ch ants ' ▁firm ▁of ▁P . ▁& ▁R . ▁F lem ing ▁& ▁Co . ▁on ▁Arg yle ▁Street , ▁of ▁which ▁he ▁became ▁senior ▁partner . ▁ ▁Col . ▁How ie ▁took ▁a ▁deep ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁Vol unte ers . ▁He ▁joined ▁the ▁ 1 st ▁Lan ark ▁as ▁a ▁private ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 7 , ▁and ▁four ▁years ▁later ▁he ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁ 3 rd ▁Lan ark , ▁receiving ▁his ▁commission ▁as ▁Lieutenant ▁on ▁ 1 ▁July ▁ 1 8 8 1 . ▁In ▁this ▁Battalion ▁he ▁served ▁for ▁the ▁long ▁period ▁of ▁ 2 4 ▁years , ▁and ▁was ▁in ▁command ▁of ▁the ▁regiment ▁from ▁January ▁ 1 9 0 1 , ▁till ▁January ▁ 1 9 0 5 , ▁when ▁his ▁term ▁of ▁service ▁as ▁Command ing ▁Officer ▁having ▁exp ired , ▁he ▁retired ▁from ▁the ▁Vol unte ers . ▁He ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁Vol unte er ▁Dec oration ▁by ▁Queen ▁Victoria ▁and ▁was ▁appointed ▁a ▁Justice ▁of ▁the ▁Peace . ▁ ▁Col . ▁How ie ▁also ▁took ▁a ▁considerable ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁affairs ▁of ▁the ▁Tr ades ' ▁House . ▁He ▁joined ▁the ▁In cor por ation ▁of ▁Hamm erm en ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 6 . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 2 ▁he ▁was ▁elected ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Master ▁Court , ▁and ▁three ▁years ▁later ▁was ▁appointed ▁Collect or . ▁During ▁his ▁Collect or ship ▁ 9 4 ▁new ▁members ▁were ▁en rolled , ▁and ▁the ▁funds ▁of ▁the ▁In