MACHINE OF LOCHBUIE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11505, 29 September 1915, Page 1

MACHINE OF LOCHBUIE.

i —— — I A REMARKABLE CAREER. ' WINS A MILITARY CROSS. A further touch of interest has been added to a most romantic life 'by the announcement that Lieutenant Kenneth Maclaine of Lochbuie has been awarded the Military Cross for distinguished' service in the field. Lieutenant Maclaine is the chief of his clan, having eucceeded his father some five years ago. He is the twenty-sixth chief of a historic line whose genealogy can be traced back some 800 years. On his succession to the title and estates of Lochbuie, _ Lieutenant Mac- j laine found that his father's property was so heavily encumbered by mort- i gages and death duties that there was j not a,living in it, ao he set himself the ' gigantic task of retrieving the fallen j fortunes of his family. The immensity j of the task will be realised when it is i stated that the estates extend to about 45,000 acres. HIS SPECIALTY. ! Lieutenant Maclaine was in no way adapted to amassing a huge fortune, and, somewhat in a quandary, he decided to turn music hall artist, and adopted his two middle names, Douglas j Lome. " Light comedy songs," he said to I an interviewer, at that time, " are to I be my specialty, chiefly of the young I swell order. I shall stick to the smaller halls." From Wigan he went to Warrington, Blackburn, Burnley, and' so on, singing to the industrial audiences in the irreproachable silk hat and checked trousers of the young man about town. His experience in real life helped him greatly in his new role, and when the Manchester pantomime season came round "Douglas Lome" scored quite a success as the dude in " Mother Goose." Speaking of it afterwards, he said: " I venture to say from the applause I received I did it well, and what was of considerable interest to me, I made a bit of money." It was after this that Mr Maclaine received an offer from a London manager, who knew his identity, of £BO a week if he would appear as the Maclaine of Lochbuie. As yet, however, the young laird was not prepared to go into the limelight under his real designation, and he refused the offer. £2OO A WEEK. This offer was followed almost immediately by one of £2OO a week from

America, conditionally on his playing under his real name. He reconsidered the matter. After all, his purpose was to free his estate from debt, and he Interviewed at this time, lie said: "I spoke to the Duke of Argyll about my decision, and he was.very kind and' encouraging about it all. He suggested that 1 should afterwards make > a tour through Canada, where, he pointed out, there was a large Scottish population, who would no doubt givo me a good welcome. He shook hands with me, and wished: me every success." ~ . , In New York he sang Scottish songs. He dressed in a kilt, and wore sonic the family ornaments, and also Uie crest of the clan. Lieutenant Madame was educated m Edinburgh, and latterly in a school in Derbyshire, and during the South African war he was gazetted lieutenant in the Scottish Sharpshooters. He is a godson of the Duke of Aigyll.