The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1877-02-22


appearance of bligh. to give uneasiness
on the Irish side cf the channel, and so
little was danger apprehended that no
reference whatever was made to the SUBJ
iect by any of the speakers at the dinner
OF the Royal Agricultural Improvement
Society, when that society held its annual
show at Ballinasloe early in October Of
the year we have named. Within a week
after that meeting it had become but too
evident that new and formidable dis
ease had attacked the crop upon which
so much depended. The newspapers
were filed with letters from panic~stric-
ken correspondents in all parts OF Ireland.
showing that the evil was so widespread
as to afford Just cause for alarm.
Royal Commission was appointed to in
uuire into the circumstances connected
with the disease, and to suggest such
means of prevention Or remedies as their
experience might lead them to consider
useful but although the commission con-
sisted of three men eminent for their
scientific requirements, namely, sir.
Robert Kane. Drs. Lindley, and Lyon
Playfair, they were unable TO throw any
light on the subject.
Alarming as the disease was on It's
first appearance, the full extent OF the
evil was not realised until the crop OF
1916 approached maturity. Early in July
of that year the first indication of disease
was observed, and by the month ofAugust
there was scarcely field Of potatoes in
Ireland which did not emit that noisome
stencil by which the presence OF the pes
thence was but too plainly pointed out,
East and west, north and south, on rich
and poor soils, it was all the same.
. Crops which showed the greatest luxu,
Rance and health one day Were, on the
tke next, mere reeking masses OF decay.
The people saw with dismay all their
hopes perish, and starvation stared them
in the face. The results were absolutely
trightfll and the civilised world was ap-
palled by reports OF suffering, for which
history afforded no parallel. The first
! to feel the effects OF the famine were the
poor eottiers and labourers who had no
resources to fall back upon when the
produce OF their one-acre fields was
: gone. The small farmers eked out sub
| sistance as long as they had cattle, pigs,
J or fowl to sell Or eat. sand clotha or other
property to pawn, but those resource $
were soon exhausted, and thousands OF
families who had previously lived in com
5 paratlve comfort speedily swelled the
/ ranks Of famishing paupers, spread over
the length and breadth of the land.
Country tradesmen who de pended upon
the farming classes, were totally
, deprived of their ordinary means OF sup
port. Shop-keepers in rural districts,
9 having no longer any customers, were
obliged to abandon their business, and the,
too, became paupers; while the want o
7 an outlet for manufactured goods. afford
| ed by these small traders, combinet
with their inability to meet their engage
ments, told seriously on wholesale mer
. chants and manufacturers. Rents wer'
$ no longer paid, and many owners OF
e property were reduced to great straits
9 "The hunger. as the poor creature
expressed It, was soon followed by dys
enterY, fever. and horrid diseases-th
i result of long-continued famine and lov
i. living-in which first the limbs and thel
the body became frighttully swollen
and finally burst The people die
> by hundreds daily in the poor >house
J they died in the streets aud on the road
j. sides ;and in many instances whole fam
lilies lay down and died in their cabins
. Collins could not be procnredi in sufficiel
numbers the victims were buried III thel
l. rags. and the very sacks in which mes
: had been carried to relieve their dlstres
"a were appropriated for tie purpose
covering their emaciated corpses. In
- diseases engendered by famine anon
e the poor spread in the higher ranks Of SO
is ciety, and in many instances proved fats
a TO clergymen and other gentlemen en-
gagged in supplying the wants OF thei
: lamished and fever stricken neighbors
: Language is inadequate to describe th
sufferings undergone by the Irish people
r and their actual condition at that awft
= period.
When the reports of the distress existin
in Ireland were published many person
% lookedupon them as exaggerated; b,
2 investigation proved that the accoun
IS received tell far short of the actual realit,
The country was under deep obligatio
lo to the Society Of Friends, who spared Z
20 pains in thoroughly investigating the sta
re ofJnatters in all parts of Ireland, and
r sganizing means for the collection !
subscriptions and the distribution of re
n lief. The advances made by parliameI
on the occasion amounted to f8, ,532 70
to which must be added the sum of FL
e 191, 1877, expended by the board of WORK
a On arterial drainage and land improv
ment; while the subscriptions placed
!. the hands OF the central and local assoc
IA ations for distribution amounted to 81
OF lO7 ,267, being altogether nearly twel,
IS millions sterling expended for the reli
ID Of the suffering people Of Ireland. The
advance and contributions were sprea
e. over the years 1916, 1847, and 1848, du
II ing which Ireland suffered from failur'
otfhe potato crop, but do not include
a very large amount ofcontributions whis
or were not made through public channel
( The poor rates increased rapidly und
!. the enormous pressure, until in son
= unions the rates exceeded the valued r.
= lof tho land. In March, 1848, nearly
no million Of persons were living on the rat