108 Field Meetings. 



pulpit three generations ago and the trusty friend of Thomas 

 Carlyle, who with him made Annandale famous in literary 

 history. Passing the neat village of Fairy Row, where the 

 peasants know how to gratify wandering fairies with roses of 

 fairest bloom, we reached the cliurch, graveyard, and manse of 

 Kirkpatrick-Fleming. This modest old edifice is beautiful for 

 situation, and it was good to remember there how the father of 

 Dr Currie, first biographer and editor of Robert Burns, was 

 minister early in last century, a rare scholar — so his grandson 

 tells us in his Life of Dr Currie — an eloquent preacher, and as a 

 man universally beloved. 



Antiquarians, whether amateurs or otherwise, are not always 

 found arguing the former times better than these, not always 

 engaged scraping the unoffending lichens from hoary monuments 

 or unearthing bones. Touched by the spirit of modern indus- 

 trialism, we turned aside on the Kirtle from scenes and objects 

 reminiscent of antiquity to examine the commercial enterprise 

 kiaown as the Cove Quarries. There we were heartily welcomed 

 by Mr Lamb, manager, a gentleman with brains -plus the knack 

 of using them, who could make two potatoes grow in room of the 

 laggard one anywhere. These quarries present certain unique 

 features. From the standpoint of profitable commerce, proximity 

 to the Caledonian Railway line counts for much, but the situation 

 otherwise is singularly sequestered and picturesque. The main 

 quarry has been formed on tlie precipitous remote bank of the 

 Kirtle, whose clear waters murmur far below, their music lost 

 amid the combined clamour of locomotives, steam cranes, picks, 

 and hammers. The Cove Company have been at work now for 

 two and a half years, and already an immense slice has been cut 

 out of the red sandstone bank, indicative of very rapid prosperity 

 from the start. Before showing us round, however, Mr Lamb, 

 like the good host he was, spread his table with tempting 

 refreshments in the appetising Kirtle air, little soiled by smoke 

 from the quarries, with a lavish hand. Thereafter we caught a 

 glimpse at least of the 300 employees at work, producing on the 

 average 220 tons of stone per day, mostly for the markets of 

 Edinburgh and Glasgow. The manager considers the day bad 

 that does not despatch 30 waggons of dressed stone mainly, and 

 the wage bill amounts to fully £1000 per month. Seven steam 

 cranes were operating on the heights, clearing away roots and 

 surface soil from the rock, lifting blocks into the waggons, &c.j 



