TEE LATE DUKE OF SUTHERLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 9040, 19 November 1892, Page 2 (Supplement)

TEE LATE DUKE OF SUTHERLAND.

The late Duke of Sutherland, who has just died at Dunrobin, bore an. excellent reputation as a landlord, and spent a very large amount of money in trying to bring Into cultivation a great-extent of the waste land of his native country. He was born in 1828, and succeeded to the title in 1861. He had been a director of the Highland Railway Company from its earliest days. The short lino which runs from Golspie to Helmsdale, a distance of seventeen miles, was built entirely at his Grace's expense, and is called " The Duke's Railway." The Duke, who all through his life took the greatest interest in railway matters, was very fond of riding on the engine when opportunity offered. When Garibaldi came to London in 1864 it was as the guest of the Duke of Sutherland. The Duke met the Italian hero atMne Elms, and so dense was the crowd that the carriage took nearly four hours to make its way to Stafford House. When Garibaldi left England some three weeks later he was conveyed to Caprera in the Duke's yacht, accompanied by his noble host and a few members of his family. The Duke's first wife died in 1888, and some sensation was caused in fashionable circles a year later when he married Mrs. Blair, widow of Captain Blair, at a small hamlet in Florida. The Duke and Duchess shortly afterwards returned to Britain, and have almost ever since been living at the Duke's magnificent seat, Dunrobin Castle, on the North Sea coast near Golspie. The Duke's landed possessions cover 1,200,660 acres, with a gross rental of some £140,000. The seats owned by the Duke in addition to Dunrobin Castle were Loch lnver House, House of Tongue, Tarbet House, and Castle Leod—all in Scotland ; and Stafford House, St. James' Park ; Trentham Hall, Staffordshire and a mansion in Bucks. The very last time that his Grace's name came into prominent public notice was in connection with an action by his son and heir, the Marquis of Stafford, to restrain him from cutting down ornamental timber in the park and woods on the Trentham estate.

The death of the Duke (who is succeeded by the M irquis of Stafford) will put a stop regarding the- cutting down of trees in Trentham Park pending between the Marquis of Stafford and the Uuke, in the course of which a painful portion of the family history would have been made public. Some interesting points of the law would, however, have been settled. The Trentham estate is densely wooded. Among the trees marked for felling were, we believe, some famous yews, which had been investigated by numerous archaeologists and pronounced by them to be 1400 years old. rrentham Hall has been almost shut up for the last four years, the Duke and present Duchess having spent most of their time abroad or at Dunrobin Castle. The park is a favourite resort of trippers from the Potteries, whose regard for the beauties is shown in the usual way. During one of his visits the Duke himself caught a woman digging up plants, and prosecuted her, in order, as he explained, to protect and preserve his grounds for the benefit of the public. The action, however, in spite of this explanation, was not quite appreciated in the district, where his Grace's popularity has been on the wane for some years. fin Scotlond the reverse of this has been the case. Some little sensation was caused by a speech made by the Duke on the occasion of an enthusiastic reception accorded to him and the present Duchess near Dunrobin shortly after their marriage. " He valued such friendship," his Grace said, " more than all the smiles of royal favour."

A characteristic story is told of his plain speech. The Duke was smoking in one of the waiting-rooms at Stafford, when a porter came in and told him that it was forbidden. He left off, but began again shortly afterwards, and the same porter seeing him was about to remonstrate again when a passer-by informed him that it was the Duke of Sutherland. The porter came up and apologised for his first remark. " 1 took you for an honest man,"said the Duke after looking at him for a moment, " but I see you're a fool."