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For the latest news from Scotland see our ScotNews feed at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/
Electric Scotland News
Got in a copy of the Clan Leslie International newsletter in which they are giving a lot of information on their Clan Gathering which will be at Fergus in Ontario. I was very impressed with the amount of information provided which helps people in other countries to understand the things to be considered if you decide to come to Canada to attend the event. They also provided details of the trips on offer and a registration form.
You can read their April 2016 newsletter at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/fami...eint/index.htm
Some stories from the Scottish Press this week...
Note that this is just a selection from our ScotNews Feed which is on our index page.
In her own back yard
The First Minister's myopia about recial tension. This article provides some excellent information on racial diversity in Scotland.
Read more at:
http://www.scottishreview.net/KennethRoy44a.html
Comment
The rainbow nation of gender equality doesn't touch the blighted lives of 'left behind' Scotland
Read more at:
http://www.scottishreview.net/GerryHassan30a.html
Rules of the road
With the roads starting to get busier we thought it might be time to share some rules of the road
Read more at:
http://www.whfp.com/2016/04/05/rules-of-the-road/
Scots scientists offer fresh hope in treatment of asthma
Professor Colin Watts says eosinophils cells help protect people from infectious agents
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/scots-s...thma-1-4091782
Nicola Sturgeon refuses to answer on China bribes allegations
Nicola Sturgeon has refused to say if she knew about corruption allegations surrounding the owner of one of the Chinese companies
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/politic...ions-1-4091811
Margaret Phillips, 103, wins curry prize
A 103-year-old Dundee woman dubbed the nan who loves naan has been crowned Curry Lover of the Year.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-...ntral-35968543
Full Fiscal Autonomy for Dummies
Full Fiscal Autonomy (FFA) means Scotland keeping everything we raise from taxes
Read more at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/independence/ffad.pdf
Brexit would mean £1.5bn Scottish Parliament windfall
A Brexit would mean an extra £1.5 billion a year for the Scottish Parliament’s budget after contributions to European Union institutions stop
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/politic...fall-1-4090671
Brexit will lead to more Scottish powers
Tom Harris, who is launching the Scottish Vote Leave campaign, said the new powers were part of a specific Scottish case for leaving the EU.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-...itics-35965518
Two in three Scots never go to church
A sharp drop in the number of churchgoers in Scotland has been uncovered by new research.
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/two-in-...urch-1-4089672
What can happen when a Named Person reports on your children
The Named Person scheme has proved to be a divisive issue for the SNP administration.
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/reveale...dren-1-4089077
How the SNP keeps information at a premium
The Information Commissioner is putting requests on hold that might put ministers in a critical light
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/brian-w...mium-1-4088570
Scotland’s oldest man reveals secret to long life
Scotland’s oldest man celebrated his 108th birthday, and said porridge was the secret of his long life.
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotlan...life-1-4086456
Ronnie Corbett dies aged 85
Entertainer Ronnie Corbett, best known for BBC comedy sketch show The Two Ronnies, has died aged 85.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-35934024
Mystery voyage of Scottish islands red deer
When red deer arrived on Scotland's outer islands some 5,000 years ago, they were probably brought across the ocean by humans from as far away as central Europe
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-35970195
Victory for Eurosceptics as Dutch reject EU-Ukraine deal in referendum
Eurosceptics were celebrating on Wednesday night after a Dutch referendum dealt another blow to the EU, with 61 per cent of people who voted rejecting a free trade deal with Ukraine.
Read more at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016...ine-pact-vote/
Electric Canadian
SPRING COLLOQUIUM
Saturday, April 16, 2016
This is a reminder that this year's Spring Colloquium will showcase current research on Scottish history underway in the Guelph Centre for Scottish Studies. The event will take place on Saturday, April 16th from noon to 4:30 pm at Knox College, University of Toronto. Details here: http://www.scottishstudies.com/520-s...quium-2016.htm
ST. ANDREWS LECTURE
April 12, 2016
St Michael's College and the St Andrews Society of Toronto invites you to the St Andrews Society Lecture "Scotland's ancient past - from stone monuments to metal-detected treasure" by Professor Ian Ralson, OBE, from the University of Edinburgh. April 12, 2016 from 7:00-8:00pm in the Charbonnel Lounge, Elmsley Hall, St Michael's College, University of Toronto, 81 St Mary Street, Toronto.
Note: this is in addition to the lecture "Hillforts of the Long Iron Age - in Scotland and beyond" at the University of Guelph on April 13: http://www.scottishstudies.com/520-s...ure-160413.htm
The Story of Manitoba
By F. H. Schofield, B.A. in 3 volumes (1913)
There is no lack of material for a history of Manitoba, The books written by early navigators and explorers, the annals of the Jesuit priests and other missionaries, the journals kept by the fur traders, the records of the Hudson's Bay Company and its factors, the minutes of the Council of Assiniboia, and government reports furnish an inexhaustible store of facts for the historian. These sources of information are supplemented by accounts of military expeditions, given by officers or chaplains who accompanied them, by the reports of scientists, and by many books of travel.
Students of the history of the Canadian west will always be under obligation to the early historians of the Red River Settlement, Sheriff Alexander Ross, Mr. Donald Gunn, and Mr. Joseph Hargrave, and the author frankly acknowledges his indebtedness to them. He is also greatly indebted to writers who have recently investigated and sifted so much of the historical material to be found in the London office of the Hudson's Bay Company, especially to Mr. Beckles Willson, Rev. George Bryce, D. D., and Miss Agnes C. Laut. He owes much to many other writers, but it is impossible to mention all of them here. A partial list of the authorities which have been consulted in the preparation of this volume is given in another part of the book. It may prove of some service to readers who wish to make a more detailed study of the history of the province.
The writer wishes to acknowledge his obligation to the members of his advisory committee and to many friends who have helped him to secure facts for the book and material for its illustrations. His thanks are due to the librarians of the Provincial Library and the Carnegie Library of Winnipeg for their uniform kindness and interest. Above all, he is grateful to his wife for the unfailing help, sympathy, and encouragement which made it possible for him to complete the work.
While there is abundant material for a history of Manitoba, it is marked by many discrepancies. Different writers have given different accounts of the same event, and sometimes a writer has given different versions of the same incident in different books. Men who took part in the same expedition have not agreed as to the names of the ships in which it sailed, leaders in the same skirmish have written widely different accounts of it, and witnesses under oath have given such inconsistent versions of the same affair that judges have been unable to elicit the facts. Under such conditions it is difficult to eliminate all inaccuracies in preparing a history. The author of this volume has aimed to present absolutely accurate statements in it; and if some errors have crept into its pages, he hopes that its readers will give him credit for conscientious effort to avoid them.
If the work does something to promote interest in the past history of the province, pride in its progress, and a feeling of responsibility for its future welfare, some of the author's aims will be attained.
F. H. S.
WINNIPEG, March, 1913.
You can download these three volumes at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...fmanitobal.htm
Sketch of the Life and Services of Retired Chief Factor R. MacFarlane 1852—1913
Extracted from the above publication which you can read at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...macfarlane.pdf
Electric Scotland
The Works of the Ettrick Shepherd
Added this book to our Hogg page in the Scottish Nation which you can download from:
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/nation/hogg.htm
'Twixt Ben Nevis And Glencoe
By Rev. Alexander Stewart LL. D. FSA Scot, (1885) which I've added to the foot of the page at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hiSt...aber/index.htm
12 Miners Killed
Added this to our Snippets from the Glasgow Herald archive at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...s/19220714.htm
Rodney’s Stone / Rodney’s Cross
Got in 2 pictures of these Grampian Stones from Stan Bruce which you can view at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/historic/grampian.html
Remarks on Claims of Scotsmen Abroad
On the Christian Sympathy and Exertions of their Countrymen at home by William Rintoul (1826)
It was only lately that the writer of these pages received the first annual Report of the Glasgow Society for PROMOTING THE RELIGIOUS INTERESTS OF THE SCOTTISH SETTLERS in British North America, and not before he had almost finished them for the press: and after perusing it, he felt some hesitation as to whether he should prosecute his first design of publishing them, as that report contains a very powerful appeal to the Scottish public partly coincident with that here attempted to be made. Yet, as he is desirous that the expediency of a Society more comprehensive in its object than what either the Glasgow Society, or the -Society of a similar kind lately formed in Edinburgh is, should be seriously considered: and as he knows that no particular case of Christian benevolence can be injured by repeated advocacy, he hazards these remarks, such as they are, before the public.
It may be thought that he has indulged in a style too discursive for a mere religious appeal, and in this he may be faulty; but the train of reflection which he prescribed for himself was something like the following: Some general views of emigration—the propensity of Scotsmen to emigrate—the character of Scottish emigrants— an estimate of the religions exertions made in their behalf—the importance of a Colonial Missionary Society—encouragements to the formation of such a society— the character of suitable missionaries. He commends these pages to the candid judgment of the Christian Public, and the blessing of his Master.
You can view this book at: http://www.electricscotland.com/books/pdf/remarks.htm
Scotsman in Buckskin
Sir William Drummond Stewart and the Rocky Mountain Fur Trade by Mae Reed Porter and Odessa Davenport (1963)
THIS first biography of William Drummond Stewart (1797-1871) tells the story of the scion of a noble Scottish family who became a Mountain Man of the American West. As a youthful officer of British cavalry, Stewart campaigned under Wellington and won battle honors at Waterloo. Coming to America in search of excitement and adventure, he made many journeys into the then largely unknown wilderness Beyond the Missouri River.
Already a crack shot, Captain Stewart quickly became a fine frontiersman, learning the skills by which men survived in the wilds although he insisted on traveling in style, with luxurious accouterments and a store of fancy foodstuffs. But he respected Americans and admired frontier democracy, and soon became the trusted friend of fur traders and Indian chiefs alike.
Stewart was in America for eight vigorous, vital years, making annual treks to the great rendezvous, where trappers and redskins met for weeks of trading and orgiastic frolicking. On his 1837 trip, he took along Alfred Jacob Miller, a young American artist who made hundreds of on-the-spot water-color sketches that became invaluable source material, a pictorial record of a colorful way of life that even then was beginning to vanish.
When Sir William returned to Scotland he took with him all he could ol his beloved West - plants, birds, animals (including several buffaloes), three full blooded Indians and his faithful half-breed guide and hunter Antoine Clement. Like many other ex-soldiers, Stewart longed for some new experience that would equal the climactic one of battle, and he found it on America's wild frontier. A man of two worlds who made the best of each hobnobber with European royalty and trail companion of rugged Mountain Men like Jim Bridger and Tom Fitzpatrick Sir William Drummond Stewart shone as brightly in the New World as in the Old.
You can download this book at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...inbuckskin.pdf
THE STORY
Scot who saved American buffalo
HE IS little known in his home country, but the Scot credited with saving America’s buffalo from being hunted to extinction is now the subject of an award-winning film.
The Buffalo King tells the tale of James “Scotty” Philip, who was born in Dallas, Moray, in 1858. One of ten siblings, he emigrated to the US in 1874 aged 15 in search of adventure.
Writer and director Justin Koehler grew up near Philip, South Dakota, a town named after the Scot. “I grew up 20 minutes from that town and I had no idea who Scotty Philip was, which was kind of embarrassing. How could I come from South Dakota and not know who he was?” he said.
“He should be a South Dakota hero, if not a North American hero. But this encouraged me to tackle this story and get it out there the way it should be.”
Working as a labourer, Philip moved from Kansas to the Dakota Territory in the Midwest to look for gold in the Black Hills. When he failed to find his fortune there, Philip moved from job to job. He was a scout in the US army, a ranch hand and a cowboy.
He built up a herd of cattle and settled on a ranch on part of an Indian reservation, which he was only allowed to do as a white man because his wife Sarah was part-Native American. He went on to become a wealthy cattle farmer and a senator.
Koehler said as a schoolboy Philip had won a blindfolded race by fearlessly sprinting for the finishing line. Asked if he had been “peeking”, Philip said: “No, ma’am, I kept the wind in my face.”
“He brought the same attitude here,” Koehler said: “He didn’t care what obstacles he was going to meet, he just went ahead. He just went for it, and it was something that was instilled in him at a young age.”
While he was building his ranch, Philip became involved with the preservation of the buffalo, or American bison. The animals had once roamed the grasslands in massive herds, but a combination of hunting and the introduction of diseases from domestic cattle had driven them to the brink of extinction.
Philip met a rancher called Peter Dupree who had managed to catch five buffalo calves during the last big hunt on the Grand River in 1881. After Dupree’s death, Philip bought his herd for $10,000, the equivalent of $250,000 nowadays.
Koehler said he believed Philip was motivated by outrage at the way the US government had treated Native American tribes. As a soldier he had witnessed the massacres at Wounded Knee and Fort Robinson.
Koehler said: “There are letters he sent back to Scotland in which he says how appalled he was at how the government was treating the Native Americans and what they were putting them through.
“He realised that if you eliminated the buffalo, you eliminated the Native Americans, and that was the mindset of the American government. Scotty could not understand this because he had tremendous respect for the Native Americans.”
He added: “He was just thinking differently from people of that time. In fact, I would say his thinking would be different from most people today.
“If he was alive today, he would be an icon, but he was certainly years ahead of his time.”
In 1901, Philip and his ranchers drove the herd of buffalo, now numbering 50, to a pasture set up specially for them. Through careful management, the herd expanded to almost 1,000 and became the source of stock for numerous national and state parks throughout the US.
Official figures show that the buffalo population was reduced from an estimated figure of 40 million to a low point of just 750 surviving buffalo in 1890, but by 2000 the breed had recovered to 360,000.
Philip’s funeral was attended by hundreds of mourners from all walks of life, following his sudden death aged 53 in 1911 from a cerebral haemorrhage.
Koehler said: “His funeral said it all. It was this huge event. They laid down a track just to get a train to bring out mourners, and the mourners consisted of politicians, because he was a senator; Native Americans; other cattlemen and friends. The diversity of people tells you a lot.”
The documentary has already received critical acclaim on the festival circuit, winning best documentary at the South Dakota Film Festival, as well as opening several other festivals. It has been submitted to the Glasgow Film Festival for inclusion in next year’s programme.
There is a further account on the page from Tri-State Livestock News at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...es/buffalo.htm and a link to additional information sent in by the family.
And that's it for this week and hope you all enjoy your weekend.
Alastair
http://www.electricscotland.com/
Electric Scotland News
Got in a copy of the Clan Leslie International newsletter in which they are giving a lot of information on their Clan Gathering which will be at Fergus in Ontario. I was very impressed with the amount of information provided which helps people in other countries to understand the things to be considered if you decide to come to Canada to attend the event. They also provided details of the trips on offer and a registration form.
You can read their April 2016 newsletter at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/fami...eint/index.htm
Some stories from the Scottish Press this week...
Note that this is just a selection from our ScotNews Feed which is on our index page.
In her own back yard
The First Minister's myopia about recial tension. This article provides some excellent information on racial diversity in Scotland.
Read more at:
http://www.scottishreview.net/KennethRoy44a.html
Comment
The rainbow nation of gender equality doesn't touch the blighted lives of 'left behind' Scotland
Read more at:
http://www.scottishreview.net/GerryHassan30a.html
Rules of the road
With the roads starting to get busier we thought it might be time to share some rules of the road
Read more at:
http://www.whfp.com/2016/04/05/rules-of-the-road/
Scots scientists offer fresh hope in treatment of asthma
Professor Colin Watts says eosinophils cells help protect people from infectious agents
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/scots-s...thma-1-4091782
Nicola Sturgeon refuses to answer on China bribes allegations
Nicola Sturgeon has refused to say if she knew about corruption allegations surrounding the owner of one of the Chinese companies
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/politic...ions-1-4091811
Margaret Phillips, 103, wins curry prize
A 103-year-old Dundee woman dubbed the nan who loves naan has been crowned Curry Lover of the Year.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-...ntral-35968543
Full Fiscal Autonomy for Dummies
Full Fiscal Autonomy (FFA) means Scotland keeping everything we raise from taxes
Read more at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/independence/ffad.pdf
Brexit would mean £1.5bn Scottish Parliament windfall
A Brexit would mean an extra £1.5 billion a year for the Scottish Parliament’s budget after contributions to European Union institutions stop
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/politic...fall-1-4090671
Brexit will lead to more Scottish powers
Tom Harris, who is launching the Scottish Vote Leave campaign, said the new powers were part of a specific Scottish case for leaving the EU.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-...itics-35965518
Two in three Scots never go to church
A sharp drop in the number of churchgoers in Scotland has been uncovered by new research.
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/two-in-...urch-1-4089672
What can happen when a Named Person reports on your children
The Named Person scheme has proved to be a divisive issue for the SNP administration.
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/reveale...dren-1-4089077
How the SNP keeps information at a premium
The Information Commissioner is putting requests on hold that might put ministers in a critical light
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/brian-w...mium-1-4088570
Scotland’s oldest man reveals secret to long life
Scotland’s oldest man celebrated his 108th birthday, and said porridge was the secret of his long life.
Read more at:
http://www.scotsman.com/news/scotlan...life-1-4086456
Ronnie Corbett dies aged 85
Entertainer Ronnie Corbett, best known for BBC comedy sketch show The Two Ronnies, has died aged 85.
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-35934024
Mystery voyage of Scottish islands red deer
When red deer arrived on Scotland's outer islands some 5,000 years ago, they were probably brought across the ocean by humans from as far away as central Europe
Read more at:
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-35970195
Victory for Eurosceptics as Dutch reject EU-Ukraine deal in referendum
Eurosceptics were celebrating on Wednesday night after a Dutch referendum dealt another blow to the EU, with 61 per cent of people who voted rejecting a free trade deal with Ukraine.
Read more at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016...ine-pact-vote/
Electric Canadian
SPRING COLLOQUIUM
Saturday, April 16, 2016
This is a reminder that this year's Spring Colloquium will showcase current research on Scottish history underway in the Guelph Centre for Scottish Studies. The event will take place on Saturday, April 16th from noon to 4:30 pm at Knox College, University of Toronto. Details here: http://www.scottishstudies.com/520-s...quium-2016.htm
ST. ANDREWS LECTURE
April 12, 2016
St Michael's College and the St Andrews Society of Toronto invites you to the St Andrews Society Lecture "Scotland's ancient past - from stone monuments to metal-detected treasure" by Professor Ian Ralson, OBE, from the University of Edinburgh. April 12, 2016 from 7:00-8:00pm in the Charbonnel Lounge, Elmsley Hall, St Michael's College, University of Toronto, 81 St Mary Street, Toronto.
Note: this is in addition to the lecture "Hillforts of the Long Iron Age - in Scotland and beyond" at the University of Guelph on April 13: http://www.scottishstudies.com/520-s...ure-160413.htm
The Story of Manitoba
By F. H. Schofield, B.A. in 3 volumes (1913)
There is no lack of material for a history of Manitoba, The books written by early navigators and explorers, the annals of the Jesuit priests and other missionaries, the journals kept by the fur traders, the records of the Hudson's Bay Company and its factors, the minutes of the Council of Assiniboia, and government reports furnish an inexhaustible store of facts for the historian. These sources of information are supplemented by accounts of military expeditions, given by officers or chaplains who accompanied them, by the reports of scientists, and by many books of travel.
Students of the history of the Canadian west will always be under obligation to the early historians of the Red River Settlement, Sheriff Alexander Ross, Mr. Donald Gunn, and Mr. Joseph Hargrave, and the author frankly acknowledges his indebtedness to them. He is also greatly indebted to writers who have recently investigated and sifted so much of the historical material to be found in the London office of the Hudson's Bay Company, especially to Mr. Beckles Willson, Rev. George Bryce, D. D., and Miss Agnes C. Laut. He owes much to many other writers, but it is impossible to mention all of them here. A partial list of the authorities which have been consulted in the preparation of this volume is given in another part of the book. It may prove of some service to readers who wish to make a more detailed study of the history of the province.
The writer wishes to acknowledge his obligation to the members of his advisory committee and to many friends who have helped him to secure facts for the book and material for its illustrations. His thanks are due to the librarians of the Provincial Library and the Carnegie Library of Winnipeg for their uniform kindness and interest. Above all, he is grateful to his wife for the unfailing help, sympathy, and encouragement which made it possible for him to complete the work.
While there is abundant material for a history of Manitoba, it is marked by many discrepancies. Different writers have given different accounts of the same event, and sometimes a writer has given different versions of the same incident in different books. Men who took part in the same expedition have not agreed as to the names of the ships in which it sailed, leaders in the same skirmish have written widely different accounts of it, and witnesses under oath have given such inconsistent versions of the same affair that judges have been unable to elicit the facts. Under such conditions it is difficult to eliminate all inaccuracies in preparing a history. The author of this volume has aimed to present absolutely accurate statements in it; and if some errors have crept into its pages, he hopes that its readers will give him credit for conscientious effort to avoid them.
If the work does something to promote interest in the past history of the province, pride in its progress, and a feeling of responsibility for its future welfare, some of the author's aims will be attained.
F. H. S.
WINNIPEG, March, 1913.
You can download these three volumes at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/hist...fmanitobal.htm
Sketch of the Life and Services of Retired Chief Factor R. MacFarlane 1852—1913
Extracted from the above publication which you can read at:
http://www.electriccanadian.com/tran...macfarlane.pdf
Electric Scotland
The Works of the Ettrick Shepherd
Added this book to our Hogg page in the Scottish Nation which you can download from:
http://www.electricscotland.com/history/nation/hogg.htm
'Twixt Ben Nevis And Glencoe
By Rev. Alexander Stewart LL. D. FSA Scot, (1885) which I've added to the foot of the page at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hiSt...aber/index.htm
12 Miners Killed
Added this to our Snippets from the Glasgow Herald archive at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...s/19220714.htm
Rodney’s Stone / Rodney’s Cross
Got in 2 pictures of these Grampian Stones from Stan Bruce which you can view at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/historic/grampian.html
Remarks on Claims of Scotsmen Abroad
On the Christian Sympathy and Exertions of their Countrymen at home by William Rintoul (1826)
It was only lately that the writer of these pages received the first annual Report of the Glasgow Society for PROMOTING THE RELIGIOUS INTERESTS OF THE SCOTTISH SETTLERS in British North America, and not before he had almost finished them for the press: and after perusing it, he felt some hesitation as to whether he should prosecute his first design of publishing them, as that report contains a very powerful appeal to the Scottish public partly coincident with that here attempted to be made. Yet, as he is desirous that the expediency of a Society more comprehensive in its object than what either the Glasgow Society, or the -Society of a similar kind lately formed in Edinburgh is, should be seriously considered: and as he knows that no particular case of Christian benevolence can be injured by repeated advocacy, he hazards these remarks, such as they are, before the public.
It may be thought that he has indulged in a style too discursive for a mere religious appeal, and in this he may be faulty; but the train of reflection which he prescribed for himself was something like the following: Some general views of emigration—the propensity of Scotsmen to emigrate—the character of Scottish emigrants— an estimate of the religions exertions made in their behalf—the importance of a Colonial Missionary Society—encouragements to the formation of such a society— the character of suitable missionaries. He commends these pages to the candid judgment of the Christian Public, and the blessing of his Master.
You can view this book at: http://www.electricscotland.com/books/pdf/remarks.htm
Scotsman in Buckskin
Sir William Drummond Stewart and the Rocky Mountain Fur Trade by Mae Reed Porter and Odessa Davenport (1963)
THIS first biography of William Drummond Stewart (1797-1871) tells the story of the scion of a noble Scottish family who became a Mountain Man of the American West. As a youthful officer of British cavalry, Stewart campaigned under Wellington and won battle honors at Waterloo. Coming to America in search of excitement and adventure, he made many journeys into the then largely unknown wilderness Beyond the Missouri River.
Already a crack shot, Captain Stewart quickly became a fine frontiersman, learning the skills by which men survived in the wilds although he insisted on traveling in style, with luxurious accouterments and a store of fancy foodstuffs. But he respected Americans and admired frontier democracy, and soon became the trusted friend of fur traders and Indian chiefs alike.
Stewart was in America for eight vigorous, vital years, making annual treks to the great rendezvous, where trappers and redskins met for weeks of trading and orgiastic frolicking. On his 1837 trip, he took along Alfred Jacob Miller, a young American artist who made hundreds of on-the-spot water-color sketches that became invaluable source material, a pictorial record of a colorful way of life that even then was beginning to vanish.
When Sir William returned to Scotland he took with him all he could ol his beloved West - plants, birds, animals (including several buffaloes), three full blooded Indians and his faithful half-breed guide and hunter Antoine Clement. Like many other ex-soldiers, Stewart longed for some new experience that would equal the climactic one of battle, and he found it on America's wild frontier. A man of two worlds who made the best of each hobnobber with European royalty and trail companion of rugged Mountain Men like Jim Bridger and Tom Fitzpatrick Sir William Drummond Stewart shone as brightly in the New World as in the Old.
You can download this book at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...inbuckskin.pdf
THE STORY
Scot who saved American buffalo
HE IS little known in his home country, but the Scot credited with saving America’s buffalo from being hunted to extinction is now the subject of an award-winning film.
The Buffalo King tells the tale of James “Scotty” Philip, who was born in Dallas, Moray, in 1858. One of ten siblings, he emigrated to the US in 1874 aged 15 in search of adventure.
Writer and director Justin Koehler grew up near Philip, South Dakota, a town named after the Scot. “I grew up 20 minutes from that town and I had no idea who Scotty Philip was, which was kind of embarrassing. How could I come from South Dakota and not know who he was?” he said.
“He should be a South Dakota hero, if not a North American hero. But this encouraged me to tackle this story and get it out there the way it should be.”
Working as a labourer, Philip moved from Kansas to the Dakota Territory in the Midwest to look for gold in the Black Hills. When he failed to find his fortune there, Philip moved from job to job. He was a scout in the US army, a ranch hand and a cowboy.
He built up a herd of cattle and settled on a ranch on part of an Indian reservation, which he was only allowed to do as a white man because his wife Sarah was part-Native American. He went on to become a wealthy cattle farmer and a senator.
Koehler said as a schoolboy Philip had won a blindfolded race by fearlessly sprinting for the finishing line. Asked if he had been “peeking”, Philip said: “No, ma’am, I kept the wind in my face.”
“He brought the same attitude here,” Koehler said: “He didn’t care what obstacles he was going to meet, he just went ahead. He just went for it, and it was something that was instilled in him at a young age.”
While he was building his ranch, Philip became involved with the preservation of the buffalo, or American bison. The animals had once roamed the grasslands in massive herds, but a combination of hunting and the introduction of diseases from domestic cattle had driven them to the brink of extinction.
Philip met a rancher called Peter Dupree who had managed to catch five buffalo calves during the last big hunt on the Grand River in 1881. After Dupree’s death, Philip bought his herd for $10,000, the equivalent of $250,000 nowadays.
Koehler said he believed Philip was motivated by outrage at the way the US government had treated Native American tribes. As a soldier he had witnessed the massacres at Wounded Knee and Fort Robinson.
Koehler said: “There are letters he sent back to Scotland in which he says how appalled he was at how the government was treating the Native Americans and what they were putting them through.
“He realised that if you eliminated the buffalo, you eliminated the Native Americans, and that was the mindset of the American government. Scotty could not understand this because he had tremendous respect for the Native Americans.”
He added: “He was just thinking differently from people of that time. In fact, I would say his thinking would be different from most people today.
“If he was alive today, he would be an icon, but he was certainly years ahead of his time.”
In 1901, Philip and his ranchers drove the herd of buffalo, now numbering 50, to a pasture set up specially for them. Through careful management, the herd expanded to almost 1,000 and became the source of stock for numerous national and state parks throughout the US.
Official figures show that the buffalo population was reduced from an estimated figure of 40 million to a low point of just 750 surviving buffalo in 1890, but by 2000 the breed had recovered to 360,000.
Philip’s funeral was attended by hundreds of mourners from all walks of life, following his sudden death aged 53 in 1911 from a cerebral haemorrhage.
Koehler said: “His funeral said it all. It was this huge event. They laid down a track just to get a train to bring out mourners, and the mourners consisted of politicians, because he was a senator; Native Americans; other cattlemen and friends. The diversity of people tells you a lot.”
The documentary has already received critical acclaim on the festival circuit, winning best documentary at the South Dakota Film Festival, as well as opening several other festivals. It has been submitted to the Glasgow Film Festival for inclusion in next year’s programme.
There is a further account on the page from Tri-State Livestock News at:
http://www.electricscotland.com/hist...es/buffalo.htm and a link to additional information sent in by the family.
And that's it for this week and hope you all enjoy your weekend.
Alastair