Affairs of the Heart

My wife Alice, whom I liked to call my Old Missus, died in 1924. We buried her in the garden at Fintry. Her headstone read, “Here lies my dear Old Missus in her garden. 1924. J.C. Dun-Waters.” We planted red roses around the grave. This small rose garden was called “The Missus’ Place.” Later, I became very close to Katie Stuart, Alice’s companion. We travelled together and went on hunting trips together. She called me “Dunny,” and I called her “Bunny.” She was a grand lass, and she was devoted to me. But I did not fancy marrying her. Instead, in 1931, I proposed to a bonny, young Scottish woman in Vancouver. Margaret Menzies was working as a secretary. I met her when she typed some letters for me when I was staying at the Vancouver Hotel. I was 61 at the time. Margaret was 30. Katie and her brother had been living with me at Fintry Manor. However, when I returned home with Margaret, they moved to the Burnside house. Katie and I still remain friends. Every day I stroll over to Burnside to have tea.

The Fairbridge Boys

By 1936, I was beginning to feel my age. I was always wiry and tough, but I was soon going to be 72. Fintry was becoming too much work for me. I put the estate on the market for an asking price of $100,000 even though I had spent over half a million dollars building it up. But no one offered to buy it. Sadly, I do not have a son or daughter. There is no one to inherit Fintry. So last year, in 1938, I decided to donate Fintry to the Fairbridge Farm Schools. This organization takes underprivileged lads and lasses from England and brings them to Australia or Canada. They live on farms and part of their schooling is teaching them how to be farmers and farmers’ wives.