SCOTLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 1355, 17 November 1877, Page 16

SCOTLAND.

Father Gavazzi has been lecturing in Ayr. The KiDg of Denmark visited Edinburgh in cog.

Ihe Very Rev. Dean Stanley has visited Dr Story at Ros^neath. It is believed that £200 will be raised for the Kirkcaldy Hices rext year. Miss Jessie Forrest has heea declared the champion croquet player of Scotland. The Uev. VV. R. Nicolf, Dufffcown, has accepted a call to the Free Church, Kelso. The Government grant to the Glasgow School Board last year amounted to £13,752. The potato disease is reported to have shown itself on several farms in the Carse of Gowrie.

'I here were 186 6res in Edinburgh in the year turfing May last, or 23 more than in the previous twelve months.

Tne subscription to the Burns's statue at Kiliuarnock now amounts to upwards of £1.833.

The Prince of W*?es has subscribed 25 guineas to tbe fond of the Social Science Congress to be held at Aberdeen. The ceremony of " capping " the medical graduates of Aberdeen University was performed by Principal Piite. The magistrates of Greenock hare granted a sum of £50 towards the relief of those labourers who are in distress through tbe lock-out.

At a quarterly meeting of the Westbaras Co-operative Society a dividend of two-sixths was divided among the members. The Scotch express train met with an alarming accident at tbe Motherwell Station on the 15th August, by which several persons were injured, and much damage was done.

The wet unseasonable summer has not been favourable for attracting tourists to the Highland*. . The weather in' August, how* 8 7 e F» g*E<J\ promise of improvement, and tbs amvals in Oban from the south largely iaoreiKd,

The property of Lodgehill, Nairn, which belonged to the late Colonel H. Murray, was exppsed to public sale on the 14ih Aug., at the upset pricfe of £2500, and after competition was knocked down to Mr Thomas Lowe, late of New Zealand, for £2565.

A quoiting match came off in tbe Fettercairn grounds on the 15th Aug., between four of the Fettercaira crack .players and four from Laurencekirk, when the latter beat their opponents on their own grounds by 39 points, aa follows. : — Laurencekirk, 122 ; Fettercairn, 83. . At the close of the match one of the Liufencekirk " dons " challenged any two' of the Fettercairnera.

Lammas Fair, the great agricultural event of the' year in Orkney, began on the 15th Aug. at Sunnybank, Kirkwall. The town was densely ciowded with visitors from the surrounding islands, and dealers in cattle and all kinds of wares from the south. The show of horses was very large, and numerous transactions took place at a decline in price. Cattle were not so numerous, but prices were maintained. The gathering of people was larger than formerly. Dense fog prevailed all day.

A very laudable effort is being made in Aberdeen, Scotland, to form a Co-operatlvo Honse BuildiDg Company. There is need of a large number of houses for the families of working men, and the present effort is meant to accomplish two objects — first, to meet this public want ; and second, to encourage in a higher degree habits of frugality among the people. The proposal is to raise £5000 in £1 shares, upon which the directors would raise another £5000. Already 3052 shares have been taken up, many of them being single shares, and of these 2207 have been partially or fully paid. The effort is worthy of all encouragement. Its practical effect must be beneficial. A similar company was started in Edinburgh a few years ago, which now owns property to the value of over £200,000, and regularly pays a dividend of from 74 to 15 per cent. The example set in Aberdeen may be wisely followed in other places.