"The Customs Clocktower While everyone praises the generous tanes of "Big Ching" and the general design of the Customs buildings. mich" admired-one might offer a. special word of compliment on the -tremendous effect of the Hankow Road front, like som¢ old Florentine palace—one Roars a, good deal of criticism of the clock-tower, Who is responsible for the green marble (presumably it is marble) loft above the bell chamber and the truly hideous gilded pill-box thing above that? Aasuredly the original architects were not, for the final form quite different from the design of which we published a picture in 1928, The fact of the matter appears to be that the design was pulled about in Peking and the architects were obliged to accept. alterations which they knew would quite unsuitable. This interference is the more regrettable because the architects were well aware of the danger to the Bund front of putting up so tall a building: and took pains to consider the general grouping with the Hongkong & Shanghai Bank. certainly as one walks northward long the Bund these two great buildings mass up finely togethor—all except that unsuitable gilded summit. Of course gilding has its effectiveness when properly used—the finishing off of Wayfoong's dome isa good example of that. But.to put, it mildly, the gilding of the. top' storey of the Customs lock tower is not popular. Why mot scrape it off?
The. Haig Family good deal of interest has been {famous Field-Marshal regarding the antiquity of the Haig family' and its special connection with the estate of Bemersyde, in respect of Which Thomas the' Rhymer wrote 2 prophesy which came true after shout eight centuries, A. corres Gata. on the wabfect, ud Ve will be pondent now supplies we with som
Worthy of perusal' to. those -who follow up auch semi-historienl subfects. Our correspondent states The earliest known of the Haige wa one who was some ti ton in old documents, as." Hoga" and again as "Petros de Haga" "He is first hoard of about 1162-1166 and was possibly of Norman family, from the penin-aula of Cotentin or the cape La Hague frou which they took their name.
Sir John de Haga died in 1326 fand seems to have boon the last to boar the name, as the ninth baronet of Bemorsyde was known an Sir Andrew Haig, 1988-1434, The Haigs of Bemersyde, prior to the nation presenting it'to Sir Douglas Haig, wore cousins of the "late Earl and) the actual Haig, Haig and John Haig family There is no reason to doubt the authenticity of this account, for many of the barons who took prominent part in the wars of the Border were of Norman descent, the disgruntled ones. having proba: bly "gone to Scotland, where the genius of the Scots for absorption was apparently even then evident.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.