66 FIELD AND TERX. 



of a mile on a very steep incline from tlie bottom of 

 Dublin-street up Duke-street, to St. Andrew^s-square. 

 Professor Dick, whose first connexion with the Higli- 

 land Society dates back to '24, tries horses there, 

 which are sent to him under suspicion of roaring or 

 disease of the heart. "They seldom require a second 

 turn, except it is on a windy day, or people are par- 

 ticular/^ and the Professor is often glad to get the 

 man off their backs, when they have come through 

 at a sharp canter. ''Run him against the hillj gentle- 

 men, and you'll find him a roarer !" was the trenchant 

 phrase in which he once opposed a public appoint- 

 ment ; and the candidate merely observed, in reply, 

 that he was open to run the Professor. The Veteri- 

 nary College in Clyde-street, over which the Professor 

 has presided for eight-and-forty years, is close by ; 

 and we found him in the lecture-room with the skele- 

 ton of the blood mare Miss Foote at his side, the 

 hind leg of a horse fresh from the Grass Market in 

 his hand, and seven dozen students in front of him. 



Edinburgh has gradually become a great empo- 

 rium for wool. In 1853, the system of public sales 

 for home-grown wools in Edinburgh was established 

 by Mr. Kobert Girdwood, and after combatting for 

 three years the prejudices both of growers and consu- 

 mers, it was accepted as '^''a great fact,^' and he opened 

 stores in Glasgow as well. Adams and Macgregor, 

 Crauford and Cree, and one or two other firms in Lcith 

 and Granton have followed suit, and a very large 

 business is done. Mr. Girdwood has his Edinburgh 



