The Stark County Democrat

Visitors to the Burns Country - Thanks, Yankees from North Carolina, Barbour's Verse, etc. From the Glasgow, Scotland, etc.

The number of visitors to Burns country for the year, which may be taken to close at the end of September, again shows a very considerable increase on last and previous years. There were fluctuations in the attendance, the rather unfavourable weather of July, August and September somewhat adversely affecting the numbers. An instance of this is to be found in the week of Ayr races. Under usual circumstances the race week generally adds considerably to the September attendance. Last year the races helped to bring the total number of visitors to the Cottage during the three days which they last, up to 775, but for the corresponding three days of the present year the record is, on account of the cold, wet weather, nearly a blank. Taken all over, however, the fluctuations have tended in the direction of Increase. The figures representing the number of visitors to the Cottage for this and the three previous years are here presented: 1886, 17814; 1887 19,302; 1888, 20641; 1889, 21,642 The visitor's book presents some features of Interest. The names entered therein again show the large numbers that have visited the Cottage from America. On the 19th of July, when a Large party of Yankees from North Carolina-the North Carolina Teachers Assembly, Morehead City-visited the sacred precincts of the Cottage, ninety five of them "registered" in the visitor' book, and all through the book the familiar "U. S. A." appended to the names meets the observer. The number who enter their names in the book is, of course, considered smaller than the actual number of visitors. On 13th July, the day on which there was the largest daily attendance, the number who wrote their names was 421. The book contains a short minute of the meeting of Perth Burns Club held In the Cottage, with the names of the members present, and the names of a deputation from Dundee Burns Club. The Dumbarton Burns Club also held a meeting in the Cottage, and the names of the members present are accompanied by a rough pen and Ink sketch of Dumbarton Rock and Castle. Kate Brownlee Sherwood. Ohio, U. S. A., writes the following stanza above her signature: "An'sae it is that grander anes Maun crumble neath their cauld grave stanes, Wi' Forgotten a', But, Robbie, while a tear remains, For thee I maun fa'." The number of visitors to the monument is nearly half as great again as the number to the Cottage. The total for the past year was over thirty thousand, which is about three thousand more than last year.