developed in his later years into a writer of books. His " Adventures of the T'irst Settlers on the Oregon or Columbia River," " Fur Traders in the Far West," and ** Red River Settlement " are good books of their kind, full of adventure and description, written in an easy, at- tractive — sometimes fascinating — style, and eminently truthful even in the slightest detail. Ross was a native of Nairnshire, and went to Canada in 1805, when in his twenty-second year. For a time he taught school in Glengarry and elsewhere, and found the employment fruitful of usefulness to the children and the community, but barren of results to himself. In 1810 he joined the Astor expedition to Oregon, and until 1825 was a hunter and fur trader in the Astor Company or that of Hudson Bay. In 1825 he removed to the Red River Settlement, and became its Sheriff and a member of the Council of Assiniboine. He survived till his seventy-third year, in MEN OF LP:TTEHS. :m spite of all the hardsliips and sufferings of his early life, and died at Winnipeg, beloved and lumored, in 1S56, Pleasant memories yet linger in Charleston, S. C, of the Rev. Dr. (ieorge lUiist, who settled in that eity to take charge of an academy or college — the wortls at tiiat time appear to have been used synonymously — and re- mained there till his death, in 1808. He was born in Fifeshire in 1770, was educated at F.dinburgh University. and there called to the ministry. He was one of iJu" earliest Scotch students of philology, and that subject, ever changing and progressing, and constantly openii.g U]) new fields of thought, remained his favorit(> study throughout his long and useful life. He was one of the contributors to the F.ncyclopaedia r)ritannica, abridged Hume's History of Fngland for schools and ordinary readers; and a volume of his sermons, published after he had passed away, was prefaced by a brief memoir in which the example of his beautiful life was fittingly l)laced before the reader. The volume is now very scarce. One of the most curious characters in all American literary history — and no literary history is so full of curi- osities — was John Wood, author of a "History of the Administration of John Adams," which James Farton, the American biographical writer, has cliaractcrized as a lot of lies. This characterization seems, unfortunately for Wood's memory, to have been perfectly correct. To sum up his literary work in the most general and gentle manner, we might say with truth that he was one of the most unreliable and fact-regardless writers who ever lived in America. Wood was born in Scotland in 1775, and emigrated to Anjerica in 1800. He engaged in such literary hack work as he could find, and never really rose above the stage of such composition. This w^as due more to the lack of literary opportunity, the country not then being far enough advanced to foster any of the higher arts to any great extent, than to any lack of abil- ity on the part of Wood, for he seems to have really been a man of superior intellect. For several years he edited a sheet called ** The Western World," in Kentucky. In trr^ \l 30? Till-: SCOT IX AMKHICA. 1817 he took up liis abode in W'asliinj^ton, and liad tlie editorial cliarj^e of tlie " Atlantic World." lie cultivated the friendship of the most noted politicians of his time while S(jj(jurninj^ in tlie national capital, but their friend- ship did not advance his interests in any material way, and he died at Riclmiond, \'a., a poor man. in i8jj. We gladly turn from the memory of such a personage as Wood to the hon(>red name of j<;Jm (ialt, one of tlie most distinguished annalists of the h'cotch peasantry and one of the most voluminous and instructive writers of his time. A few years ago he was named as second only to Scott as a delineator and illustrator of vScotch humble life, and, although time and the varying moods of public taste have removed him from that high pedcstr.l. he yet holds a foremost place among the Scottish novelists wln^ have written of their own people. Such works as " The Annals of the Parish " and '" The Ayrshire Legatees " still retain their popularity, and are alone sufficient to keep their writer's memory green in the hearts of his countrymen. (Ialt was born at Irvine. Ayrshire, in 1779, and had made his mark in literature before crossing the Atlantic in 1824. " lie came to Canada," writes Mr. H. J. Morgan, to whose writings we have been greatly in- debted for information on many points, *' as Commis- r>ioner of the Canada Land Company, an association in wiiich he took great interest and used his best efforts to advance; and it may be said that to his indefatigable en- ergy and ability may be in part ascribed the present [1862] higli position tiie com])any enjoys. Indeed, we know of lianlly any (;ne who did so much for it as Mr. Gait. During his stay in Canada he took a great interest in the upper province [Ontario] and in colonizing and settling it; and the country is indebted to him for some of the best improvements, both on land and water, it possesses. He founded the town of Cuelpli, in the Coun- ty of Wellington, and the town of Gait is named after him. But differences having arisen between him and the company, he resigned in 1829 and returned to Britain that same year, where shortly afterward he was obliged to take advantage of the Insolvent Debtors' act. He re- MEN OF LKTTKKS. 3C.'i obliged He re- Uirncil to his littrary labors with rctiowcd zest and en- crj^y, and durinj; tlic rt'iiiaindcr of his hfc ho prochicocl a number of works, principall) novels and miscellanies, some of which rany^e high in the estimation of literary men and belong to what is called the ' standard ' series of Enq-lish literature." Oalt died at (Ireenock. in iH^*;. Two of Gait's sons went to Canada before his decease, in search of fortune, and of one of these, the late Sir A. T. Gait, the story of his public career is really a part of the history of the Dominion. The other son, Thomas, was long- one of the Judges in Canada's Court of Com- mon IMeas. A pathetic story of promise, failure, and disappoint- ment, of a blasted life slowly dragging on to its end and finally going out, alone, in the very depth.s of ])Overty and despair, is furnished by a study of the life of Alex- ander Somerville, the once-famous '* Whistler at the Plough." He was born at Springfield, in Oldhamstocks Parish, Haddingtonshire, in 1811. His parents were poor, and when Alexander went to work as a cowherd at sixpence a day his father's earnings were only six shillings a week. The boy got considerable schooling, however, in parish schools, for no matter how poverty- stricken ihcy may be, Scotch parents invariably strive to give their children some education, even at the cost of privation. As he grew to maidiood, while earning a scanty income as a common laborer, Somerville took a deep interest in the political movements which then [18^^1-2! agitated llritain. and naturally his entire sym- pathies were with his own class. In 1832 he lost his em- ployment on account of the dullness of trade, and, as nothing seemed likely to turn up to give him a liveli- hood, he enlisted in the Sc(jts (ireys. That regiment was then arrayed, not against the enemies of liritain. but against the people of liritain. The men did not like the work. Many of them sent letters to the War ( )fTice stat- ing that they would not use their weapons to interfere with a public meeting or to hamper the people in the peaceful prosecution of their rights, and one of these let- ters was traced to Somerville. It was determined to P I i t 1 ' il': hi;: I •.U'A THE arOT IN AMERICA. ; make an example of some one, and he was tried by court- martial for a manufactured offense, fijund guilty, and or- dered to receive one hundred lashes. The horrors of this ])unishment were graphically described long after- ward by his own pen. The Hogging, however, had far- reaching results. When Somerville left the hospital after his stripes had healed he found that the matter had been a theme of newspaper discussion, and he became a hero in the eyes of his comrades. lie gave in a letter to a newspaper an account of the real cause of his Hogging, the sim])le fact that he had dared to give expression to his thoughts, and this letter, although it disgusted the authorities, was suffered to pass without notice simply because in the condition of public opinion they were afraid to repeat the dose they had formerly administered. Meanwhile a subscription was set on foot, Somerville's discharge was purchased, and with £.^oo in his pocket he returned to Scotland, helped his parents, started in busi- ness — and failed in six months. He next took service with the Si)anish Legion in the Peninsula, serving two years. Returning to I'ritain, he helped to warn the pet)- ])le against foolish revolutionary measures, and in that way did more service to the working classes than though he had, as many desired, become one of their aggressive leaders. He commenced his literary career as a corre- spondent of the *' Manchester Examiner," and published, among other things, an account of his adventures in Spain. In 1852 hi? famous letters, signed by " One Who Has Whistled at the Plough," appeared, and afforded him an opportunity for utilizing the information he pos- sessed of political movements, and his views on the bet- terment of the working classes, as well as reminiscences of his travels, and comments on all topics then interesting P>ritain. These letters created a wide interest, and the author was more talked about than any other journalistic contributor for a year or two. His autobiography (issued in 1848) also enjoyed a wide sale. In 1858 he went to Canada, and for a time was editor of the " Canadian Fllustrated News." His clear, vigor- ous English, the lucidity of his arguments for any meas- court- nd or- ors nf aftcr- 1(1 far- ospital or had :anic a Iter to >i()n to ed the simply ^ were istcred. Tvillc's :kct he n bu si- service ng two le pco- in tliat though rressive corre- jHslied, 11 res in ne Who fforded he pos- hc bet- scences cresting and the rnahstic (issued s editor vigor- y meas- MFA' OF I.FTTRRS. ^CC^ ure he advocated. anaptist Church at Hartford, Conn. He was born, in 1809, at Whitburn, Linlithgowshire, and graduated at Edinburgh University. He studied theology under Dr. Chalmers, and, becoming convinced of the truth of the doctrine of immersion, he became a Baptist, and, after being admit- ted to preach, he traveled a good deal through Scotland and England, occupying such pulpits as chance directed. In 1833 he emigrated to America, and. after brief pastor- ates in Danbury, Detroit, Hartford, and Boston, he re- ,1 1 ! ' n I '] 3GG THE SCOT IN AMnRK'A. turned lo Hartford and spent there the active years of his life. For a lon^^ period Mr. 'I'undndl was joint editor of " The Cliristian P.. view." lie echted an edition of Sir W'ilhain ilaniiUon's "Discussions in rhiloso|)hy," and wrote several works worthy of a hetter fate than the nep^- lect which has apparently overtaken tlieni. In 1 851 lie resigned his pastorate and served as Secretary of the Connecticut IJaptist State Convention, tillinjjc in his time with literary work, and preachiuj^' in various places as oc- casion offered. His closing years were full of peace and hope, a beautiful sunset, and his death at Hartford, in 1877, was really for him a victory. This is hardly the place to estimate the value of Dr. Turnhull's religious writings from a purely theological point of view, but the statements in all his books that come under that class are so clearly laid down, their lan- guage is so precise, that even a layman is never at a ' ss in following his arguments, while their thoughts are ever impressive and elevated. Of his secular books, we re- gard his *' (ienius of Scotland " as the best, possibly be- cause national prejudice may affect our judgment, possi- bly because we really feel that he threw his whole heart into that particular work. We know no book which somehow answers the home-cravings of the Scot abroad so well as this, none that is more enthusiastic in its praise of the old land, without running at the ^ame time into platitudes oi extravagance. There is not a line in it that is not the result of observation or personal reminiscence, its sentiments are always pure and exalted, and it not only recalls the story of the land and describes its scenery and its personages — historical or noteworthy — but every page seems bathed in that spirit of poetry which has given to Scotland the title of *' Land of Song." The State of Massachusetts has, as the historian of its share in the civil war, William Scoular, a native of Kil- barchan. Born in that once quaint village in 1814, Scoular settled in America in 1830, and for a time worked at his trade of a calico printer. From that he drifted into journalism, and from 1841 to 1847 was editor and pro- proprietor of the Lowell " Courier.*' Then, for some five MKN OF I.KTTKKS. ac; years, he resided in lioston as editor and part proprietor of tlic *■ I)aily Atlas." The years ironi 185^^ to i,X5S he spent ill < >hio. niaiidy as one of tlie editorial staff ol the "Cincinnati ( iazette." In 1S57 he was chosen Adjutanl ( leneral of < )hio, and he was placed in the same oftiee in Massachusetts after his return to the ( >!d Hay Slate, when he settled in T.oston as editor of the " Atlas and Tee." I'our times he was elected to the Mas>achusetls H«uise of Representatives, and once was returned to the State Senate, and these honors may fairly be rej;arded as indicative of his personal popularity ami of the trust re- posed in hnr Vv his fellow-citizens. ( )n leaving" the Ad- jutant (leneral .'ft'ice in 1866 he occupied himself mainly with the compilation of his volumes on tiie ' History of Massachu ( Us in the Civil War," which were published at r.oston m i8^8 and 1871. Soon after the ccjmpletion of thii^ imporu. t work, Mr. Scoular passed away — in l8f2 — at \Vest Roxbury, Mass, An enthusiast'-', kindly Scot, v;hose name, we fear, will soon be bareh remeni'>"red, was Robert Macfiirlane, who for seventeen years was editor of the New York ** Scientific American," and was the autiior of a treatise on *' Propellers and Steam Xavijj^atioii," which was pub- lished in 1851 and \\a;« re])riiit<(l in 1854, and who edited Love's " Treatise on the Art of Dyeinj.:;"' for a IMiiladel- I)hia concern in 1868. Such worlritish Army. Although born in ( ilasgow. in 1755, Mrs. (•rant's first impressions v^ere of America, for, having been sent to the Colonies with his regiment, McX'icar's family followed him across the Atlantic when Anne was only some three years of age. Quick in observation and unusually receptive in her studies, the young girl's early education was sufficiently attende a constant scene of trouble, ijjjnoniiny, and despair, wliile in the New liis path was (jne uf tjniv't usefuhiess and (hj;- nitv. Me was born at Knockniarl jck. near Kihnarnock, Ayrshire, in I7»)(), and after receivinj^ tlie usual countrv school echication was apjjrenticed to a weaver in "' Auld Killie," His few sjjare hours were devoted to supi)l\ing the deficiencies of his scholastic training^, or, rather, to carrying- it beyond the ])oint at which the village teacher was forced by circumstances to stop, and wliat I'urtt ac- complished during these leisure hours in the way of study was really wonderful. When sixtejn years of age he was ** jjressed" into the navy while on a visit to (Ireenock, and compelled to serve his sovereign at sea for five ye-^rs. Then he managed to escape, antl. n.aking his way 1 'ck to Kilmarnock, he worketl at the loom for a while, and then taught school there and afterward in Paisley. Soon after settlir.g in Paisley, Burtt became promi- nent among the local Radical leaders, and his position among them was, in time, so marked that for his own personal safety, to say nothing of his welfare, he deter- mined to leave Scotland and try to win fortune in the young- Republic. He arrived in America in 1817. After studying theology at Princeton, he was licensed to preach, and became minister of a Presbyterian church at Salem, N. J. In 1831 he edited a religious newspaper at Philadelphia, and t^vo years later lie moved to Cincin- nati, where he continued his ministry and edited a re- ligious paper called the *' Standard." After a year or two spent as ])rofessor in a theological seminary at Cincin- nati, liC took i)astoral charge of a church at Blackwood- town, which he held until 1859, when he retired on ac- count of his advancing years. He returned to Salem, and resided in that village till his death, in 1866. P.nrtt published two volumes of his poetry. The first was issued at Kilmarnock in 1816, and the second ap- peared at Rridgeton, N. J., under the title of " Horae Poeticae: Transient Murmurs of 1 Solitary Lyre." A name now almost forgotten, that of Jolin Beveridge, for many years Professor of Languages in the College of A M o x ( ; Tin: P( > j:ts. :m if Pliiladclpliia, deserves renienihrance fur his own abilities as a Latin scholar and poet as for the indirect inlluence he had ui)on the sliajjinj^" of the career of Robert liurns. lie was born in the south of Scotland, and tauj^ht school in Edinburgh and other places. Anionj.^ his ])Upils was Thomas Tllacklock, and lieverid^e took a ])articular in- terest in directing" t'ne blind lad's thouj;-ht to p«)etr\, thinkin'4' that the ])k'asures of fancy niij^ht atone, in some everidge emi- grated to New ICngland, and, after drifting around for several years, settled in Philadelphia ii. 1757 as a teacher. He could hardly be called a success in this profession, for he was a poor disciplinarian, and his short stature, shabby dress, and awkward manners made his pupils feel anything for him but reverence. Yet he turned out some excellent scholars, and he was ahvays willing to encour- age and applaud their efforts, although sometimes his good intentions in this regard were thwarted by his own unintentional indiscretions. Thus, in 1765, he published at Philadelphia a volume of his Patin ])oems, with Eng- lish translations by his pupils. In the preface he an- nounced: "They tthe translations] are done by stu- dents under age, and if critics will only bear with them until their understandings are mature, I apjirchcnd they are in a fair way of doing- better." The pu])ils might be proud to sec their efforts in ])rint, but their ])ride would certainly receive a sharj) fall when they read these ap- parently contemi>tuous words. Literary tlicorists who are fond of asserting that the poetic spirit, or, rather, the faculty of giving expression to it, never descends from a father to his children would do well to consider the history of the humble Paisley family of Picken. The father, Ebenezer, was a poet of more than ordinary ability, and some of his lyrics rank a THE SCOT IN AMERICA. among tlic indispensablcs in every Scottisli collection. His son, Andrew \\. Picken, inherited all his father's genius; his rnuse even essayed higher flights, but its full soaring was unquestionably retarded by the vicissitudes of his life. Poverty undoubtedly chained him to the earth, while his fancy might have been roaming through the spheres. In 1822, when in his twentieth year, he was induced to take an interest in a silly expedition to Poyais, on the IMosquito Coast, and his sufferings and ad- ventures in that unfortunate episode formed afterward the themes for a series of vivid sketches in poetry and prose from his pen. ]">om that scene of desolation IMcken made his way to the West Indies, and, after get- ting employment there for some time, saved enough money to convey him back to Scotland, in 1828. But even there the fates were against him, and two years later he sailed for the United States. His fortunes did not improve by the change, and lie suffered dire vicissi- tudes, and tried his fortune in many cities. His last field of operations was ]\Iontreal, and there he earned a fairly decent livelihood as a teacher of drawing until his death, in 1849. In poetry, Picken's best work is his " Bed- ouins," a production running through three cantos, wdiich ought to be better known than it is at the present day, while his " Plague Ship '' shows that he was a graceful, forceful, and interesting writer of prose. During the lat- ter part of his life he was a regular and welcome contrib- utor to Canadian newspapers and magazines. I'icken's footsteps were directed to Montreal by the fact that an elder sister resided there, supporting herself by teaching nuisic, and doubtless it was her influence that induced him to settle down in that beatitiful city and give up his w^eary wanderings. Joanna Belfrage Picken was born at Paisley in 1798, and arrived in IMont- real in 1842. She was a writer of verses of at lea.st re- spectable merit, and was a regular contributor to the " Literary Garland " and other publications. Her writ- ings were never gathered together and issued in book form, although there was some talk of this being done shortly after her death, in 1859. -^Jfj if:! :i^ AMONG THE POETS. 383 liience One of the strongest personalities in Scottish Hterary history of tlie eighteenth century was James Tytler, bet- ter known to readers of Scottish poetry, probably, as " Balloon Tytler." He was born in 1747 at Fern, Forfarsiiire, of which parish his father was minister. He stuflied medicine, made two voyages to Green- land, tried to build up a practice in Edinburgh, and finally became a literary hack, and in that capacity compiled, abridged, and wrote many books, and prepared others for the press, although he is now remembered mainly as the writer of a couple of fairly good songs. He was a most ingenious man, in- vented several mechanical contrivances, and had invari- ably on hand some grand scheme by whicli his own fort- unes, or those of the world in general, were to be im- proved. He was also a busy man; always devising, always writing, and always in extreme poverty. Sometimes he was glad to seek refuge from his creditors by confining himself within the limits of the debtors' Sanctuary at Holyrood, although it seems impossible to imagine how the most optimistic creditor could even dream of ever re- covering money from him. While in Edinburgh, in the Winter of 1786-7, Robert Burns formed the acquaint- ance of Tytler, and was frecjuently thrown into his soci- ety. In 1792, when the latter issued the prospectus of a newspaper, to be called the " Political Gazetteer," and which was intended to show up the shortconiings and denounce the repressive policy of the ruling powers against the people, the poet wrote to him: " Go on. Sir; lay bare, with undaunted heart and steady hand, that hor- rid mass of corruption called politics and statecraft." The prospects for the issue of the " Political Gazet- teer •' did not pan out very well, and that same year Tyt- ler tried to arouse the people to a sense of their wrongs by a manifesto addressed to them. The publication of this handbill was very obnoxious to the Government. Its language was, impassioned and intemperate, and its sentiments were clearly seditious, as the laws of sedition were then interpreted. A warrant 'vas at once issu'.-d for his arriist, but he escaped prison by flying to Ireland, and : J; II I ! 384 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. ii f I when his case was called, in hi<. absence, for trial on Jan- uary 7, 1793, he was outlawed. From Ireland Tytler nianajT^ed to sail to America. We first hear of him in the New World at Salem, Mass., where he edited the " Salem Rep^ister.'' He turned his medical skill to ac- count by publishing, in 1799, a " Treatise on the Plague and Yellow Fever," but the newspaper was his main- stay, and he continued to edit it until his death. This took place in 1804, and was the result of an accident. He was making his way home one dark night, and fell into a clay pit, where his body was found the next morning. Surely his was a career strange and wayward enough to form a basis for a dozen romances. Except for his few years in America, life was, at best, biit a desolate road for him, and had he not been buoyed up by strong senti- ments of hope, we can easily understand how the gloom might have caused his descent into the most abject pov- erty and defiant sin. An even sadder story is that of John Lowe, who may be called the foremost of Scotland's single-poem poets. There are doubtless in Tytler's career many things which command our respect, for he was so much the victim of circumstances, so much a product and victim of the ill government of his times, that we can pity his misfort- unes while we admire his undoubted genius. But in the case of John Lowe there is no room for pity, and all the misfortunes which came upon him he richly deserved. He was born at Kenmure, in Galloway, in 1750. His father was a gardener, and, like most of the Scottish peasants, desired to see his son engage in the ministry, and denied himself so that the necessary education might be provided. In due time young Lowe graduated, and found his first employment in the family of Mr. Mac- Ghie of Airds as a tutor. The family included several beautiful daughters, one of whom captured the heart of the young tutor, or thought she did. He certainly cap- tured hers. Another of tlie young ladies was engaged to be married to a young gentleman named Miller, and it was the news that Miller had been drowned at sea that inspired the song which has given Lowe a prominent AMONG THE POETS. 385 place in the ranks of Scotland's song writers. Like every other heartless man, lie could pour out any amount of sympathy for other people's sorrows, but had none to spare for woes of which he himself was the cause. He tried hard to get a church in Scotland, but somehow faded, and despairing of obtaining either position or pre- ferment in his native land, he resolved to seek them in the American Colonies. With the fondest vows, and professions of undying affection, he parted from his love at Airds and sailed for America in 1771. So far as can be seen, he forgot all about his plighted love very soon. Settling at Fredericksburg, \'a., he tried to earn his liv- ing by teaching, but was only moderately successful. Then he fell in love, or professed to fall in love, with a \'irginian lady, but she would have nothing to do with him, and married another. Her sister, however, seemed to have an attachment for him, and he married her out of gratitude. Meanwhile he had taken holy orders in the Episcopal Church, and was established as rector of a congregation at Fredericksburg, but he did not prosper in a worldly way. He speedily tired of his wife, she dis- covered he was by no means the angel she had believed him to be before marriage, and her conduct was cer- tainly not conducive to his comfort, to say nothing of his happiness. Everything went wrong with him, somehow, and to soothe his misery, like many a fool, he took to drink. Then the end came rapidly, and he laid down the burden of life at Windsor Lodge, Va., in 1798, leaving behind him as his most useful legacy only the moral of a shipwrecked life — a life which would not have been ship- wrecked if truth had only been its rudder. Lowe wrote several poems, but they are all forgotten with, the ex- ception of " Mary's Dream," yet that alone is sufficient to give him immortality. A pathetic memory is that of John Graham, once well known in New York as the " Blind Scottish Poet," but of whose career little can now be gathered. vSome of the old Scotch residents of whom the writer made inquiries in the seventies remembered bin" well, and spoke kindly of him, but their recollection was simply that of a respect- nsn THE SCOT IN AMERICA. able old man, a man of ((uick intelligence, who earned a scanty livinj:^ by selling- books, especially those compiled or written by himself. He was blind, but made no com- plaint on that score or sought charity on account of his affliction, and his features were readily aroused into ex- pressive play from the usual placid repose of total blind- ness by any reference to Scotland or mention of an\'thing pertaining to Scotsmen. So far as could be gathered, he was a native of Stirlingshire, and settled in America in early life. How or when he lost his eyes'ght is not known. He resided in New York, making a livelihood of the poorest sort, until 1850, when he migrated to the vicinity of Albany and managed a small property which had been bequeathed to him, and there his later years were spent in comparative comfort. He died about the year i860. One of Graham's principal works was published in 1833, and, under the title of " Flowers of Melody," gave a capital selection of Scottish songs. The notes, critical, biographical, and illustrative, with which he graced the work stamped him as being a man of taste, research, and intellect. It is a valuable book, and capable of ranking with later and more pretentious publications. With an- other of his works, however, we have more to do. This is his " Scottish National Melodies,'' published in 1841, with music. Although his verses were pleasing, we can- not rank Graham very highly as a poet. His rhythm is far from perfect, while his imagery is commonplace or tame. But throughout the whole there runs a deep patriotism which forces us to admire the writer and read his productions with great interest. Another intensely patriotic poet, whose connection with America was, however, exceedingly brief — he crossed the Atlantic only to find a grave — was Robert Allan of Kilbarchan. He was born in that poetically famous Renfrewshire village in 1774, and was by trade a muslin \veaver. He commenced writing verse in early life, and his inclinations in that direction were much encouraged by the friendship of Robert Tannahill and Robert A. Smith. The latter not only inserted several AMONG THE POKTS. 387 of Allan's songs in his " Scottish ^klinstrel," but set most of them to music. Allan also contributed several poems to MotherweH's " Harp of Renfrewshire," and a volume of his wiitings appeared at Glasgow in 1836. In his edition of Tannahill (which is full of references to Allan) the late Mr. David Semple wrote: "The reception the volume met with greatly disappointed the author. He supposed his merits as a poet had been overlooked, and, brooding over the disappointment, he became irritable in his temper and gloomy in appearance. Some of his friends had emigrated to America and succeeded, and he was determined to follow them. As he was in the sixty- seventh year of his age, several of his acquaintances remonstrated with him, but w ithout success, and he sailed on 28th April, 1841, from Greenock for New York. All went well until the ship reached the l^anks of Newfound- land, where the vessel was. detained eight days by foggy weather, and the poet during that time caught a coUl. He landed on the ist and died on the 7th June, 1841." From the consideration of such lives as Tytler, Lowe, and Allan, with their inevitable sadness, we turn, for the sake of the change, to the happy and perfectly rounded career of the Rev. Dr. George Scott, one of the manv sacred singers whom Scotland has given to America. Dr. Scott was born at Langside, Cjlasgow, in 1806. stud- ied for the ministry, mainly in Glasgow, and emigrated to America in 1832. Two years later he became pastor of a church at German Valley, and afterward had charge of the Plrst Reformed Dutch Church at Newark, X. J., where he remained till his death, in 1858. He received the degree of D. D. from Lafayette College in 1844, and in 1848 published a keenly critical and decidedly able dissertation " On the Genius of Robert Pollok." The labor of his life, and latterly its greatest earthly solace, was his lengthy poem of *' The Guardian Angel,'' which saw the light of print about the time of his death. '* It is," says the author, " in the form of a dream, a series ot conversations concerning the invisible state, the existence and ministry of holy angels, as Vvcll as their guardian- ship over men, held by persons who met accidentally at 388 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. I!;! different places, connected by a slender thread of story." This is not a promising theme for a poem; one would need the genius of John IJunyan to build a i)opular work on such a foundation, and the poem as a whole is, it must be confessed, rather tedious. But it is full of many fine passages, and breathes throughout a deep religious feeling — the phase of religious feeling which, somehow', possibly because it is a true interi)retation, inspires hope and peace in the heart of the reader. Re- ligious poetry, it must be confessed, except it be brief productions in the nature of hynms or Sabbath school recitations, or work of surpassing genius like " Paradise Lost," seems to be soon forgotten. All between these extremes appears to serve its day and generation — the generation that knew that writer — and then quietly to pass into the shadows of neglect. There is one peculiar- ity of this poem, however, which should in this place be pointed out. It is the result of thoughts conceived in Edinburgh and enlarged and extended at such places in America as Niagara Falls and the Mississippi, and there fore owes its inspiration directly to both countries — a true Scottish-American production. Beyond question the sweetest and best of all the Scot- tish-American lyrists was Hew Ainslie, who died at Louisville, Ky., in 1878. His " Tngleside " has long been a favorite in America, and the lines beginning " It's dowie in the hint o' hairst " have been popular among all classes in Scotland, especially since they were introduced so pathetically in Dr. Norman Macleod's beautiful story of "Wee Davie." Ainslie was bom at Bargeny, Ayr- shire, in 1792, his father being a farmer. After being ed- ucated at Ballantrae, he was put to work on the Bargeny estates for the benefit of his health, and when eighteen vears of age became apprenticed to a lawyer at Glasgow. But he had become enamored of the life he had been leading in the woods, and to escape beginning his ap- prenticeship he fled from his father's house and took ref- uge with some relatives at Roslin, near Edinburgh. There his father soon followed, and took up his own resi- dence. Young Ainslie's first employment was that of a AMONG Till-: POKTS. ;!S!) ;ad of story." i; one would bookkeeper in an Kdinburgli brewery, and then he got a position as eopyist in the (ieneral Register Uffiee in the Scottisli capitak lie also married about that time, and soon was busy solving the oft-attempted puzzle in human life of supporting a wife and weans on a small sal- ary. A short season employed as amanuensis to I'n)- fessor Dugald Stewart was a pleasant interlude in a life which seemed to carry nothing but gloom in its future, and then, in 1821, Ainslie made up his mind to emigrate to the United States. I)efore doing so, he paid o farewell visit to Ayrshire in company witii two friends, and the story of the trip was told in a little volume — his first — entitled " A Pilgrimage to the Land of lUu-ns." It ap- peared in 1822, and was reprinted in the memorial vol- ume, containing Ainslie's memoirs and a selection from his writings, published at Paisley in 1891. The work has r.omc fine descriptive prose passages and a few good songs. Shortly after its publication Ainslie bade farewell to Scotland, and settled on a small farm in Rensselaer County, X. Y. A year later he was joined by his wife and children. In 1842 he moved to Xcw Harmony, Ind., as he had thrown himself with all his heart into Robert Owen's social schemes, and thought he saw in the settle- ment at New Harmony the beginning of an earthly para- dise. The practical working of the scheme did not, how- ever, come up to his exj)ectations, and after a while he removed to Shippensport, Ohio, where he established a small brewery. After brief residences in various towns, he finally settled in Louisville, which became his home in 1829, and was regarded as such until the end. In 1852, however, he visited New York at the invitation of the Wellstood family, (the well-known engravers already referred to,) and continued with tliem for over ten years. In 1862 he revisited vScotland, and spent tiiere two very happy years among scenes that had long been but a mem- ory. He was warmly welcomed on every side, and car- ried back with him over the Atlantic a host of fresh rem- iniscences and the good wishes of many new as well as old friends, which made Scotland dearer to him than ever. Soon after returning, he settled again at Louisville, and 390 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. ill i it his declining years were tempered by the devoted care of his family, tlien all grown up and " weel-daein." " Ainslie will ever hold a place among" the poets of Scot- land — not in the foremost rank, certainly, but along with i'eattie. Wilson, Motherwell, Rodger, and others in the second circle. He wrote much, and often carelessly, but sufficient came from his pen to make a volume of verse excellent enough in quality to give him a recognized po- sition as a poet in any literature. He delighted in the use of the Doric ; his years of toiling and excitement and worrying in America seemed to make it dearer to him as he advanced in life, and it uplifted his muse out of the levels, for everything which he wrote which was not " in guid braid Scots " seems flat and tame and little else than rhymed prose — prose that would have been better expressed had it not been hampered by rhyme. " Mr. Ainslie," wrote Dr. John D. Ross in a memoir in hi valuable volume on " Scottish Poets in America," '' was a poet in the truest sense of the word. His love for Scot- land, no doubt, stimulated his muse to sing forth her praises in songs which will ever retain a place in the hearts of his countrymen, but apart from this he has left us numerous ballads and lyrical pieces which we could not willingly let die. Many of these are of a very pa~ thetic nature, and, in addition to their being very beauti- ful, they contain excellent sentiments expressed in the simplest of words." Three editions of his poems w^ere published in this country during his lifetime, and contri- butions from his pen appeared in " Whistlebinkie," and selections from his writings in all modern collections of Scottish poetry or sor.g. William Wilson, bookbinder and bookseller, Pough- keepsie, N. Y., is still remembered as a pleasing writer, some of whose songs will long keep his memory green and give him a place in American literature. He was born at Crieff in 1801. His father having died in infancy, William began, at the age of seven years, the hard battle of life by being sent to help in herding sheep, and when fourteen years of age was apprenticed to a " cloth lap- per " in Glasgow. He afterward removed to Dundee, AMONO THK POIOTS. :{!)1 where he varied the tedium ai liis trade by contrihutinj^- to the local ])a])ers. Then he went to Edinburgh, where he was enabled to start in business as a dealer in coal. Tn 1833 he cniiijratcd to the L'nited States, and, a year later, settled in roug'hkee[)sie, where he conducted a book business successfully until his death, in i860. His son, James (Irant Wilson, has done good literary work as editor of several important publications, as well as by much original writing. William Wilson's poems have twice been published, and received very considerate treatment at the hands of the critics. ( )nc of them wrote: "He was a genuine son of song, and his genius is deserving of even wider recognition than it receives at present. Simplicity and kindness are his greatest characteristics, and are shown in every line he writes. He is earnest and direct in his teaching, and whether singing the praises of his native land or the glories of the land in which he died, whether mourning beside the grave of a loved one, or warbling ' Stanzas to a Child,' tlie hearty, whole-souled character of the man shines clearly forth." A truly gentle life was that of ]\Irs. jMargaret Maxwell Martin, who died a few years ago at an advanced age at Columbia, S. C. She was born at Dumfries in 1807, and crossed the Atlantic with her parents in 181 5. They set- tled at Columbia, S. C, and there Margaret not only re- ceived her education, but married William Martin and spent her many years of useful life. For over seventeen years she managed and taught a female seminary at Co- lumbia, and she published many volumes of poetry and prose, among which her '* Religious Poems '' (1858) and " Scenes and Scenery < f South Carolina '' (1869) must hold a prominent place. A man of much promise, full of poetic spirit and rich fancy, but which, however, never developed at all in keeping with early hopes, was William Kennedy, who is better known to readers of Scottish poetry as the friend of William Motherwell than for anything he contributed to the minstrelsy of his native land. He was born at Paisley, or near it, in 1799; contributed, with Mother- '■ i '■ M 1 i- 1! I'. ■.^l ^< s i i 1 i ■ S; 1 . ii . ;;n2 TIIIO SCOT IX AMi:iil<'.\. well, to the " J*aislcy Magazine," and piiljlishcd in 1827 a volume of poems, which was llatteringly received. He afterward removed to London and entered upon the career of a man of 'otters. Althougii fairly successful, he gladly accepted an offer to accompany Lord Durham, (lovernor Cieneral of Canada, to his post in the capacity of private secretary. When Lord Durham's term of of- fice expired Kennedy was appointed I'.ritish C'onsul at (ialveston, Texas, and held that office for many years. His observations at this pleasant i)ost were published in two volumes, at London, in 1841, under the title of *' Rise, Progress, and Prospects of the Republic of Texas." In 1847 li^' ^^'^^ America, and, with tlie aid of a (iovernmenl pension, took up his residence near London. He died in 1849. ^'^^ best-known poem is one he wrote after a visit to the grave of Motherwell, in the (llasgow Necropolis, and a set of stirring lines to Scotland, writ- ten on leaving it. ( )ne or two of his songs, notably " The Serenade " and the " Camp Song," were once very popu- lar in the United States, and are still favorites in Texas. It ftccms a pity that the exacting jealousy of journal- ism should have kept David (iray, long editor of the lUiffalo ** Courier," from devoting time to poetical com- position ; otherwise, there seems no reason to doubt he might have obtained a foremost place among the world- renowned poets of America. I>ut a man must live, and the thousand and one cares and anxieties of journalistic life are not conducive to the peace which permits the muse to essay lofty flights. So what we have to show for the poetic gift in Clray is mainly fragmentary compositions, " verses of occasion," although here and there his soul fairly gave itself up to the reign of fancy and, in the case of the verses called " The Last Indian Council on the Genesee," we have something that arrests attention, that carries us with the spirit of the author into realms beyond the veil, something that is bound to hold a place in liter- ature. Gray was born at Edinburgh in 1836, and settled in America when a boy. In 1859 he secured a position on the Buffalo " Courier," and in 1867 became its editor in chief. He held that position until 1882, when his health AMONO Till-: iH^irrs. :vxi compelled his retirement. Afterward he acted as secre- tary to the Niagara Park Commission, and in that capac- ity did good work in restoring tiiat great example of nature's mighty handiwork to a condition as free fnjm evidences of the commercial instincts of mankind as pos- sible. I'ut his health continued i)oor, and in uSSiS, when he had just started on a i)rop()sed j( urney to Cuba for rest, he was killed in a railroad accident near ningham- ton, X. V. Soon after that sad accident two elegant vol- umes, containing his life, letters, and poems, were pub- lished at Ikiffalo, and sufficiently indicate how valuable was the life thus summarily ended. Ciray was proud of his Scotch birth and parentage, and took an active inter- est in Scotch affairs in lUiffalo. As a journalist, he was the e(iual of any man of his time, while in private life his home was long one of the literary centres of IlutYalo— a city of which literature is by no means one of its dis- tinguishing features. At the i)rincipal of the many enthusiastic celebrations, in January, 1859, of the centenary of the birthday of Rob- ert lUirns in Xew York licnry Ward IJeecher, then in the very zenith of his marvelous power as an orator, was selected to deliver one of the speeches. There was some dubiety in many minds as to how he would treat the mem- ory of the bard as a whole, and how he would view some of his shortcomings. At that juncture before the centenary festival came off, the following lines formed ])art of a poem which appeared in one of the Xew York papers and created considerable discussion : '* His few sma' fau'ts ye need na ti;ll; Folk say ye're no o'er guid yoursel; But De'il may care: Clin yeVe but half as guid as Rab, VVc'll ask nae mair. " A centurv hence, an' wha can tell What may befa' yer cannie sel'? Some holy preacher May tak' the cudgels u\) ior anc Ca'd Harry iicecher." "J. Hi :vM THIO SL'tJT IX AMKFtlCA. Mr. Ilecclicr did tlio poet all tiic justice that his fond- est admirers could desire. The hi.stcry of the poem did not cease, however, wilh the event whicli suggested it. It ai)peare(l at irregular iiUervals and in a desultorv fashion until Mr. ISeecher and his old friend Theodore Tilton had their memorable struggle in the law coiirts. Then some one remembered it. Several ex])ressions in the verses (|Uoted were deemed peculiarly applicable, and it was felt that the prophecy of the poet had been realized within a (piarler of the century she had allotted fcjr the need to arise for a defender of the preacher. So the lines were then reprinted in nearly every j)ai)er in the land and sagely commented on. \ ery little seems to be known of Mrs. J. Webb, the authoress, e\cei)t that she was a resident of Xew York, freipicntly cotUributed to the poets' corners of the Xew York papers, and died in this city about 1862. She was a wcnian of undoubted genius, a true poet, and every one of her effusions we have seen are of more than ordinary merit. A contem])orary of Mrs. Webb's in Xew York City, and wiio was well known not alone as a writer of poems, but as a sculptor, was (jeorge W. Coutts, a native of Ed- inburgh, who settled in Xew York about 1856. He was one of the early members of the Caledonian Club, and not only took a deep interest in its w elfare, but executed several exceedingly lifelike and skillfully modeled busts of its prominent members. During the visit of the F'ince of Wales to America Coutts published a volume of his poems, which he dedicated to the Prince, and of tlint transaction lie was very proud. lie did not prosper in. America for various reasons, and early in 1870 re- turned to Scotland. His death took place at Colchester, Essex, in 1895. Many yc?Ts ago a family of musicians used to give en- tertainments throughout the I'nitcd States, in Canada, and long were general favorites. The Fairbairn Family was known all over the continent, and clever they all were — the father and two, perhaps three, daughters. But the style of their programmes did not vary much, and the craving for something new that possesses the amuse- AMONO TTTE POKTS. no." s foiul- cni did .'Sled it. •sullorv icodorc courts. IS in the '. and it realized fur the he Hncs tlie land s to be that she )Uted to 1 died in (loubtcil ^ions we )rk City, if poems, •e of Ed- lle was hib, and executed cd busts t of the I volume ?, and of prosper 1870 re- )lchester, crive cn- Canada, n Family they all ors. But uch, and le amuse- ment world - Scottish as well as other sorts — drove them to the wall. I lieir last api)earances in New ^()rk— in tlie seventies — were dismal faihues. ahhou^h ever\ one ad- mired the cleverness displayed, and soon after they letL that city they j;ot stranded somewhere iti the ui)per pari of the State of New N'ork, and were finally heard from as livin;^ f|uietly — from necessity — on a small farm they had secured or l)oiii;ht in Lanada. The father of the family, Aiij^nis i-airhairn, was an undoubted man of j^enius. and had he only possessed some share oi busi- ness tact ou^ht to have nu'uk' a fortune by his own tal- ents and tiiose of his family. I hit life seemed to be for him a continual struaser, bet- ter known among them as " Cousin Sandy " the poet, lie had been on a visit to ( Htawa. anAeen Icli in this ,,f yoems was born f a church [le Congre- accepted u ly after en- lius, mostly j\y for pub- was a man n life in ac- ta the men- tal equipment of Donald Ramsay of Boston, who died at Liverpool while en route to Scotland, in 1892. He was born at Glasgow in 1848, and started the business of life by becoming a printer in a valentine-making es- tablishment. When he died he was managing Director of the Heliotype Printing Company of Boston. Leading an active business life, Mr. Ramsay found little time to devote to the muses, but whatever he permitted to appear in print testified to his gracefulness of diction and the del- icacy and exuberance of his fancy. He was proud of Scotland, and, like so many others, when the muse was with him his heart was across the sea. It seems a pity that he did not gather his poems into a volume before his untimely death. They are, most of them, too good to be forgotten, and that seems now likely to be their fate, scat- tered as they are through all sorts of publications. In many respects the most thoughtful, the most richly endowed, of all tlie Scottish American poets was Alex- ander McLachlan of Amaranth, Ontario, who died sud- denly at Orangeville on March 20, 1896. Somehow his genius never seemed to find the heights into which most people acquainted with the poet deemed it capable of reaching, and tliougli he had a wide circle of readers, it was mainly limited to Canada, and he failed to win that general meed of approbation and popularity which has been so often accorded to men who did not possess one tithe of his ability. Circumstances, seemingly, were against him; how or why we cannot exactly determine, but in reviewing tlie career of this man we cannot help from tliinking that circumstances, or, to put it flatly — luck — have as much to do with molding and shaping a man's life career as have his own abilities and resplendent virtues. Of course, this is rank moral treason, according to the Sanniel Smiles school of hiographers, but no man who has had mucli practical knowledge of the world will gainsay its truth or be unable to point to more than one illustration in its support. At all events, McLachlan's life was passed without the recognition it deserved, and in a constant fight with pov- erty, until, in his old age, the generosity of a number of '-;.ifto 400 THE SCOT TX AMERTPA. his benefactors cleared his farm at Amaranth from mort- gage and debt, and so made his closing years pass on to their fruition without the perpetual worriment about making ends meet, \vhich had for so long before been painfully in evidence in connection with his literary and business plans. McLachlan was born at Johnstone, Renfrewshire, in 1820. Like most of the bards of Renfrewshire, that county of poets, he was born and reared in humble cir- cumstances, but from hi., earliest years he imbibed that sturdy sense of independence which is so marked a feat- ure in the Scottish character. When young he learned to be a tailor and worked for a time at that trade in Glas- gow. He was a studious young man, according to his opportunities, and developed into a stanch adherent of Chartism. Glasgow and Paisley at that time were strongly stirred by the political movement that promised to enlarge citizen freedom, (and did enlarge it, in spite of Peterloo massacres, prisons, hulks, and other weapons of contentment,) and as a result the flood of oratory on such places as Glasgow Green and the Braes o' Gleniffer was something e^^traordinary. Among others, young Mc- Lachlan caught the art of public speaking, and was al- ways listened to with attention because his words were carefully thought out, and he was a perfect master of every question on which he aired his views, a compliment that cannot be paid to many political orators. In 1820, seeing no chance for improving his condition in Scotland, McLachlan emigrated to Canada, and sooiv after his arrival settled on a farm. That occupation was the basis of his career thereafter, but he was known a few years after settling there as a lecturer on literary topics, and in poetry and prose was a frecjuent contributor to the periodical press of the country. In 1862 he revisited Scot- land on a mission to speak upon the advantages of Can- ada as a field for inunigration, and his lectures on that theme were eagerly listened to all over the country and attracted general attention. His reception in his native country was an exceptionally flattering one. He was welcomed on everv side, received with many marks of AMONG THE POETS. 401 honor, and presented with quite a number of valuable tokens of love from admiring friends. In 1855 he nublished his first volume of poetry, and it was followed by two others at short intervals, while in 1875 '^ colleeted edition of his writings appeared in To- ronto. All these volumes were very highly praised by the press and by critics, but not one of them added much, if anything, to the poet's financial resources. His lectur- ing expeditions had made him well known all over Can- ada, and he had friends in every section, but for the last ten or twelve years of his life he confined himself mainly to the farm, beguiling the tedium of each long wintry sea- son by his pen. He continued to woo the muse to the last, and age did not seem to weaken his fancy or to les- sen his love for the beautiful in nature. Latterly he soared into realms of thought at which most poets, even the most gifted, enter with dread — the why, wherefore, and whitiier of life; its mystery, its recompense; the mean- ing of its signs, its promises; the present and the future, and if he did not succeed in unraveling any of the se- crets, if he did not succeed in piercing tlie veil that sep- arates the seen from the unseen, he at least gives us the impression of one whose whole soul was in the cpiest of a solution of the mystery of life; that of an intellectual pioneer of a giant mold piercing through the forest and brushing aside all that seemed to obstruct his view of the land that lay beyond, dimly shimmering as at the end of a long and narrow vista among the trees. In connection witli the singers we may be pardoned here for departing from a rule hitherto pretty generally observed so far in this volume, and make reference to a few of those who, in America, are still weaving their lays and adding, in greater or less degree, to the })oetical an- thology of the land of their adoption. Sons of song are seldom, somehow, overburdened with their store of this world's goods, and as they are all doing something, or honestly trying to do something, to add to the pleasures of existence, atteni])ting it may be to lift men from the contemplation of tlie mere things of this life to the sweet- er realms of fancy, or the still more practical purpose of I 402 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. I ; I developing the good that is in them, calHng into play, as it were, the exercise of their higher nature, it may be not out of place to gratify some of them at least by a slight reference here. In view of this, some notice of the " liv- ing choir " may close his chapter. All those mentioned, and others who might be mentioned if space permitted, will be acknowledged as sweet singers, even if it be ad- mitted that they have " missed the highest gift in poetry," as a recent reviewer aptly put it in estimating the value of the poetic gifts of the late Bayard Taylor. The venerable " Bard of Lochfyneside," Evan AIc- Coll, still resides in Toronto, enjoying the beautiful sun- set of a life that has been passed in comparative quiet, and broken by no ambition save recognition of his poetic merits, an ambition that was fairly gratified many years ago. McColl was born at the clachan of Kenmore, Ar- gyllshire, in 1808, and received as liberal an education as the parish of Inveraray afforded. By his twenty-third year he had become famous throughout the Highlands for his poems in the ancient language of that region, his mother tongue, which continued to be the tongue of his thoughts throughout his career. His English writings, beautiful as most of them are, are but translations, after all, from the Gaelic in which they were conceived and fashioned and clothed. In 1836 he published his first volume, a collection of his English as well as Gaelic poems, under the title oi " The Mountain Minstrel." It was very heartily received, and the author felt encouraged in 1839 to issue a volume, " Clarsach nam Beann," solely devoted to Gaelic produc- tions, and it widened the measure of his fame in the north, while his other volume made him known to readers un- acquainted with the language spoken in the Garden of Eden. In 1839 he became a clerk in the Customs Service at Liverpool, and ten years later paid a visit to Canada for the purpose of seeing his relatives. To his native land he never returned. He secured a position in the CuS' toms Service at Kingston, Ontario, and there he remained until he was, by dint of long service, permitted to retire on a small pension. He soon became a prominent mem- AMONG THE POETS. 4oa , as not ight liv- ned, ttetl, : ad- try," ^alue Mc- sim- ijuiet, )oetic years % Ar- lon as -third ilands )n, his of his itings, after id and ion of itle of eived, loUime, iroduc- north, rs lin- den of jervice 'anada re land le Cus- Imained retire It mem- ber of the Scottish colony at Kingston, was active in the work of the St. Andrew's Society, and for niany years honored it by acting as its bard, and in that capacity seldom allowed a festival to pass withont hailing the oc- casion with a song. In Canada he has several times pub- lished a volume of his poetical compositions, and to the newspapers of the Dominion he has been and is a frequent contributor. Alexander H. Wingfield, a resident of Hamilton, On- tario, since 1850, is the author of at least one poem — "" The Crape on the Door " — that will live long after hi has passed over to the land where the poets never cease singing. At one time it was thought that many gems might be added to the poetry of tiie continent by his pen, but somehow these high hopes have not been realized. Mr. Wingfield has done some creditable work, and some of his Mnes, such as " A Shillin' or Twa," are Pot only far above the average, but stamp hmi as a true poet; yet he seems to us to have frittered away his gifts on themes that were unworthy the attention of any hv.t the most commonplace poetasters. He was born at lUantyre, Lan- arkshire, Dr. Livingstone's birthplace, in 1828, and was early sent to work in a cotton factory in Glasgow. In 1847 ^1^ settled in the beautiful town of Auburn, N. Y., and three years later removed to Hamilton, where he se- cured employment as a mechanic in the shops of the Great Western Railway. In 1877 he received an appoint- ment in the Canadian Customs Department, and in that vocation his days are still passed. For many years E. N. Lamont, a native of Argyllshire, was one of the best-known writers on the New York press, and for a time was one of the editors of the " Inter Ocean " of Chicago. A graceful, fluent writer, full of humor and strange conceits, he had the happy art of tell- ing- a newspaper story with those little indefinable touches of gracefulness in style and appositeness in thought which is not generally regarded as appertaining to tlie rusli and excitement of newspaper work. As an essayist jmre and simple Mf. Lamont was without an ec|ual while in har- ness, but he has for some years been living a life of placid m ii ' -.^ ' I 404 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. retirement in Guernscv, one of the Channel islands. Dur- ing his years of newspaper activity Mr. Lamont was wont to woo the nnise as a relaxation from the vexatic^ns and heartbreaks incidental to such a career, and many of his verses have been frequently reprinted, often without his name. Mr. D. M. Henderson, bookseller, ]>altimore, is an- other writer who has done much to make beautiful the strains of the Scottish-American bar]). Born in Glas gow in 185 1, Mr. Henderson settled in Ualtimore in 1873, and found employment as clerk until he was able to enter into business for himself. In 1888 he published a volume containing- a selection of his poetical writings, and was gratified at the kindly treatment it received from the crit- ics, as well as its ready acceptance by the public. One of the sweetest of the living Scottish-American poets is Mr. Robert Whittet, one of the best-known citizens of Rich- mond, Va., and a gentleman whose assistance has often been evoked by the writer of this work in connection with many individuals. Mr. Whittet was born at Perth in 1829, and was long engaged in business as a printer there. In 1869, although his business was fairly success- ful, he desired a change, and he crossed the Atlantic. Purchasing some four hundred acres of land near Will- iamsburg, \'a., he essayed an agricultural career, but after a time he realized that " there was nothing in it," and he removed to Richmond, started again in his old trade, and now is at the head of one of the best-equipped printing plants in the South. In 1882 he published a volume of verse under the title of " The Brighter Side 01 Suffering, and Other Poems," which met with a large sale and stamped him as a poet of no ordinary merit. Mr. D. MacGregor Crerar, ex-President of the New York Burns Society and its Secretary for over twenty- five years, is a writer of no mean ability, whose lines dis- play a fullness of thought, a carefulness of diction, and a concentration of sentiment which are the very essence of poetic composition. Beyond a poem on '* Robert Burns," printed at the request of the Burns Society, Mr. Crerar has published nothing in book form, although often re- AMONC Till': I'OKTS. 405 c(ucstc(l to do so, especially since he appeared as one of the poetic heroes in y\v. William Black's novel of " Stand- fast, Craig'-Royston." I'ossibly his strongest pieces are his sonnets, although in such lyrics as " Caledonia's lUiio I>ells " he touches the heart of every reader who possesses even a spark of sentiment, while his lines entitled " The Eirlic Well" and " My IJonnie Rowan Tree" are class- ical in their beauty. But whatever this author writes has a certain standard below which he never falls, for he be- lieves that the muse is one of the best gifts heaven vouch- safes to men, and that for the gift men should in return clothe its utterances with the utmost care, lie is a native of Amulree, Perthshire. Dr. J. M. Harper of Quebec, one of the best-known educationalists in Canada, is also one of that country's poets. He was born in Johnstone, Renfrev* shire, in 1845, and has been not only a frequent contributor to the press, but the author of a number of historical and biographical works, while as a lecturer he has won many hearty en- comiums. All his poems, whether Scotch " or other- wise," betray a keen sense of the human heart, an intense love for nature, and a hearty appreciation of all that ks beautiful and true. He sings frequently of Scotland and on Scottish themes, but his muse is mainly cosmopolitan, and deals with humanity irrespective of land or clime. It might be said that he judges the workl throug'h Scotch spectacles, but if that be a fault, this work is not likely to admit it. There is not a namby-pamby line in all Dr. Harper's verses, nothing- that is not worth reading- for its thought and sentiment, and nothing that will not ele- vate the reader. J\Ir. James D. Crichton of Brooklyn, who was born in Edinburgh in 1847, ^^ ^ writer very similar in his tastes and sympathies to Dr. Harper. A man of superior intel- lect, widely read, and investing every subject on which he writes with a peculiar charm, the reading public have a right to expect more from him than has yet appeared. He has not written much, but what he has written is full of melody, and confirms in ns the impression that in him poetry — song — is a natural gift, which the world h.as a fr^ 40G THl'] SCOT IN AMFRICA. riglit to expect to sec utilized to its fullest extent. An- other Brooklyn poet who has not written as nnich as he should have written is Andrew McLean, editor of the " Citizen " and for many years manap^ing* editor of '* The Brooklyn Eagle." lie is a native of Dumbartonshire, but has resided in America since his fifteenth year, and his devotion to journalism has checked his inclination to wan- der into other fields in which he might have made his mark in literature. Mr. William M. Wood is also a Scotch Brooklyn journalist whose abilities as a poet have never been fully cultivated. As editor of '* The Brooklyn Daily Times " his days are fully occupied, but what he has written has stamped him as undeniably capable of yet higher flights. I\Ir. Wood is a native of Edinburg'i and started in life as a printer. Robert Reid, ("Rob Wanlock,") the *' laureate of the Scottish moors," has resided in jMontreal for several vears and has won an honorable position in Canadian as well as in Scottish literature. It cannot be said that the Do- minion has influenced his muse to any extent. He lives in Canada, but his heart is in Scotland, and when his muse is stirred it is by a breeze wafted from the old green hills and dim gray muirs of his ain countree. Born in the pleasant village of Wanlockhead, right on the boun- dary between the counties of Lanark and Dumfries, it is of the South of Scotland he sings, and the scenery and landscapes of that section give to his lines their peculiar color, just as Argyllshire has colored the Scottish land- scape in the poems of that older bard, Evan McColl. Mr. Reid is one of nature's poets, that is to say, he finds his best themes in the lilt of the laverock, the wild cry of the whaup, the brown heather, and the simple affections of the heart, and to read his lines is to get, as it were, a fresh and delightful glimpse of the land he loves so well. Andrew Wanless, bookseller in Detroit, has published several volumes of his poetry and won a wide circle of readers. He was born at Longfo'macus, Berwickshire, in 1825. In 1 85 1 he settled in Toronto, where he en- gaged in business as a bookbinder, but was burned out and lost his all. In 1861 he removed to Detroit, and slowly i! ' AMOX(; Tin: I'OIOTS. 407 but surely recovered liis losses, lie is not only a poet, but an authority on poets, i)arlicularly Sooleh, and he uiscusses their merits with rare critical acumen and with a hmd (jf story and illustration which makes him a de- lightful conversationalist. All his own poems are Scotch, and he handles " our mither tongue " with the ease of a master. James Kennedy, a native of h'orfarshire and many years a resident of Xew York City, has i)ublished a couple of volumes of verse and written much that has ap- peared in fugitive form. His best effort, '* Noran Water," is a pure idyll, redolent of the Scottish countryside and evincing a wealth of imagery that delights the reader. Another Xew York poet is John Paterson, a native of Inverness, most of whose productions have appeared only in newspa])ers, where they have attracted marked atten- tion and been frequently reprinted, and Mr. H. Macpher- son, a younger bard hailing from the Ilignlands, has also won recognition as a poet from his efforts in (iaelic as well as in English during his residence in New York. Mr. W. C. Sturoc, who was born in the auld toon of Arbroath in 1822, has written a large number of verses which speak j^lainly of the goodness of his heart, the depth of his affection for his native land, and the ripe scholar- ship and Christian spirit which direct his daily thoughts. An estimable man in every way, a loyal American citizen, and a leader in the society in which he moves, Mr. Sturoc is passing through the sunset of life in his home at Sun- apee, N. H., in a way that proves the truth of the prom- ised reward that comes from a well-spent youth and man- hood. His poems are equally divided between the old land and the n \> , and every line he has written shows how equally dear both are to him. John Imrie of To- ronto has published two volumes of his poems, and sev- eral of his songs, set to music, have become justly pop- ular. He has the lyrical genius strongly developed, and is equally felicitous in his Canadian and Scotch themes. William Murray of Hamilton, Ontario, a lireadalbane Highlander, is a ready and pleasant writer of Scottish verse, mainly on historical themes, which have made i !,-r'l m 40S THK SCOT IX A.Mi:UlC.\. ! i his name known far beyond llic contnu-s ol the town in wiiicli lie has his home. Mr. W'iUiani AntK-Tbon of Aubnrn, N. Y., a native of Dnntocher, iuis written sev- eral stirring" songs, tme of whicli, " ( )I(l ( Ilory," has become very popnlar. A 'nstrious writer is Mr. J, Porteotis Arnold of ()uebc».. and so is William Lvle. too industrious to give his rhyming (jualities an opportunity to rise to the heigius they seem capable of attaining. The Rev. William Wye Smith of Newmarket, ( )ntario, a native of Jedburgh, has become known on both sides of the St. Lawrence as a writer of hynms. as well as of tuneful verses, lie is also an adept of the Doric, and prob- ably no man in America has given the language of Rob- ert liurns more patient or critical study. Mr. J. D. Law of Philadelphia is another writer w ho has a firm grasp of the Doric and can use it with remarkable facility, lie is a poet of no mean order, and soon after his arrival in the r)uaker Citv, in 1886, be le noted among the Scots resident there for his rhy ■" gifts. Since tiien he has become more widely known, for his volume of poems, issued in Paisley a few years ago under the title of " Dreams o' Hame " won golden opinions from the press both in Scotland and America, and the edition was speed- ily disposed of. ^Ir. Law is a native of Lumsden. Aber- deenshire. As an example of a purely Scottish-American writer, that is to say, of a writer born in America of Scottish an- cestry, we might mention Wallace Bruce, who for sev- eral years was United States Consul at Edinburgh, and even no\v, although his home is again in America, holds the office of Poet Laureate of Canongate Kilwinning Lodge. Edinlmrgh, in succession to Robert Burns, the Ettrick Shepherd, and other well-known Scottish poets. Born in Columbia County, X. Y., i\lr. Bruce was edu- cated at Yale L^niversity, and afterwa^'d traveled over Scotland, England, and a goodly part of Europe, Then, on his return, he ascended the lecture platform and grad- ually rose in popularity until he was regarded as one of the most brilliant orators of the Ivceums. Such themes as *' Robert Burns," " Walter Scott," and " Washington Irv- i I AMON<; 'l-HK l't)KTS. 400 ing " showed that tlic hent oi liis mind loaned toward the land of his ancestry, and from Inne to time the poems which appeared from his pen in varions periodicals proved that Scottish literatnre had been made by him a special field of study. The success which his various volumes of verse — " Old Homestead Poems," " Wayside Poems," " In Clover and Heather " amonj;- the number — has met with is satisfactory assurance to his many admir- ers and friends that his poetic merit is generally api)re- ciatcd. This theme, however, might easily be extended through a number of chapters, but a limit must be made, and it is as well to close with the gifted son of song whose merits we have just discussed. It seems hard to pass over with brief mention such undoubted singers as James Linen of California and Xew York, P. Y. Smith of Wil- kinsjn, Mass.; William Murdock of St. John, N. B., and a score of others; but perhaps the entire subject will some day receive full and fitting attention and treatment. What has been written, however, imperfect as it is, is sufficient to prove the theory with which the chapter started — that the Scots in America did not leave their harps behind them when they crossed the Atlantic, antl that they are as busy helping to build up the literature of America as they are in building up all its other interests. But the Scot at home has also had a great deal to do with molding and shaping American literature. No poet not a native of the soil is more studied or appreciated than Robert Burns, and nowhere are the lesson of his life and the significance of his mission better understood. Hundreds of editions of his works have been printed in America, and in such compilations as the annual volumes of " Burnsiana " and the monograph on Highland ]^lary, and in the tributes of such men as Whittier, Longfellow\ Emer.son, Holmes, and P)eecher the national love and reverence for the great poet of the Scottish people has found fitting expression. Every Scotch poetical work of eminence from the days of Ramsay has been reprinted in the States, and sometimes, as in the case of ^Motherwell's collected writings and Pollok's " Course of Time," the I ^*^: " ^ 410 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. l I J I, 11 number of American editions exceed those of the old land. Sir Walter Scott's writings in prose, as in poetry, are as thoroughly familiar on the banks of the Hudson as by the side of the Clyde, and, indeed, in reviewing a list of American reprints of Scotch poetical works recently the writer was almost forced to think that the United States had simply adopted the modern poetical literature of his native land and (juietly appropriated it as her own. So, too, with Scotch songs. " Auld Lang Syne " is as much the popular anthem of America as of Scotland, as much adopted and naturalized as though it had passed through a dozen courts of record, and the same might be said of several other lyrics. America as yet has hard- ly produced a native minstrelsy, but there is no doubt that gradually some volkslied peculiar to herself will be evolved, and we may be sure also that it will be more after the manner of tlie songs of Scotland than any other. No songs can charm even a cultivated American audi- ence like the simple ditties that first awoke the echoes on the north side of the Tweed, and " Annie Laurie," " Bon- ny Doon," " The Lass o' Cowrie." '' O' a' the Airts," and " Robin Adair " are as great favorites in America as though they were indigenous to the soil. Indeed, the only approach to a native minstrelsy in America was that introduced by the minstrel troupes — now going out of fashion — and their melodies, on the authority of Ceorge Christie, the founder and greatest of all these singers, were most popular when they were re-echoes of, or rem- iniscent of the songs which were and are the favorites of the people in the Land of Robert Burns. ■ the old II poetry, Hudson 'iewing a 5 recently e United literature her own. tie " is as Dtland, as id passed ne might has hard- no doubt If will be be more my other, can audi- ?choes on t;' " Bon- le Airts," merica as deed, the was that g out of f George singers, , or rem- vorites of CHAPTER XV. SCOTTISH-AMERICAN SOCIETIES. IT is difTicult to estimate liow many Scottish societies of one name or anot^ier there are in tlie L'nited States and Canada. They far exceed, considering the relative population, those of Ireland or England, and there is hardly a place on the continent where there are half a hundred Scots settled where tlicy have not organized a society — sometimes two. l*ossibly tlie reason for this is a desire of having an outlet for patriotic sentiment, or a wish to preserve the memories of auld lang syne, or an impulse to keep " shouther to shouther " ni a strange land, or possibly all tiiree. The underlying reason, how- ever, it seems to us, is an unconscious survival of the old spirit of clansliip, which causes Highlander and Low- lander, Mearnsman and Whistler, (lleskie chap and Pais- ley body to shake hands and fraternize when they meet under a foreign sky with a degree of friendship and sen- timent which would never evolve from their inner con- sciousness were their feet treading their native heath. Then, too, this feeling of clannishness, this making a real live thing of a latent sentiment, becomes more intense, more outspoken, mere precious, more demonstrative, the further the Scot is removed from his native soil. On the Pacific coast the Scottish gatherings are generally the most thoroughgoing vScotcli affairs in the workl, and everything must be redolent of the heather. On the At- lantic seaboard, especially around New York City, where Scotland is only a question of a week's sail, they are not so demonstrative, but even there they are more Scotch — more old-fashioned Scotch — in their gatherings than are the Scots at home. As a rule, more wearers of the Iligh- 411 !U 412 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. land costume used to be seen at tlie annual games of the New York Caledonian Club than at most similar gath- erings in the Land o' Cakes, and many a Scot has con- fessed that he never understood what the word pcrfcr- vidiim meant when applied to Caledonia until after he had been a short time in the New World. In Scotland, St. Andrew is accepted as a figurehead, possessing the same amount of usefulness as the figurehead on an old ship; but in America he is a very real personage, and thousands of acts of thoughtful kindness arc done year out and year in under ee Kirk, or the battle of Waterloo, or Dr. Livingstone, or Adam Smith, or Mungo Park, or tlie Cardross case, or Car- lyle's ideas of heroes and hero worship. ( )f course, they could talk about Bruce and Wallace, the fight at Largs and the battle at Bannockburn, John Knox and the Ref- ormation, the Union of the Crowns, and a lot of other things. To us these seem to be too far back in the mists of history to evoke much wild enthusiasm, but still tlie earlier sons of St. Andrew were able to make the air re- echo with their cheers as loudly as do their descendants at the present day. The Scot of 1657 and the Scot of the passing day were alike in one respect — and in so much are they boimd together — in pledging with enthusiasm '' The Day an' a' wha honour it." Our ancient as well as our modern orators on " The Day " claimed that every- thing on the earth, above, below, or under the earth which is at all worth thinking about, looking at, or hav- ing, was either made by a Scotsman or that a Scotsman " bossed the job." The oldest organization in America bearing the name of St. Andrew is the society at Charleston, S. C, which was founded in 1729. It seemed to fill a want from the first, and its membership roll fully represented the Scotch element in the population. From a historical sketch written by Judge King wc quote the following: " In 1731 they were joined by twenty-eight new members, among them being his Excellency Robert Johnston, the Royal Governor, and Robert Wright, Chief Justice of South Carolina. In 1732 they elected eighteen new members, and among them were James Michie, afterward Speakei 414 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. i: [ of the House of Representatives, and who died Chief Justice, and the Rev. Archibald Stobo, who, providen- tially saved from a fearful hurricane, was long the pastor of the Congregationalists and Presbyterians worshipping together in the same building, and was probably the first who collected the Presbyterians of Charleston into one church. * * * On the death of Mr. Skene, [first President of the society and a member of the Legislative Council,] in 1740, the Hon. James Abercrombie, believed to be of the house of Tulliebody, was elected President. The Hon. John Cleland, a member of the Legislative Council, succeeded him, and on his death, in 1760, Dr. John Moultrie of Culross, one of the original founders of the society, the ancestor of the jMoultries in South Caro- lina, was elected to the Presidency. On the death of Dr. Moultrie, in 1771, the Hon. John Stuart, Superintendent of Indian Affairs, was elected President. He retained the office until the War of the Revolution interrupted the regular meetings of the society. He had been an officer in the army and had distinguished himself by his conduct at Fort Loudon, in the war with the Cherokees, in 1760. * * * His son. Sir John Stuart, a native of Charles- ton, inherited the talents of his father, and at the battle of Maida, in 1806, showed what the inexperienced and raw troops of his father's country can achieve over veteran soldiers." After the war was over, the society began its active work again. One of its first enterprises was to establish a public school, which continued in active oper- ation through its aid until the State put its educational system in operation in 181 1. Tn that same year it was resolved to build a St. Andrew's Hall, and in 181 5 the edifice was inaugurated. It proved to be one of the pop- ular gathering places in the city, and in 1825 it was the headquarters of Lafayette when in Charleston. Bit by bit the hall was adorned w^ith pictures and engravings of general interest, besides portraits of prominent members and it had many treasured articles, such as a snufT mull mounted in silver and covered with cairngorms; a mag- nificent ram's head, with generous horns, and a presiding officer's mallet made out of a bit of Wallace's oak at Tor- SCOTTISH-AMERICAN SOCIETIES. 415 i Chief )viden- pastor lipping he first ito one ■, [first islative leheved jsident. ■islative 5o, Dr. iders of 1 Caro- of Dr. tendent ned the ted the I officer :onduct n 1760. liharles- )attle of nd raw veteran gan its was to oper- :ational it was 15 the le pop- vas the Bit by ings of mbers fT mull a mag- esiding at Tor- wood, with a handle from a piece gI the cedar that first shaded the tomb of Washington. Except for the usual work of distributing charity and the holding of the yearly festivals, the society continued to flourish without much incident to record until Dec. 11, 1861, when its hall was totally destroyed by fire. The paintings, ram's head, snuff mull, mallet, and records were saved. The paint- ings were afterward sent in haste, when the civil war broke out, to Columbus, Ga., for safe keeping, but were lost when Sherman's .troops sacked that city in February, 1865. The other articles, however, were preserved dur- ing that trying time, and are now in tlie possession of the society. Some years ago an effort was made to write the biog- raphies of the most noted of the early members of this so- ciety, but after a while the attempt was abandoned. This is to be regretted, for such a compilation would give a vast amount of information about many of the early' Scots ■who held high places in the service of the Colonies. It would also introduce us to some very curious characters, a knowledge of whose careers is worth preserving. In the list of names of those who organized the society we find, for instance, that of Sir Alexander Cuming, one of the most curiously compounded mortals who ever lived. He was the head of the family of Cuming, or Comyn, of Culter, and descended from the old Earls of Buchan. He was born in 1700, at Culter, and studied the legal profes- sion, but for some reason got a pension of £300 a year from the Government, and gave up all idea of advance- ment at the bar, or even of continuing practice. The pen- sion, however, was withdrawn in 1721. He married an English lady who was as flighty as himself, and it was in consequence of a dream of hers that he determined to proceed to America and cultivate the acquaintance of the Cherokee Indians. He reached Charleston in 1729, the year tlie society was formed, and lost no time in making himself known to the Indians. In the following year he was crowned King and chief ruler of the Chcrokees. Soon after, witli six of his tributary chiefs, he sailed for England, and on June 18, 1730, had an audience with 41 G THE SCOT IN v\MERICA. .-"! n King George II., presented his chiefs, and laid his crown at the King's feet, mailing liis followers also kneel in homage. Sir Alexander, even at the time of his visit, found considerable dissatisfaction existing in the Colo- nies against the mother country, and proposed as a means of securing their perpetual dependence a series of banks in each of the provinces, these banks to have a monopoly of business in their respective territory, and in turn to be entirely dependent upon the British Treasury and accountable only to the British Parliament. The British Government would not listen to his scheme, though it must be confessed that there was some solid sense in it, for, if the entire finances of a country could be throttled, as he proposed, there would not be much chance for a successful revolution. But in brooding upon the project Sir Alexander went over the narrow line which some assert is all that separates genius or wisdom from madness. He was a zealous student of the Script- ures, and, in the course of his reading, conceived the notion that he was alluded to in several passages as the appointed deliverer of the Jews. Then he opened a sub- scription with a gift of £500 from himself for the purpose of starting his scheme of American banks and for settling 300,000 Jewish families among the Cherokees. Probably he did not bother himself as to how the Cherokees liked the proposal or whether the Hebrews would care to fra- ternize with the Indians, for that was too commonplace a detail for his thoughts. The subscription failed igiiomin- iously, and in disgust Sir Alexander turned his thoughts and energy to the study of alchemy. This frittered away what was left of his means, and he not only became deep- ly involved in debt, but for some time had to subsist on the charity of his friends. Finally he was admitted a pen- sioner in the Charterhouse, London, where he died in 1775- The St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia was organ- ized in December, 1749. by twenty-five Scottish residents of the " Quaker City." For some reason or another, these patriotic and kindly men were afraid lest the pur- poses of their association would be misunderstood by SCOTTISH-AMERICAN SOCIETIES. 417 their fellow-citizens, and to guard against this they issued a long " advertisement " setting forth the objects their society had in view. It read, in part, as follows: "The peculiar benevolence of mind which shews itself by chari- table actions in giving relief to the poor and distressed has always been justly esteemed one of the first-rate moral virtues. Any persons, then, who form themselves into a society with this intention nuist certainly meet with the approbation of every candid and generous mind, and we hope that it will plainly appear by the rules which are to follow that the St. Andrew's Society of Philadel- phia was solely instituted with that view." Having thus defined their position, these philosophic Scots compiled their by-laws and commenced their work. The first application for relief came from an unfortunate countryman named Alexander Ross. According to his story, he was a native of Galloway and a surgeon by pro- fession. He had been captured by the l'>ench and Span- iards five or six times, and escaped to America from some Spanish prison. His American reception was not the most hospitable, as it seems, when he made application for relief, he was confined as a debtor in the Philadelphia prison. His prayer was attended to, and 40s. were award- ed him. In 1750 the society paid £5 9s. for a *' strong box " to hold books, money, and other possessions. The box is still in existence, and is a good, substantial, serv- iceable article. It is deposited in the Fidelity Trust Com- pany's vaults with the old records of the society. In the same year a curious case came up for consideration which may be related here, as it illustrates the glorious uncer- tainty of the law which prevailed in those good old times just as much as it does in the present day. In 1732 Janet Cleland was induced to leave Scotland and take up her residence with her uncle, John Gibbs of Maryland. That individual liad pressed her to cross the Atlantic, and promised to make her his heiress, besides agreeing to support her in good style during his lifetime. Relying on these promises, Janet, before she left, like a good, kind-hearted girl, made over to another uncle, a brother of the one in Maryland, a small patrimony which 418 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. slie had in her native land. After her arrival here Janet continued to reside with her uncle, and acted as his house- keeper until he died. The old gentleman appears to have been a peculiar sort of character, one of those personages who, for want of a more fitting name, would nowadays be styled a " crank." He had a terrible temper, and some- times it so far overcame him that his niece had to leave his house for a few days until its violence subsided. Then, when it had cooled off, she used to return, to his great delight, for he invariably expressed his regret at the cruel treatment and harsh words which had compelled her to seek refuge away from his home. To most of his friends and close acquaintances lie often acknowledged his in- tention of leaving Janet all his possessions, and at one time, in presence of his attending physician, he made a formal will in w'hich he bequeathed everything to her. Finally, in 1747, he died of an ulcer in his head, which, according to the testimony of the medical man who at- tended him, deprived him of his reason for quite a while before the end. While in this condition the negro slaves, in the absence of the doctor and nurse, used to give him large quantities of rum. By some means or other they prevailed upon him to sign another will. In it he cut Janet and all his relatives off without a cent, made his negroes free, and divided his property among them, with the exception of his plate, which went to comparative strangers, along with a few other legacies. Thus Janet was left penniless, and applied at length to the society for assistance. The last-made Vv^nl appears to have been of- fered for probate, and she began a lawsuit to have it set aside. The society, considering her sad case, gave her a donation of £7, and recommended the members to give her all the assistance they could. It appears, however, that Janet lost her suit, and the last will made by her uncle was allowed to stand. During the Revolutionary period the society probably did little more than maintain its existence, owing, as was reported on one occasion, to " a number of members be- ing out of town, or more particularly on account of the convulsed and unsettled state of the times." The minute SCOTTISH-AMERICAN SOCIETIES. 419 book covering the interesting period between 1776 and 1786 has been lost, if it ever was in existence, whicli may be regarded as doubtful. The subsecjuent history of the society is a prosperous one, and may be summarized in the old words " daein' guid an' gathcrin' gear." On its long roll of members we find the names of two of the signers of the Declaration of Independence — James Wil- son and Dr. John Witherspoon, ['resident of Princeton College. The members took an active part in the erec- tion of the monument to this great clerical statesman which now graces Fairmount Park. The roll also c(jn- tains the names of two Governors of tlic State — lion. James Hamilton (President of the society for several terms) and Hon. Thomas McKean — and three Mayors of the city, Peter McCall, Morton McMichael, and Will- iam P). Smith. The roll is also graced with the names of several of the Revolutionary heroes, chief of which is that of Gen. Hugh Mercer, referred to in a previous chapter. The remains of this brave soldier were interred in Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, and there a fine monument has since been erected to his memory. The society took the most active part in carrying on the movement for tliis memorial, and when it was dedicated it occupied a place of honor during the ceremonies. The St. Andrew's Society of the State of New York was founded in 1756. The intention of the promoters was simply to form a charitable organization, and that feature has really continued to be the prevailing one ever since. These kindly Scots, however, did not forget that under St. Andrew's banner patriotism, as well as charity, could work together, and their constitution provided that a din- ner should take place on the 30th of November in each year. Since then these meetings have been held regu- larly, except during the War of the Revolution. Among the members enrolled in 1757 we find the name of Col. Simon Fraser, eldest son of Lord Lovat, who was beheaded on Tower Hill, London, in 1747. When the Rebellion of 1745 broke out he was a student at the Uni- versity of St. Andrews, but was withdrawn by his cun- ning old father to be placed at the head of the clan. He " I! ii! 19 ': Hiii 420 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. surrendered liimself to the Government in 1746; but, as he had never shown any sympatliy for the cause of the Stuarts, and was known to have been iiiHuencec' solely by afifection for his father, he was released in the course of the following year. Refusinj^ military rank in the I'rench service, he raised, in 1757, two battalions of 1,800 men, in connnand of which he proceeded to Xew York, and on his arrival he joined the St. Andrew's Society. He served with great distinction at Louisburg and Quebec, and aft- erward in the War of the Revolution. In 1774 the family estates were restored to him, but the attainder was not removed until 1854, when the old title of Lord Lovat was again placed on the roll of the Scottish peerage. The titular Earl of Stirling, one of the Revolutionary heroes, filled the office of President from 1761 till 1763. John, fourth Earl of Dunmore, Governor of New York in 1769, was elected President in 1770. His term of office was, however, very short, for in the same year he pro- ceeded to assume the government of X'irginia, In 1773 he was succeeded by Lord Drummond, son of the claim- ant to the attainted earldom of Perth, who came to this country as an officer in the army. A few years later he was taken prisoner by the Americans, but was released by Washington, and permitted to return to New York. His failing health obliged him to proceed to Bermuda, where he died, unmarried, in 1781. Besides these titled personages, the society has had many members to whom it can point with pride. Some of them, such as the Coldens, Hamiltons, and Living- stons, have left their mark upon the early history of the country, and in the long roll of membership may be found the names of the most prominent Scottish merchants and professional men who have resided in this city from the inception of the society until the present time. Whatever funds the society had prior to the Revolu- tionary War were dissipated by it. With the return of peace, however, it again exerted itself, and renewed its career of usefulness. Between the years 1787 and 1791 it had bank stocks worth $4,000, which were sold in the last-named year. A site was then purchased where 10 SCOTTTSH-AMERirAX SOCIETIES. 421 but, as of the ilcly by .irse uf I'reiich lien, ill anrl on served lul aft- family ,as not /at was tionary 1 1763. V York )f ofificc le pro- n 1773 I claim- to this ater he cleased York. rmuda, as had Some iving- of the found nts and om the ^evolu- urn of wed its 1 791 it in the ■lere 10 and IJ ilroad SlrccLand 8 and 10 Xcw Street now stand, fur the erection of a St. Andrew's hall. The price j)aid for the ground was ij;4,6oo. Hut the bui^'hiig scheme was dropped for some reason or other, and the property was sold in 17^4 f(jr ?6.75o. In iSo^ the funds of tlie Dum- fries and ( ialloway Society, then being wound uj), amounting to about ij^j.joo, were transferred to it. The financial standing of the society has since continued steadily to advance, and at the present time its perma- nent fund amounts to about $<'ii:tii:s. 42:5 )f pco- ^ nono, re also or an- is puv- ty trios ter, by y other lia, the n 1/68, )x with that it to pov- ceded a jlebratc ;ere St. to have m in a ■pose — e what or this reads charge taken )air of hased \v, and to the leir as- to the ion has t. An- tival at casion •c when, in I7ut such a wight never appears, and the next day the high- strung patriot becomes a canny Scot once more, and for the remaining 364 days in the year his patron saint is a quiet, but none the less generous, distributor of charity. There is no more generous Scot to be found anywhere than the one who backs up his nationality vvith his siller, and while " Relieve the Distressed " is the accepted motto of the societies, " i*atriotism and Parritch " would be more pertinent and comprehensive. Clubs or societies organized under the name Caledo- nian can be traced back in this country for about a cent- ury. In th.e early times they were simi)ly social combi- nations of Scotsmen who got up some festival, such as a ball, during the Winter, and for the remainder of the year remained in 'i condition of suspended animation, somewhat after the fashion of many of the liurns clubs at the present day. The oldest existing Caledonian organi- zation in the Dominion is that of jNlontreal, while in the United States that of IJoston claims to be the senior in point of age. But neither of these organizations would have survived for half a decade had they not been organ- ized on definite plans and for specific purposes, and had these purposes not met, or amicipated, a public w:?nt. All the clubs or societi'^s which have prow d successful have been, to a certain extent, business enterprises, and just as much as they have been managed on business principles so much has been their measure of success. In Scotland the parish or village games have been in vogue from tin:e inmiemorial, and have generally been held on, ;i 426 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. or in connection with, a local b.oliday. It was the repro- duction, by the originators of these clubs, of such local holidays with athletic gauics as a central attraction that caught the fancy and made them popular among *' oor ain folk." Americans, too, always noted for their admi- ration for manly sports, thronged to the gatherings in such numbers that tlie promoters of the earlier games were often surprised at the crowds which attended them, and the substantial amount of the gate receipts. The main objects of the Caledonian organizations as at present existing are twofold — first, the encouragement and practice of Scottish games, and, second, the encour- agement of a taste for Scottish literature, poetry, and song. These objects are generally stated in their by- laws, not, perhaps, in these identical words, but in others having the same purport. The rules of many of the clubs make it imperative that public games should be held at least once each year, and in the open air. So far as the first of these objects — the encouragement and practice of games — is concerned, the Caledonian so- cieties of this continent must be credited with having achieved a wonderful amount of success. They have made the old-fashioned Scottish games not only very popular, but the Scottish rules are really the basis on which all athletic contests here are conducted. But even this success has latterly proved so far detrimental to the clubs that their games are no*:, from a pecuniary point of view, so remunerative as they formerly were. All over the country, during the season, games are held under the auspices of local athletic clubs, and these games are near- ly all very similar to those which might be witnessed at Hawick or Inverness. Most athletic clubs have weekly meetings, frequent tournaments with sister clubs, while now and again an amateur " star " goes on a record- breaking tour among them. The result is that these lo- cal organizations push the Caledonians into the back- ground, and their frequent meetings seem fully to supply the demand, so far as the public are concerned. There are many other r'^asons for this. In the athletic world a Caledonian record is regarded with suspicion, even if it U .V SCOTTISH-AMERICAN SOCIETIES. 427 iiear- d at ekly ivhile ord- lo- ack- pply here rid a if it should ])Q honored widi any regard at all, which i> very seldom. The system of handicapping, too, which is so generally adopted in athletic societies, has served to bring a succession of bright young men into the arena year after year, while at Caledonian gatherings it is usual to find the war horses of ten years ago war horses still. The true theory of Caledonian athletes originally was to develop the skill, strength, and agility of their own mem- bers, and had this theory been carried out in pracdce a more satisfactory condition of things would have existed to-day. But one club wanted to have its athletic records as good as another. If a hammer was thrown 90 feet at Yonkers, for instance, the Poughkeepsie folks wanted it thrown as far, if not further, at their games. And so commenced the nuisance of traveling professional Cale- donian athletes. These men, of course, were members of sister societies, and from a sentimental point of view were entitled to equal privileges with the members of any club they might favor with a visit. This was all very well for a while, but some of the clubs were not very particular who they received into membership while the athletic craze was strong. The result was that the Scotch games were crowded with such Caledonian athletes as '" ]\Ir. Ma- loney," " j\Ir. Euth," " Mr. Sullivan," " Mr. .McCarthy," and the like. The most advanced club in this connection was that of Philadelphia, which opened its " Caledonian " games to all comers without distinction of creed, nation- ality, or previous condition of servitude. The result was that those who, in the Quaker City, went to see Scotch games saw a general scramble for the prizes by negroes, Irishmen, and (lermans, as well as Scots. All these things combined to make the Caledonian games wane in popularity, and it is to be feared that they will never again gain their old measure 01 success. In fact, the quality of the games as athletic events has van- ished, and, while the annual field days of the various clubs may be kept up, they will be more useful for draw- ing the Scots in their various localities — for making a Scotch holiday, as it were — than for anything else. As regards the encouragement of Scottish literature, 428 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. poetry, and song, it must be confessed that the Cale- donian chibs have not added nitich to the national wealth. In Philadelphi.'i for many years a series of literary m.cet- ings has been held each Winter. These assemblies are well attended, and at them a Scotch song can always be heard well sung, but the purely literary element is very meagre. This fact is to be deplored, and even wondered at, for in a cultured city like Philadelphia it should be an easy matter to arrange for a short lecture or talk upon some Scottish theme at each meeting. In Montreal a good series of sociables is given each Winter, and the Hallowe'en entertainment is generally the best of the kind on the continent, but such meetings, or the innu- merable socials held by other organizations each Winter, do little or nothing for literature. In New York they have lectures and a very conmionpiace debating organi- zation; in Boston such matters seem to be severely passed by without an effort to produce them. In Chicago the effort has been made, but without success. The fact is, the literary element in the clubs is grasped in too half- hearted a way to insure success. If the Caledonians cop- ied the Welsh, and offered prizes for the singing of auld Scotch songs, or if they offered prizes for essays on dis- tinctively Scottish subjects, if they organized scholar- ships in the colleges for the benefit of students of Scot- tish birth or descent, if they gave prizes in the local schools for the study of Scotch history, if they subsidized a lecturer who could speak on Scottish themes before popular audiences, if they helped a Scottish poet to place his productions before the American public, then they might be credited with doing something in furthering the second of the purposes for which they were primarily es- tablished,, The wearing of the Highland costume at Dublic gath- erings has been a feature of all Caledonian organizations, and by their activity in this matter they have certainly succeeded in making the *' garb of old Gaul " familiar throughout the Nortliern and Western States and Can- ada. By frequently giving prizes for the best costume, they have inspired a kindly spirit of rivalry, until at the w SCOTTISH-AMERICAN SOCIETIES. 420 Cale- vealth. meet- les are ays be s very ndered [ be an <; upon treal a nd the of the e innu- VVinter, rk they organi- passed ago the fact is, DO half- ins cop- of auld on dis- choiai- f Scot- i local sidized before place n they in g the rily es- ic gath- zations, lertainly Ifamiliar id Can- )stume, at the to present time \vc liavc on this side of the Atlantic many costumes as complete and as perfect as any that could be seen in Scotland. It is singular, however, that while the Highland dress is thus patronized, the nuisic which is as- sociated with it should be comparatively neglected, liag- pipc playing is neither fostered or regarded by the clubs. Of course, they must have pipe playing, but any one who can ** blaw " and use his fingers as though he was manip- ulating a penny whistle is deemed good enough for any occasion. Real good playing, such as is common at the Bracmar, Strathallan, or other gatherings in vScotland, is seldom heard in America, and when heard is not suffi- ciently appreciated. In this country and Canada, Caledonian clubs and so- cieties have, in spite of their shortcomings and failures, in the past accomplished nuich good. They have made many pleasant Scottish holidays; brought Scotsmen and their families into closer friendship with each other, and by their kindly charity and fraternal aid have lightened the load of many a wanderer. They have made Scottish games become tiie delight of the youth of America, and the laws they have estal)lished for the guidance of such sports are generally accepted as the best as well as the most just that could be framed. Their record, on the whole, has been a creditable one, and, while we believe that they will require to seek new fields of operations if they are to maintain tl^ieir popularity, we believe that in good time these new fields will be entered upon. If ath- leticism be played out, literature is not, and Ijy cultivating that, and dropping all idea of mere financial success, these Caledonian organizations, clubs, and societies may yet attain a degree of inilucnce and accomplish an amount of good which will make the j^ast, even with all its triumphs, seem trifling in comparison. While athletics may be regarded as the basis of Cale- donian Clubs, insurance is undoubtedly the foundation of the Order of Scottish Clans. This order has passed throujrh the trials of infancy and vouth and is now in ro- bust manhood, and claims and takes it place as one of the most useful of Scottish societies in America. It was or- l\ \\ 430 THE SCOT TN AMERICA. \\ i Eli* •ill ■ 1 ganizcd in vSt. Louis in 1878. For sonic time its schemes were confined to that city, hut after a year or two it was taken up Ijy a nuniher of Boston Scots, and a " hooni " was started on its hehalf which still continues as vigorous as ever. As the advantages offered by the order became known, clans commenced to spring up all over the country, until at present ^'lerc are over 100 of these, and several in course of foimation. Four or five clans are located in Canada, but across the border the order has not progressed as was at one time expected. When the ( )rder of Scottish Clans was started the idea was to institute a grand federation of Scotsmen in Amer- ica, which, by united effort and a display of the truest fraternal spirit, was to combine sentiment and patriotism with more practical matters. The meml^ers were to unite in insuring their lives, sick benefits were to be provided, and a helping hand extended to any overtaken by mis- fortune. The fraternity was to be a secret one, that is, it was to meet with closed doors and have signs and pass- Words after the fashion of the Odd Fellows. It was to have all the social features which distinguished the Caledonian societies, and, if need be, it would give public exhibitions of old Scottish games. It was to be a complete organiza- tion, offering to fill all the requirements of Scottish-Amer- icans, only that its benefits were to be confined to its own members, possibly on the theory that all Scotsmen should be on its rolls. The original ideas which guided the organization, while well enough for a local society the members of which were known to each other, were too crude to be success- fully worked in a large fraternity the members of which were scattered throughout the country. The insurance scheme, that of each surviving member paying a dollar on the death of one of their number, seemed the very essence of simplicity, but experience had demonstrated in other societies that the plan was not so effective or so equitable as it appeared on the surface, and after a few years of the existence of the order doubts on this point began to be entertained bymanyof its warmest adherents. This, how^ever, might have been expected. In insurance SCOTTISH-AMERICAN SOCIETIES. :hcmes two it and a ntinucs by the J up all lOO of or five der the :pectcd. [he idea I Amer- c truest triotism to unite rovided, by mis- that is, id pass- to have icdonian libitions rganiza- i-Amer- its own should )n, while f which uccess- f which su ranee la dollar le very Irated in e or so ,r a few |is point lier'^nts. Isurance 431 matters no society was ever organized at once on a per- fect basis. Experience is the great requirement of them all, and, until that experience has been gained, mistakes are certain to be made. Such societies require to be watchful, to put into practice one year what they learned during the year before, to make changes after considera- tion and practice sho^vs the necessity for change, and to be constantly strengthening the organization at every point, no matter how trivial. This policy has character- ized the leaders and workers of the order during the past few years. They have proved themselves thoughtful, progressive, and capable, and the fraternitv has advanced in a surprising manner, as a result of their work. They have had to encounter opposition, sneering, grumblini^, and fault-finding; but they have kept on doing their pa- triotic work, until the full assessment is paid to the rela- tives of a deceased member. Fault finding does not amount to very much, but $2,000 is a happy, tangible fact. The great necessity for the welfare of all such insti- tutions is the want of Government, or, in some sections, , State supervision. If the law compelled assessment ni- . surance companies to apply for permission to trade, if their promoters were made to give bonds to the State for the honorable carrying out of all their agreements, if the policies were issued with the sanction of the law advisers of the State, and the business books w^re liable to be ex- amined by some competent officer at irregular intervals, we might regard assessment insurance as being as safe as any other. Fewer companies would then be organized, but those which fulfilled all the requirements would pos- sess stability. The management of this order has been clean. It has paid every debt as it has arisen. Its officers, except the Secretary, receive no emoluments, and its membership is selected with care as regards )ia- tionality, moral character and physical health. The question of grading assessments according to age, which was a theme of much discussion among the broth- erhood for several years, has been equitably and amica- bly adjusted, and, so far as one can see, there is no ob- stacle in the way to prevent the order from steadily in- 4.12 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. I '!•:: ^!;ii creasingc until every Scottish workman in the country shall be enrolled on its books. In the States it has prac- tically no opposition to its work, excepting from what is called the American Order of Scottish Clans, which, how- ever, is not numerically strong. The insurance feature of the order might be that of any society, but in the subordinate clans the Scotch ele- ment comes to the front. The membership is confined to Scotsmen and their immediate descendants, and the moral character of each applicant is carefully enquired into. The ritual which is used in the initiation of candi- dates is founded on Scottish history, and when intelli- gently rendered is both impressive and instructive. The sick allowance in most of the clans is $5 a week, with free medical attendance, and these benefits, as well as the working expenses of the clan, are provided by the month- ly dues of the members. Many of the clans, too, have a funeral benefit of $50, which is paid at once on intimation of death. The meetings are generally well attended, and are managed with both order and decorum, two quali- ties which are not characteristic of other societies that might be named. Open social meetings at which the rel- atives and friends of members are invited are frequently given, and the public balls, concerts, and anniversary fes- tivals have generally been successful Some of the clans have given games, but this feature, although one of the objects laid down in the constitution, has not been at- tended to as it should have been. Each clan has its re- galia, in which its own particular tartan predominates, and the appearance of the members of the order on pub- lic occasions, dressed in their costume, is one of the most gratifying spectacles which a Scotsman in America can see. In many respects the Order of Sons of Scotland, a Ca- nadian organization, runs in much the same grooves as the Order of Scottish Clans in the States. It is econom- ically managed, the meetings of its camps are not only interesting but thoroughly patriotic aflfairs, and its opera- tions are yearlv extending all over the Dominion. A Burns club or society, properly speaking, is quite a ! 1 SCOTTISH-AMERICAN SOCIETl KS. 4aa lica can different description of organization from any of which vvc have already treated. It is organized for but one pur- pose — that of honoring the memory of Scotia's darhng poet. It is eminently a social and literary association, and its entire horizon is bounded by that filled by the Ayrshire bard. But that is sufficient to infuse vitality and enthusiasm into any body (jf men, particularly if they arc Scots or descendants of Scots. There is another difference between the Burns and St. Andrew's and Caledonian societies, or clans. The latter are all essentially Scottish, and membership in them is more or less confined to natives, or the immediate de- scendants of natives, of Scotland. Inasmuch, however, as the fame of lUirns is no longer simply confined t'o Scotland but has spread over all the world, so member- ship in clubs bearing his name is generally open to all who reverence his memory or admire his genius. It is felt that if these clubs are to be gatherings of lovers of the poet, the members should admit into their circles men of any nationality who recognize the worth of the *' High Priest of Scottish Song." This is as it should be. AH who acknowledge our bard as the poet of humantiy, free- dom, fraternity, and love should be welcomed into such clubs, and be received all the more heartily because they do not belong to our nationality, and have to contend with difficulties in the study of the poet which do not fall to our lot. The great night of the year for any Burns Club is the 25th of January, and care is generally taken that it be celebrated in a manner that will really honor the memory of the poet and reflect credit on his native land and on his countrymen at home as well as abroad. The most usual form for the celebration to assume is that of a pub- lic dinner. This is often very pleasant for those who are present, and it brings to the front quite a crowd of speak- ers, and eulogies of Burns without number, and often without common sense or discrimination. The dues in a Burns Club, outside of what the annual celebration costs, are trifling. There is, indeed, no primal necessitv for a fund, and what is over at the end of each 4:;4 THE SCOT TN AMKUTCA. l!:^ m ■ year in the Treasurer's liands slioiild be handed to the nearest St. Andrew's society to be (Uspensed in charity. Tliis would be fully in keeping with the teachings of P.urns himself and redound to the credit of the organiza- tion. Should the members be willing to assess them- selves a little more than is absolutely necessary there arc many ways in which their money might be invested. They might purchase copies of Ikirns's poems and give them as prizes each year in the public schools, or they could ofifer a bonus for the best poem on Hums or for the best essay on his life or genius. These are not extravagant undertakings, and f[uite within the reach of almost any club member, yet we do not know any better means that could be suggested for making the memory of our bard even more beloved throughout the American continent than it is at the present day. The game of curling has made rapid strides in this country since its introduction, but though it be " Sco- tia's ain Winter game," and though Scotsmen have nat- urally been prominent in it, it really sets no national re- quirement in connection with its membership, and prefers to win success simply as a game — the only purely ama- teur game in existence. Therefore it claims no extended notice here beyond simply alluding to it as one among the many favors which Scotland has bestowed on the New World. So, too, might Scotland's share in American Free IVIa- sonry be dismissed in a few words were it not for the fact that its history on this side of the Atlantic goes back to a much earlier period than that of curling, and there are many historical facts in connection with it which should not be passed over in a volume of this kind, es- pecially as a claim has been made that the mysteries of the ancient order were first carried over the sea by breth- ren who owed allegiance to the Grand Lodge at old Kilwinning. So far as can be traced, Freemasonry in legitimate lodges having their authority from some Grand Lodge, was first introduced into America by warranted lodges working under the jurisdiction of one of the Grand SCOTTISH-AMKUICAN SOCIKTIKS. 43rj Ma- )r the back there rhich Id, es- iies of )reth- Lt old timate lodge, lodges Irand Lodges in the United Kingdom. Tlic records of these (jlrand Lodges are very defective, especially those of Ire- land, as most of its papers were destroyed by fire. The English records appear to have been purj)osely kej)t in an indifferent manner, probably from an idea wliicii once prevailed that as little as possible should be connnitted to writing concerning Masonry and its doings — even the doings of subordinate lodges. To this erroneous notion is due much of the defective information we have con- cerning many matters of interest in the general history of the craft. Among the early lodges in this country which held warrants from the (irand Lodge of Scotland were: 1755 — St. Andrew's Lodge, Boston. 17^6 — Lodge No. 82, I)landford, Va. 1760 — Union, No. 98, South Carolina. 1763 — St. John's, No. 117, Norfolk, \a. 1767 — Moriah Lodge, in Twenty-second Regiment, afterward in New York. 177 1 — King Solomon's Lodge, No. 7, in New York, had a charter indirectly from the (jrand Lodge of Scotland, for there is no record of the Grand Lodge of Scotland ever having issued a direct warrant to any lodge in New York, whether as a colony or a State. The most noted of these lodges, that of St. Andrew's, Boston, still survives, the wealthiest Masonic lodge in the United States, if not in the world. The earliest military lodge in the records of the Scot- tish Grand Lodge was granted, according to Mr. D. Murray Lyon, Grand Secretary, in 1743, by recommenda- tion of the Earl of Kilmarnock, upon petition of some " Sergeants and sentinels belonging to Col. Lees' Regi- ment of Foot." This regiment has been given the num- ber, I'^orty-fourth. This regiment was raised in 1741 in England, and had its first experience in actual warfare in this country in 1758. It took part in the expeditions against Ticonderoga, Fort Duquesne, and Fort Niagara, and the engagements of Long Island and Brandywinc. V ■■:>■ 4;K) THIO SCOT IN AMERICA. What is supposed to have been the outcome of another rcginu'iital lodp^c was tliat in the Twenty-second Regi- ment, which received its warrant frcjni the (Irand Lodge of Scotland in 1767. The regiment was in this city in 1781, and was known as Moriah Lodge. It was one of tlic five which formeil the New York Grand Lodge, but outside of that importatnt bit of service it does not seem to have had much to do with the progress of Masonry in this State. The regiment soon afterward was ordered away from New York to another scene of usefuhiess — or carnage. The most prominent lodge, liowevcr, which, in 1781, took part in the formation of the New York Grand Lodge, was that known as '* Lodge No, 169," under the warrant of the Grand Lodge of Scotland, the lodge which afterward adopted the name of *' St. Andrew's Lodge," and continued to be active in New York Masonry until 1830, when its charter was surrendered. The origin of this lodge is not exactly known, but it very likely was in one of he regimental lodges. It is not known even where it got its original charter, and seme Masonic writers often mix it up with the St. Andre *v's Lodge of Boston. On July 13, 1771, it had obtained a warrant from the Cirand Lodge of England with the title of '* Lodge No. 169," and it took the name of Scotland's patron saint officially, so far as we know\ in 1786. It is asserted by some writers that the lodge met under its numerical designation in Boston, but this is doubted, and certainly there is nothing on record to prove it, and the general consensus of opinion among Masonic anti- quaries is that its first settled home was in New-York. On the roll of the Grand Lodge of Scotland there is record of a lodge — St. John, No. 169 — at Shettleston. near Glasgow, receiving a warrant in 1771. It is a que^r- tion whether this had any connection with the Lodge No. 169 which met in Boston, and whose warrant was dated the same year. Gould, in his '* History of Freemasonry," says: " No 169 was established in Battery ]\Iarsh. Bos- ton, 1 77 1. This lodge, which is only once named in the ;.t i« i<('M»|M*|Nt{i^«M>l«'.. SCOTTISIl-AMIIKICAX SOCIKTIKS. 437 records of the Massachusetts (i/and Lodge, accompanied the J'.ritish Army to New York on the evacuation of Boston in 1776." Another authority says it is not im- probable that the Scottish warrant granted for Shettle- ston was transferred to an army lodge and Lodge St. John became in time St. Andrew. Another matter which is regarded as very probable is that the origin of the St. Andrew's Lodge of Xew York was this same regimental warrant held in the Fortv-second Regiment, the famous " P.lack Watch." The Scottish regiments in Xew York from 1770 to the evacuation of the city were the Forty-second, which came here in 1776 for a short stay, returned in 1780, spent a Winter here, ha 268. Crawford, William, 268. Crerar. D. MacGregor. 404. Crichton, James D.. 405. Cuming, Sir Alexander, 415. Curling, 434. DEMPSTER. W. R.. 346. Denholm & McKay Co., 266. Dick, Rev. Robert. 211. Dinwiddle, Robert. 77. Douglas. David, 204, Douglas, Sir James, 69. Drummond, William, 74. Diummond. Lord, 420. Dunbar, Sir William. 226. Dunmore, Earl of, 78, 242, 420. ECKFORD. Henry, 216. Erskine, Robert, 202. 444 THE SCOT IN AMERICA. Ewing, George E., i88. FAIRBAIRN, Angus, 394. Ferguson, James. ^17. Ferguson, Robert. J65. Fleming, William. 120. Forbes & Wallace. 266. Forrest, Edwin, 335. Eraser. John, (" Cousin Sandy,") 395- Fraser, Col. Simon, 419. Freemasonry, 434. Fulton, Robert, 30 r. GALT, John, 242, 362. Garden, Alexander, 149, Gardner, Hugh, of New York, 9. Geddes, Gen. J. L., 35. Gellatly. Rev. Alexander, 152. Gilchrist & Co., (Boston.) 264. Gilfillan, Judge James. 315. Gordon, Andrew R., 71. Gordon, Thomas, 302. Gowans, William, 248. Graeme, Dr. Thomas, 198. Graham, Andrew, 10. Graham. Isabella, 32^. Graham, John, of Edinburgh, 10. Grant, President U. S., 301. Grant, Mrs., of Laggan, 319, 377. Gray, David, 392. Greenshields, David, 290. Greig, John, Canandaigua, 310. HALL, David, 245. Hall, Rev. Dr. Robert, 154. Hamilton, Alexander, 57, 123. Hamilton, Andrew, 86, 302. Hamilton, Gen. W. B.. 271. Hamilton, John, 271. Hamilton, John C, 271. Hardie, James. 285. Hart, James M., 182. Hart, William, 181. Harper, Dr. J. M., 405. Henderson, D. B.. 318. Henderson, D. M., 404. Henderson, Peter. 205. Henry. Joseph, 302. Hcwat. Rev. / .xander, 159. Hogg, Brown & Taylor, 264. 267. 268. Hunter, Gov. Peter, 97. Hunter. Gen. Robert, 87. IMRIE, John, 407. Irving, Washington, quoted 18. 59, (Astoria:) 357. (sketch.) Ivison, Henry, 249. JAFFREY. Jeannie (Mrs. Ren- wick.) 14. Johnston. Gabriel. 81. Johnstone. George, 80. Johnston. John, 82. Johnston, John, (Milwaukee.) 250. Johnston, John Taylor, 275. Johnston, Gov., of North Caro- lina, 159. Johnston, Gov. Robert. 413. Jones, Paul, 134. KETTH. Rev. George, 150. Keith, Prof. John, 286. Keith, Sir William, 87, 198. Kemp, Rev. Dr. William (Bish- op), 168. Kennedy, David (vocalist), 335, 337, 395- Kennedy, James, 407. Kennedy, John S., 7, 237, 277, 421. Kennedy, R. L., 237. Kennedy, William, 391. Kidd, Capt., 52. King, Judge Mitchell, 310, 413. Kinnear, Peter, 262. Kirkwood, James P., 217. Knox, John, 106, lo/, 282. LAID LIE, Rev. Archibald, 152. Laidlaw, W. G., 318. Laing, Joseph. 36, 39. Latto, Thomas C, 397. Law. James D., 408. Lawson, John, 352. Lawson. James, 372. INDEX. 445 Lcc, James, 27^- Lenox, James, 236, 275. Lenox, Robert, 235, 274. Livingston. Family of, 130. Louden, Samuel, 231. ]^L\1TLAND, David, 233. Macadam, J. L., 16. IMacdonald, Sir John A., 222. ^klaitland, R. L., 274. Mason, John, 343. Mason, Rev. Dr. John, 153. ^Lison, Rev. Dr. J. .\L, 154, 164, 326. Maxwell, Hugh, 311. Maxwell, William, 230. Mercer, Gen. Hugh, ni. Middleton, Dr. Peter, 200. Milne, Alexander, 22^. Mitchell, Hon. Alex., 256, 257. Moffat, Rev. Dr. J. C, 368. Monro, Rev. Henry, 156. Montgomerie, Major Archi- bald, 27. Montgomerie, John, 90. Morrison, Charles, 195. Morrison, Gen. David, 2>(>. Moultrie, Dr. John, 414. Muir, Rev. James, 160. Muir, Dr. Samuel, 160. Murray, Gen. James, 96. Murray, William, 407. MacArthur, Judge, Arthur, 316. Macomb, Gen. Alexander, 123. Macdonald, Flora, 320. Macdonald, Hon, John, 278. Macdonnell, Miles, loi. Macfarlane, Robert, 367. Mackenzie, Sir Alexander, 66. Mackenzie, Donald, 59, 60. Maclay, Rev. Dr. Archibald, 163. Maclean, Prof. John, 287. Maclure, William, 203. Macmillan, Win.. 205. Macpherson. Jas.. " Ossiaii." 81. McArthur. Gen. John. 34. McArthur, John, 192. McAusIan, John, 267. McCallum, Donald C, 218. McColl, Evan, 402. McCosh, President, 239, 287, 347. McCuUoeh, Hon. liugh, 314. McDougall, Gen. Alex., 115. McGill, James, 288. McGillivray, Gen. Alex., 20. Mcintosh, Gen. Lachlan, 1 16. Mcintosh, Wm., Indian cliief, 22. McLachlan, Alexander, 399. McLean, Andrew. 4(/i. McLeod, Rev. Dr. Alex., 162. McLeod, Rev. Dr. J. N., 163. McNaughton, Dr. James, 202. NAIRN E, Prof. C. M.. 296. Nelson, Thomas, " Scotch Tom," 223. North British Society of Hali- fax, 422. Norrie, Adam, 2^2. OLIVER, John. (Qiicago,) -'57. Orr, Robert. 209. PATON. Susannah, 345. Pattison, Granvilie Sharp, 295. Phyfe, Duncan, 253. Picken, Andrew B., 382. Picken, Joanna B., 382. Pinkerton, Allan, 15. Pirie, George, 374. RAFFEN, Capt. J. T.. 34 Ramsay, Donald, 399. Reid, David Boswall. 206. Reid, Duncan, 51. Reid, Robert, ("Rob Wan- lock,") 406. Reid, Hon. Whitelaw. 375. Reid, William. 263. Rhind, J. M., 187. Ritchie, A. H., 184. Ross, Dr. J. D., 370. 390, 398. Ross, John, of Philadelphia, 126, 227. Roy, Andrew, 269. Russell, Archibald, 271,. Russell, William, 295. 44G THE SOOT IN AMERICA. ST. ANDREW'S SOCIETY of Charleston, 149, 157, 246, 311, 413. St. Andrew's Society of Phila- delphia, 416. St. Andrew's Society of the State of New York, 154, 173, 312, 419. St. Andrew's Society of Mont- real, 423. St. Clair, Gen. Arthur, 113. Sandeman, Robert, 142. Scott, Prof. D. Burnet, 297. Scott, Rev. Dr. George, 387. Scott, Walter, 143. Scott. Mrs., (mother of Sir Walter,) 325. Scottish Clans, Order of, 429. Seton, Mgr., 173. Seventy-ninth Highlanders, (New York,) 36. Shaw, John, (St. Louis.) 254. Shepherd, Norwell & Co., 264, 265. Shirlaw, Walter, 190. Simpson, Sir George, 67. Simpson, Crawford & Simpson, 268. Sinclair, Dr. A. D., 202. Sinclair, John, (vocalist,) 335. Sinclair, Malcolm, 40. Skene, Alexander, 86. Skene, Prof. A. J. C, 202. Smibert, John, 178. Smith, Sir Donald A., 279. Smith, George, (Chicago,) 281, 256. Smith, James M., 264. Smith, W. E., 94. Smith, W. R.. 2C- Smillie, Family, the. 180. Somerville, Alexander, 363. Sons of Scotland, Order of, 432. Spence, Dr. John, 201. Spence, John F., 261. Spence. W. W.. 261. Steel, Wm., (Abolitionist,) ii. Stewart. Dr. A. M., 375. Stewart, John A., 276. Stobo, Rev. Archibald, 4^4. Stuart, Alexander, 281, 2j8. Stuart, Gilbert C, 179. Stuart, Kinloch, 238. Stuart, Robert, 59, 62. Stuart, R. L., 238, 281. Stuart, Mrs. R. L., 239, 281. Sturoc, W. C, 407. .Swan, James. 120. TAYLOR. Rev. Dr. W. M., 165. Thom, James, 186. Thomson, Rev. Dr. J.. 166, 248. Thomson, Robert, 187. Thorburn, Grant, 205, 240. Troup, John E., 267. Turnbull, Rev. Robert, 365. Tytler, James, 3S3. WADDELL, Thomas. 271. Walker, Wm., (Quebec,) 280. Wait, George M., 220. Wan less, Andrew, 406. Washington, George. 21. 29, 107, 179. 202, 302. Watts, Family of, 125. Webster, William, 40. Wells, Robert, 246. Wellstood, Family of. 190. Whittet, Robert, 404. Wilkie, Daniel, (Quebec.) 292. Williamson, Chas., 53, 54, 230. Williamson, John, 185. Williamson, Peter, 57. Wilson, Sir Daniel, 350. Wilson, John, (vocalist,) 336. Wilson, John, (printer,) 247. Wilson, James, (Signer,) 419. Wilson, Wm., (Poughkeepsie,) 390.. Wingtield, Alexander. 403. Witherspoon. Rev. Dr John, 104, 107, 244, 324, 325, 419. Wood, William, 298. Wright, Fanny, 331. Wright, Chief Justice Robert, 413. YOUNG, Hugh, 39. 4M- 2-8. 28l. M., 165. 66, 248. 3. 365. 71. 280. II, 29, ) 292. \, 230. 336. '47- 419- ;psie,) John, M9. obert,