Blair Collection > Celtic monthly > Volume 5, 1897

THK CELTIC MONTHLY.
125
DAVID MACDONALD, J. P., ABERDEEN.
0jy^ R. INI AC D O N A L D is
^IJIffi) imquestiouably a self-
■My^^ made man, and a brief
biographical sketch of his hfe
should prove very interesting
reading indeed. He is a native
of Woodside, Aberdeen, where at an early age
he was employed in a cotton mill. He was
afterwards apprenticed for five years in the
counting-house of Messrs Gordon, Barron iV Co.
Mr. Macdonald was a contemjjorary of the late
Sir John Anderson of ^^"oolwich, both the lads
being employed at the same works, and receiving
their rudimentary education — at the close of
their day's work, after eight o'clock — at the
same school. For many years Mr. Macdonald
held the position of- book-keeper at Messrs D
Hogarth >fc Co. of Aberdeen, the friendship of
whose firm he still warmly retains. He
afterwards became a merchant on his own
account in Aberdeen, and in recent years he
has assumed his sons as partners in the well
kuowu firm of D. Macdonald & Sous.
In Aberdeen Mr. Macdonald for eleven years
discharged faithfully and with great business
perspicuity the duties of a Town Councillor and
Harbour Commissioner, and of that time he
was for over six years a Bailie. During his
term as a Councillor, he was Convener of the
Gas Committee, and it was while he occupied
that chair that most of the recent improvements
with regard to lighting by gas originated. He
was also Convener of the Fishery Committee of
the H arbour Board. It was on his motion and
by his direct perseverance that the electric
clock was got for Aberdeen ; and it was also on
his motion that the Prince of Wales' presents
were brought to the Town and County Hall for
exhibition. This exhibition proved a great
success, financially and otherwise, and this, too,
notwithstanding the adverse opinions of certain
wiseacres of the city.
Mr. Macdonald was the first to suggest an
Art Museum for Aberdeen, although his
proposition was to have an Industrial and Art
Museum combined. In the summer of 1879,
Mr. Macdonald addressed a letter on the subject
to the Editor of the A bei deen Frve Press, urging
the necessity of taking active and immediate
steps to form such a museum In their midst.
He yet lives to see part of his scheme given
efiect to, and we trust that the Industrial
jDortion, as well, is in the near- feature. To Mr.
JNIacdonald's enterprise the Aberdoniaus owe
the experiment of lighting a portion of the city
by the "gas" of the future — the electric hght
Mr. Macdonald is a director of the Aberdeen
Lime Company, the Aberdeen Steam Navi-
gation Company, the Aberdeen, Newcastle,
and Hull Steam Shipping Company : Chairman
of the Aberdeen Steam Laundry Company ;
and president of the Aberdeen Projserty Invest-
ment Building Societj', the largest society of
the kind in Scotland. This does not exhaust
the list of the many important pubhc offices
held by Mr. Macdonald, for it must be added
that he was for six years Lord Dean of Guild
of the Cit^' of Aberdeen.. He was made a
Justice of the Peace a few years ago.
Mr. Macdonald, who has thus won his way
to the front in the commercial world, comes of
a fighting stock. His grandfather fought in
the great American War of Independence, and
his father was at the battle of Waterloo, and
was one of the Queen's oldest pensioners. Doth
these relatives served in the 4:2nd Highlanders
(Black Watch).
We may mention that Mr. Macdonald was
the founder of the Highland Association of
Aberdeen, of which he was Chairman for many
years, and on its resuscitation by Mr. Hugh
Macdonald, its present able secretary, Mr.
David Alacdonald was elected Senior Chieftain
and vice-president.
"OLD WIVES' TALES,"
FROM MACLEOD'S COUNTRY.
[Old Eric Macdonald, Dunvegan, Skye,
Interviewed as to the Fairies, etc.]
translated fru.m the gaelic uv
LUCKHART BOGLE.
Q. Did you ever see the Gruagach ?
A. He used to be seen between Orbost and
Roag, at a place called Lag-an-t-searrag. I saw
him when I was about twenty years old. He
was a nice-looking (grinu) man dressed like a
minister iu black.
Q. Had he fair hair ?
A. I don't know as to the hair, with the
fright I got. At 11 o'clock, he was standing on
a bank above a well. I thought it was one I
knew. " Is that you, Mr. Dunbar," I asked. 1
asked him three times but he did not answer.
He had a little stick in his hand putting it round
iu the well. I went away when he did not
answer me, and he followed me, and I could hear
the noise of his shoes on the heather. I am sure
enough he followed me for a quarter of a mile.
When I got to the brae above our own house he
was not there, and I ran home. It was then I
got the fright, aud I dashed cold water on my
face. jNly father asked me if I had a stitch or
was it fright. I said it was the fright. He asked
me what frightened me, and I told him all about