SCOTLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2529, 3 September 1902, Page 73

SCOTLAND.

(From Our Own Cokrespoxdext.) EDINBURGH, June 19. OBITUARY RECORD.

The Rev. Dr Alison, of Newington parish church, Edinburgh, a leading minifte-r of the Church of Scotland, died on May 22 in his sixty-seventh year. He was licensed in 1858, and was minister for two years and a-half of the Middle Pari-h. Paisley, and then for 10 years of Bonhill, Dumbartonshire, before coming to his Edinburgh charge in 1871. He was- for a number of years convener of the Jurish Commit lp« of the Church of Scotland. He received the degree of D.D. from the University of Ht. Andrews in 1883. Dr Alison was an excellent preacher, and was noted as a man of calm, clear judgment. He gathered a largo congregation r&und him. For some ye-ars, on account of failing health, he had had

a -colleague, who succeeds him

Tho Rev. Dr Alexander Mitchell, minister of the North ParLh, Dunfermiine. died on

June 2, in h.13 ninety-second year. He was the " father " of his presbytery, and one of the oldest ministers in his denomination. He was called to DunfermUne in 1851, and his jubilea was celebrated there last year *rifch much heartiness. H© received the degree of D.D. from Aberdeen University in 1879. He took an active part in all maittcrs nffecting the religious well-being of the community. He wa3 a brother of the Rev. Dr Murray Mitchell, the well-known Indian missionary, who survives him. Sir William Scott, eighth Baronet of Ancrum, Roxburghshire, has died suddenly in Paris, aged 73. He was a Deputy-lieu-tenant for the county, and also held other jiublie offices. Curiously enough, his manmco at Ancrum was U\it? burned down during his lifetime. One daughter alone survives him. Lieutenant-colonel A. J Rak. of Anniston, Forfarshire, died suddenly on June 13, while travelling by railway near Imerfceilor. He was 63 years of a<je, and had eeen service afc the capture of Bornaisimd co the Baltic, in 1854. in the Waikato campaign of 1863-64, and in the Ashanti war in 1873-74. He waa repeatedly mentioned in despatches, and received the honour of Companionship of the Bath in recognition of his services on 'the staff in Ashanti. Hf> was also made an honorary burgrss of Arbroath. He took an active part in agricultural and county matter?, and to much beloved, both as a man and -as a landlord. GENERAL NEWS.

'The following personal estates of deceased persons have been recorded since my last: — Mr W. Haig, of Ramornie, Fife. £159,852 ; Mr N. A. Mem, of Forgcbraehead, Canon bie, £149,922 ; Mrs Barclay (nee Campbe'l White), Park terr^co, Glasgow, £60,045.

The dumber of removals in Glasgow and its suburbs, within the area of tho corporation gas supply, at the Whitßimdav term. was 28,524-. Tins is the highest total on record. The removaU were specially numerous in Govan and Partick, where mtny new blocks of workmen's hou.-es have been erected. The Perthshire Natural Science Society has presented it.- museum to the city of Perth, upholding it frea of all co-t for five years. The gift has been accepted by the Town Council. The annual competition for the Caledonian Challenge Shield took place this month at the Malleriy lantre, near Edinburgh. The shi-.'ld was won by Q.M. Scigeant Fraser, Banff Artillery, with a tLorc of 214. Sergeant Murray, 3rd Aberdeen, was second, his score being 212. The Edinburgh eabbes had a football match last week in aid of the Ibrnv football disaster funu. They cleared a net sum of £10. General Sir Archibald Hunter, in reply-

ing for the army at a dinner in Edinburgh

the other day, said that over a year ago - prejudice against the soldier had exsted in

' •Qme quarters, but he was glad to say that tthat prejudice had now practically die-

appeared,

JDavid Thomson, solicitor, late manager of 4fie Kirkealcly and Heritable Security Company (Limited), who disappeared some time ago, was at length arrested at Seattle. U.S., and brought back to Scotland on a charge of. embezzling £15.000 belonging to tho company. He pleaded '" Guilty." His C0U11391 said that betting had been the exuse of his ruin. He was sentenced this

week to 12 years' penal servitude

■Win. Paul Macfee, a draper, who lived in Barrack street, Glasgow, and who had been out of employment for four years, cut liis throat with a razer. He left behind him a note, in which he said that he preferred death to the workhouse. At Stanrigg collier}', near Airdrie. a man named M'Conville mis=ed his footing and fell down a shaft 500 ft deop. He was utterly smashed by the fall. A new city nooi'hou«e for Aberdeen is about to be ereoteel on the site of the old Reformatory at Oldmill, at a coat of about £50.000. At the election of a minister to succeed the late Rev. Dr Mair, minister of Southdean parish, Roxburghshire, the voting for the three selected candidates resulted in a tie. Another election was accordingly held on a subsequent, date. A soldier in Stirling Ca.=tle, while trying to break out of bairackp at night, fell over the rocks and was killed on the spot. The first sod of a new reservoir to supply Kilsylh with water has iu«' been cut. The reservoir is to hold 30 million gallons, and to cost £10,000. A lunatic who had escaped from the Crichton A&ylum threw himself in front of a train at Dum£ries, but the engine-driver stopped it before it reached him. He then rushed off and jumped from the bridge into the River Nith, but mad? his way to the be uk, where he was s^ci're r l uninjurc-'l. Wliile hearing a ra-:> .->t Falkirk, Sheriff 801 l was suddenly so .zed vith i!lpcs=, and littering a cry < f pain 1 « fell back in a fainting fit. The offiria'- i.i-hed to h s aid. and a dector «a= callc 1 . \ftr>r tho «.hr>riff bod regained consciousucs j ho was taken to big home at Pokaoji^.

A scare took place the other day at the Clyde Powder Mills of Messrs "Curtis and Harvey, situated at Glenlean, six miles from Dunoon. Owing to some* undue friction in the granulating process the works took fire, and the villagers, dreading an explosion, fled to the hills, The fire, however, was extinguished without any mishap. A disastrous fire occurred on the morning of Sunday, May 25, in the grain store of Messrs Berry, Barclay, and Co.. at Seafield Leith. The damage is estimated at £10,000. The roof of some adjoining oil mills caught fire, but the firemen succeeded in saving them. A census was taken on a recent Saturday of the number of perrons who entered the ppl.lichousea in Aberdeen between the hours of 9 and 11 p.m The totals were as follows: — Males, 27,714; females, 3062; grand total, 30,F06. Reckoning their expenditure! at no more than 3d per head, the total amount spo.it in the two hours v, ouM be £580. Besides the foregoing, 276 children entered during the same time to carry away drink for home consumption. Arrangement 5'5 ' are ln progre=3 for sending r ut a representative tpam of Srotti«li curlors to Canada and the United States during next vliiUr.