The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-11-05
THE IRISH IN LIJERPOOL-4 NOBLE
MISSION.
Cork Examiner. Oct. l4)

Cork Examiner Oct. al
In the midst of one of the greatest marts
Of commerce in the world there dwells q
number of our fellow. countrym men and wo
men whose conditions aud habits are cal
culated to inspire very saddening retiec-
tions. Irish energy and intelligence, here
combined with good conduct, there, as we'll
~ everywhere else, can raise their posses.
sors, and the fact is, that in Liverpool, as in
DO many other of the great tow ns OF England,
there is an important section of the Irish
holding honorable positions. But the num-
Der who have failed to rise in the social
scale, who are as poor as they would be at
home, with far worse habits, is sufficiently
great to suggest the most depressing
thoughts. The present writer has seen
while driving through an Irish quarter Of
Liverpool, on Sunday afternoon, bare
footed girls in great numbers. The sight
would be startling in Dublin or in Cork
how much more 80 where the thing is in
the general population And what makes
it che more saddening is that this is not the
result of unavoidable poverty, but of the
extravagance and the degrading absence of
of self respect, attributable to the preva-
lence of drinking habits. In Liverpool the
Irish laboring population cam far higher
wages than they get at home. and even In
the present depressed condition Of trade,
empioym ent is sufficiently abundant, but
they seem to have no knowledge of how to
spend their surplus earnings but in drink,
and the consequences are of the most la
Mentable kind.
1t lie pretty generally known that this
condition of things attracted the grave at
fention of Father Sugept, Catholic priest,
endowed with heart overlooking with
henevolence, and with an intellect full of
vigor and capacity. His position as chap
to see the working of the worst side of
the social system. He saw that three
fourths of the committals were from the
Irish population, and that their crimes had
their origin in the one fatal cause. His free
ssacm from parochial obligations enabled him
80 devote himself to undertakings of q
more general character, and he resolved on
attempting to establish in Liverpool tenn
perance society whose influence might do
something to diminish, if not suppress, the
evil that he saw raging around him. Before
entering on this task, Father Nugent
had had considerable experience as an or
4asiEer. To him the foundation of the
Catholic Institute Was due, an establish
meat resembling in its general features
Our Young Mems Society. He formed
BOys' Refuge, which is still in full and
beneRcent operation. It is q kind of In
features. Amopgst thoee 10 the teaching Of
the printing trade. Here nearly every
branch Of the art is worked-job printing,
Gthograpby, stereotyping and newspaper
work. The Catholic Times, . weekly news,
paper, started by Father Eugent, ably con-
apcted, and having now q circulation of
twenty thousand, is printed and machined
by these boys. We may mention, par pa
yeRtAese, that this is done with the acQuIes
cence of the trade, who, after q little dis
epsaion, yielded to the claims of humanity
and charity. Into this industrial estab
lshNent there are received q peculiar class,
designated as casuals. These are boys
whose mothers are compelled 10 be absent
from home, and whose earnlngs are insuff
Gent to support herself aud children. The
boys in such a case are taken in for the
day and fed, aud sent home at night.
Prepared by such works as these to crap
ple with great evils, Father Nugent, In
February, 1872. formed temperance assu-
citation. Like Father Mathew, Of whom he
10 AN enthusiastic admirer, as we'll as n
faithful follower, he felt the Importance OF
making his movement interesting to the
people, and of associating it with Innocent
and refining pleasures. His Refuge can
boast of a band of no mean skill, as our
GitiEens can attest, from the recollection of
its performance in this city last year. To
this he added some other musical attraction,
and he on one evening gave a concert at
St. Georges Hall. For this concert he
iRsued tickets at ,the low charge of no.
lhing apiece. Naturally he had large
and enthusiastic audience. The expert
ment was repeated a couple of times
it was too costly an undertaking to go on.
Twenty guineas q night had to be paid for
st. Georges Hall, ana there were other ex-
penses. Father Nugent eaid to some of the
most prominent personages, would there
be any objection to paying q small sum for
the tickets, as otherwise 1 must go round
with the hatf" He was assured there
would be no objection. The prices GER
tAinly were not calculated to alarm, being
penny, two pence and three pence. The
amount received, however, even from an
attendance quite as large as when the ad-
mission was gratuitiOus, did not meet the
outlay, aud it became necessary To seek
cheaper concert. hall. A disused circus
was awaited of, and here the concerts were
resumed. After tie music had concluded,
Father Nugent addressed the audience on
temperance, and then administered the
pledge TO those who were willing to take it.
His success was very considerable, huu-
areds yielding to the advice and persuRsions
he offered. The concert scheme, was not,
however, at the end of its adventures yet.