Page:Architectural Review and American Builders' Journal, Volume 1, 1869.djvu/821

 1869.] Origin of John 0- Groat's House. m In these estimates, no allowance is made for the cost of lime, and other in- cidentals ; nor is there any credit for tar and waste lime,, as they will proba- bly equalize each other. No credit is made for coke, except when an average of 4,C00 feet per ctey is made ; because, unless thd works are making nearly their full capacity, little, if any, coke can be saved. The estimates go no further than five thousand feet per day ; as that is con- sidered a fair working capacity ; but the works may be able to furnish seven thousand five hundred feet per day, if necessary. Recapitulation. Cost per 1,000 feet— When 2.000 feet per day is made, $2 29 3,000 " ' " . " 1 75 4,000 " " " 1 3fi 5,000 " " " 1 12 These figures will enable a compari- son to be made of the cost of gas pro- cured from coal, and that obtained from other materials. ORIGIN OF "JOHN O'GROAT'S HOUSE." MANY of our American readers have heard of this celebrated point, on the coast of Scotland ; but few know the story of its origin, which is as follows : In the reign of James the IV of Scot- land, three brothers, Malcolm, Gavin, and John de Groat, supposed to be orig- inally from Holland, arrived in Caith- ness, with a letter from the king, recom- mending them to the countenance and protection of his loving subjects in the county of Caithness. These brothers bought some land near Dnngess Baj'- head ; and, in a short time, by the in- crease of their families, eight different proprietors of the name of Groat pos- sessed these lands in equal divisions. These eight families having lived peace- ably and comfortabby, for a number of years, established an annual meeting to celebrate the anniversary of their an- cestors' arrival on the coast, In the course of the festivity on one of these occasions, a question arose respecting the right of taking the door, the head of the table, and such honors of prece- dency; each contending for the superi- ority and chieftainship, which increased to such a degree, as would probably have proved fatal in its consequences, had not John de Groat, who appears to have acquired great knowledge of man- kind, interfered. He expatiated, on the comfort they had hitherto enjoj-ed, owing to the harmon}^ which had ex- isted between them; he assured them, that, as soon as they appeared to quar- rel amongst themselves, their neighbors, who had till then treated them with re- spect, would fall upon and expel them the country ; he therefore conjured them by the ties of blood and their mutual sefety, to return quietly to their several houses, and pledged himself that he would satisfy them on all points of pre- cedence, thus preventing the possibility of such disputes, in future, at their an- niversary meetings. They all acqui- esced, and departed in peace. In due time, John de Groat, to fill his agree- ment, built a room distant from all other houses, on an octagon plan, with eight doors, and placed a table of oak of the shape of the room in the middle. When the next meeting took place, lie desired each of them to enter by his own door, and to sit at the head of the table. He himself occupied the last. By this ingenious contrivance, the harmony and good humor of the companj- were re- stored. The building was then named John O'Groat's House. Nothing now remains but the foundations of the build- ing. The place still retains the name, and has long been a fixed locality on all maps of Scotland, as well as on mari- ner's charts. It will thus be seen that Burns had ample warrant for his address — vide " Captain Grose" — " Hail, Land o' Cakes, and brither Scots, Frae Maiden Kirk to Johnny Groat's."