THRUMS PURCHASED

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 182, 3 July 1937, Page 9

THRUMS PURCHASED

GIFT TO THE NATION. BY- MR DUNCAN E. ALVES. BORN IN DUNEDIN. (United Press Association —By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) Received July 3, 9.50 a.in. LONDON, July 2. Tho New Zealand-born Mr Duncan Elliott Alves, has bought Sir James Barrie’s birthplace in Kirriemuir, otherwise known as Thrums, lor presentation to tliu nation.

Mr Alves, who is a civil engineer, was born at Dunedin in 18/0. Lie was the 1 ounder oi tne imperial scheme fur securing and building up on reserves for liritisii naval and national purposes and also is much interested in creating an entente between Great Britain and Latin America. J liis gilt is not the first evidence of Mr Alves s generosity. Some years ago lie presented Gribble’s Royal Academy picture “Our Golden Argosies,” to the Federal council Cbamoer of the Australian Commonwealth Government and also a picture by Gribble, “.Nelson’s Hirst Prize,” to the Royal Naval Hospital, Greenwich. . Mr Alves is now resident in London but also has estates in Cariiarvonshito and at Tunbridge Wells. _ “Thrums” is a name given the little township of Kirriemuir, near Forfar, in the shire of the latter name —and not far from where our present Queen Elizabeth was born, its inhabitants are typical of the finest oi Scottish people and no better setting could Carrie have found for his story. Thrifty housewives who buy F’orfai linens perhaps do not know tnat these are one oi tne products of Kirriemuir; for generations lamilies have been engaged in the industry. They are a sturdy, simple-liv-ing folk. That is perhaps why Barrie s works possess such a charm of simplicity and whimsicality.