The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-06-23
A GLANCE AT IRELAND.
From an occastono, Correspondent.


days. We found this season the most fa-
vorable tii..o for coming over, and the opinion
of many of our passengers who had crossed
the big pond twenty to forty times was, that
they never had a more delightful voyage.
Think of old times, when ship would be
sixty and eighty days enduring buffetings
from Neptune. We had very little really
rough weather, though the vessel rolled con-
siderably, and the racks had to be kept on the
cabin tables most of the time.
The transfer from the steamer to the tug
and thence to the railway station occupied
about two hours, and our ride to Cork was a
short one. We went about the town in
jaunting-car, and saw everything of interest.
We visited Blarney Castle, but did not kiss
the far-famed ''Blarney stone, as its appear
ance was not at all inviting We found
bea utiful country, as far as surface and pro-
ductions are concerned; but 1 must confess
the inhabitants are very squalid and far from
prepossessing. The Imperial Hotel at Cork
was quite comfortable, and the quality of food
very good, although the variety was small,
and charges for meals, separately, about the
same as with you in Philadelphia, from
seventy five cents to dollar for breakfast or
dinner.
We left for this place in the afternoon train
of the 9th, making a long stay at Mallow,
and running very slowly all the time. We
paid what they call frst-class fare, but the
cars were very dirty, and the racks were so
contracted they could not accommodate our
small baggage, satchels and bundles. 1t
seemed singular to be locked in, and in this
warm weather the cars are very close, and
what people do who are sick on the journey,
is more than I can imagine. The engineers
on the locomotives have no covering what
ever over them, and they, with their firemen,
have to take the full force of all storms, as
well as the scorching sun, which must be
great discomfort. There cannot be the least
objection to having the same protection from
the weather that our engineers have, except
that it is too progressive, and foreigners will
not take pattern from us. The locomotives
were all very light, and could not possibly
draw one of the heavy trains that are daily
run on the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Such things as palace and drawing-room
cars, or sleeping-cars, are unknown here; SO
we shall not travel any at night if we can
avoid it.
iron wheels with spokes, and as the wheels
are quite large, the cars present curious ap-
pearance, being SO high from the ground.
However, they say the roads in England and
on the Continent are much superior in most
respects to ours in the United States. Nous
Ue7TonS
Our hotel here is supposed to be something
extra, as the Prince of Wales once stayed here
q whole week. The walters wear nice white
gloves at dinner every day, as if at dress
party, and our table d'hote keeps us seated
two mortal hours. We would little rather
prefer the American style (though we do not
admire boiling our food in backwoods
fashion), and we could improve our time in
sightseeing, as we shall try to do in the future
This house is supported almost entirely by
Americans. The drivers all say there are
ten of our countrymen to one Englishman,
and our stay here so far has proved it. The
ladies of our party are able to walk much
farther than they could at home, accomplish
ing many miles day on foot, and if they
keep on improving they will make an ante
prandial tour of our new Fairmount Park on
our return to Philadelphia. Of course most
if not all of the churches here are the Roman
Catholic, though the Church of England
may have few adherents. The majority.o
the population seem to be priest-ridden.
Workmen here get but one shilling
twenty-five cents-per day, and not steady
labor at that, and all have seen are anxi-
Gus to go to America, the 'Land o Liberty"
of which they have curious and often ridicu-
lous ideas. None of them object to receiv-
ing shillings as fast as you can hand them
out. Every one of whom you may ask
question seems to expect some gratuity, and
our funds would soon give out if we acoeded
to all demands upon our purse. This we are
prepared for, as it is the experience of all
European travellers.
The lords about here are two in number,
and own about ten miles in every direction.
The woods and lakes are full of game and
fish, but no one can hunt or fish without ex-
press permission, which is not easily OBJ
tanned. The tenants live in good cottages
and seem to be well satisfied, but the mass of
the people live in the most abject misery, in
mud cottages or huts, thatched with straw,
no floors but mother earth, and often not
even chair. No wonder they want to emil
CRATE to our country, where their condition
could not be worse, but must be vastly
improved.
1t is not dark here till nearly 10 o'clock at
night, and it is light again at half-past two in
the morning, so that if we could only afford
to do with Baron Humboldts few hours OF