The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-03-17

the Irish heart everywhere, that portion
OF our fellow citizens propose to celebrate
in IN appropriate manner, tho annlVer-
sary of the birth Of Ireland's patron Saint;
and the several organizations in our city,
composed Of 1rishmen, will form in line
and march through number OF the prtn'
cipal streets in accordance with the route
hereafter laid down. This evening q
sumptuous supper will be served in Mrs.
Zeigenielder's rooms. Odd Fellows Hall
building, and a general good time Is an
ticipated. We hope the weather will be
propitious.
Almost as many countries arrogaLe the
honor OF having been the natal soil of 81.
Patrick as made similar claim with re-
spect to Homer. Scotland, England,
France and Wales each furnish their re.
spectIve prcIensions; but whatever doubts
may obscure his birthplace, all agree in
stating that, as his nameimplies, he was OF
a patrician family. He was born about
the year S79, and when only sixteen years
OF age, was carried of by pirates, who
sold him into slavery in Ireland, where his
master employed him as a swineherd on
the well.known mountain Of SleamIsh, in
the county Of Antrim. Hero he passed
seven years, during which time he &C
quired q knowledge Of the Irish language
and made himself acquainted with the
manners, habits and customs Of the peo'
pie. Escaping from captivity, and after
many adventures, reaching the con-
tinent be was successfully ordained dea'
con, priest and bishop, and then once
more, with the authority Of Pope Celes'
tine, he returned 10 Ireland to preach the
gospel to its then heather Inhabitants.
The principal enemies st. Patrick found
to the introduction Of the gospel In Ire
land, were the Druidical priests, who be-
ing great magicians, would have been
formidable antagonists to anyone OF less
miraculous and sanity powers than st.
Patrick. So obstinate was their antagon.
ism that in spite Of his benevolent dispos'
ilion he was compelled to curse their
fertile lands so that they became dreary
boys; to curse their rivers so that they
produced no fish; to curse their very ket-
ties so that with no amount Of fire and pa.
tience could they ever be made to boil;
and as u last resort, to curse the Druids
themselves, so that the earth opened and
swallowed them up.
The greatest Of St. Patrick's miracles
was that OF driving the venomous reptiles
out Of ireland, and rendering the Irish
soil, forever alter, so obnoxious to tho SER
pent race, that they instantly die on
touching 1t. This he did, as one seriously
relates, by beating q drum, which he
struck with such fervor that he knocked
ahole in 1t, but an angel appearing, mend.
ed the drum, and the patched instrument
was long exhibited as holy relic.
AS the birthplace Of st. Patrick has
been disputed, so has his burial. The
general evidence indicates that he was
buried at Downpatrick, and that the re-
mains Of st. Columb and st. Bridget were
laid beside him.
The shamrock, or small white clover,iS
almost universally worn in the hat all
over Ireland on 81. Patrick's day. The
popular notion Is. that when St. Patrick
was preaching the doctrine Of the Trinity
to the pagan Irish, he used this plant,
bearing three leaves on one stem, as an
illustration of the great mystery. To
suppose, as some absurdly hold, that he
used it as an argument, would be derogato.
ry to the Saints high reputation for ortho
doxy and good sense; butt Is certainly a
curious coincidence, If nothing more, that
treloil in Arabic Is called &tGmrdM and
held sacred in Iran as mathematical
Of the Persian Triads. Pllny, in his
Natural History, says that serpents are
never seen upon trefoil, and 1t prevails
against the stingS Of snakes and scorpions.
This, considering stPatrick's connection
with snakes, Is really remarkable, and we
may reasonably imagine that, previous to
his arrival, the Irish had ascribed mys.
teal virtues to the trefoil or Shamrock,
and on hearing Of the Trinity for the first
time, they iancied some peculiar fitness in
their already sacred plant to shadow
forth the newly revealed and mysterious
doctrine.
In the Galtce, or Gaultie Mountains sit
uated between the counties of Cork and
there are seven lakes, in one
of which, called Lough Dilveen, It Is said
81. Patrick, when banishing the snakes
and toads from Ireland, chained a mon
ster serpent, telling him to remain there
till Monday. The serpent every Monday
calls out in Irish: ut Is q long
Monday, Patrick" That St. Patrick
chained the serpent in Tough Dilveen, and
that tho serpent calls out to him every
Monday morning, Is firmly believed by
the lower orders who live in the neigh.
borhood Of the Lough.
The following will be observed as the
ROUTE OF PROCESSION.
Forming at the corner Of Market and
Quincy streets at o'clock P. NJ the pro.
cession, under Mr.. John Nolan, Chief
Marshal, will move up Quincy to Filth,
,,. ENifAl, A lLn.nnn lam. Nance a. H..